Dakou Kofi Agbesi – Assessments – International Institute for Global Leadership

As A Man Thinketh

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

James Allen, in this book reminds everybody of the degree of power and strength of ours thoughts and their different effects or implications on our purpose, on our ideals on our visions, on our health and on our acts. He explains that we are the direct product or the result of our thoughts, better, we are the conform copy of our thoughts. In brief our success or achievement and failure in the life depend to thoughts we have in mind. Every one of us is free and according to his purpose, objectives and visions to cultivate in his heart either an healthy, pure and encouraging thought or an unhealthy, negative thought. As me concerned, I stay logic with myself: I have so great ambitions, dreams to achieve that I’ll be positive in my thoughts.

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

Thought has effects or direct implications on our everyday’s life.

Thought and character

A man is a conform copy of his thoughts. Our character portrays our thoughts. here, our thought and character are combined together: there is no difference between the both concepts. As a simple example of this aspect about thought and character, I can say that a poor man is poor, because he thinks every time of his incapacities or impossibilities to be reach (poverty). Every negative or positive thought we have in mind will necessarily be achieved in our life. There is a proverb in my muter tongue (ewe) which says that:”Akpa medi na adewu o” meaning that a fish cannot give birth to a slur. This proverb is a perfect illustration. A sad face and action can never express a good thought. Our character or behaviors express the kind of person we are meaning the kind of thought we have in our mind. Our behaviors can never be exemplar if we think unhealthy and negative. A man is gifted of intelligence, of reason. I would like to invite all of us to use this aptitude to build, instead of destroying by unhealthy thought. I decided to become a true leader, a great entrepreneur. And I sent my application to IIGL, so I have to think pure to achieve my ambition.

Effect of thought on circumstances

Circumstance does not make a man; on the contrary it is attracted by a man’s thought. Man master or controls his thought. It is easy to understand that he can have circumstances or situations under control. Man has the possibility to avoid unpleasant situations. But if it is the case, then it means that man has voluntary wanted it. In this condition man causes his circumstance: he becomes his own” killer. The last word belongs to man. Who wants to have circumstance under control, needs to change mentality i.e. he has to cultivate pure and wonderful thoughts.

Thought’s effect on the body and on the health

“The body is the servant of the mind”. It is clear and easy that the thought impacts the body. The bidding of unlawful, negative thoughts makes the body sick, and on the other side, by pure, happy and beautiful thoughts the same body will be clothed with youthfulness and beauty. Our body reflects our thoughts. Negative thoughts affect the body. If I want a healthy life, I need a vigorous and graceful body. This why the French people say: “un esprit saint dans un corps saint” So I must change my mental attitude because only pure, happy and strong thoughts lead to it.

Thought and purpose

In this part of the book, James Allen let us discover how it is important to have a purpose in the life. I can compare a man without purpose to a river without fish. from the moment that thought is in the center of everything, it is clear that thought is linked to purpose. So, once we have something to achieve and we are very sure that it is our main goal, nothing else can any more preoccupies at the same time our thought. The realization of that thing should be the only purpose on which the thought must be focused. In this precise and precious step, doubt and fear must never and never appear in our mind, if not the purpose would not be attained, because these both concepts are purpose’s destroyers. On the contrary, we need determination and conviction. I this very important. Let me share with my own example.

Last year one of my friends came to me with a business in order to change our financial situation. We needed 500 000 FCFA (approximately 1000 Dollar US) at the beginning. My friend had 200 000FCFA (400 Dollar) and asked me to search the rest of the money. He explained everything very well to me. And I can easily find the rest of the money. But in my mind there were doubts on the business. I’ve got full of impure thoughts and finally I didn’t participate. Actually this friend has his own house, his car and good other things. Because of doubts, impure thoughts, I regret today. My friend believed in himself, and with determination and conviction, he succeeded. For the future, I’ll always set only my eyes and my thought on the fixed purpose. It can be difficult to attain, I’ll meet obstacles but with determination and optimism, conviction I’ll certainly triumph.

The thought-Factor in achievement.

The factor “Thought” is important in success and failure in the life. We are responsible of each of them because we are master of our destiny. The willing is another factor that must not forgotten. Achievement depends to our own effort. Nobody else can do it in our place. I t not possible. This is why James says:” A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped” we have all achievement’s ingredients (our mind). But the question is how we use our mind? To this question the author says:” He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly”.

visions and ideals

Having a dream (like this of Martin Luther King or this of Columbus) is not synonym of madness but an expression of a desire. This passage is full of truths: “the dreamers are the saviors of the world”; “He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it.”; “Humanity cannot forget its dreamers” who can forget Martin Luther King? Mahatma Gandhi? Christophe Columbus? Nelson Mandela And recently Barack Obama? I’m total agreed trough these great and world known Names with James when he says :”Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be” and “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 important here is to believe firmly in what we undertake, in our dreams and ideals and then we’ll achieve. Pure dreams are also allowed:” 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.”

Serenity

Another key of success is given us in this last part of the book: Serenity. This concept is combined with calmness. The calmness of the mind is a sign of wisdom, because each of them results from Self-control. Everyone who wants to achieve a greater dream needs to possess this important or precious quality which is calmness or self-control. The author affirms:” The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him.” I feel and confirm this opinion, because by so doing, the calm man becomes a model, a reference and a good adviser in his community. We need this inner strength, assurance which is self-control or calmness (serenity according to James Allen) before we undertake projects, and so we’ll succeed and surly greater than we think.

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?

James Allen reminded to the global humanity and particularly to the readers of his book the power of the thought and its implication in different domains in a human being’s life. As me concerned, I resume the whole book in two concepts: Positivity and serenity. This is what I understood after reading. Everything starts in the thought, in our mind. So if we have only positive thoughts, every product or effect of these thoughts will be positive. If I combine positivity with serenity (self-control or calmness), the result is marvelous. The rhetoric is not necessarily than the practice. All of these lessons in practical way will make me different from others. I’ll become a model, a reference because of the exemplarity of my acts, my behaviors and my look. Therefore, I’ll impact positively my friends and why not my community and the whole word.

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.

“As the plant springs from and could not be without the seed, so every act of man springs from the hidden seeds of thought”

Once again, a fish cannot give birth to a slur. It is really impossible to cultivate a negative thought and hope a positive fruit or wait for positive result. My everyday behavior or action results from my thinking.

“Do not see the long, arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal and call it good fortune”

I appreciated this statement. I consider it as an encouraging advice for every reader of this book and for everybody who want to achieve a purpose in the life. The French people say: “La vie est un combat” meaning “Life is a fight. But here life is a journey: during a long journey, you’ll be thirsty, hungry, tired. That means that if you have a great ambition, purpose to achieve, you need determination, motivation because you’ll have obstacles, difficulties on the way but don’t mind them. Make effort to overcome them. Do not forget your goal and do not give up then victory will be yours at the end.

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

Here is an affirmation of James Allen:” Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself “

The same James Allen develops another point of view in these words: «As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances”.

I find a contradiction in these both assertions, because a man learns spiritual lesson contained in circumstances. And this spiritual lesson leads to change of attitude, to correction of behaviors. By so doing, man progress and evolve in life. We can easily conclude that circumstances teach spiritual lesson to a man. A teacher is maker. So circumstance makes sometimes a man grow and progress.

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?

I didn’t find any exercises

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

I have anything to 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? 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? 7

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Assessment By Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

In this success fable about Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the author, Richard Bach uses the animals (birds particularly) to teach the human beings about the importance of seeking and achieving of a higher purpose in the life. And I understand at the end of the reading that: I’ll be what I will want to be. So, I became really aware of the fact that my success in the life is in my own hands. So, to achieve our dreams or ideas or desires, we need as Jonathan L. Seagull: – to know ourselves,- to be different from the others,- to be firm in our decisions,- to give ourselves and respect some norms of quality, never forget but believe that” we can”, and begin by knowing or keeping in thought that we already succeeded. I think that Barack OBAMA’s example with his slogan” Yes We Can” during the electoral campaign is a recent and palpable illustration of this idea. Also there is a proverb that says in French”Vouloir, C’est pouvoir” meaning «if you want, you can».

Perfection doesn’t have limits

Jonathan L. Seagull is never satisfied with his performances. Despite he made exploits in flight, he is never proud of it and stop there. He is never content as he is. But he goes on, seeking occasions to do better, to perform his aptitudes in the flight: « Can you teach me to fly like that? » asked Jonathan; later he said to his mentor or instructor Chiang: « I want to fly like that» . I think that we, human beings have to keep this important idea in thought that, if we want to progress or to achieve our purpose and objectives in the life, we need to learn more and more new knowledge that permit us to do better. This is the reason why the Elder exhorts him not stop leaning and practicing. My application to participate in the IIGL study program proves sufficiently my agreement to this important idea of aiming perfection by continuing to learn all the time that it is possible. Actually a part of the IIGL study, I’m following a seminar (as formation) in five different modules in Entrepreneurial ship. I’m determinate to learn as longer as I live.

Success follows Efforts

A lazy pupil can never pass his exam with success. In the same way, we need motivation, determination and concentration in everything we do. The French people say: « C’est au bout de l’effort qu’on puise satisfaction, le plein effort, c’est la pleine victoire» meaning that if you make efforts (you work hard), you’ll have victories (you’ll succeed). Jonathan has understood this and he begun quickly practicing. It is only by so hardworking, that the positive result (success) becomes inevitable. The opposite is simple an illusion. Personally I worked very hard at the University in the German language Department, which is said to be the most difficult language department. Effectively we were seventeen students at the beginning but four years later, we’re only thirty who had succeeded.

Overcoming obstacles

In every work, we need determination and motivation. We don’t need to let the circumstances of the life determine our ambitions or objectives. «Get down! Seagull never flies in the dark »: all the Gulls know this. But Jonathan decided to be another Gull from others. The darkness, the fact that Jonathan doesn’t have eyes of an owl, charts of brains and falcon’s short wings were his limits or obstacles. But he doesn’t mind. Because he has an ambition and objectives to reach, he overcomes all this obstacles and flies in the darkness. The model of leader that I would like to be, will not give up face eventual problems, the difficult situations and discourage or humiliations from peoples. As me concerned, as young leader, I’ll never find an excuse or pretext for the no execution of my projects or for not achieving my desires.

Humility

I recognize a kind of quality in Jonathan. He is intellectually humble. This aptitude leads to a real collaboration with the Elder, from who he got good advices and encourage words which boosted his love for a higher flight. Jonathan possesses skills and made exploits in flight, he isn’t proud of them, he doesn’t glorify himself, but he refused to be honored as a leader. He continues to learn .What humility! Jonathan accepted suggestions, remarks and advices. So he returned to the Flock (where he was rejected, banished) to teach. This kind of humble peoples is rare. Jonathan is exemplar and will impact my every day’s life.

Restitution of knowledge

Jonathan returned to his community (the flock) where he is humiliated and rejected and teaches them all the technics of a higher flight. He shares his experiences with all of his peers who want. How all these knowledge that Jonathan acquired in the domain of a higher fly can profit to the future generations if they not be restituted or gave back? A young Togolese democrat said in 1992 “on peut tuer un homme mais on ne peut pas tuer ses idées” meaning that “they can kill a man but they cannot kill his ideas”. Effectively this young man was killed, because the political authority means at that time that his ideas was opening eyes to the people about the democratic principles. Because this young man shared his ideas with his peers that his ideas continue todays to be defended. Learning by somebody is not jealousy but going forward. So I decided after reading this book that I have to impact globally into people’s life, and principally in children’s, young girl’s and women’s life. It is important to me.

Being different

The way that we are physically different from each other, we don’t have the same purpose or objectives in the life. Jonathan can no longer cohabit with the majority of Seagull whose vision is very limited: how to get from the shore to food and back (only eat) not to fly higher. Jonathan’s objective defers from eating: he sees more than the end of his nose: a higher flight: « ..He felt better for his decision to be just another one of the flock ». It is very clear that Jonathan cannot stay on the same place in this community to achieve his purpose. The important thing for him is to find the right and better opportunity to achieve his objective. He doesn’t mind the prize to pay for it. I have to imitate totally Jonathan, because I have higher purposes.

Leadership

After analyzing the personage of Jonathan L. Seagull, I conclude that he incurs the qualities of a true leader .His intellectual humility allows him to learn or to have a good advice from the Elder: “Perfection doesn’t have limits”. Jonathan accepted suggestions and remarks and answers question from everyone. Despite he made exploits, he made himself humble and refused to be honored. He didn’t only stop leaning but he returned to the Flock and share, teach him lovely his experiences and skills. He impacted in his fellowmen’s life. He restituted his knowledge which he acquired by hardworking to the future generation trough Fletcher. In other ways Jonathan is a guide for the others, he let them change their level of consciousness, brief he opens the eyes to the Flock on his elementary rights. Jonathan gave me a so good impression that I take the resolution to look like him.

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?

Theseideas are very capital that I consider them veritably as someone of the fundamental principles of the life. Better, they are for me the key which opens the doors of success. As a really future leader, I have to remember these lessons and refer myself to Jonathan every time that I have a project in view. The theories are contained in this book. But the practice is up to me in every day’s life. By practicing all these ideas, I mean that the road to success is traced to someone, who wants to achieve his ambition, objectives in the life. I have a lot of challenges. My application to IIGL is one of them. To rise up this challenge, I need determination, I have to work hard and overcome limits or obstacles (discourage English language for instance etc…). I thank God that the ideas of this book prepared me already for that. Brief, my thirst of achievements has been boosted by all these ideas contained in book.

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

“We can list ourselves out of ignorance”

Ignorance never profits to someone. Its consequences are incalculable. This is why the French say “l’ignorance tue” meaning that “ignorance kills”

We have all the obligation to research, develop and discover our ways out of ignorance, because very soon we’ll reach 2015, year of “Education for all”, one of the OMD of UN.

“Keep working on love”

“Love” is a very important virtue. If you love what you do, you’ll do it very good and with passion. Jonathan loved to fly. And he did it with motivation, determination and he succeeded. He was humiliated and rejected from the Gull society. Instead of hating them, he forgives them and returned back and helps them by sharing with them all his experiences. Love is patient; Love doesn’t hate but forgives everything. Jonathan proves it once again to us.

“Freedom”

Freedom is the best thing which exists in the whole word. If not peoples are not going to fight all the time for it. Jonathan recognize the importance and value of freedom: “..That freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside..” Unfortunately his friends, the seagulls are in captivity, because they are under a law that forbids them to fly free in their own way. No one of them doesn’t know that they can overcome this law before. This is reason for death in Gull community. But Jonathan L. Seagull liberates himself from this law, he overcomes this taboo and flies free in his way and achieve his purpose and objectives. The consequences follow immediately: he is humiliated, rejected and banished from the community: Freedom is only obtained by high fights. These consequences didn’t influence Jonathan’s exploits but on the contrary contribute to it. The lesson we keep here is:. We cannot achieve anything in the life nowadays, if we don’t enjoy freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of act, or any other freedom. I’m agreed with Jonathan that “the only true law is that which leads to freedom” . And I think that the fact to be under somebody and receive instructions or order all the time, makes anger and tired. I prefer obey somebody without depending to him.

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 fables usually are morality lessons to human beings. And their personages very often are animals. But here I find myself sometimes in a bird’s world and other times in human’s world. For example: Jonathan Seagull,Martin William Seagull, and Charles-Roland Gull. I don’t understand this in the history. I know already on the first page, that the book speaks to human beings because of these lines: ”To the real Jonathan Seagull, who lives within us”. Why Richard Bach personified again these birds?

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

There were no formal exercises to complete, but there were gaps in some sentences which the reader can take fun to fill if he wants.

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

I have anything to 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? 6
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7

Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

The author of this interesting, remarkable and inspirational book, Napoleon Hill gives away the all-important “secret” or key of success to the whole world and singularly through his readers. You can’t find this key of success anywhere because it is invisible and is within each one’s of us mind: the Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). The author emphasized and proved the power and the positive impact of PMA on our day to day life with tangible, enriching examples: his own one’s; S.B.

Fuller’s one and a good number of other examples. The author did not only content with underlining or emphasizing the power and importance of PMA but he advises to achieve and use it to the detriment of NMA, because it helps enormously the one who has great dreams, goals and objectives to realize. For this reason N. Hill let us discover again sixteen other ingredients (principles of success) whose combination with PMA leads inevitably to great achievements.

This book is full of so quite simply and clearly tricks or principles that everybody who knows what he wants, must refer himself to it in order to learn how to set.

A. Our mind is a “knife” with two sharp sides : Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) and Negative Mental Attitude (NMA)

I compare our mind to a sword. It hangs over our head every time: each side is sharp. The components of our mind (PMA on one side and NMA on other side) are powerful (sharp): Whatever the side that you turn up or you use, expect the results. PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) attracts wealth, success, happiness and health while NMA (Negative Mental Attitude) repels all these marvelous things that we just mentioned. In brief NMA makes life worthless living while PMA makes it worth living; that means one’s life depends on the way that person decide to see life. Because we are gifted with intelligence, we are free to make a choice of the side of our talisman (mind): it is from this choice that our life tips over either into goodness or into badness.

B. The road to achievement begins from me: because I’m the most important living person.

I have PMA in myself. This affirmation proves sufficiently my decision relating to the achievement and the use of this PMA. And I accept this choice; I’ll always use the most important side of my invisible talisman (mind). Every reader who opens the first chapter of this

book: “Meet the Most Important Living Person” will expect (as I did also) to discover at the end a famous name of either a thinker or a philosopher or an ideologue or a US’s president or a football player.

