Edwin Shumba – Assessments – International Institute for Global Leadership

As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Edwin Shumba (Zimbabwe)

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

Our thinking determines who we become in life. All the things in life are a product of our thoughts. We control and determine the things that happen in our lives through our thoughts. We should think about the right things. To change our lives for the better we must change our thoughts. Thoughts are things our acts are only but a blossom of our thoughts. Whatever character we have it’s a result of our thoughts. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with God like thoughts. Our thoughts determine everything else in life.

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

a) Thoughts determine our characters- I have been trying to change my character for some time but after reading this book l now know that I have to first change my thought and I will be able to win. I am also going to start this change in character in my mind. I will design the type of person, leader, mentor that l want to become then work from that point because action is only but a product of thoughts.

b) Thoughts shape create and shape our circumstances – Many a time I have been blaming the environment for most of our failures and pitfall. But know I learnt that circumstance we create them. I am going to create positive circumstance in my life everywhere I go. I will create the circumstances that are conducive to the fulfillment of my goal.

c) Thoughts coupled with action produces greatness- Thoughts without actions are not good enough. For me to achieve greatness I will think and act. When I act I will act boldly because I would have thought about it. There is no shortcut to greatness. We have to think our way and act on the thoughts.

d) Thoughts create focus and purpose in or lives – By thinking I will be focusing my energy to a specific thing. I will not get into any venture without careful thought. By thinking I will be able to discover my God given purpose and all the things that I will do.

e) Our physical bodies rely on our thoughts for nourishment-A healthy body is a result of serious thought and commitment. To take healthy food, exercise etc there is a lot of resolve that goes with it, all this comes as a result of thoughts. It’s much easier to eat healthy when you have thought about it. As they say, when the why gets stronger the how -gets easier .-

f) ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.- I am responsible for the things that happen to me. I choose consciously or unconsciously the things that happen to me. To be mentored, l have to chose to be mentored. To learn from others who have achieved l have to choose to learn. So I am responsible for all my achievements or failures. We get into our hands an exact mirror image of our thoughts.

g) Having a vision is important I need a vision. To achieve all the things that I have to I need to have a clear vision. Without a vision men perish. This world needs dreamers, without the Cristopher Columbus and others we wouldn’t be where we are now. So Dreaming is OK. The greatest achievements worldwide were dreams at some time and now they have been realized.

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

I am now conscious that l am a master of my own life. Either l am a wise master or I am a foolish master. I will always strive to be a wise master. My thoughts are critical to my success in life. I am going to drastically change my negative thoughts to positive.

Secondly , I am going to start searching deeply into my being to discover more about myself. I intend setting up thinking time where I will just be thinking. I will have a vision for where l want to go in life , achievements, impact and all the other things. I will start envisioning the future in my personal life as well in my business life. As a church leader l will take time to think about where l want to take the church of God in 2011.

Thirdly, I will start spending time with the people that l think are worth spending time with. I believe I am an entrepreneur and global leader, so l will spend more time with these people as bird of the same feathers flock together.

Fourth, I will ask, knock and seek for unto these it shall be given, doors opened and what they seek they will find.

When l act I am going to act and act boldly knowing that greatness follows great actors,

I am going to think about my physical health and decide what I eat and do to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I am going to work hard to develop self control and calmness in life. I have learn the value of these two thing and realized that they are so important in ones 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.

a) Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. I must become a better person through better thoughts then I will attract the things that are good.

b) As a man thinketh so is he.- So thoughts are things.

c) Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.

d) Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.

e) Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance. Thoughts are never secret things. Our thoughts are shown daily by the way we live.

f) Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life.- Wow. This is a great one. If I change my thoughts I will definitely transform my life.

g) “A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances”-. My thoughts shape and direct my circumstances. I create my own circumstances through my thoughts.

h) “Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts, which he most encourages, and opportunities are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts”.

i) “A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another”.- In order for me to be helped / mentored etc I have to change my mindset and be willing to learn, to be grommed etc I am responsible. It is not the responsibility of the mentor. I am responsible.

j) “All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought”.—All achievements start with a thought. If I am to achieve greatness it has to start with the right thoughts.

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 chapter on thoughts and circumstances was quite challenging to grasp the main idea the author was trying to put across.

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 didn’t have 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.