Unfortunately this is not the case that the author talks about. Any famous name is mentioned anywhere in the book. I ‘m pleased to know that I possess all characteristics of this described most important living person: his invisible’s talisman is within me: “my mind”. That means that I became aware of the fact that my mind has power to change impossible to possible through PMA (Positive Mental Attitude): it attracts wealth, success, happiness and health. The PMA side helps me overcoming my difficulties and lets me discover my strengths. With that PMA we have all rich blessings. In brief with PMA all the conditions are brought together for longevity and marvelous life. I can change my own and other’s world. It was because of the use of the PMA that Tom Dempsey despite of his crippled leg, kicked the most important goal and suddenly was became the most important person (player) of his football team whose horizon also changes positively. This is the way I expect to use the PMA side of my mind in my day to day life and I hope I will. I‘ll let my fellow men know and experience the existence of this inner power of positive change for their good. It is my choice of turning up the PMA side of my mind that makes me becoming the most important living person.

C. From zero, you can become an Hero by using PMA

I always contested this opinion and I think I’m right because those who employ it never emphasized the use of PMA. But after reading this book and the tangible example of S.B Fuller and Tom Dempsey, I want to say that everything is possible with PMA. Certain reader can still doubt about the history of T. Dempsey but me, I do not: because I have the proof with an athlete from South of Africa. He goes in for competitive sport (athletics) with two artificial legs. He participates to Olympic Games and is world known (an Hero). This South African athlete was born with malformation and his two legs were amputated. He didn’t say it is finished for him. He developed a burning desire, clear mental cobwebs from mind, acts (he did everything and FIFA gave him the green light). Great results follow the use of PMA.

D. PMA followed necessarily by Actions lead to success

One thing is to develop a burning desire or to think positively but how to transform this desire into reality (the action) is another thing. According to my understanding, a PMA without action is worthless. Besides, I learned in this book about the characteristics of PMA. Among them we have faith, courage, hope, optimism, initiative etc.. . All these concepts hide the fact of doing something i.e. an action. I have faith in what I do; I keep courage and I hope (I’m

optimist) that my initiative or what I undertake will succeed. It is by an action that you can practice the “ingredients” (faith, courage….) of PMA. S. B. Fuller developed a burning desire (becoming rich). Can he achieve this ambition if he didn’t begin to sell soap from door to door and set money aside? What about Henry Ford if he didn’t encourage his colleagues to keep on try and trying? The most poignant example is the one of that man whose two years old baby supposed to die. This man got a Positive Mental Attitude: he said “the child will live”. He didn’t stop on this PMA to see the miracle achieved. No, but he got into action (he placed the child under the care of a pediatrician and prayed) and his child got his life saved from the death. It is always good to test the new things that one learns because experience brings the difference.

E. The Use of OPM: Other People’s Money

The Credit’s system is currently in vogue everywhere. It concerns everybody who wants to undertake profit generating activities. The OPM’s system is helpful and is beneficial to one who knows how to use it. The US States, some rich men use it to increase their financial situation. Why not a poor man in order to come out of his poverty? The problem is that OPM is not a present. In contrary it would be paid back. So it is very important to conceive rightly an unsound project and set a good planning before using OPM. Since I employ myself I still use OPM.

F. Clear the cobwebs from our thinking

We learned by James Allen that we are a conform copy of our thoughts.

And N. Hill writes “We are what we think”. There is no difference between these two assertions. We see how important the role that our thoughts play is in our day to day life. In this respect, I’m agreed that we preserve our thinking from everything that can lock or hobble it’s advisedly use. Our thinking has not to suffer from any obstacles (cobwebs). Whoever wants to achieve and use PMA has to sweep, liberate or clear his thinking from feelings, passions, emotions, habits, beliefs and prejudices. We don’t need to be mentally limited.

G. Motivation

As a former teacher I learned a lot about this concept during our seminars. In order to achieve a pedagogic objective for example a teacher has to motivate his pupils. We need motivation in every domain: at school, in a company, at home etc… and it can be financial or moral. It is a very important tool in the fulfillment of our purposes. A teacher for example has the use of appreciating or encouraging words (very good, excellent, bravo) to motivate his pupils while a boss in a company can establish encouraging bonus for those who work under him. Motivation brings great results. It is nonsense to motivate other person and forgetting oneself.

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 is a grace and blessing to read this enriching book. It is full of practical advices and lessons. I always use PMA to change my life. I’ll give a new direction or orientation for my day to day life. All the ideas or lessons contained in this book will help me to be active and to feel an enthusiasm in everything that I’ll undertake. I’ll always remember and use PMA and all the 17 success principles as a yardstick in self-evaluation and this of my life. The practicing of the precious inner power of change I’ll be able to attract wealth, health, happiness and longevity. These ideas will without doubt bring a new light in my life: I already know what I want and I’ll refer myself to these ideas or lessons to practice how to and when to achieve. I’ll let other people know these precious and bracing lessons and clear cobwebs from my thinking and never be undecided.

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.

First statement: “If a man is right, his world will be right”

I appreciated too much this point of view given by a child to a minister (his father). This child is right because this assertion contains an invaluable lesson. It resumes all what Napoleon Hill wants to let us know about the concept PMA. If we think every day positively, we’ll be always happy, wealthy, everything will be all right for us; we’ll overcome easily obstacles and we’ll be able to have the world under control and it will be also right. The Positive Mental Attitude is really powerful and is worth to be achieved.

Second statement: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude”

This is to tell us that the time when manna fall from heaven is past.

It is now time for us to conceive something meaning that we need a good organization or better a planning. If we set our plan and follow it rightly we shall always achieve our goals. God has given to us a formidable tool of great success: our mind. We have to use it advisedly by thinking positively, setting goals and following them rightly to see our dreams become reality. Success with PMA lies also in a good planning.

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’m do not agree with the author when he says that man’s greatest power lies in the power of prayer.

Could Jonathan L. Seagull one day achieve a higher flight if he spent all his time in his cage in his community by praying? I don’t think so. It is by practicing or hard working. It would be a mistake to accept the point of view of N. Hill about the power of the prayer. We always say in French “Aide toi, le ciel t’aidera” meaning that: “help yourself and the heaven (God) will help you”. Prayer is one of the keys to success. Could a pupil pass successful his exam if he packs his lessons in the drawer and spends all his time praying? It is self-determination plus action plus prayer lead to great positive results. We saw this example with S. B. Fuller: he developed a burning desire: he wanted to be wealthy so he began to sell from door to door, set money aside, used other person money and then prayed before he realized his desire. The combination of several factors included prayer made S. B. Fuller what he wanted to become. Praying is good but hard working (determination, action, planning) plus the prayer is better. This is the case in chapter seventeen. The man whose two years old baby supposed to die didn’t believe only in the miracle of prayer but also in Action (doing something). The combination of his faith with his action saved his child from death. Besides the Bible says “Faith without works (action) is dead”. We learned something in the Bible with Jesus Christ: he had power to conjure meal from heaven for the crowd who were waiting. But he didn’t do it; he took rather a few braid and fish (made by hands of men) prayed and multiplied them for that great crowd. The lesson to keep in mind here is that, the time when manna fall from heaven is passed. Let work and pray because God bless us through our small efforts (the braids and fishes on which Jesus prayed).

I don’t understand the reason why somebody who advocates the use of Positive Mental Attitude can also be delighted at the misfortune of his fellowman. I’m very embarrassed and shocked reading in chapter six this: So you’ve got a problem? That is good! At this moment NMA side of the talisman is turned up and it is nonsense and dangerous according to me. What is good by getting a problem? This rejoicing is worthless.

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 of course; the book contains exercises. The author asked me some questions at the end of each chapter. I tried to answer them and that helped me to understand better some concepts. A part this question, the 20st chapter is full of exercises about success quotient analysis.

It is always interesting and helpful to try answering these questions.

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 greatest value in the life is loving people and serving them”

This advice from a mother to her son let me think about the concept of humility. Serving other people is the expression of humility because the servant abandons his ego, his social level and makes himself humble In front of the person he is going to serve. Effectively you can’t serve somebody you hate. So love attracts service. In conclusion, sometimes in our burning desire to achieve greatness and see our drams be realized we need first to be servants.

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

A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Keys To Success
Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

After reading this inspirational, encouraging, illuminating book, I can proclaim or state “highly and loudly” that the personal achievement or the success is certainly not an effect of chance but it results rather from the combination, the respect and above all from the implementation of some factors. These elements or factors are what the author of this exceptional illuminating guide “Keys to Success”, Napoleon HILL calls 17 Principles of personal achievement. N. Hill explains thoroughly and step by step in this book these seventeen principles and prop up them with concrete or true-life examples of great celebrities in order to incite his readers and the whole world doing so i.e. putting these seventeen principles in action so that they can improve their lives by achieving health, wealth, success in any domain. N. Hill, through his explanation and by sharing with us famous personalities’ concrete examples marks out for us the way to success (Hill teaches and shows us we need and how we can achieve success). As free and intelligent human beings and above all as master of our destiny, it is up to each one of us going that way or not: let’s make this choice according to the purpose, objective, ambition (dreams) we fix in life. I would like to remind us all of the fact that a good and judicious choice is well more profitable to one who makes it than to other person. Let’s think about it.

A. Being definite: the starting point of all worthwhile achievement

During a meeting within young men I participated about the subject “why we don’t succeed in life?, various answers and reasons have been given. For some of us it is because of lack of money and for other it is because the political situation of our country is not fit. Thank God that because this book illuminated me so enough and especially with this first chapter that I have the veritable tool and I’m apt to bring my fellow men out of the darkness. We can’t achieve success because we are a dead leaf that the wind or the stream takes away as it please. That means simply that we don’t set a definite major goal for our life and the plan for its achievement. The French peoples say ‘qui voyage loin ménage sa monture” meaning who wants to travel far has to prepare. We have to row against the current i.e. don’t let the stream takes us away to a place we don’t desire. In other words we have to determine our direction relating to what we want to be: fixing our definite major goal. The certitude is that the success doesn’t fall from heaven. There is a precondition to satisfy: definiteness of purpose. It is like before having a big building, it is necessary to put down a solid, sturdy foundation or base on which the other bricks will be put. Without this foundation there is no building. This solid and necessary foundation is nothing else as to set a definite major goal or the definiteness of purpose without which the achievement of success is hardly seems possible. It is true that at the beginning you’ll lie in a pool of various goals. But these will mark out the way to your definite major purpose, from where your achievement starts.

Don’t let the life aboard us rather let’s determine our destination by fixing our definite major purpose and setting a right plan for its achievement. If only this becomes our obsession we’ll succeed.

B. Establishment of a mastermind alliance

“Two heads are better than one”; “one swallow only doesn’t make spring”; “one tree doesn’t only make the forest” whatever the ingenuity of your definite major goal you need other skills (other
persons) for its achievement. This collaboration can be either with your friend or with your family. The important thing is that you can get a lot either from their advices or motivation you need for reaching your objectives. God has already given the philosophy of mastermind alliance when he said in Geneses chapter one verse twenty
six: “let’s create the man on our image”. To achieve or reach his major goal (creating men) God associated himself with other collaborators as the Holy Spirit: Job thirty three verse four “the spirit of God created me and the breathing of the Almighty animates me”. The all mighty God made a mastermind alliance and it would be nonsense that we his creatures don’t follow his example to achieve our desire. The collaboration or alliance in order to realize or to reach a definite purpose or objective is essential. But this alliance must be frankly and based on sturdy harmony and mutual comprehension if not it will be vain. The Bible says if two or several people join together and ask father in heaven something, it will be agreed.

C. Budgeting time and money

Time is so precious that we still emphasize his value by saying “time is money”. Both concepts (time and money) go together if we stick to their importance in our day to day life. So the one who wastes his time lost money and vice versa. Many people compare time with the life. And by giving advices we still say “take care of yourself because every second or every day is a life “. In this case we have to attach the same treatment to both concepts: their budgeting is very worth.

D. The habit of smiling

The only thing I know about the habit of smiling before reading this book is that the smile is therapeutic and always recommended to some sick persons. Last time I was discussing with a nurse at telephone and she didn’t stop making me smile. When I asked her why she does so she lets me know that she has leaned during her service training how to make patients smile. Smiling is also recommended to one who doesn’t want to have earlier wrinkle on his or her face. I’ve just learned after reading this book a new importance of smiling. It is a primordial factor or element in the process of achieving success in any domain because the one who always stay an attractive personality fails rarely. This is the reason why young ladies are preferred as commercials in super markets. They attract the client with their smile. The simple habit of smiling is therapeutically important and a part of that, it also impacts one’s speaker or listener attention.

Smiling for instance during an audience to an examiner or to a recruiter draws his attention on the candidate and tips up favorably the audience. The smile is a very important key to success because it makes an attractive personality, one of the steps in process of achieving success.

E. Learning from adversity and defeat

There are and it would be several adversities in life. A defeat is not the end of the life because we can lose the fight but not the war. The way to success is never pink. It has many thorns or obstacles (adversity and defeat). The essential is not to complain about these obstacles but to use the positive side of our invisible talisman (our mind) to overcome them and learn from them for building a best future.

I have seen life many adversities and defeats. I helped one of my pupils. I did my best and he was employed in the same mobile society where I was working. Two yes later he was unfortunately laid off. I gave him my own motto so that he does what we call here ‘Taxi motto” without compensation. He undertook a business two years later and it doing very well for him. When I became jobless later, I approached him and discussed with him about my jobless situation and beg him to offer a training to my young brother while I’ll seek for OPM in order that I can undertake the same business in another area. This guy refused my proposal and I hardly believed it. This kind of adversity happens in life but we have to accept it positively, learn lesson from it and believe, hope in a best future. Of course I wasn’t expecting a refusal from my pupil helping me and I was disappointed but at the same time I decided to do everything to achieve success and I think I’m on the way.

F. Using applied faith

I learned a lot about faith in the Bible and the holy writing said”
Faith move mountains”. Jesus Christ recognizing the healing’s faith of a seek man who was following him said to him “your saved you”. Faith is the firm believing in what we undertake or do. Jonathan L. Seagull developed a terrible faith and achieved a higher flight because he believed it despite he was expelled out of the flock. I remember this statement: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude”. If we believe, our PMA will strengthen our faith and if we combine all again with the prayer, we’ll progress from success to success. We have to use applied faith in everything we undertake and also with prayer and the implementation of the other principles we’ll testify every time about great success.

G. Replacing fear with hope

Fear is one of the cobwebs we have to clear from our mind because every success starts first in our mind. Fear doesn’t have its place in our spirit because it is a first and undeniable sign of failure. “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude”. I can replace PMA with NMA this statement will conserve its signification i.e. if we conceive in our minds whether good or bad is what happens to us. In the same way, if we focus our mind or spirit on fear of accident or fear of death, we attract all these bad events, and it will happen as imagined. So we have to replace or clear fear of everything out of mind. Let’s turn up the positive side or the hope side of our invisible Talisman. Let’s focus our spirits on things we hope to get. We need a steel mental or a strong mental made of hope and optimism to go a hard and achieve success. Let’s keep our mind focused only upon the things, situations and circumstances (a definite major purpose) we want to achieve.

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

These mentioned lessons are of course important but it would be very easy to limit only to them because they represent only a drop in the ocean i.e. the whole book is full of so helpful ideas that I adhere to its illuminating and encouraging aspect. We all know the role of an illuminating guide in one’s day to day life. These ideas will allow me in their real and concrete implementation to overcome or to control all mental cobwebs and permit to get rid of negative attitudes that make undesirable, repugnant and to become desirable and attractive, one of the good qualities in the building of the mastermind alliance.

These lessons will make a net change in my life because I learned to concentrate myself on the essential things (seeking and exploiting opportunities for example) in detriment of uselessness. With these ideas an order or a sense is given to my life and to my personality and so I’ll do the right thing at the right moment. I would like to say that with this book and through its lessons it is a new sun ha that rise in my life. I find definitely the Key of my success. These ideas represent for me a mirror in which I’ll see myself day per day for my perfection. Every time I’ll set a major goal I’ll remember the rest principles that will contribute to its achievement and develop a firm faith in myself and in what I do. The time has come and the ball is in my field to put in these ideas in action in every domain in order to be among those who achieve success. I hope I’ll manage.

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.

First statement:

“If you would plant for days, plant flowers.
If you would plant for years, plant trees.
If you would plant for eternity, plant ideas!”

This statement let me think about the concept of immortality. The flowers wither and trees die. These objects reveal the ephemeral and fleeting nature of our acts and works. While will live forever who plants ideas because ideas don’t die. Even if his principal author dies somebody else will soon or later take over. A young late Togolese democrat (Tavio AMORIN) peace to his soul, was right when he said “on peut tuer un homme mais on ne peut pas tuer ses idées” meaning a man can be killed but not his ideas. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi for instance are still alive and well because they planted ideas.

Currently there is an association in Togo named Martin Luther King with the same ideas and strategies of fight which pastor M. L. King advocated when he was alive. Only good, positive and insightful ideas can confer the eternal character to his author.

Second statement:

“If you can see an opportunity as quickly as you can see the faults of others, you will soon succeed.”

Despite the fact that opportunity is everywhere as it is stated in this book, we are not able to see it and exploit it. The reason is very simple: we spend most of our time detecting the faults of our Nabors (we are becoming more and more gossip). We need to open our eyes to see opportunity at the right moment instead of attaching importance to uselessness such as seeing the faults of others. Anyway we compare in my mother tongue the life with a field on a mountain: if in this field you lower to see the bottom of the one who is front of you, the one who is behind you will also see your bottom i.e. we have all faults. And if each one of us spends most of his time to see each one’s faults instead of working we’ll never finish and we’ll never pretend achieving success. So let’s concentrate on the essential: seeking, finding and exploiting opportunities and becoming change makers that this world needs.

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 understood everything even if I spent more time to understand some parts of this illuminating and inspirational book that I’ll without doubt recommend to several of my friends.
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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?

What I consider as exercises in this book concern the twenty two questions entitled “A personal inventory”. Also from page 215 to 231 there is a summary of each chapter or each of the 17 principles. And at the end of each summary there is a place reserved for our commitment to use the principle. Trying to answer the 22 questions and by writing down my commitment is first of all for me a self-evaluation and by so doing I start activating the process of success achievement in my mind.

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

“Sex is behind all the creative force that advance human destiny. Sex built cathedrals, universities and nations”

How this statement is possible? Don’t be surprised if I ask this question. A great number of African people have a different conception of sex. This concept is and stays a taboo for them. For long time we consider sex in Africa as something that compromises success’s chance.
It would be very difficult to have sexual intercourse with your girlfriend when her exam for instance approaches or when she has something important to do. She’ll accuse you to wish her failure. I have got this problem. We have a false apprehension of sex which is not necessarily synonym of failure. Only few men can understand the statement of N.Hill, who only tries to open our mind on the positive aspects of sex. He doesn’t tell us something that is opposite to what we learn at school about sex: having sex is a natural need or desire we have to satisfy.

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

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

Psycho Cybernetics 2000
Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

This thoroughly updated and revitalized Maxwell Maltz’s psycho-cybernetics 2000 offers to the individual psychological cures for his personal fulfillment: the main psychological cure that the author, Bobbe Sommer teaches in this formidable and precious book is to develop: – a self-image you can live with, one in which you can feel secure, one that you can be proud of to express to others, one that lead to self-confidence and success; – a realistic self- image that will empower you to live a better life. In brief the author wants to let us know that our self image acts as our invisible talisman: it acts as the key to every success or failure in our life and that a positive self-image equals longevity. B. Sommer relates us also trough the history of the horse and the rider the interaction or the interdependence of our conscious and subconscious minds with each other: what the conscious conceives will be interpreted by the subconscious mind. The author developed moreover the process of success which is only achieved if it is programmed trough the enhancement of self-image. He “touched” also many other principles, above all the helpful principle of cancelling negative habits of “not being able to” and replacing them with “can do” attitudes trough “CRAFT”. This book is so a veritable step-by-step guide to success and after reading it you’ll necessarily become your own therapist and you’ll be positively transformed because you’ll be able to take control of your own life as it happened to Bobbe Sommer himself at the end of Dr Maltz’s lecture in Los Angeles: that is of course the main purpose of Dr Maltz’s program and it is already achieved in the past and it still continues nowadays to impact marvelous lives.

A. Self- Esteem
We always need in our day to day’s life some steering vectors for more responsibility; some solid and strong proofs or tools to face and gain the various challenges. The high Self-Esteem is one of the approaches. Self-Esteem is the fact to improve or feel either a high or a low image of oneself. If we think and behave rightly, positively and highly other people will see and accept us so. But if we underestimate ourselves saying “I’m not the right person to…; I’m not able to…” we resign and we’ll go from failure to failure and never gain challenges. Brief the way we view ourselves is the way people will also view us. How do we estimate ourselves? Highly or lowly? We don’t need to avoid always facing our responsibilities by hiding behind low or negative Self-Esteem. That will also make us rejected. A high self-esteem is more useful to us and leads to the creation of a positive self-image, the key to our successful personality.

B. A Positive Self-image.
The question here about a positive self-image is above all psychological. It is the positive mental image that every person has and carries of himself and also his believes. We learned with James Allen in As a Man Tinketh that we are the direct product or the result of our thoughts; better, we are the conform copy of our thoughts. This statement of J. Allen has a link with Bobbe Sommer’s one about the Self-image:” we are entirely the product of the images we carry of ourselves” and it is our self-image that prescribes our limits meaning we always act, feel and behave in a way that is consistent with our self-image. Both statements convey the same message: our success or failure in the life depend to thoughts we have in mind or self-image we carry of ourselves. In view of these two undeniable truths it is worthy to create or to develop a positive self-image. If we do so, we add more living to our life; we’ll be empowered to live longer and better because the positive self-image contributes enormously to success and to well-being. We have not to adopt Laura’s or John’s language: “I’m stupid” or “no woman could find me attractive.” We need to banish the “I can’t” vocabulary from our “mental dictionary” and keep only the “I can” pages. We have the appropriate tool to do it: the Craft.

C. CRAFT
This concept got so particularly my attention that I owner it as a big lesson and I would like to dwell on its entire meaning:
C- ancel old, negative data
R -eplace it with new, positive data
A -Affirm your new self-image
F- Focus on an image of success
T – Train yourself in your new attitudes and behavior.

“CRAFT” is very indispensable for success achievement. It is a process used to correct and program our success because it is a principle whereby we clean or we keep away negative mental attitudes or behavior (our cobwebs) and we replace them with new, pure, healthy, worthy and prosperous habits. For me it is matter of practicing the CRAFT process by replacing the thought of “not being able to” with “can do” attitude for more than six weeks. According to what I learned from the book, the science of Mattz Psycho-Cybernetics has greatly changed millions of people’s lives and is continuously changing them. So instead of concentrating myself 15-20 minutes each day for meditation on CRAFT, I decided to encounter this important principle every time I enter my bedroom; so I wrote with capital letters “CRAFT” and its entire meaning on the wall in my bedroom so that it can welcome me and everybody who enters my room. This is the way I practice the CRAFT principle. So I become more and more self-confident.

D. The Self-Confidence
We need to be self-confident in the life. It is a great tool or source of motivation, an important stage or step to the success achievement. Supposed that I want to undertake a project. If I have all appropriate acknowledgements or experiences and skills for the realization of the project and I don’t have self-confidence, the project can fail. But it is possible even if I don’t possess the appropriate acknowledgements and skills but I have golden or unerring self-confidence, I can reach good results or achieve the project. That is the power of applied faith or self-confidence: it moves mountains. It is the self-confidence I have that still guides me in my studies with IIGL and I’ll certainly achieve my objective. But the stress can sometimes divert us from our purpose. If it is so, we have to relax.

E. Relaxation
The human being needs generally relaxation and particularly his servomechanism. The doctors prescribe it very often to their patients and the teachers also to their pupils especially when exams draw near. In view that our servomechanism is the mainspring or the starting point of our success, it is very important that it works correctly or properly. And the only state in which that is possible is the relaxation: our brain has no more stress; it releases. After correct relaxation exercises, our brain invigorates or takes new energies. Therefore we assist to the activating and enhancement of our creative imagination which is the barometer of success. Relaxation turns even stress into success; enables to find right resolutions to problems. It is because of the various benefits of the relaxation that students are given break-times, holidays; that state employees, civil servants and senior civil servants are given leave. After a good relaxation, one sets off again on a new basis by setting new goals.

F. Setting Goals
This idea is very important. Whoever wants to achieve success in life has to put this lesson in action. Bobbe Sommer qualifies it as Prerequisite to success and for Napoleon Hill setting goals or (the definiteness of purpose) is the starting point of worthwhile achievement. A man with no goal in life is like a dead leaf that the wind takes away as it please. Don’t let the stream (life’s circumstances) takes us away to a place we don’t desire. We have to row against the current i.e. determine our direction by setting goals. And a poor self-image is not welcome in the goals setting process. If we set specific and attainable goals, we turn our servomechanism into success mechanism and we’ll definitely reach success.

G. The Way to Success
I was already saying in my assessment about Key to Success that success is not an effect of chance but it results from implementation of some prerequisites which Napoleon Hill call 17 principles. I delighted that psycho-cybernetic 2000 confirms this point of view with “Six Steps to success”. The rightly respect or practicing of each one of the above ideas is a sign, a great proof that we are on the way (we are getting prepared) to reach success. It is a long process and we need to get prepared or to program ourselves psychologically for it. Success is above all mental: which image do we create and carry in our mind and that our conscious send to subconscious? As we create images of success in our mind, our spirit will be focused on it and it can be turned into effective success. If we submit for instance an application for a job, we must imagine ourselves already in possession of that job and focus on it. It can be realized. In one word, it is around this central, mental successful self-image that other no less important steps or principles (as setting goals, relaxation, CRAFT…) turn. So success doesn’t come from itself. There are prerequisites to satisfy. One has to get prepared or to program oneself for it by practicing one by one all the success’s prerequisites.

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 Bobbe Sommer realized in the auditorium where the lecture of Dr Maltz was taking place that the time had come to take control of his own life, it ‘s my turn to see miracles operate in my life. I believe it will happen because all these ideas and other lessons contained in the book in their day to day practicing will transform my environment and will make great changes in my life. I realized that my success is contained in these lessons because they are not only to be emphasized and to be read but to be experienced in my everyday life. This book and the various helpful contained principles or lessons awake me enough to many positive opportunities: by practicing the CRAFT lesson I’m ready to change the “I can’t do, I’m not able” habits to “I can do, I’m able to” attitude. By cancelling all old negative data and replacing them with new and positive one, I mark out the way for my own great personal fulfillment and I add more living to my life which will be surely better.

I learned to resume the book that I’m entirely the product of the images I carry of myself and it is my self-image that prescribes my limits. I decided from now to carry every times a great, positive and successful image of myself and even if negative toughs invade me sometimes (it is possible because I’m flesh and blood) I’ll use CRAFT principle to correct, to control my self-image and then I’ll reprogram my servomechanism in order to change negative toughs (failure habits) to positive or success habits. Self-Esteem lesson will empower me and I’ll never more improve a low and negative mental image of myself as the young john and others do. Surely these lessons will in the practicing impact my day to day life and will open the door of my total change and of my total personal fulfillment.

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

“I’m not judged by the number of times I fail but by the number of times I succeed.”

This is what Tom Hopkins reminds us. The French people say “la force d’un homme n’est pas ne jamais tomber mais c’est savoir se relever” meaning that the strength of a man is not the fact never to fall down but how to stand up. The fact to fail or “fall down” has no meaning but the success (how to stand up) is the most important thing. We have not to complain about our failures but we have to check the causes of our failures in order to make a correction or a reprogram for a best jump. The lesson I learned from this statement is the same that Henry Ford always gave to his colleagues in the remarkable book of Napoleon Hill Success through Positive Mental Attitude – keep on trying and trying.

“It is our self-image that prescribe our limits.”
We are entirely the product of the image we carry of ourselves. Which kind of image we carry of ourselves? Failure’s image or success’s image? If we underestimate ourselves as the 28 years old john does, we’ll never succeed and never achieve better life. The fish cannot give birth to a slur. If we see our self- image as failure then we’ll always fail unless we use the “CRAFT” principle to aspire to success and then success will definitely come. So we have the key to our success or to our better life in our own hands. Let’s carry a positive, successful self-image of ourselves.

“If you always do what you’ve done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
This is the principle of the same causes produce the same effects. Bobbe Sommer urges us to changes in: – our day to day life’s way, – our making decisions, – our ways to do things in order to grow positively by enhancing and developing the self-image we carry of ourselves.

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

Everything is clear and very well understood.

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 of course, the book contains many exercises. Step by-step I managed to complete all of them. They are so helpful.

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.

Psycho Cybernetics 2000 with the concepts such as conscious and subconscious reminds me of my philosophy’s courses at senior secondary school. The only difference here is that, Bobbe Sommer; the author used a vocabulary that specifically comes under information technology. For being more explicit I underline the use for instance of concepts such as: data, programming, reprogramming, input and CRAFT (the way it is used and the way it works). Be that as it may, these specific words helped me enough to understand very well the book. But it is not a reason to give up trying to understand what the author hides behind the explanation of his message trough the use of computer language. Is it because he knew that these information technology’s concepts would make easier the comprehension of the taught he conveys in the book? Or he is trying indirectly to prove people right who compare computer with the human brain? If it is the comparison (computer with human brain) that motivated the adoption of computer language, I ‘m sorry I’m don’t agree with him because both can operate of course the same way but human brain is more complex and outdoes computer.

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

How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

Written by Dale Carnegie and published since 1937, the book ” How to win Friends & Influence People” is and will still remain useful as long as the human beings will exist because they are bound to maintain interpersonal relations. ” How to win Friends & Influence People” is a self-help book, a practical guide and probably one of the most helpful actions programs about the good manners for developing better interpersonal relations. And by reading only the title we can image the content of the book. Dale Carnegie teaches each one of us, his readers the fundamental techniques for dealing with people or with one’s fellow men; the ways we can make people like us; how we can win people to our way of thinking and how we can change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. Through these different principles or lessons which “great”, famous and successful men also (even Presidents) used, Dale Carnegie instills in us worthy and noble skills such as: the ability to express or communicate ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people. After reading thoroughly the principles contained in the four different headlines (or in the four parts) of the book, we learn and are endowed with the good manners; we acquire and we increase the ability to communicate ideas, a new and the best tool for managing the human relationships. Our success in life also depends on it.

In one word, Dale Carnegie is teaching us a new and the best approach to achieve success in one’s family, social and occupational relationships. And this approach is based on the communication of ideas: how to speak effectively. In other words Dale Carnegie let us discover the importance or the role that the communication plays in our interpersonal relations. Is your speaking constructive? Increases it enthusiasm and reduces tension, anxiety? If no, that means that this book is recommended to you because we are currently yet in globalization and only change makers, leaders are welcomed. To become a more effective leader of people, let’s apply all these abilities:

a. The “But or And” approach: the way to criticize without causing offense or resentment

As human beings, we are bound to live together in the society: either in familial circle, either in professional or occupational circle or in our simple day to day friendships. So we mix each with other every day in some way because we are all useful one to other. It is also very important that we adopt positive attitudes that create and maintain better interpersonal relations. Criticism is not one of these positive attitudes. On the contrary it is one of the factors that lead to the worsening and destruction of human relationships because it puts a person on the defensive; it wounds a person’s precious pride and arouses resentment. In short words, criticism is dangerous. So if we see somebody’s fault or mistake or something that we do not like or some things in regard to which we are not quite satisfied with its author, we have to refrain from judging and condemning that person but rather let’s try to be more understanding towards the other fellow man. And if we have to express at all costs our ideas about our fellow men’s faults or mistakes, there is a way to do it without causing offense or arousing resentment by the person. And the key of that kind of criticism is the use of a tactful and diplomatic language or expression such as the use of the “But or and”, an approach which reduces and tones down the tension and anxiety that criticism arouses. By so doing, we’ll not hurt one’s sense of importance. The adopting and the use of this approach will be more effective and will collateralize the best human relations if we previously praise and appreciate honestly the faulty person.

b. Praise and honest appreciation

Praise or honest appreciation is one of indispensable tools for developing and maintaining of best interpersonal relations: this why I give reason to William James who said: “the deepest principle in human nature is craving to be appreciated”. There is nothing more demoralizing and frustrating than making a person feel totally useless. We saw in this book various positive changes and results that praise and honest appreciation got. Unfortunately we neglect this aspect or virtue of our day to day existence. Sincere appreciation and praise are one of motivations way in human relations. We know that everybody do like to be complimented. And the bosses who for instance practice this lesson by appreciating their employees honestly make them happy and they will without doubt work efficiently and with love. Because therefore a mutual confidence will reign, a sign of best human relations. Sincere appreciation is powerful because it leads to positive attitudes, increases enthusiasm and one’s enjoyment in life as it happened in that woman’s life whose husband sent her six red roses with appreciation words. As former teacher, we are told during a seminar to appreciate our pupils’ efforts with words such as: very good, congratulation even with a clap. It is a way to encourage and motivate them to participate to the courses. And therefore they will increase their enthusiasm in the assimilating of the courses. In short words, we have not to forget in our day to day interpersonal relations that all our associates are human beings. They are hungry for appreciation and their souls are also thirsty for enjoyment. The Praise and the honest appreciation change positively a person’s life as it happened in Steve Wonder’s life. Appreciate a person is a sign of the recognition of his or her skills or talents and usefulness and therefore he or she will enjoy. This simple act of appreciation makes many feel important.

c. Make the other person feel important

It is one of the important aspects in dealing with human beings because people are proud when they are given importance; they feel happy and boast about their position. So the lack of this principle may be considered as an insult and shall almost bring people into trouble. John Dewey says that the desire to be important is the deepest urge in human nature. According to what I read, the desire which is seldom gratified is the one of being important or great. So it is now easier for us to make other person feel important. Let’s praise and congratulate them if appreciation is seldom gratified in their life. We have to notice that the desire to be great or to be important of some persons has unfortunately the immoderation and leads them to immoral practices. The case of African politicians is very tangible and legion: some sacrifice human lives (almost young girls), other burry alive cows in order to stay either on the power for long time either to become minister or to become parliament. This kind of importance or greatness is for me worthless because I learned in the book that a man is great by the way he treats the little men. There are many ways to make other person feel important: by gratifying him or her with one’s affection or love trough a simple and agreeable smiling face.

d. The ability to smile.

The smile plays an important role in a person’s life. I already learned that its importance with Napoleon Hill in his book Keys to Success. And here I read that actions speak louder than words. In other words, the smile is more significant than words. This is the reason why smiling young ladies are preferred for the reception posts and as commercials in super markets and almost as secretary than young men. A part the seduction aspect of the smile, it reduces tension and anxiety, it makes angry person relax. A smiling face expresses happiness, joy, kindness because the book lets me know that a smile says: “I like you; you make me happy, I’m glad to see you”. A smiling face is not only pleasant to admire but puts also other person in confidence. Smiling is one of the best ways to draw and make more friends; it stimulates good human relations which can grow marvelously and successfully if particularly one is veritably interested in other people.

e. Becoming genuinely interested in other people.