The chapter

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? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Assessment by Edwin Shumba (Zimbabwe)

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

There is no limit to what we can achieve as long as we follow our God given purpose in life. The road to achieving our purpose is not always smooth. We will be challenging the status quo and we are bound to face a lot of resistance from the elders, society and even some of the people that look up to. This is only by a temporary detour we will get back on course and discover ourselves and the God given abilities as long as we have that higher purpose within ourselves. Well there is no substitute for practice in whatever endeavor we take, as the old proverb says practice makes perfect.

As we follow our purpose we will soon discover that there is more that is on the other side, its only that we didn’t know about it. We should explore as much as we can and that’s how we get to greatness. We will never be great by doing the ordinary things. We need to go the extra mile if we are to going to achieve greatness. As we achieve greatness more people will be attracted by our greatness and they will follow us. The world is waiting to follow people who take bold moves. We can only influence the world through action.

Lets Act and act boldly and act now.

a) Greatness is achieved through faithfulness to a definite purpose-We are not born great, we work towards greatness. It takes a lot of hard work and focus to achieve greatness. We need to believe in ourselves and the abilities that we have and work to bring them to perfection.

b) Practice makes perfect- We become better every day by practicing the things that we want to be good at. It’s important to do the things that you desire than to just talk about them.

c) The sky is not the limit- There is a more beyond the sky. We ought to strive to get beyond the sky. There is more joy beyond the sky. There are a lot of things that we don’t know and that the world doesn’t know until we show them. We ought to make the impossible possible.

d) The best way to learn is to teach others- Teaching others engraves the techniques deeper into our ability and belief system. As we teach others we will be training ourselves as well.

e) It’s OK to be an outcast- every great man at one point was an outcast of some sought because all the people at that time did not understand what they were seeing at that time. Being an outcast does not mean that you are wrong. You can be an outcast simply because people don’t understand/ see what you will be seeing at that time. We must remain faithful to our purpose.

f) Certain beliefs and traditions limit our accomplishments – There are things that we grew up our elders telling us that we could not get any better. This is a myth. We can become what we desire. We are supposed to be original and follow our beliefs.

g) A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – Every great accomplishment started with a small step. You learn how to walk first before you start running. It is important that we should not despise the small beginnings.

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

From now onwards I believe that Yes I CAN change my life. Yes I can change the world I will start pursuing a higher meaning in my personal life. I am going start doing the small things that are going to propel me to becoming a global leader, entrepreneur –

I will have the discipline to read; meditate and practice the things that l read, give to the poor, teach others about the things l am learning in this course. I am going to have goals and work tirelessly towards them. I will take discouragement and despise and as springboards to doing greater things.

I will be faithful in purpose and remain focused. I believe that one of my God given talents is teaching. I will teach at church, in my community and every other place where l get an opportunity. I am going to mentor young people to grow up as responsible citizens in my country.

I am going to pursue even the things that my society in Africa never takes time to look at e.g advancement of science and technology, bringing the science from the laboratory to the bedside and using medical science to help people live better lives.

I am going to start doing little things that will get the community to critically look at themselves and consider their ways. I will not throw around trash on the streets. I will make use of the designated trash cans.

Doing the things that one loves bring greatness. Jonathan Seagull loved flying and he invested a lot of energy time and commitment to this and he became great. I will do the things that l love!!!

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

a) for most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating……” We spend most of our time focusing all of our attention on something which should be basic thing in our lives, there are more things out there waiting to be discovered by us.

b) Son, you’re bone and feathers!” common discouragement term a lot of people have told me YOU are only human. This is a deficist attitude.

c) violating the dignity and tradition of the Gull Family…” there are things that you believe in and do and the way they are interpreted wrongly by othe rpeople especially those in authority .

d) Life is the unknown and the unknowable, except that we are put into this world to eat, to stay alive as long as we possibly can.” – what an unfortunate way of looking at life. There is actually more to life than eating .

e) Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s – true even for human beings

f) Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight- Most people dont bother to learn about certain things. We just give lip service to certain things. Its time that we get committed to certain things. One of the things that human being especially in africa have not learnt about is personal finance. Its time that we learn about money not just transact without perfecting how we use it.

g) ..”any number is a limit, and perfection doesn’t have limits…” Perfection does not have a limit, this means that if we seek to be perfect in our endevours then there is no achievement that is going to stop us.

h) who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere, instantly.- There are ordinary things that we spend our time on at the expense of the extraordinary.

i) ’Everything that limits us we have to put aside”- to achieve greatness, we need to put aside some things that easily so entangle us.

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 comments that heaven is not a place/ time etc. That heaven is perfection …..these really got me confused. I disagree with these statements basically from my religious beliefs.