Listening to other people talking about themselves is a human virtue we have to boast about. It is a sign of love. This principle got particularly my attention and I find that, it is one of the positive attitudes that each one who aspires to a successful life has to adopt. It is a necessarily tool for winning friends and influence them. If you are genuinely interested in other people, you open them the doors of a new life. This principle for me, finds its importance in the Roosevelt’s example or attitude to his valet’s wife and especially the results or the enthusiasm that it created. Before being really interested in other people and encourage them talking about themselves for positive results, we have to develop attitudes or abilities that give confidence and encourage other to speak to us. We have to be exemplar and this exemplarity passes also by admitting quickly and emphatically one’s mistake and why not correcting them.

f. The ability of admitting quickly and emphatically your own mistake and correct them.

We must know one thing: as human beings, everybody is fallible meaning that everybody can commit errors or faults. The good sense and positive attitude demand that one can admit his mistake and correct it. Neglecting our wrongdoings and dwell on other person’s mistake is another dangerous mistake because we all know that the fact to persevere in error is diabolical. For some of us, admitting our own mistakes is a sign of weakness. I would like to let them know that they are wrong. On the contrary it is a sign of honesty and sincerity. If we keep in mind that we cannot be wrong, this impression or feeling cannot mark out the way to correct our errors and therefore ourselves. There is a verse in the Bible which demands us to take off the trunk from our eyes before pretending to take off the twig from other person’s eyes. By so doing, our advices to our fellow men will be easily put in practice because we become towards other person a model.

g. Being a leader

All above abilities or lessons and other contained in this book give somebody who obey or practice them the qualification or title of model and he becomes without doubt a leader. Because he posses all abilities or principles which we need for developing best human relations: he knows how to speak effectively, an indispensable tool in dealing with human beings. It is this kind of leader the current world of globalization needs and I think I’ll do my best to look like this ideal leader and I’m self-confident that I’ll indubitably succeed.

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?

All above lessons and other ideas contained in this book are helpful in practical way and very important because they help me seeing things differently and positively: they are a new guide in my life. They are the indispensable tools that strengthen my skills or capacities in the management of human relationships either at home or either at work or in my day to day friendships. These lessons or ideas help me think positively and give me (the lesson of sincere praise and honest appreciation for example) the ability to build positive attitudes and create and increase enthusiasm among the people around me. With the use of “But or and” approach for instance, I reprimand without causing offense and arousing resentment by the guilty party: it is a best way to create a climate of mutual trust and respect without undermining the importance, the pride of other person. These ideas give me the aptitude to win people of my way of thinking without conflict, they let me develop self-confidence and make me becoming a kind of leader that the today world needs: a honest, most influential, respected and loved leader who inspires a high morality and who increases the one’s enjoyment of life. These ideas are for me the positive approach and therefore they represent my success in the human relations, a necessarily and decisive factor of success in life.

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

“Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him” said Emerson
This statement reminds me of another one in French which says “on a besoin du plus petit que soi “meaning one needs the smallest person than oneself. Here consideration is given to everybody no matter how he or she seems or looks like (his or her appearance). No discrimination towards one’s fellow man. This statement teaches neither the complex of superiority nor the complex of inferiority. But rather it teaches us that we complete each other and consequently we are bound to stick together and we will because every man is useful and has an ability or talent in some way. And the last of German Kaisers Wilhelm II, although he was haughty and arrogant, was very right when he exclaimed with enthusiasm that “we complete one another famously”. This statement hides also the concept of humility without which it is very difficult to learn of the one we consider as inferior. If we keep this lesson in mind and we try really to apply it daily, we’ll first avoid resentment or offense in our human relations and banish between the various peoples the concept of discrimination, of distinction of race and religion. The world will consequently be peaceful and more tolerable.

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

The book is full of practical illustrations (concrete examples) which allowed me to get its entire content very clear and understood. So, I do not remember have seen anything I disagreed with.

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

There are no formal or specific exercises in this practical book. But before inheriting its helpful techniques and principles, we have to comply with the nine suggestions or recommendations which Dale Carnegie enumerated at the beginning. The effective and rightly practice of these 9 useful recommendations is the only exercise or effort that the book demands from us, its readers.

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

If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive “

At the first reading of this advice, I asked myself this question: how is it possible? How can I gather honey if the beehive remains untouched? Is Dale Carnegie demanding me to cook omelets without breaking the eggs? For me it is nonsense. But after a thoroughly rereading of this chapter as well as the second of the nine suggestions recommends it, I notice that I got the bird’s eyes view of this advice at the beginning. In fact, the essential of the content of the message leads in “don’t kick over the beehive “especially in the verb “kick” which is synonym of violence and brutality. If we do so, we cause trouble for ourselves: we’ll get stung by the bees and we cannot gather the honey. So we have to be tactful before gathering honey. This is the kind of skill or ability that Dale Carnegie lies down or emphasizes in one’s family, social and occupational relations through this advice, especially when it is question to reprimand one’s fellow man. In fact, what I understood is that D. Carnegie (and he is very right) advocates the constructive criticism (which we call in French: esprit critique) and which is a new opportunity offered to the guilty or faulty party or person to redeem by doing better and by the appreciated way what is previously reproached to it. The constructive criticism happens with certain ability, skill towards the other person: it should be made without causing offense or arousing resentment “don’t kick over the beehive” if not we’ll increase frustrations, tensions and anxieties in the human interpersonal relations; we will be much hated and it will be no enjoyment of life. This advice got particularly my attention and I appreciated too much the solution or the tool given by Dale Carnegie to gather the honey: the use of sincere praise (friendly) or honest appreciation followed by the diplomatic language “But or and” concept, a tactful approach. And I think that a very real leader has not to forget this advice but has to apply it and I’ll do.

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

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

The New Dynamics of Winning
Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbési (Togo)

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

In this personal coaching program, Denis Waitley transports us in the athletic field to teach us new strategies of winning: being true champions meaning that, we have to make a champion’s different traits of winning our own, especially his mental traits. After reading this pragmatic book, I learned and understood that we are born already talented, intelligent and we have other more resources. But unfortunately these qualities are not enough to achieve our personal best or these inner abilities can’t make us becoming great winners and celebrities. Unless we put these natural and original resources into work (we are able to transform those abilities into tangible accomplishments) and with an established program or plan. We’ll achieve peak performance, and we’ll become champions because we’ll have put (or used) our mental skills or psychological abilities in contribution and in practice. So, it is very primordial for us (and Denis Waitley advises us) to think like a champion and especially to practice his seven rules in everything we undertake in every field and in our everyday’s life and also: – focusing at the most our mind for our peak or great goal and accept – taking every risk or paying every price by working very hard with all commitment for achieving that great goal.

A. Rely on yourself because: “Nobody else is going to take you fishing.”

I remember at the beginning of my IIGL study that one of the advices about the assessment writing I was given and which I still keep in my mind is: “your success is on your own hand” meaning directly that my failure is also in my own hand , not in somebody else’s hand. I understood in short words that the time has come for everybody to know that one is master of one’s destiny. Nobody else is going to “shape” your fate at your place. On contrary other person will discourage you trough either their critics (as that happened to LeMond) or their advices. The Bible says if we rely on the human being we’ll be disappointed. I also learned in IIGL’s books that I’ll be what I want to be. Everything starts from me and returns to me: I’m the mainspring of my personality. We have inner resources, talents to be what we want to be if we put them in action or in work (meaning, if we begin trying to fishing) and especially if we accept paying the price (doing all sacrifices) for the goal we set. It is not by sitting down and folding our arms or it not by hearing others opinions (what others do, say and think about what we want to do or to be) that we’ll achieve (being good fishers, winners or successful). Nobody will work rightly at our place and will not give you the right advice because you don’t have the same major goal. Also success doesn’t fall from heaven. Your miracle will come from you. This lesson still stands in any domain and in our day to day life. The German know this lesson and express it in these words:”Übung macht den Meister” meaning: if you do practices, you’ll become master. This idea takes us far from the dependence from others and teaches us the self-struggle, self-reliance and strong determination for our major purpose or objective in life. Therefore we don’t need to adopt fear attitude.

B. Fear neutralizes and compromises the drive to win.

In everything we undertake in life, we need determination and particularly motivation. Where the motivation lacks, no positive result is expected. And one of the factors that makes obstruction to the effective realization of one’s burning desire is fear. So I ‘m totally agreed with Denis Waitley when he says “fear is a powerful negative motivator” and trough fear we can put “the Drive to win” in neutral. Whatever happens, don’t let any fear gain us: it is no good sign for achieving our major goal because it opens the door to the lack of self confidence. I dwelt on this part of the book and after, I did introspection and I can sincerely say that because of fear of failure, I did not unfortunately have undertaken some businesses. But other persons have success where I have had fear to fail. I thank god, the personal development program of IIGL in its different books, with their pragmatic and helpful lessons and examples, illuminate me, open my mind and I’m now sufficiently aware of some situations and I can swear, I’ll never more make some mistakes as before. What this particularly lesson of fear concerns, I‘ll from now with no fear put my motive in action.

C. Desire + Action = Motivation

Motivation is what the French call “épine dorsale” (the essential part or the” skeleton”) of all achievement. I am a strong advocate for the idea that there is no success without motivation because I saw and learned the tangible example by S.B Fuller in Success trough positive mental Attitude of N. Hill; the effectively combination of burning Desire with action lead to great achievements. S. B Fuller put his motive in action: he sells from door to door, put money aside, uses other people money and prays. We all have just to look like and imitate the successful S.B Fuller. A positive result (achieved goal) will always follow a motivation.

D. For love, not for money.

Love must be the base of every business we undertake in the life. If we love what we do, we’ll do it in the best way and rightly. But on contrary, if the finality of what we do is money, we’ll go through shortcuts and the result will be rubbish because the researched goal is not the excellence, peak performance (a lasting result) but rather the satisfaction of the present instant: money. The use of shortcuts does not suit a real leader. The love we give to what we aim is a sign and a proof that we’ll want to achieve it in best and right way whatever is the sacrifice to do.

E. Paying the price: total commitment and sacrifice for your major goal.

Paying the price or total commitment is the fact to give ourselves (spirit and body), our times and all our strengths to what we aim or being totally engaged and advocated for our objective. This commitment implies the hard working and focusing all our attention and energy on the target (the positive result or the goal to achieve). We have not to listen to people on our right or on our left. We have no time for thing can turn our attention from the desired result. Our commitment to achieve something whatever the price to pay is the proof that we also self confident.

F. Self trust

Self-confidence is an essential element in the success in the life. Nothing can be a barrier or cobweb for your success once you established in your mind that you’re capable to win or to succeed and focus all of your attention on the target your mind accepted to be achieved, because self-confidence is a great tool or source of motivation, an important stage or step to the success achievement. Find an interest, a motivation and the capacity of winning in yourself; enter in an inner conversation with yourself and focus your mind on the good outcome of what you’re doing right now. Self-confidence is a high determinant factor in success in our day to day life but it has not to prevent us from being coachable in the life.

G. Being coachable

This lesson of coach-ability got particularly my attention because this is the first time that I encountered the concept. After reading its explanation, I noticed and can say that its daily practice lead us to becoming a good listener, the best leader and therefore a model for the group we belong to and it allows us to develop good interpersonal relations because: we put our egos aside for the profit of the others; we also follow instructions (sign of humility); we don’t make ourselves the experts of all the time.

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

I’m one more time very illuminated by these lessons and other principles the book deals with. They are so helpful that, I can say without ambiguity that their daily practice will make great and positive impact on my personality and in my day to day beliefs: Whatever I can do, I’ll do it without waiting for help inevitably from other people and not using shortcuts because of an immediate gain. So, I need self-reliance and strength determination or motivation, which is a veritable tool of success in any business. The coach-ability factor will help me developing good manners and responsible attitude among my collaborators: (this ability will make being a good listener with my family, my friends and coworkers) .Therefore I become a model and a good leader for the team where I’m member. Full commitment or paying the price is one the precious traits of champions that got particularly my attention and I’m totally decided to experience it in everything and i think by so doing I’ll focus all my mind on the desired target and which will without doubt be achieved because I’ll banish the laziness out of my daily beliefs and practices. This lessons I have learnt from this book are particularly suitable for the development of good thinking by youth in areas where there are serious societal limitations. It is simple and practical enough, especially with the end of chapter activities. And if we continue by making effort in their total practice, we’ll all the time gain challenges and will make great changes have success where other still have failure. It is such leaders and change makers that the today world needs. Thank God that IIGL gives us the opportunity to become this kind of change makers.

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.

“Age should never be a barrier in full participation in life.”

I would to illustrate or explain this idea with two statements both in French language:

“Aux âmes bien nées, la valeur n’attend point le nombre des années”
“Tard vaut mieux que jamais.”

Nothing is more important than the fulfillment of one’s burning desire or major goal in life. It is nonsense that someone hides behind their age to postpone (for who consider themselves not yet old enough: statement 1) or to abandon (for those who say they are too old now: statement 2) the achievement of their goal or doing this and that. The achievement of one’s burning purpose or something is what is important whatever one’s age. Even if this achievement is either early (French statement 1: the Bible lets us know in Jeremiah one verse 7 that God said to Jeremiah “don’t say that I’m a child “) or late (French statement 2: meaning that it is better to do something late than never to do it). I remember have seen in journal on TV a white man about 80 years old who attended primary school among “his ground sons”: in his interview, he was saying that his burning desire is to attend school in order to get the first certificate before his death. It is really never too late to get in the game as the author said. The world would be very right if we all its inhabitants do not take age as barrier in our different and various domains or activities.

“Reward yourself for what you’ve tried to accomplish and for what you have accomplished.”

We read this sentence in Day Twenty-One: Sunday.

“Reward oneself is an excellent attitude for somebody who has tried or has already finished to accomplish something.”

This “reward attitude “proves that the achiever of a goal is not total satisfied with the performance he made: he ask himself if he has done very well or if it is the right way to do what he has tried. I find that the reward attitude is another source of self motivation. Whoever adopt reward attitude will try every time to do better more: he is thirsty of excellence. A good leader has to reward himself for all of what he tries and will in order to reach peak and perfect achievements. I learned with interest this statement and I swear to put it into work in my day to day businesses and why not in my interpersonal relations above what my beliefs concerns.

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?

“Don’t be afraid to share your concerns with others.” I think that the author made this statement in the generality regardless of the cultural differences of a people to another. I agreed with Denis Waitley because it is normal and it is the ideal for a leader to share his concerns with others. But at the moment that the people are from various origins, they have different culture and convictions, I would like to say that it up to each leader who is supposed to know very well his group, to share or not his concerns with. The result that should expected by sharing one’s concerns with others is that , it can urge the group to avoid any mishaps and do better; this will propel them without doubt to best situations which will confer them a reputation or good references: (a positive impact in the group). If by sharing one’s concerns with others could impact negatively the group: no respect for the group leader who can’t maintain any authority and serenity more in the group because it becomes insensitive to him, in this case, I think that the author’s opinion is questionable.

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

Yes, the book contains of course exercises at its end part titled “the Twenty-one-Day Plan. To each day corresponds an exercise. I went through the twenty-one day plan and tried with some of these exercises. They seem as a game and great fun but they are helpful because it is an initiation to process of winning.

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.

“Use praise frequently and sincerely.” I would like to invite all of us to practice this advice. I saw the example by S. B. Fuller in Success trough positive mental attitude von N. Hill using prayer after putting his burning desire in action. Prayer is a solid and supplementary ingredient for achieving our major goal. Prayer and faith are not distant from each other. So using frequently and sincerely prayer is primordial for leader and is synonym of great achievements.

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

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

Giant Steps

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbési (Togo)

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

After a thorough reading of this inspirational and educative book, I came to realize that, it is high time for all of us the readers to become really pragmatic in the life. The Author, Anthony Robbins is trying in this book to convey us to stop “sailing” in the indecisiveness, stop being casualness or stop procrastinating things but to take Giant Steps by making promptly decisions, setting goals and act upon immediately according to our beliefs or with utter conviction. The book is really based on finest tools, techniques, principles and strategies which in practical way lead inevitably to achievement or attaining of winning and success in life. From the simple power of decision-making to the more specific tools that can redefine the quality of our relationship, finances, health, and emotions. In brief, Anthony Robbins shows us effectively how to get maximum results with a minimum investment of time.

Making a decision is a big and important act in a human being’s life. It is a new orientation that one gives himself; a new goal that one sets according to one’s beliefs or convictions: our destiny results from it. Decision-making implies that we take awareness of an unfavorable situation or a problem that is happening in our life and about which we think sufficiently. We identify all the possible alternatives solutions of the situation (or the problem), we make a thorough analyze of each one of them and then we choose the best solution meaning: we make the decision that lead us to a better situation regardless of our goals and desires. In other words, decision making is anything else as making a choice that fits with what we want to become in life. This is the reason why French people say “la vie est un choix” meaning “Life is a choice”. Living a healthy, worthy and successfully life depends upon the alternative choice or decision we make. I’m marvelously very affected by the choice or the decision that Tom Dempsey though his crippled legs and also the South African athlete with artificial legs, Oscar Peterus: the both, at a moment of their life have said “it is enough” or “stop” to their invalidity. From this simple decision, they all became famous and their life became wealthy, successfully and well living. In brief, if we want the deepest fulfillment, we can achieve it only one way: deciding what we desire most in life. This is what I try to do since I reached IIGL level one. And who does not live without deciding about what he wants from life, sets inevitably goal.

We learned a lot about this principle in the previous books of this level. Goal setting is the biggest mark or stamp of successful and great achievers meaning that goal setting is the fundamental base of every success and deepest fulfillments. Who wants to experience the miracle of healthy and successful life, has to set goal because an illuminate author in his inspirational book titled “la vie heureuse” defines or describes the success as the attainment or achievement of the goals that each one of us sets. One thing is to set goals but how to give shape to them is also another thing. The best way to give solid form to our goals and decisions is to act immediately upon them.

In Success trough positive mental attitude, S. B Fuller took awareness of the poor financial situation of his family and decided (his goal is) to become rich. He didn’t make this decision, folder his arms and sit down. But in contrary he took actions or he acted instantly upon his decision by selling soaps from door to door; sets money aside and uses other person money. By so doing, he gave shape bits by bits and with conviction to his decision. This is the proof that burning desire does not sufficient to achieve a goal or decision. Desiring something and not doing anything about it is just a waste of time and energy. In the accomplishment of our decisions and in the achievement of our goal, we’ll certainly encounter obstacles, pains and consequences. We don’t need to get fear to face them, either by changing our decision or by delaying actions we can take immediately because the author says people who fail usually decide slowly and change their mind frequently.

Anthony Robbins said “But usually if you delay taking action, you only create more pain for yourself later on”. Another person will say “don’t postpone on tomorrow what you can do today”. We don’t need to waste time for making some decisions or for taking actions. We have the negative habit to delay things because of pains they can cause to us. French people say “qui remet à demain trouve malheur en chemin” and then “ la chance n’a qu’un seul cheveu; il faut savoir s’y accrocher ». This means that who postpone get/encounter misfortune on the “road” because he/she may lose that opportunity and may not have it back again. I appreciated well this idea because in the practice, it help me realize that waiting for the appropriate time for taking decisions and especially act upon it seems as wasting time. This is why people of Cote d’Ivoire usual say “en meme temps est mieux” meaning: “instantly (right now) is better“. This helpful idea let me take the resolution to changing some slow and casual attitudes in my life and I’ll particularly become pragmatic. For those who because of pains, usually procrastinate or delay things, I would like to advise them to consider these pains as the price to pay before achieving their desire. So they have to accommodate with them. But the best thing they can do is to use or turn these pains to their advantage.

A great number of people don’t like encounter pains in their life. Others lose hope and change their desire and decision or give up as soon as pains appear in the situations they pass through. I have learned in an inspirational French book that “la vie n’est pas un long fleuve tranquille” meaning “Life is not a long quiet stream”. It is the proof that in the achieving of one’s desire, obstacles and pains circumstances will not lack. Because the process that leads to success is not easy: it is full of pitfalls and pains. So, instead of starting lamenting about these pains, we’ll rather learn from them for building a positive and better future. It is only by so doing that we use pains to our advantage. The great lesson I keep in my mind here is to accept positively pains, take and enjoy them the same as a pleasure. It‘ll seem very difficult for a number of people. But I think it is possible if we are mentally strength and positively believe.

Beliefs are a necessary strength and a high determination and the burning desire to see accomplished whatever we plan to do. My belief is that nothing can be achieved without belief. Whatever we conceive in our minds and believe firmly drives us inevitably to its achievement and therefore to success, because the more we believe, the more we are determinate for achieving it. As me concerns, I believe in my heart that whatever my fellow man or a human being accomplishes with success, I can also achieve the same. It is this belief that helped me undertake my IIGL studies as soon as I notice that my classmate Kosi Davui has done it and no matter how the books are in English. Belief is also something about which we are veritably passionate. And I believe that everyone can achieve the thing they are passionate about. The American musician, Robert Kelly sings a song in which he says; “I believe I can fly”. Me, I believe I can contribute to the eradication of abject poverty and achieve sustainable development worldwide especially in underprivileged communities in rural areas through the Women promotion, education and child protection. I’m already bits by bits on this way with the nonprofit organization SADA, which assists rural marginalized communities by providing support and services in such areas as education, health, and the environment, as well as help community development project like farming, train youth in vocational skills, organizing women group to integrate them in economic activities. I believe, I’ll achieve it. So, need to get and use positive and right skills and abilities: mind or manage words I use to express myself among people is one of them.

Words effectively have a positive and negative impact as soon as they are expressed. The author, Anthony Robbins raised the double powerful aspect of words and says: “Words have the power to make or break.” The Bible says that Life and Death are in our throat; an allusion made again about the double power of the words we use to express ourselves. It is once again about of the abilities to communicate one’s idea. We have learned previously this with Dale Carnegie in “How to win friends and influence people.” From a simple word we express we can arouse either enthusiasm or resentment among people. As a person who communicates and lot, I have become very concerned about the things I say and things that people say. In the building and destruction of relationships, words are important. If we read Jacques three verse six to twelve in the Bible, we’ll understand without doubt that words are effectively a “knife” with two sharp sides. Words allow us to communicate with others and understand them. That means and it is the proof that we could not refrain using words or expressing ourselves. So, in these conditions, we have only one thing to do: we have to mind or manage our language in order to increase enthusiasm and reduce tension, anxiety by adopting skills, attitudes, techniques or abilities for dealing with people. It usually happened to me after a verbal intervention to ask myself if it the right world I’ve just used. And bits by bits I notice a progress in the communicational domain of my life because people sometimes congratulate me.

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

Besides, since I am a leader of a group, these ideas have given me some elements of good leadership skills and success attainment. As leader of a best future, I need to stand by my goals and act upon their achievement because desire is not enough.

In short words, I have discovered that if I put in practice all that I have read, life will be better and worth living. The whole book and especially its principles has made me to be strong and firm knowing very well that, I have to try my possible best to master courage and be self effacing in my dealings with people I come in contact with in life. It is only when I am courageous enough that I would be at a better position to assist others to live.

So, I recognize and sign that I made really giant step after reading this book because I have from this moment the pragmatisms in my blood.

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.

“Our Decisions – not the conditions of our lives – determine our destiny.”

The unpleasant conditions or situations and the circumstances are the different challenges we face in life. These conditions will never lack in human being’s lives as so longer as we’ll exist. So, it is not by folding our arms and complaining a lot about them that will lead us to a successful or winning life. On contrary it by taking conscious of them and through a change of our mentality (a decisions-making). We have learned the same thing with James Allen in As A Man Tinketh when he said that circumstances of our lives do not make a man; they are attracted by our thoughts. We master or control our thoughts: that means that we have the conditions of our lives also under control. So, from a simple decision of changing or removing old and negative thoughts, beliefs from our mind and see things differently especially positively, then great things are bound to happen to us. The example of the king Ezekias in the Bible (Essayer 38) illustrates a lot this statement. The king Ezekias was supposed to die. He didn’t allow the prophecy of his death happen. He decided to turn his face to god and prayed. His decision changed his pattern or destiny. God heard his prayer and added fifteen years more to his life.

“The secret to living is giving.”

This statement caught my attention in the sense that, it is an old adage raised in the Bible in these terms: “blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives.” It reminds me and confirms a French statement that says: “c’est en éclairant la vie des autres que vous illuminez la votre” meaning it is by illuminating the life of the others that you illuminate yours. Another one says: “celui qui pense toujours aux autres n’est jamais oublié” meaning “who always thinks about other persons is never forgotten.” Besides, I have already leaned by Dale Carnegie to; “Be genuinely interested in other people.” The lesson to keep in mind here is to try each day that God makes to do something that can help another achieve his dreams as IIGL is doing it currently in the life of its graduates and active students. As a good leader, we have to try illuminating the life of somebody who thinks his/her life is over. As we are living in communities, we have to do something or undertake projects that help in the sustainable development or in the growth of these communities and that give us at the same time pleasure. I noticed the practice of this statement (in financial way) in the life of the very rich prince of “Arabie Seoudite” named Bintalal.

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 already encountered in my previous readings of this level one’s books most of the ideas that Anthony Robbins raised in Giant Steps. So I did not have any difficulties about the good understanding of the book which I find inspirational and educative. Giant Steps is according to me very well written because its author is sufficiently explicit in the principles or lessons he instills us. The book is portable; simplified English used which made it easy to understand I personally adhere positively and favorably to all the techniques, principles or lessons he stated in the book. But at the same time, it is common knowledge that “Knowledge is like a Baobab tree; one person only can’t embrace it.” Everybody is free to appreciate this illuminating book.

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

Yes, of course the book contains exercises and this from the beginning to the end. Some of them were not completed and I tried my best by completing them. They have all a common point: I found them very good exercises because they are helpful. They were meant to help the reader to experience the techniques, the strategies and above the lessons the author raised in the book and to realize how applicable they are. In short words, Giant Step is full of useful actions exercises whose day to day practice compels us, all the readers becoming very pragmatic in life.

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

None.

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

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

Real Magic

Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbési (Togo)

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

Real magic is an enriching and life changing book which tackles man as not only a physical but also as a spiritual human being and tries to create a consciousness of this invisible being. Its author, Dr Wayne W. Dyer took a good time pointing out and teaching everybody and each one of us new strategies (every methods we should know and apply) to operate miracles in every fields in life. He based in fact his enriching teaching on so day to day events and life experiences that each one of us can realize the evidence of his or her capacity to create worthy and miracle change in his/her life by simply applying the methods revealed in the book and therefore can come to the conclusion that nothing is impossible with man. There is no doubt that after reading this book you’ll be so illuminated that you’ll get your eyes opened on the abilities which will help you transcend your limitations and correct your errors and consequently realize or achieve things that are beyond your imagination. I think, this is the major goal of Dr Wayne W. Dyer by writing this book. And I could say he achieved it because the methods work and seem as magic and the book transforms the readers into magicians, the real ones.

A. Nothing is impossible with man

After reading this book, I come to realize that man as physically, intellectually, also and above all spiritually a complete being, is in a position to create a kind of magic that will always operate miraculous changes or transformations in his/her life. So, if we set for something no matter how hard we think that thing is difficult, determination should be our watch word so we should always do our best to work hard and adapt to the situation we may find ourselves. This may not be easy but with serious efforts in the application of Real magic’s strategies and methods we’ll transcend our limitations and realize or achieve things that are beyond our imagination i.e. beyond what we think very difficult and impossible to be realized. This is why a French statement says: “l’homme est à la mésure de toute chose” meaning that man is worthy of/ brave everything. Since I began these leadership courses by IIGL and with the tangible examples tackled in the various inspirational books, I don’t believe any more in impossibilities. Persistence, enthusiasm and consistency are my watch words.

B. When the student is ready the teacher will appear

This idea got exceptionally my attention and I liked it too much. Life is a school where we continuously learn. We have luckily the lessons of this school simply and easily around us because each one of life’s events and experiences are an opportunity we can use to achieve or realize great things. These life events or experiences appear every day and everywhere to teach us. So, what only we need in this case are the eyes to see them, the mind to perceive them, the ability to notice them and especially the willingness to learn all the time from these life events/lessons or experiences. This will help us to correct our errors and limitations. Therefore we’ll operate high and positive changes in any domain of our life and we’ll be able to build a better tomorrow. This would work as a magic if we first of all conceive it in our thought.

C. The ancestor to every action is thought

This lesson remind me the one I learned with James Allen who stated: “As the plant springs from and could not be without the seed, so every act of man springs from the hidden seeds of thought.” The place and the role of our taught either in the achievement or in the failure of what we set out and in our day to day behaviors is no more to demonstrate. If we look around us, we’ll notice differences in our actions and beliefs because there are differences in our thoughts. It is what we conceived in our mind that takes shape through our actions i.e. each one of our actions springs from the hidden seeds of our thought. So, it is really impossible to cultivate a negative thought and hope a positive fruit or wait for positive and exemplar actions. If we thing wrong, we’ll well evidently act wrong. At the moment that my everyday behavior or action results from my thinking, and as I’m aspiring to become an exemplar world change maker or a worthy leader, I have to be all time positive in thought, which also determines our reality.

D. Our thoughts are unavoidable and create our person.

We live all time under the influence of our thoughts: we accept what our mind tells us is good and we reject what it perceives is bad. So, thoughts are the standards by which rights and wrongs, good or bad, possible or impossible are defined. The factor “Thought” is important in success and failure in life. Thoughts are the first step to accomplishments. What we will want to be is determined by our thoughts: I remember of a statement of an author that says:” He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly”. And the sacrifice in this statement must also and above all be conceived in mind before taking may be physically shape. So, what we will wish to be tomorrow depends to what we conceive in mind. Because our intentions create our reality that I decided since a good time to orient otherwise my thought in order to achieve my life’s purposes.

E. Our life has purpose.

Human being in general does not like to suffer. And some of us say very often in pain situation that: their life has no sense more. Many others commit suicide because they ignore their life’s importance. Anything exists by chance. Everything on the planet has an importance so a purpose. Bible says God has a plan for our life; not a plan of misfortune but a plan of happiness and of good fortune. This proofs sufficiently that our life is very important and consequently has a purpose. Any suffering or pain situation must not divert us from that purpose. In contrary we have to use sorrow circumstances or suffering to achieve also our enlightenment.

F. Enlightenment through suffering

Some life’s circumstances and situations make us life so bitter that we unfortunately forget our power of control on these life’s events. Human being in general does not like to suffer. Well, but the world is not a long quiet stream. In contrary it is full joys and sorrows. It is like the teeth of saw. Pains circumstances will never lack because suffering is something that we undergo in our day to day life in many ways and under many forms. A good number of us despair or give up in the pain‘s situation they confront. Many others commit suicide. As Jesus Christ on the cross did not give up, so that we, human beings have safe life and freedom, we, as flexible or changeable Human beings should learn to adapt to suffering in which we may find ourselves and use it to our profit i.e. in particular that instead of starting lamenting about these pains, sufferings or sorrow situations, we’ll rather take a step backwards and try to get the right message or learn from them in order to correct mistakes for building a positive and better future. If we accept pains as one of this life’ phenomena and we experience suffering to transcend our errors, the light will appear in our life, and we’ll grow and achieve real magic because we’ll some way expel limits out of our life.

G. Affirm oneself as a no limit person

Focus on limitations is like putting a barricade in front of oneself. This will never permit to progress in life. We learned that the universe is already in order, and then when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. So, we’ll never have the assistance or the guide of this universe if we are hostile to it through our thinking. The author defines limits as what we defend and believe and we can act upon what we think. So, affirm oneself as a no limit person is above all mental and the necessary tool or ingredient for it is again and forever our thoughts. Unless we clean cobwebs or we toss the barricade (what we believe for instance to be difficult, so impossible to realize/limited thinking/) from our thought then replace it with the possibility to achieve things beyond our imagination, that we’ll see the universe teacher begin to appear and will guide us to miracles. Personally, I think this is not too difficult for me because I have the CRAFT strategy. It should permit me to affirm myself as a no limit person, and then I’ll realize the real magic in my life.

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

All the book’s inspirational words and helpful moral lessons are worth appreciating and will positively impact me. With the aid of these ideas or lessons learned while reading through this book I will be able to realize the power that lies in my inner self. These lessons open my eyes and I realize that I only have the power to operate miraculous transform in my life. They will help me correct my limitations and errors. So I‘ll leave an old stage of my life behind me and I will walk through the gate into a new way of being. I will orient otherwise my life especially in changing my thinking. I will never more believe in the concept of impossibility. My motivation will come from my belief that if I can think it, I can achieve it. So, determination, persistence, enthusiasm and consistency will be my watch words. Brief, I have with the aid of these ideas a better understanding of the life and I will pragmatically create some kind of magic that I will always realize or achieve things that are beyond my imagination.

All these lessons and those learned in the different IIGL books will in a practical way give me the possibility to coach those who continue to stay in darkness by awaking their conscious and illuminating them. This is my next challenge and I think, these ideas already mark out the way for me.

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

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

“One of the greatest joys of becoming a spiritual being is learning about this whole new phenomenal world.”

The world is not a long quiet stream but in contrary it is full of phenomena. Life is like the teeth of saw. It is full of joys and sorrows. Pains circumstances will never lack. So, man should learn all time from these phenomena to adapt oneself to the any life’s situation in which he/she may find him/herself; and keep in mind that no matter how the night is long, the day will appear.

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. I have a deep and positive impression about the contents in The Real Magic. All the ideas or issues tackled in this book are very good understood because the author according to me used simple and appropriate words to explain and discuss them.

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

I did not encounter during the reading of the book any structured or unfinished exercises left to the reader to be completed. However we could read briefings or summaries of the issues or problems tackled in various chapters of the book. Honestly I find all of them very helpful.

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 don’t have any comment more to do. But I would like yet to use this opportunity to send congratulations to Dr Wayne W. Dyer for giving away the secrets of a successful and magic life’s transformation to us in this highly enriching book. So, I thank all those who in any way made this book a huge success since its writing via its launching. Thanks also to IIGL for letting this book reach me. Each one has participated to the positive impact or the inner magic transformation which this book brought in my life. It is my turn to illuminate someone else with the high enriching and helpful content. This is my new challenge. I hope I’ll do not miss.