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 didn’t have 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.

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

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

The New Dynamics Of Winning
Assessment by Edwin Shumba (Zimbabwe)

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

Getting the mindset of a champion.

a) Being a champion means thinking like a champion- Every battle is won FIRST in the mind .The first step to success is to succeed in one’s mind. You think your way to becoming a champion. This supports well Napoleon Hill’s philosophy “Think and Grow rich”. This is so important t be because l wasn’t practicing this by going through this book I now devote more time to taming my mind and thinking like a champion

b) Paying the price- The second step to success is to the ACT. DO what you are supposed to do. DO DO DO. There are things that one has to start doing and there are things that one has to STOP doing in order for one to succeed.

Wake up and try again after a fall. Falling is only a way of teaching something new. So when I fall during my business adventures I am now aware that there is another way of doing the same thing.

When we have paid the price then we can expect GOLD . You don’t get anything in this world for FREE. You pay the price for everything.

To be a winner one has to :

1) Be proactive and work on ones physical health. Plan ahead create the future through being proactive. I will be responsible and design my future rather than wait to react to other peoples designs. I have learnt that planning ahead is very important if I am going to succeed.

2) Life is a continuous learning experience so we have to be in constant Learning mode all our lives. We will never reach the end of learning. I have learnt that once I stop learning I will stop growing. So every day is an opportunity for me to learn something new.

3) You get what you pay for .Put in the 10000 hrs into anything that you need to be a expert in and you will be expert. The world is very fair what give it is what you get back. This reminded me of the biblical principle of “ you reap what you sow”

4) Mistakes are only ways to learn how to do something better next time. Experience is a collection of year of making mistakes. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. This is one thing that has been holding me back from being a champion. Going forward I have learnt that mistakes give me the necessary experience that l need in life.

5) Don’t compare yourself with anyone. Be original- success means doing your best every. Other people’s success does not rob me of my own success. Also it doesn’t mean that what other people have achieved is best. I still have my best and l can surpass that. People’s success has nothing to do with you. It should not affect me. The sky is big enough for every bird to fly.

6) Choose to win. Age ain’t nothing but a number . Whatever one’s age we can still choose to succeed and still succeed.

7) Training leads to gaining. The more we practice the more we gain in experience. Delayed gratification is the number one rule leading to success. Devote evry spare time to the field I have Chosen.

c) Visualization of victory- winners see the act of winning in advance. What you see is what you will become.

d) Coachability factor- don’t be afraid to ask question. ASK for advise etc from others more experienced. All your life have a coach/mentor. Make things happen. If you are to fail, fail BIG, that the success attitude.- Respect Authority ,be innovative and have discipline to follow schedules.

e) Self confidence

Feel optimistic about life. Optimism is contagious. Be prepared for sudden change.Feel confident all the time.

f) Quality of leadership

Real leaders know that everyone they lead is IMPORTANT. Good leadership offers opportunities to others not obligations. As a leader one has to be authentic!!!!listening to the people u lead leads to greatness. Teach people you lead that winning is effort more than ability. Important phrases a leader should learn to use are “what is your opinion”, “if you please”, “thank you” and “You”

g) Mental strength- learn to thrive in pain and adversity. Adversity has an equal seed of greatness in itself. When it starts to hurt you start to win- Learn from the experts. When you are around exerts talk less and listen more.

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?

Ever since I read this book, I have being practicing WINNING IN THE MIND IN MOST OF MY ENDEVORS.

I have since started paying the price for success and accepting failure as a lesson on how I can do it better. I am now trying all the things that I was procrastinating doing.

Above all I have started Asking questions a lot and am doing more and more. The pain of doing is bringing greatness in my life.

I am now learning to be coachable, to listen more to the experts and my mentor. I am slowly becoming a life long learner as I strive to learn one new thing everyday.

As a church leader, I have learnt to be grateful to my team members. Recently we have a big meeting and after the meeting I wrote thank you letters to all the members of the leadership team.

I can now visualize my future and now have a clear mental picture of it.