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

The Law of Attraction
Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbési (Togo)

Whether we want to or not, there are fundamental and universal principles and laws which govern Human being’s existence in this life. These powerful principles/laws are daily present and are at work in our life. This book is exactly dealing with one of these laws: the law of attraction. Michael J. Losier, the author of the book, through an explanation without ambiguity reveals how the law of attraction works: as a magnet and by virtue of what his/her mind is focused and accustomed to, the Human is capable of attracting positive/good or negative/bad results. So, Michael J. Losier, with tips and tools encourages each one of us, in order to accomplish one’s desire and achieve property and good living, to be max mindful and thoughtful of one’s dreams and objectives instead of wasting a lot of time focusing all our attention and thoughts on cobwebs (obstacles, difficulties, pains, shortcomings) along one’s way. As Human being, we are flexible and can get some times our mind focused on doubt. The book has taken this aspect in account and Michael J. Losier for being complete, proposed a step- by step- process/program of how to rid the mind of doubt and negative thoughts and fill it with positives. In one word, we do not have to forget that we are what we want to be. So, after reading this book, let’s make the law of attraction work for our profit and achieve happy, healthy and good living in our life by simply keeping your desires at the forefront of our mind and giving them positive attention, energy and focus because the law of attraction responds the same way our mind does.

i. Setting-goal and holding on it.

Goal setting is one of the fundamental steps to one’s burning dreams/desires accomplishment. This is the key point I have most learned in these IIGL studies because the majority of authors have emphasized it in their books. Bobbe Sommer qualifies it as Prerequisite to success and for Napoleon Hill setting goals or (the definiteness of purpose) is the starting point of worthwhile achievement and they strongly encouraged their readers, the leaders and change agents of tomorrow to set goals. But the way or how to set goals differs from a leadership author to another: the one that got particularly my attention is to write one’s goals down and keep them in a place where it is handy (bed room, salon, kitchen, WC, bath room etc.), brief where one can refer to these objectives multiple times throughout the day. This is certainly a useful way. But I have just leaned with Michael J. Losier a new strategy of setting goals: keeping our desires/goals/ objectives at the forefront of our mind, then giving them positive attention, energy and focus. In this way and by virtue of the Law of Attraction, the universe will respond the same way our mind does and we’ll achieve them.

ii. Doubt prevents from attracting one’s desires.

Doubt is often created from limiting beliefs. In this way, doubt is a negative vibration, a serious obstacle, a biggest enemy that does not allow one to reach his/her goal. This is why the author says:” the faster your resistance/doubt is removed, the faster your desire can be realized “or in other words, the speed at which the law of attraction manifests your desire is in direct proportion to how much you are allowing. This lesson is a very relevant to my life; it is a personal mirror for me because: I honestly noticed that I have the habit of limiting myself and this because I let regularly thoughts of doubt overcome my mind. This book and its step-by-step exercises give me a real opportunity to change and turn these negativities into affirmations that will help and propel me forward in my dream’s achievement.

iii. The power of words: “when the words change, the vibrations change.”

The issue of tongue or word is very important. The Bible reveals the impacts that words which we pronounce have on our life. It compares words to the death and to the life and says both are in our throat. Words make friends and make enemies; they bring peace and at the same time can fuel war. Whatever we pronounce happens sooner or later. In this way, it very important and essential for us, as intelligent Humans to control what we use as words. Our choice of words plays a great role in our existence: we can turn our vibration from negative into positive by simply choosing different words and different thoughts. So, I’ll choose my words carefully and I will surely get the desired results .

iv. Don’t, Not and No, words that attract unwanted desires

These words work as prophesy or as magic. They accomplish the negativity that they content because our mind filters these words; whenever we use these words, we are automatically internalizing in our mind the exact thing we are being told not to. We usually hide behind the concept of curiosity and do what we are being told not to. The use of this kind of words generates negative vibes and attracts unfortunately results similar to them, the unwanted desires. Let’s avoid in max words that can cause us to attract what we don’t want because whatever is put in our mind determines what comes out as the finished product.

v. Whatever comes out of our life is just what we have put in.

Michael J. Losier is not the first and the last leadership author who tackled this issue. We have leaned previously with one author that our invisible talisman, the mind has two sides: the positive one with (PMA) and the negative one with (NMA). We have the results in the image of the side we turn up or we use. In brief NMA makes life worthless living while PMA makes it worth living. It is the same with Losier: we attract to our life whatever we give attention, energy and focused to, negative or positive: the universal law of attraction will respond to the same negative or the same positive way we thing and will give us more. I remember a lesson given by a child to a minister (his father) that I learned with Napoleon Hill. The child said: “If a man is right, his world will be right”. This child and Losier are saying the same thing: If we think every day positively (or give attention, energy and focused to positivity), we’ll always have a happy, wealthy and a good living world; everything will be all right for us. Let’s only the positivity occupy our mind and benefit ever and ever from it presence.

vi. Only one vibration can be sent out at a time.

I find this lesson of non cohabitation of positive and negative thoughts very important. Our unconscious and conscious mind works of course as a filter or as a miller but it cannot be accustomed to two and more things/ thoughts at once. In other words, we cannot be thinking of positive and negative things at the same time. Usually we do concentrate on negative things and thoughts, give them attention, energy and suddenly we shake our head and turn/change at that moment our way of thinking/vibes. Positive and negative emotions do not occupy the mind at the same time. Let’s our mind filter positivity so that we can all the time have a good living life.

vii. Every person is selfish.

I quoted this idea as important after a thorough reading of the explanation and the definition of selfishness given by the author in the book. I understood from Michael J. Losier’s description of selfishness as seeking something good for oneself without depriving other persons of what is due them. Losier’s view point about selfishness is contrary to definition offered in dictionaries. I noticed with satisfaction that the author still remains in his logic of positivity. I don’t know anyone who dislike or does not wish and seek good for himself/herself, including also my person.

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

These major above ideas and the other lessons I have learned from the entire book will help me to reframe the negative vibration and attracting the positive vibration that would help me achieve my desires. I’m a new creature in this that I’ll all the time focus on positivity, take control of my way of thinking, seeing things, choosing helpful/ allowing words or expressions and set myself free from limitations. One other great and helpful thing I have learnt with particular appreciation is the issue of doubt, especially how to remove my resistance/doubt and allow the law of attraction manifest faster my desires in my life. In order to achieve/accomplish my dreams, I need to walk in faith and confidence so that my dreams/goal can be met and these ideas help and motivate me reaching this level of confidence by teaching me not to be prisoner of doubt.

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.

“Whether it’s positive or negative vibration, the Law of Attraction will give you more of the same.”

“Your unconscious and conscious mind filters out the words don’t, not, and no. When you use these words, you are actually internalizing in your mind the exact thing you are being told not to.”

I quote these two statements together because I have the same understanding of them. Their particular lesson comes down to focusing on the positivity. Even if we sometimes have negative thoughts in mind, we have necessary tools to reframe them and make them affirmative.

“Doubt is a negative vibration and doubt is often created from limiting beliefs.”

Doubt is often created from limiting beliefs. In this way, it is a negative vibration, a serious obstacle that does not allow one to reach his/her goal. This lesson is a personal mirror for me because it is very relevant to my life. I honestly noticed that I have the habit of limiting myself and this because I let regularly thoughts of doubt overcome my mind. This book and its step-by-step exercises is a real opportunity for me to change and turn these negativities into affirmations that will help and propel me forward in my dream’s achievement.

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

According to me, the author was very clear, explicit and without any ambiguity in this book writing; he used so very simple words and especially so very understanding examples which I appreciated too much. I would like to say he did a wonderful work. In one word, there is anything I disagree with or do not understand.

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

Yes, the book contained some exercises which were specific, interesting and enough helpful since they helped me identify contrast between what I desire and not: these specific exercises helped me get rid of negative vibration with all what it causes as results and experience the positive vibration which leads to the achievement of one’s desire. I’ve already experienced successfully the use of the expressions ” I’m in the process of / and I’ve decided ” and I’m currently using Greg’s Allowing Statements in my life.

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

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

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

Nonviolent Communication

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

The title, “Nonviolent Communication» of this book talks a lot itself. The author, Marshall B. Rosenberg is teaching in this handy piece of information and education, the peacefully and tranquilly methods or manner we can use to communicate to another person what we want or what we need instead of provoking him/her to wrath (sign of violence). This peaceful approach for dealing with people around is based on language, a frank talk, a conversation devoid of any kind of judgment or responses that can generate violence and conflicts. Unfortunately many people especially the politic leaders do not use really this nonviolent communication approach. If not, we’ll not constantly assist too many centers of tension and war worldwide. In any case, we communicate or interact every day with others. Marshall has opened us eyes and offers us an effective and vital tool to reduce violence using language (by being aware to avoid judgment) and to improve the quality of our relationships.

i. Language and communication skills.

Communication is founded on language or the use of words that strengthen our ability for interacting with people. It is a vital tool or a way for expressing our feelings, our desires, our needs and what we expect from others. Can we imagine this world without communication? What a mess! This ability for communicating makes it possible that we remain humans. And like this we have several methods of communicating what we expect from another person. Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg asserts in this book and it is true that certain persons communicate a point of view, responses that generate violence and conflict. Four components make up the process of NVC: observations, feelings, needs and finally requests. The importance of this idea for me is that I now know and I’m enough aware of the way I can select/choose my words for formulating my requests especially when I want really to be heard.

ii. Life-alienating communication

Judgment, blame, insults, put-downs, labels, criticism, comparisons, and diagnoses are all forms of judgment. The use of judgments talk is one of the communication forms that generate an unbearable atmosphere in our social interactions. Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg assets and I’m highly agreed with him that we are alienating our lives with such kind of communication. Judgments are a hurtful language and that provoke another persons to wrath and place them every time on to defensive. Unfortunately we are deeply accustomed with these negative and not productive attitudes in our day to day lives. We spend all our times blaming, insulting other persons, slandering their name and saying very hurtful things. It will be very difficult in these conditions for the persons we judge to give from heart what we need, expect and desire from them: these persons cannot cooperate with us for working towards a mutually beneficial solution. As far as I’m concerned, I detest insults, blame since my childhood up now. I feel very offended by such hurtful words and I hate the person who utters them against me. And for some few days, this person cannot dare to deal a problem or a need or help with me. Even at home, I dislike that my wife or a family member of mine insults a child or some one else. So be aware is important for effective empathic communication and compassion. I learned previously in an IIGL book to try understanding why a person does this and that thing instead of criticizing him/her. I think this lesson still stands. Besides the holy Bible reminds us of some thing important : “for as you judge others, so you will yourself be judged.” So, if I spend for instance all time judging I’ll do not have to complain and feel bad or sad when I hear someone slandering my name and saying very hurtful things.

iii. Formulate clearly your needs/requests for not generating conflict.

I realize after reading this book that there is conflict in communication. So, when we want a person to do something, it is helpful to make the request or to communicate this need/request in precise language. The real needs must come clear. I remember again of the use of the forms “don’t/do not” in the book “The Law of Attraction.” All attention will be focused on that thing you exactly don’t want. So, it is best to express the need in the right words of what you want instead of terms of what you don’t want. The request must be started using concrete words or language. It is again about focusing on what we want from other persons to do instead of blaming them or dwelling on what they did wrong. Besides, this idea is very important to my own person because the reproach is regularly made to me for using less words to communicate my feelings and needs. It is really true that by so doing, I can leave out very important aspects of the things that I would like the other person to know. Communicating without making clearly our real needs known makes it difficult for us to get satisfaction. And when we are not satisfied with the response of the other party, this is also likely to generate disagreements, misunderstanding, so judgments and further frustrations.

iv. “Observing without evaluating is the highest form of human intelligence.” By: J. Krishnamurti

It is imperative to observe clearly what we are seeing, hearing or touching that is affecting our sense of well being without mixing in any evaluating. Observations are an important element in Nonviolent Communication. In any case the ability or capacity of observing is another skill of communication with others even though it is not easy some times to observe without mixing in any evaluation that appears as a form of judgment. If I feel confused I ‘ll turn to the table made out by Dr Marshall B. Rosenberg and that distinguishes observations which are separate from evaluation and that have evaluation mixed in.

v. Expressing our vulnerability can help resolve conflicts.

This concept got highly my attention and is important to me not only because I totally accept the idea, but also because the debate raised in the book is particularly interesting and has convinced me. But, unfortunately any number of people do not like to express their fears/weaknesses or vulnerabilities in conflict situations or in negotiations. They think and feel that the other party will exploit their weaknesses to forward their view point and impose it to the vulnerable party. I can frankly say I do not know before that exposing one’s vulnerability can be positive and productive in conflict resolution. The reason why I especially appreciate the example that the book uses to explain how effectively fears can help make people understand and empathize with our difficulties. I’ll from now use this particular skill regardless depending on the motive and virtue of the person with whom I’m having the interaction with.

vi. What bores the listener bores the speaker too.

This is my first time to read something about this lesson. I quote it because I’m a former German language teacher and I currently have a regular church talk.

I have myself been several times bored with subjects I talked about because I thought that the people were not enjoying it. It is happened to me many times when I was teaching again. For some of my listeners (pupils) German language is too difficult and they assess it not indispensable for their success. They feel bored during my courses talks. I deduce that, the reason for this boredom on my part as speaker is because of the response and feedback the listeners give during the interaction and some time no feedback. As a public speaker (in church and as volunteer social worker in communities) myself, I reckon that, the most enjoyable talks I have ever made were those that attracted favorable response and gestures from those who listened to me. I believe that any person interacting must be conscious of what feedback the listeners are giving. In my own line of duty, I think that this will be able to help shape my presentations to yield the most effective result.

vii. “Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom. Without them there would be no individual growth, no progress, no conquest.” – William Jordan

This interesting idea reminds me a quote in Latin language that says: “Here is himanus. Es perseverare is diabolicum.” We all make mistakes or errors. It is quite natural to feel upset, frustrated, faulty when we error. But it will be diabolical to limit oneself to the idea that there no perfect human and still remain in committing errors. Instead of failure, we have to get experiences (learn from) our mistakes in order to progress. Let’s not be burdened by the past/mistakes. But let apply what productive and positive we have learned from our errors and focus on our current and future endeavors and finally recycle our experiences in anticipation of something bigger and better ahead.

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?

All these above ideas about communications skills contained in this book taught me to be more productive and positive in my communication with others by focusing more on their needs. They are importance and very vital for me because they’ll benefit my volunteer group leadership in my church ; in the execution of my tastes as co-founder of an humanitarian NGO and as person in charge of a volunteering program and interpersonal relationships: I deal mostly with people and general public at large. So, I now know how I can work on the words that come out of my mouth during the conversations/exchanges with people around with who I almost work. Also, I’m enough aware of the way to formulating my requests clearly especially when I want really to be heard. I should be working on these ideas for preventing in max conflicts with other people by avoiding the hurtful/judgment words I learnt in this book. In brief, these useful lessons helped me too much getting empathic and compassionate manner and I’m able to develop heart to heart understanding that leads me to create new interpersonal relationships for a better world.

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

“Paraphrase only when it contributes to greater compassion and understanding.”

I think there is no extraordinary explanation to give to this idea because it is very simple and clear enough; it is a lesson/advice that we receive or give also very often. In other words, Marshall B. Rosenberg with this phrase reveals and demands us to copy by other person or to imitate what you think is good and right.

“Nonviolence means allowing the positive within you to emerge.”

I’m fully convinced about this statement in the book. It is interesting and important because it so right that when we really put in practice or adopt nonviolence methods we change positively because we completely immerse in positive attitudes that help us to get what we want peacefully. We become models as Ghandi and Mandela. May they rest in peace.

“Let’s shine the light of consciousness on places where we can hope to find what we are seeking.”

I have already learned such an idea in IIGL previous books. The most important and interesting lesson we have to keep in mind is that this statement still reveals and emphasizes that we should not transform the place where we fall down into the bed room. But we should focus on what we desire/want and not on pains or what went wrong. It is an encouragement to not give up and learn from mistakes or pains for our profit. In other words, when we fall we should not stay on the ground but focus on what made us fall this time so that next time we shall not fall again.

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

None.

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

Yes the book contains some exercises for the reader to complete. I found all of them very useful because they helped me a lot to get furthermore a best understanding of what Marshall B. Rosenberg talked about in this enriching and interesting book and I’m now able to use and apply the strategy of Nonviolent Communication.

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 do not have any particular comment . But I’m wonderring if IIGL could make it possible for the politic leaders especially of Africa to take part actively in its studies. Africa will be more peaceful if its leaders (governors and opposition parties) can attend the school of the Nonviolent communication.