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

a) ”Being a champion means thinking like a champion” p13- This showed that that success is in the mind. To succeed in life I have conquer my mind first.

b) “By definition motivation is motive in action”- To be motivated now means to put my motives into action. Without action there is no motivation. From now onwards I will be a motive actor!!!!!

c) “Don’t become so well adapted to a specific set of circumstances that you can’t change when conditions begin to change”- Surely change is inevitable, I will be ready for change.

d) “Champions know that the greatest risk is doing nothing and that real security derives from constantly testing your potential”- Start doing something, do, do that the way we can test our potential.

e) “most of our hurdles in life are self imposed limitations that can be overcome if we never, ever give up on ourselves” – Never give up on myself. Remove that hurdles and move on.

f) “ Thing of success as a process that you want to continue , not a status that you reach once and for all”- success is not an event, it’s a process you continue to grow in it.

g) “the failed attempts can be as much part of the success as the attempt that succeeds”- failed attempt is just but a lesson on how you can do something in a better way.

h) “mistakes are painful when they happen….but years later a collection of mistakes is called experience”

i) “ the less you try to impress, the more impressive you are”- be original don’t worry about impressing people the more genuine you are the more impressive you become.

j) “You can be your worst enemy or your best friend”- I personally hold the key to my success and happiness by the way I think.

k)”If you are going to demand good grades from your kids in school but they never see you reading a book , they are going to learn from what you do not from what you say.” Children learn what they SEE. I must do the right things so that my children will see and learn.

l) “Champions know that “What you see is who you will be”- Visualization in key to success.

m) “what happened earlier has absolutely no influence on what happens today unless you choose to let it”- Past is past ,let’s hope for the future.

n) “Champions are disciplined thinkers”

o) “Don’t rush success” Success is a process.

p) “ Losers let it happen and winners make it happen”- I will make things happen now.

q) “Good leadership motivates others to their highest levels by offering opportunities than obligations” As a great leader as I assign team members I will make them feel they are opportunities to serve not assignments or obligations.

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?

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

Yes. There is a 21 day success plan and I completed it. Very helpful though some of the activities l was already doing them,

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

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

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

Keys to Success
Assessment by Edwin Shumba

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

The main message is that that for one to succeed in life they have to adhere some simple principles of success. In this book there are 17 keys that are discussed. All in all the book teaches that Life best lived is life by design.

i. Definiteness of purpose

Having a DEFINITE purpose is the starting point of all achievement. In my life after applying this principle, I have seen things happening. First, I became alert to opportunities in line with my major definite purpose .i.e. poultry farming. I now have specialized knowledge in keeping chickens etc because of the definiteness of purpose. I now budget and spend my time and money with an aim of achieving my dream

ii. Mastermind alliance-

WOW!! What a great concept. This concept is foreign in my culture and I strongly think we fail to reach our definite purposes because we try and do it alone. Napoleon Hill, thank you for sharing this great secret for success. Having a master mind alliance with one self really transformed my life. My marriage has been greatly enhanced when |I applied this concept. So far I have a master mind alliance with myself, in my marriage, in my business I still working on it.

iii. Personal initiative and attractive personality.

Becoming attractive through a PMA, a pleasant character is vital for success. PMA influences even the tone of my voice and the words that I say. PMA opened doors for me as I became more attractive. Promptness of decision making and tact are two attributes that really struck me when I was studying this chapter. I lack these two qualities and I have since have been making frantic efforts to develop these.

I also learnt the importance of smiling, being courteous and being sincere. These I found to be very critical factors if I am to succeed.

Personal initiative creates opportunities and leads to advancement. The most important things is to put the personal work- Working with a weak plan is better than delaying waiting for the best plan ever.

iv. Use applied faith.
Importan t- have to use faith to overcome a lot of fears (fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear poverty, fear of health in life). Prayer and meditation is one thing that I was neglecting but since reading this book I now practise these regularly. I also learnt that I don’t have to be ignorant and assume that God will do the work that I am supposed to do. I must work to gain whatever I want as I use applied faith.

I used to run away form disagreeable circumstance but now am learning to fight them without delay. As action steps now I keep a note book, I seek to associate with people who are in sympathy with major purpose.

Now I understand the anything worth having is worth working for. Also, I learnt that if I make my prayers than expression of thanksgiving for the blessings that I already have, I will get the things that I hope for faster.

v. Controlling my attention.

Whatever enterprise, concentration on a major definite purpose is important. Personally have been lacking this hence I was spreading myself too thin and at the end of the day I could not accomplish anything. By concentration, most of the principles fall into place. If I fail to control my attention, my mind will wander and end up focusing on negative things. Persistence leads to success. Most the discoveries were after several attempts

vi. Creative vision

To create a great vision, I don’t have to be afraid of criticism; creative vision belongs to people always go the extra mile. It overrides imagination. It knows no barriers. Where one begins doesn’t matter if someone as creative vision, they will still succeed. Helping others to succeed is success

vii. Budget time and money

Time and money are important in my journey towards success. The exercise on Personal time inventory is very helpful. Truly it got me thinking I have made a resolution to be a doer than a drifter. Previously I was a drifter but am now working on being a doer. My attitude towards work has changed I am now looking at life holistically as I apportion time to each activity, religion, sparer time, occupation and health , relationships, health. Setting aside a fixed % of what I earn for savings. WOW. Great idea!!! I haven’t been doing this. With immediate effect, I am now doing so.

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

These ideas have changed my personal life and I believe they can change the world as well.

I will continue applying these in my day to day activities. As a Youths mentor at my local church, I will be teaching these keys whenever I get a chance. My immediate family I have already started teaching them these. By the end of the year I must have taught these to my local community. These steps I believe will go a long way in changing the way the world looks at success.

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

a) ”Actively ally yourself with other people who can help you attain your major purpose”- i should form a mastermind alliance and that will help me achieve my definite purpose.

b) “Every day read your goal to yourself until you have memorized it” I should have my goal memorized if I am to achieve it. It will be in my subconscious mind hence i will be stimulated daily to achieving it.

c) “Your thoughts are the only thing you can completely control if you decide to do so.” We have the power to control our thoughts.

d) “ If you would plant for eternity, plant ideas” Go for ideas and you will succeed.

e) “time budgeting always pays dividends because each moment is made to progress toward your goal.” Unless we budget our time we will drift through life aimlessly.

f) “If you can see an opportunity as quickly as you see faults in of others you will soon succeed”- This is calling for a drastic change of approach. The same sharpness we pick up other people mistakes if we refocus that energy and sharpness to something more productive, we achieve more

g) “ .. the universe is constructed to allow you to achieve your greatest potential….” The universe has nothing against anyone. Its waiting for anyone who wants support.

h) “ the only thing that you have complete control of at all time s is your mental attitude”

i) “ your mental attitude gives power to everything you do”

j) “you will not be successful overnight……” Success is not an event, it’s a process. We work gradually for us to be successful.

k) “The value of the wealth that comes with success is that it carries with it the lessons you have learned in acquiring it””

l) “ there is no scarcity of opportunity, there is only a shortage of imagination”- start imagining and you will see lots of opportunities out there.

m) “no one has ever attained outstanding success in anything without applying the mastermind principle”

n) “No one’s education is ever complete”- We should strive to learn everyday and become life long learners.

o) “A chameleon is a chameleon, regardless of whether its brown or green” being flexible does not mean losing your principle.

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 power of the cosmic force I didn’t fully grasp the concept..

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. Yes I completed them and they were quite useful.

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

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

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

Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Edwin Shumba (Zimbabwe)

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

Positive mental attitude (PMA) is the key to success.

a) A positive mental attitude is the most important thing that one needs if they are to succeed in life.

All success starts in the mind and whatever you tell yourself is what you become. We set the limits for ourselves through our own beliefs. If you know what you want in life it will be easier to recognize it when you see it. It is important to have a definiteness of purpose in all the things I do. What the mind of a man can conceive it can achieve.

Remember every adversity has an equivalent seed of greatness in it only if you have a PMA. Even when faced with a serious problem, self motivators will flash from subconscious to aid you if you have a PMA. The world will be right if the man is right!!!!!!!!!!

Day by day in every way I must get better through the grace of God. Keep going for something more daily- Its great to be in partnership with God- This is the most wonderful truth I ever saw in this book….

b) Anything in life worth having is worth working for-

Anything in life that I desire, I must work for it as it will not come for free. I have to work toward the desires of my heart. There is a price that one must pay for them to enjoy whatever they want in life. Work ceases to be painful if you are working for something that is worth having. Ones mental attitude determines how far one can go in life.

Whenever an idea flashes through your mind, write it down…..It maybe something more that I am looking for.

Sit for ideas!!!!!!!!

Action is important for any achievement. Whenever I reach a decision, I MUST get into action. No book will ever do it for me. Action, action please.

c) I am the most important living person.

We all carry a talisman (our minds) with two side one side success, happiness wealth and all the good thing in life and the other side it has the power to rob us of all the good things in life. Lets continuously focus our minds on the good things life has. PMA is the right mental attitude for each occasion.

No one is poor because of God but because of how we think and act. Try, try and try things, there is nothing to lose but everything to gain by trying. Success is for the people who keep on trying. I was born a champion. No one is handed greatness for free- pay the price and you will have it.