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

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

Goals

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

There are million of peoples that achieve extraordinary things in life. It is not by chance but this is because they have set goals beforehand, focused their minds on them and worked toward no matter the obstacles and then they bring them out to success. Tracy Brian like many other IIGL’s authors I have already read, is showing us in

this handy piece of information and education the path that leads to

the total fulfillment: he is teaching his readers the fundamental principles they need to know in order to get everything they want- faster than they ever thought possible. In other words, you will get the abilities to make your life become successful after reading this book and especially putting into practice its content/recommendations. These essential recommendations are nothing else as powerful tools and principles or methods that Tracy Brian sets up so that we can be equipped with in order to setting and achieving extraodinary things in life (our life goals) as million of people did and continue to do.

i. How to Get Everything we want-Faster Than we Ever Thought Possible: Setting Goals

The first of all lessons I got after reading this book is about goal setting. And the authors in almost all IIGL’s books have talked this idea. It proves no doubt that the secret that leads to total fulfillment in life relays on goals setting. It is the best way to channel one’s life: it is to stop looking like a dead leaf that win can take away in any direction; it is like drawing his time table for oneself for a period of time. Nothing was accomplished and can be accomplished without having a plan about what we want from life, when we want to get it, and how to get it. There will be limiting factors that may pose to our lives but if we set ourselves to get that goal we desire in life, we can be of success in every area of our life and in community involvement. In order words, even if we fail in the beginning we should not let up and give up but raise yourself and try again till you get it right. This important to me because as I have set goals to work with overseas volunteers for contributing to the well being of my community, it wasn’t easy at the beginning when I had to put my desire in action: I worked towards this goal everyday no matter the various obstacles I encountered. I did not give up but I raised myself and tried my best again and again till I host today a number of overseas volunteers with many skills for different development’s projects in my community and in my country. Goal setting is inevitably the basis and the right way of the success in life.

ii. A goal should be clear, realistic, detailed and written down

This is another one of the valuable lessons I learnt by going through this book where Tracy Brian explained the importance of having a clear, specific, detailed and written goal. We have to be clear, specific in our goals: we need to set measurable, objective goals. It is not use to set a nonsense goal that cannot be accomplished. This is very important and from now on, I will avoid in max un-measurable, unrealistic goals but will quantify them, discipline myself to working towards them everyday so that at the end of the deadline of their achievement I cannot make a cross in the front of some of these goals and postpone them on following day. Besides, we usually say: the verb

(words) flies/pass but what is written remains. Anything we say orally can be easily forgotten. So, it is not also use to have a goal and do not have written it down because we will lose sight of what you want to achieve in life. But when I set my goals write them down on a sheet of paper and paste them on a wall for instance, I have the opportunity to review them regularly and daily and by so doing they remind my conscious mind that it has an order to obey, a definite purpose to achieve. It is helpful. So, it became a habit for me to ask the volunteers we host in Togo to list their goals and at the end of the period of their stay, we meet together again to check which goal was or was not achieved. From that I can realize that my organization has made a new step or achieve a new goal or not. The result is very often positive because by writing down clear, measurable goal allow each one of the parties not to loose sight of what we want to do. Besides, I personally organize regularly a church talk where I share these ideas and I learn others experiences.

iii. The affirmation “I’m responsible.”

The act of accepting to complete responsibility is a way to cancel, eliminate negative emotions from your life. When you feel free yourself mentally from dis-empowerment (emotions of anger, hurt, blame that makes you hostile, irritable) you begin to take control of your life and you become more confident. It is only in this case that you can set and achieve goals in every area of your life. Without accepting of complete personal responsibility, no progress is possible. So, I can say and it true that if you do not take that responsibility of your life nobody is going to do it at your place. Nobody cannot take responsibility other than you. This statement got particular my attention because I realize that by only saying “I’m responsible” I cancel obstacles on what I can be, do and have. This simple but powerful affirmation affords my mentally and emotionally freedom so that I can begin channel my energy and enthusiasm in a forward things I desire in my life or my life goals achievement.

iv. The future belongs to the risk takers, not the security seekers

Sitting safely down in your comfort zone will never afford that you can take advantage of some the best opportunities that can exist. This lesson is similar to what I learned with French people. They say “qui ne risque rien, n’a rien” meaning if you do not take risk, you will not get anything. And the Bible says “who seeks, does find.” You have to go out and seek opportunities and take risks. There will be obstacles on the way. But do not give up easily. Even if things are difficult, even when others may presume your failure, do not loose sight that there is a price to pay before winning. So, take the responsibility of risking and you’ll change the way your life was going: you’ll be where you want to be (achieve success in your life).

This lesson makes me realize where some of my class mates are now. Those who have taken risk at the time we have just finished our university studies. They have accomplished the goal we have all set as young students. But unfortunately because of the lack of self confidence and fear for failure I did not take any risk and I missed what was my dream at that time.

v. The two major obstacles to success.

Fear and doubt are the two major obstacles to success and to any achievement. Fear and doubt extinguish our determination, our burning desire to accomplish a goal completely. Giving place to fear and doubt is like to sign one’s failure toward a goal. Hesitation, laziness and especially procrastination are the signs that one is gained by fear or doubt. We can never achieve extraodinary things when these major limits are present in our life. As I was working as commercial agent by a mobile phone communication enterprise, one of our customers (because of the way I collaborated and worked with him) has proposed to give me a piece of land (on which I can build a house) on credit.

But the first mental attitude I got was that my salary was not enough for that proposal. I doubt my own financial abilities and that fear of poverty overwhelmed me and I did not buy that piece of land which was even so one of my goal. To accomplish something challenging in life we need to feel adequate, make any kind of fear disappear from our conscious mind and only face what our heart desires, get going and keep going towards it.

vi. Get going and keep going, never give up until you succeed.

Every great accomplishment in our day to day life is a triumph that results from our capacity of persistence. Our ability to decide what we want, to begin and specially to persist through different obstacles and difficulties until we achieve our goals is the critical determinant of our success. Get going and keep going relays without doubt on courage. Without courage any success accomplishment is not possible. I remember how Henry Ford had instilled his collaborators the concept of persistence and courage. Total fulfillment or success is not a quite process in advance. It made of inevitable ups and downs that we must face and with persistence we’ll create an ideal lifestyle for ourselves and for the people around us.

vii. Setting a deadline

The factor «time» is very indispensable in one’s goals achievement. Once we have clear, specific and realistic goals, the next important step we do not have to neglect is to set clear deadlines for the achievement of each one of these goals in our life. No matter short or long the deadlines are, what is very important is to respect these timings. For me, deadlines for my goals is a kind of positive pressure that I exert on myself to accomplish my heart’s desires. I still learning the time management with the overseas volunteers I host and I’m cleaning bit by bit from my conscious mind what we call African time (we do not respect really time in Africa).

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 above lessons and these we can learn again by going through this book are to me like a guideline and will make me able to start living a new life. I can realize not only an intern but also an extern change of my personality. I have from now on opened eyes in so many fields.

These ideas will help me set a life that I would like and for my family too. This will help me set a goal each day and review it so as to make whatever I wish to succeed in come true. As I know that I have inborn abilities to excel, as that the future is in my hands and as I’m aspiring to bring change in my personal life, it is up to me to plan for all this and work towards it daily. I can use these helpful ideas and I’m sure that they will make it possible for me to accomplish the goals I have set for my life. If I am able to practice regularly and systematically goal setting, it will take me from where I am to prosperity, from frustration to fulfillment, from underachievement to success and satisfaction. I have within my self the ability to accomplish any goal I can set for myself if I am willing to work with persistence, with objective and deadlines plan to attain them. Through these ideas. I have learned to improve my personality and my beliefs. I have also leaned that I can become whatever I want to be and do whatever I want to do. I will easily develop my natural talents for my own advantage and for those persons around me. In brief I will be able to accomplish the goal for which I was put on this earth.

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

“Once you decide to accept complete responsibility for yourself, your situation, and everything that happens to you, you can turn confidently toward your work and the affairs of your life. You become the master of your fate and the captain of your soul”

The act of accepting to complete responsibility is a way to cancel, eliminate negative emotions from your life. When you feel free yourself mentally from disempowerment (emotions of anger, hurt, blame that makes you hostile, irritable) you begin to take control of your life and you become more confident. It is only in this case that you can set and achieve goals in every area of your life. Without accepting of complete personal responsibility, no progress is possible. So, I can say and it true that if you do not take that responsibility of your life nobody is going to do it at your place. Nobody cannot take responsibility other than you.

This statement got particular my attention because I realize that by only saying “I’m responsible.” This cancels obstacles on what I can be, do and have. This simple but powerful affirmation affords my mentally and emotionally freedom so that I can begin channel my energy and enthusiasm in a forward things I desire in my life or my life goals achievement.

“You become what you think about most of the time.”

This is something that works as a magic. Since I have learnt this simple thing, I hold it in my subconscious mind because it a true formula of success achievment.Whatever you want to achieve in your life, you have just to sit down plan it out correctly and think about. If you focus on success, it is the way that you act and do towards achieving that success which you should only think about and if you program yourself in your subconscious mind, the universe law will let them begin to be accomplished and extraodinary successful things will begin to fall in your life just like a puzzle.

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

None.

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

Yes. At the end every chapter of the book there is a series of seven or five questions (it depends) that I have tried to complete. These questions are mostly helpful and very important as they relate to one’s achievement of goals in life. These questions are a kind of exercises that let me reflect on what I have read in the book and especially how I can now get the things I desire in my life faster than I have ever thought possible. Besides, they helped me also reflect on how I can grow in my interpersonal, social, professional and familial relationships.

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

No.

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

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

Unlimited Power

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

After a thorough reading of the book «Unlimited Power», one can notice that the national bestseller, Anthony Robbins is teaching us essential and powerful strategies to deal with any situation that stands to limit us from climbing the success ladder. The key or technique we need individually to accomplish success is mainly based in the mindset: what we become in life is an ultimate product, a replica of our thoughts. If we keep accepting/thinking only about defeat then we will become just that. Our mind has power to change circumstances: it is able to transform, shape, make or break, build and destroy. So, Anthony Robbins invites and encourages us to harness in max our inner invisible talisman (mind) and adjust our behaviors for achieving prosperity and good living.

i. Perseverance

Some peoples seem to think that success comes on a silver platter. It is not true, but it comes with a lot of hard work and persistent trying. Perseverance is one of the mother keys to every success. It is one of the greatest attributes one who aspires to success in life must have. If Henry Ford and his colleagues had not kept on trying, but had given up hope after they had failed at the first time, they would not have succeed the engine Ford. The perseverance is anything else as accepting to sacrifice one’s time, energy, liberty and get ready to keep trying after having recorded a series of failures. The importance of this idea for me is that if I see anyone in this world producing a result I admire and desire, I can produce the same results if only I’m willing to pay the price of time and effort. Perseverance is very important also in self empowerment. It comes some times that I go through personal challenges and face some difficult circumstances of life. But with perseverance, I still focus on my goal like the IIGL studies for instance. To be successful, we really have to pay a price. Usually, when we reach the success, people will seem to forget the number of times we tried. But that is not matter.

ii. Handle frustration and rejection

Nelson Mandela had experienced a lot of Frustration and rejection in his struggle for justice in South Africa. Frustration and rejection kill one’s dreams. Because Mandela was determined and did not allow frustration and rejection to deter him from what he wanted to pursue and achieve, so he kept changing his struggle’s strategies and had modeled with any situation. The biggest challenge for people today is that they can’t handle frustration or rejection. I have felt inspired reading the attitudes and strategies of Jonathan L. Seagull (when he was rejected out of the flock) and some people when they were faced with frustration and rejection. We can achieve pic performance and become what we want to be or we can ensure success and create wealth, happiness all the time, if we know how to cope with frustration, rejection and strip them of all their negative powers. This idea is very important for me because I know that life is not a quiet long river.

iii. Action emanates from knowledge

A thorough reading of this book lets me see and understand once again the importance of action. It is very true that there can’t be any results without a prior action. That means that there never be changes in a society or in an individual’s life without acting. Besides, it is knowledge that breeds the ability to act (action). Knowledge is the potential that should be put in action before it can produce results and by this way, it becomes useful. I appreciate a lot this idea because the more knowledge we have, the more power we wield, and the more we can achieve. If I look back at my life, I notice that there have been a lot of instances that I have avoided taking some actions or getting involved with certain responsibilities. I’m now aware that it is because I did not have enough knowledge to be able to endeavor.

It is true that one still continue avoiding actions because of lack of enough knowledge. I have a lot of things bottled up in me that I need to act upon. So, I have taken up the initiative to acquire IIGL’s studies that will make me more comfortable and after graduation to be highly active and be able to produce results.

iv. Modeling

According to the book – If you can read and think and hear, you can model the beliefs of the most successful people on the planet. Another key to climb the lader of success is just to build one’s accomplishment from the successes of others : if other people can do something, all we need is to model them with precision and we can do exactly the same thing. In modeling hides the key to achieve excellence. As one of future African change makers and regarding to develop my capacities in Leadership or entrepreneurship, I am very happy to start from now on learning from the successes of Lawrence Afere as a model.

v. Belief

I have learnt that we can achieve everything we conceive and believe.

So, success and failure depend to one’s belief. Even though we have the appropriate skills and resources to do something, once we tell ourselves that we can’t do/or can’t achieve, we shut down the pathways that can provide us with the resources to achieve and vice versa. As A Man Thinketh. My beliefs about what I’m and what I can be determines what I will become. So, let’s think positively and believe for wealthy life.

vi. Communication

Communication is founded on language or the use of words that strengthen our ability for interacting with other people. It is a vital tool or a way for expressing our feelings, our desires, our needs and what we expect from others. Communication is very important in every domain in life. In many companies today we have persons in charge of communication for the well ongoing of the activities. I work with foreign volunteers worldwide. All of them emphasize the necessity to creating a communication’s department in order to ensure a long term of success for our collaboration. Besides, we can communicate with ourselves. A If we know for instance that we are very limited in one field then try to work on our weaknesses and we see the magic.

Let’s communicate positively to ourselves, say we are a success, say we can do it and then we will certainly do it. Let’s remember that the author says « The quality of life is the quality of communication ».

vii. Clarity of Values

What are values? The book says “Simply, they are your own private, personal, and individual beliefs about what is most important to you.” From this assessment the book makes it clearly understand values are specific belief systems we have about what is right and wrong and how we interact according them. Some years ago, I did have a vague understanding of the concept of value and was not able to say clearly what is important to me . But now, the book helps me have a clear fundamental sense about what really is important to me. So, I can prioritize my values for my life.

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

These ideas and many other one got from this book will have many impacts on my person and are going to change my life drastically. I have come to realize for example that I have a great potential, powerful thoughts that I can harness in order to reach personal achievement, create a responsible person of mine and a better word.

All these ideas are a new source of more motivation for continuing to nurture my ambitions and at the same time they make me realize the obligation which is mine to taking control of my thoughts if I aim to modeling the beliefs of other great and successful people. As young leader in my small locality, these valuable ideas strengthened a lot my resolves to continuing to develop my potentials and help change my small locally and why not influence the whole society. Besides, all these new valuables ideas are already helping me in life and I believe that I will succeed where others fail and also with constant reminding myself on what I want in life I believe that the sky which is the limit for others will be my springboard.

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 quality of life is the quality of communication.”

This quote is a reminder of the importance of Communication. The ability for interacting with ourselves and other people makes it possible that we remain humans. In a family, a company, in group of people and in a society where there is no communication, problems are bound to arise. Communication is highly the key in our day to day interpersonal relationships. Communication is a vital tool for expressing our feelings, our desires, our needs and what we expect from others. If we nurse an idea or ambition and we do not express ourselves, we will never get suggestions from friends and people who can advise us on what strategy to put in place to see our ambition become a reality. But the most important is the way or how we communicate? Prior IIGL’s books like NVC and How to Win Friends and Influence People have focused on this issue. Do we communicate a point of view or responses that generate violence, frustration and conflict? The way we process information is a matter of fact of quality of life. The better we communicate, the better we nourished our lives.

“Small changes can make a big change in the quality of your life.”

This statement got particularly my attention because of its greatness and meaning. We usually say «a bird’s nest is made bit by bit» in other words any big picture is assembled by small parts. So, I have not to neglect every little improvement I make in my day to day life. All small actions or all little improvements in any field combined together lead to tremendous results or extraordinary achievement in life.

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

Yes, I encountered some ideas which I do not understand or I am not enough clear about. Till now, I do continue to asking questions myself about them. Below is the list of some of them:

On page 76, “Things just happen to you.. You’re an object, not a subject.” It says on page 93, “Remember, we don’t know how life really is.”

Besides, the author states: “All human problems are behavioral problems!” and he explained his statement saying for example that it is people’s behavior that creates what we call crime. We learned that «the ancestor of every action is thought », meaning our thought (mind) breeds actions/behaviors: before we take action (we behave) we must think. So, I’ll not be wrong if I reformulate the statement on this way: “All human problems are mind/mental problems.”

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

The book has a lot of model examples. We only have to be inspired by these examples to climb the ladder of success. Meaning the most important exercises left in the book is to put in practice all model lessons. Everything that contributes to wealthy living/success is helpful.

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

None

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

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

Leadership for Dummies

Assessment by Dakou Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

This book provides information most especially about leadership and enumerates the skills or abilities to exercise good and effective leadership. It explains carefully that leadership it is not something we are born with but it is an attitude that we acquire, develop and observe throughout our life. In short words, this beneficial book teaches how everyone of us can become not only a leader but a good one. We have just to work on the different virtues like: listening well, eliciting the cooperation of others and placing the needs of others above ours.

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

a. I’m a potential leader

I understood after reading this book that the Leadership is learnable and possible for everyone. I know the skills the one needs to become a good leader. I know that I have inside me a great experience, potential I can use to serve others. I think human’s potential is one big recourse, it have no end. So, when somebody knows himself in a best way, his effectiveness grows in the best way. I’m sure of leadership’s potential and anything will stop me develop and exercise it because I know, leadership leans on the willingness to embrace responsibilities.

b. Leadership is a mission of responsibility

The leadership is a skill important for every situation, and helpful to reach some goal. This ability begins with the willingness to show some level of personal responsibility. This responsibility gives priority to the needs of other peoples and puts them at the first

place: the leader is the one who needs to serve firstly others or offer beneficial services to the group/community in which he is lives in. This responsibility necessitates listening well and eliciting the cooperation of others. Unfortunately, most of African leaders do not develop the leadership as explained in this book. Especially in Togo, the political leaders instead of thinking and serving the interest of the masses, they give priority first to themselves, the fill their pocket before thinking about the interest of their communities. We who are reading this book, we have to recommend it to these political leaders. As for me, I belong to the executive team of a NGO. I’ am putting in the best I can to serve the people around me, especially rural communities we are working in, before thinking of myself. I also do well to listen and elicit the cooperation of people in these communities because without them I cannot contribute to the achievement of the desired goals of the organization.

c. The principle of flexibility: to be a good leader, try to be flexible

We need nowadays to be flexible. It always helps everyone in every situation, even the most difficult and complicated one. It not easy to lead many people. But if you try always to be flexible, you’ll have the situations under control. I’m the person in charge with abroad volunteers in our organization. By exchanging with them (before they arrive or even they already arrived in Togo) I try always to be flexible with them and we work in a dynamic environment with achieved goals. So, they do not hesitate to mention and thank me in their feedbacks about the kind of flexibility I offer them.

d. Leadership leans on optimism

Every leader has to be optimistic. I learnt previously to be positive (especially in thoughts) for achieving extraordinary things. That positive power is the force that builds relationships, business and many other links between the people. That spirit of positivity (positive thoughts, words and practices) that guides one to the good end of some mission/accomplishment, lean on optimism. The wellness never come with stress and violence – but only after actions filled with determination and especially with optimism.

e. Make sense out of ambiguous messages.

This leadership quality is something very important. As a leader, I also have to be able to clearly communicate the messages using the simple language and the common sense. I do never forget the principle of clarity since I begun IIGL studies. I’ll never stop trying to develop it.

f. Innovate from old approaches or concepts

The innovation is also one of the most important qualities in leadership. A leader must have the ability to create new/innovative approaches and concepts by taking old ones and putting them together in new ways. Many old concepts might have brought a lot of great benefits, but connecting them with new approaches, might be a powerful force in solving every complicated situation.

g. Recognize the importance of different elements of situations.

Every problem or situation has multiple of elements that have to be considered before taking a final decision. Every element can embody its own challenges and opportunities that have to be well though through. I solved many problems by this way.

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

Every idea presented in this book is extremely beneficial and would be daily reflected in my personal live as I move forward to learn more about people, learn more about myself, I would like to share these ideas with people around, as well as, meditate on these ideas to be used in my social work. To be a leader now to me does not only entail the advantages that come with it but also the responsibilities that go with the position. I have learned a lot of interesting assignments that I will share with my friends and colleagues. I learned how to plan and organize strategic planning, communicate with people, how to put the needs of others above my own, and listening skills. Moreover I have acquired some interesting teambuilding activities that I will be introducing in our NGO and why not in the communities where I’m serving.

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.

“Your ability to lead depends on the willingness of others to follow or at least to cooperate with you”

When given a new position, the first thing to do is to identify the common goals/needs of the people you are about to lead and identify yourself with this goal. Make an inventory of the available potentials in the group: ensure you know the skills or talents of all the members in your group and know how to exploit them first for the members profit before yours. But if you do not give first priority to the common goal of the group but just put your needs above all, you’ll stand alone and no one of your group will want to collaborate with you. Then there will be no one for you to lead.

“Managers do things rights, but leader do the right things.”

Managers are people who follow the rules already established and let also people follow these rules. But leaders inspire people to do the right things by being a powerful example or models themselves.

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 learnt a lot while reading this personal achievement book. And to the best of my knowledge the book is a success because there is anything in it I’m unclear about. Hope to go through this book again as soon as possible.

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

The book contains exercises. I completed most of them and I can say I learned and gained a lot skills about leadership development: time managements, budget planning, project design, advocacy, history of leaders, the way to motivate people, how to turn challenges into opportunities, how to elicit cooperation and exc. So, the exercises are very useful for me as co-coordinator of an NGO and as I’m striving to lead in my community and why not in my country. So, I say thanks to the author of this book which needs to be recommended.

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

None

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

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

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a practical and useful manual, guide for those who want to achieve peak performances in both familial and business leading. It contains simple but beneficial techniques that bordered on seven practical traits that are likely to stimulate and make a person more productive and focused in the achievement of goals. I think Stephen R. Covey is trying to unveil his readers to themselves and I can say I saw myself in the mirror and now I got the necessary tools to assessing my own traits as raised in the book and can also value other people.

a. The “paradigm shift”

Paradigm, according to Stephen, is the way we perceive, understand or interpret things in life. So, if we have the wrong perception of things, we go straight in the brick wall. It means that wrong perception leads us to fake results; it is synonym of the use of Negative Mental Attitude. Make life to ourselves healthy, successful by taking it on the good and positive side. Things in life are not always easy the way we see them: it is easy to blame somebody and make a negative/wrong analyze on her/his action. The question is now to know if we are able to do better than what we are seeing and interpreting wrong from another person? I remember how the current president of France Franois Holande blamed the work of the former president Nicolas Sarkozy during the election face to face TV debate. Now that he came on power and years went by, he is not able to achieve the goals he assigned when he was perceiving and interpreting very wrong what his counterpart has done. If you don’t cross yet the river, do not make fun of the one who is drowning. If you see things and think positively, the universe will attract more positive results to you. So, let take time to get the correct paradigm, the appropriate map, then the journey through life will be trouble-free. This is very important and is my new conviction since I started IIGL studies.

b. Being Proactive not Reactive

I have learnt previously that leadership begins with the willingness to embrace responsibilities. I think Stephen R. Covey is teaching us the same thing with other words: before achieving highly effectiveness, we need to be proactive not reactive. Being proactive simply demands to accept taking one’s responsibility for everything in one’s life, making a planning for one’s life and make it happen. When you’re proactive, you are in the driver’s seat of your life; you become the captain of your destiny; you’re responsible for your success or failure. Being a responsible (proactive) or reactive (the one who still blames) person, the choice is yours. As concerning my person, I thing before I act; my choices are very tough and based on values. Hope to be included amongst high effective people of my community why not of my country, Togo.

c. Begin with the end in mind.

The end in everything is the result we want to achieve with our life. But nothing can be done without a plan. So, without goals, it is difficult to know how much effort is needed to achieve a particular result. So, through this lesson the author reminds us and emphases the importance of planning. After sitting in the driver seat, the other important thing is to drive the car to destination. In short words, it is vital to develop a clear plan, map of where you want to reach in life: a route to your success; a kind of personal which can help you accomplish our goals in life. In addition, you need in this plan to make rooms for setbacks/foresights. This get you prepared to overcome easily any challenges. I find this habit very important, helpful and practical for me as a programs co-coordinator of a NGO to work towards for achieving the expected goals.

d. Prioritizing: put first things first.

This concept sounds easy, It means doing the right things and at the right time. And the first time I saw this in the text of the book, I thought that this is a normal thing for anyone to do because it helps one give priority to the right things and implement them at the right, appropriate time. This idea instills in us the discipline, the rigor about learning to prioritize and manage our time so that our first things come first, not last. After setting goals, it is important to make a planning of their accomplishment; know what comes first and what comes last. Without first things placed first, the result will be weak, irrelevant and it will be a waste of time. It is good to have a nice list of goals and good intentions, but the important and hard thing is to putting them first. It is an important exercise for me to take my responsibility to say no to less important things in my life.

e. Synergize

This habit is relating to some statements we usually use: ‘two heads are better than one.’ or “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”. I think this principle is very important and true. It requires the efforts and expertise of different people to build something and the result is always relevant. Synergy is the better and higher way because all involved people bring their backgrounds/experiences together to create a better solution than either could alone. We know in our NGO that synergy is celebrating differences, Teamwork, Open-mindedness, Finding new and better ways; that in organizational work, variety is very important; synergy is the solution to the problems we face as a people, nation and world. This understanding of Synergy impacted and justifies the name of our NGO: Synergy of actions for an appropriate development (SADA in French). I believe the principle Synergy is helpful tool for Africa to face its various challenges.

f. Sharpen the Saw

In this ever globalization and changing world, it is important to appropriate this idea for oneself to fit into the changing system/world… I can assure that in our NGO, we do not hesitate to keep ourselves sharp; we develop ourselves to meet the standard of the big, successful and model NGO. As a future leader and surely an entrepreneurial ship coach and given IIGL personal achievement books , it is important that sharpening the Saw becomes my way of life, that I consistently learn news things in society that I can easily use as an example in making concepts clear to the people I talk to. I decided to still sharpening my brain to respond effectively to any challenges I will face.

g. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

This Habit is the key to communication. It a principle that demands to listening first then talking second. It evaluates first things from another’s point of view before sharing your own. This is a moral lesson and it falls directly in line with the principle of Non-violent communication I learnt previously. But it requires a lot of discipline on the first person, an attitude that corresponds to leadership characteristics: put the needs of others first above oneself. So, try first to unsteady others then after share opinion. It arouses less resentment and facilities to gain collaboration with your direct environment.

I must confess that all the ideas in this book are really important. I really appreciated the Part 1 – which begins with “Get in the Habit.” The best way the ideas in the book will help me to create a better world is to put them in the practice first. So, in a practical way, the ideas will allow me to respond proactively, with responsibility to the constant changes around me. I will be able to create successful business ventures, plan good projects which will go a long way to help alleviate poverty in my community through education, youth and women empowerment and self sufficiency. I will be able to apply effective interpersonal communication, work in synergy , sharp my brain usually as possible and especially lean listening to the community to better understand their problems so that we can together leverage collaboration and successful results.

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

“When you are proactive, you are ready and calm to respond to things that happen.”

This quotation got my attention because of its importance. Like I mentioned earlier, being proactive simply demands to accept taking one’s responsibility for everything in one’s life, make a planning for one’s life and make it happen. Once planning is given priority, it is bound to Crete room for possible setbacks and challenges, therefore, whoever is undertaken an activity or program with such a plan is prepared enough to meet any problems. Planning breeds pro-activeness, I thing the success in the realization of community projects in my social work leans mostly on this aspect.

“Your economic security does not lie in your job, it lies in your power to produce- to think, to learn, to create, to adapt. That is true financial independence. It is not having wealth; it’s the power to produce wealth.”

After a thorough reading, Stephen is highly right to making this declaration. To me, he is saying that our knowledge and skills are power and security. If we have knowledge and skills, then one job can end and we can make or find another because we have inner wealth. And, this inner wealth is more important than outer wealth, material goods, because no one can take it away.

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?

“Judging others contributes to violence.” I think it is important to qualify otherwise this assertion. I encountered this quotation in previous IIGL’s book. I think it needs more clarification. If not, I cannot understand the reason of justice ministries in every country. Judgment is mainly based on evaluation but not all judgment can contribute to violence. The right judgment, the one that stems from right and accepted norm, which does not use shortcuts and made in consultation with a number of view, can anyway contribute to violence but contribute to calming.

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

Yes, the book contains exercises that helped me understand what Stephen R. Covey is talking about in sixty five percent of cases. These exercises evaluated my skills to distinguish concepts, one from another.

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

None.

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

A. How interesting was it to read? 7
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

Maximum Achievement
Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

I notice after reading this book that success is an inherent trait of every person and that can be unlocked only with the right acts, decisions and thinking. Brian Tracy offers various solid and successful principles of life and interprets how they get manifested in real life. The title of the book “Maximum Achievement” itself is enough expression: wonders are dormant within us. The strategies and skills that can be used by each one to wake up, stimulate and unlock his hidden powers to succeed, that is clearly what Brian Tracy is teaching in this enriching book.

a. From nothing to hero by practicing the seven ingredients of success.

After the personal life experience of F.S Füller that I read in the book of “Success through a Positive Mental Attitude,” Brian Tracy’s one is another tangible, living illustration of this lesson that I identified as very important. From nothing (zero), the author became one of the most respected public speaker of this world. It is neither by chance, nor by magic.

Tracy gives us the secrets of his successful experience in term of seven ingredients for personal success such as the peace of mind, health and energy, loving relationship, financial freedom, worthy goals and ideals, self-knowledge and self-awareness, personal fulfillment. These seven ingredients are necessary items conducive to any personal performance if implemented to the fullest extent of the given instructions. As a youth seeking to develop a good leadership and achieve pic performance in my social work, I appropriated to myself these seven ingredients of success by making a liste of them and stick against the wall in bed room in order to have a look on it at any time for practicing.

b. Each one of us has the success mechanism at disposal, so, is a potential success achiever.

This idea in « Maximum Achievement » strikes me that I have read this concept somewhere in my earlier series of books in this course. Like Positive Mental Attitude and Negative Mental Attitude, we are equipped with both success and failure mechanism. But the book lets me know that success mechanism is triggered by a goal, can override the failure one and is built into our brain that guides and directs us toward the acommplishment of our purposes. Each one has a brain where the success mechanism sticks in and that we need to unlock, stimulate by setting goals.

c. Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.
As Human beings, we are all goals-centered organisms. We are motivated by purposes, by desired end states. We are never really happy unless and until we are moving toward the accomplishment of something that is important to us. So, developing the ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the skill that will ensure most one’s success than anything he/she could ever do. A person without goal is like a dead leaf that the wind takes away as much as it likes. Brian compares a person with goals to a ship with rudder, guided by a captain with a map, a compass and a destination, sailing straight and true towards a port of own choosing. This simply means that goal equals success.

d. Diamonds do not look like diamonds in their raw form when looked at it with the unskilled eye.

There are enriching lessons hidden in this statement. First of all, we know that to be able to identify a diamond, we need to do some refinery. From this I can say that there is some form of greatness or powers of success hidden within every person and most times we only need to look inward to see the genius we always wish to see. Besides, in some instances, we need someone with the eye of quality and skill to be able to determine our strengths and potentials. In both cases before being able to realize our strengths, we will need to pass through « refinery » meaning that discipline ourselves to go through training and practice. I enjoyed this statement a lot because I’ve just been in my NGO works examinated by an audit’s office and this affords my participation to three different workshops of training to reinforcing my potentials.

e. What’s in it for me? The law of reciprocity

As social worker by a young NGO, I belong to a team that works towards attracting sponsorship for our projects or events. As this team leader, I have in the most cases the challenge of showing how our events or projects are going to reciprocate the gesture by the society/agency/business institution I approach. This law is so old as the world. I’m total agreed that there should always be a reward or reciprocal gesture to donations made by business institutions/ agency in issues of sponsorship and donations. I usually mention their name with their logo or make a link to their web site in our report about the event /project they sponsored. This law works even in many ways in our relationship with our fellow men. In any case the reciprocity (gains) is either direct or indirect or probably yield indirect satisfaction or goals for givers. Where I’m little bit unhappy with is when I approach individuals who can help us with his/her skills in a specific field and he/she asks immediately an amount of money as reward. For some, the resolution of a problem by offering their skills is largely their satisfaction (reward). Many others do not have this culture. I deal with these two kind of people in NGO work.

f. Mastering human relationship

I’ve just participated to a workshop of training where this principle has been tackled with a particular emphasis. the ability to get along well with other people is a very important step, a key aspect in the success achievement. As individual human being, our immediate environment (people we are dealing with) determines our success either in familial or in professional way. So, the quality choice of our mates /relations is very important and need to be taken care of. As NGO, networking or partnership is a success factor as much more than any other today in the world.

g. Love transforms the world

Love is not just something that you feel, but it is something you do. So, love is an action that has within itself or generates a certain positivity. If each one of us can ask him/herself what he/she can do, and put it really into action like mother Teresa of Calcuta, this world will be a nest of positive transformations and more quiet to live in.

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?

Achievement does not come by chance but through conscious effort to succeed. And I have learned in this book that success and failure all rest on attitude. As a young social worker seeking to develop my capabilities in Leadership, the lessons that I identified are compelling enough to set me think about ways through which I could develop the attitude towards leadership/success. In my community/social work, I deal with people with different traits, expectations and attitude. These lessons are particularly suitable for the development of my hidden potentials, will strengthen my thoughts, convictions and help me realize changes in the areas where there are serious societal limitations or needs.

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 things we do, or refrain from doing, because of fear, far outweigh what we do because of desire.”

This statement got particularly my attention because it strikes me everything I have read about the concept of fear in my earlier series of books in this IIGL’s course. I amused myself by translating this statement into French language and sharing it with two of my brothers (students at University in Lome). We all appreciated the truth hidden in this statement. Brian Tracy gives largely the true explanation for the actions of men : our actions are emotional and mostly guided or controlled by fear instead of desire. I can say, through this statement Brian Tracy is serving us with a very valid information: indirectly he’s teaching us to be master of our destiny. Success/desire must be our motivation not fear.

“If you change your ways of thinking, you change your life.”

This quote refers to the positive mental attitude which may be the corner stone, they tremendous key in the quest of individual achievement.

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

No there is none.

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

There were a series of exercises to explaining how the concepts raised in the book could work. There are captivating, helpful and are about individual performance

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

None.

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

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

Maximum Achievement
Assessment by DAKOU Kofi Agbesi (Togo)

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

a. From nothing to hero by practicing the seven ingredients of success.

b. Each one of us has the success mechanism at disposal, so, is a potential success achiever.

c. Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.

As Human beings, we are all goals-centered organisms. We are motivated by purposes, by desired end states. We are never really happy unless and until we are moving toward the accomplishment of something that is important to us. So, developing the ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the skill that will ensure most one’s success than anything he/she could ever do. A person without goal is like a dead leaf that the wind takes away as much as it likes. Brian compares a person with goals to a ship with rudder, guided by a captain with a map, a compass and a destination, sailing straight and true towards a port of own choosing. This simply means that goal equals success.

d. Diamonds do not look like diamonds in their raw form when looked at it with the unskilled eye.

e. What’s in it for me? The law of reciprocity

f. Mastering human relationship

g. Love transforms 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?

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 things we do, or refrain from doing, because of fear, far outweigh what we do because of desire.”

“If you change your ways of thinking, you change your life.”

This quote refers to the positive mental attitude which may be the corner stone, they tremendous key in the quest of individual achievement.

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

No there is none.

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

There were a series of exercises to explaining how the concepts raised in the book could work. There are captivating, helpful and are about individual performance

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

None.

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