I am what I think!!!!!!!!! I must develop accurate thinking using reason. Emotion and reason should always be kept in balance. Don’t always try to prove that other people are wrong whenever you meet people, that repels people. Have a genuine interest in people and appreciate them.

I must explore the powers of mind, the mind is the least used of all the things in this world. Think, think and think again.

d) Problems are good

Every adversity brings with it an equivalent seed of greatness. We become better, bigger and more successful every time we conquer problems through a PMA. Remember God is good and God is always there for us. It is well to remember that everything in life has trends and cycles. Understand and anticipate a downward cycle and get prepared to go upward. When I have a problem I will do the following:

* Ask for divine Guidance
* THINK
* State the problem
* Analyze the problem
* Adopt a PMA and say that’s good
* Change the adversity into seeds of greatness

e) Be a Motive actor

Be a doer. Act act. Knowledge doesn’t make you successful, but application of knowledge will Action. Start converting ideas into reality. Don’t wait any longer. Get things done now. Important self starter—Do it now. Stop just reading and professing letting the information and knowledge be part of my library. Now let all that knowledge become part of my LIFE. Success must be continually practiced or else it will take its wings and fly away. A decision to act now can sometimes immediately take you to your wildest dreams. Motivate yourself and others by doing. Having confidence and faith in others. Active faith steps out on its own beliefs and risks failure because it assumes it will succeed. My actions must start attracting wealth, saving attracts more money. As they say, money begats money and its offspring can begat more.

f) Have definite goal

Be it business, work or leisure, I must know precisely what I want if I am to be satisfied A definite goal makes one so enthusiastic. Normally if I do the things that come naturally to me I will be more satisfied. If I know my goal I will be more apt in recognizing things that will help me achieve it. In my work and business it is important to understand the rules and techniques and how to apply them so well. We can turn failure into success by keeping on trying. From having a definite goal, I must develop an obsession for my goal. Try and do things without expecting a reward, payment or commendation, blessings and rewards will be showered upon you. A man who has something to live for, live longer. Be part of a great cause.

g) Get ready to succeed

Raise your energy levels. My mind and my body must work simultaneously. Break big goals into small little ones which are achievable. Celebrate when achieve them. Recharge your battery. Our minds need vitamins and these are found in the books we read. So read, read, and read. Keep you mind on the things that you want and off the things you don’t want. PMA increase my energy. Feel healthy, happy, terrific. Eat healthy; money cannot buy health, so exercise and eat healthy. Handicaps are not barriers to happiness. To be happy ,be understanding ,attract happiness through positive verbal communication write letters, be content and think on these things!!!!

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

I have developed a PMA. The way I look at people has also changed. I now love people more than what I used to. Am now more interested in people and giving to other people as I now understand that those who give will receive increase and those who don’t will diminish. Above all I now understand that l have to give people because l love them. The concept of serving humanity is the best work of life is now more real. The way I look at challenges has been changed as I learnt the concept of” every adversity carries an equivalent seed of greatness”. In every challenge/ problem I now look for the seed of greatness and my wife is even surprised that I am now so positive about life. My family has even seen this change as well as my Church.

Also l now see myself as an important person and I now realize the power that I wield in determining my future. These lessons have made me a better person and am planning on teaching my friends and workmates some of these lessons in effort to make the world a better place to live in.

This book also taught me to be an ACTOR. I had read a number of inspirational books before but now when I read I strive to do the things that I would have learnt. This was a major paradigm shift 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.

a) “The secret is that there is no secret”.- Lots of people and books suggest that there is a secret to success but truly there is no secret. Having a PMA is the way .

b) “Motivation is like a fire, unless you continue to add fuel, it will go out”. Motivation only starts the journey but it is habits that get you there (destination) or until one develops the habits, they will not reach the destination.

c) “Every inspirational self help action book should be judged by one immutable test, results”. Books are good but if they don’t spring us to action then they failed to accomplish their task. Inspirational books should lead one to change/transformation.

d) “Anything life worth having is worth working for.” This is the TRUTH. If there is anything that I desire in life, I must pay the price. I must be prepared to work for it. To get to my definite goal it will take a lot of work.

e) “To become an expert achiever in any human activity it takes practice…., practice ….practice.” Practice makes perfect and this is a fundamental law. We have to do it a lot of times to be good at it.

f) “Man’s greatest power lies in prayer.”- We have to unlock our power and potential through prayer. Prayer will enable us to call things that are not seen into existence. In all our endeavors we have to pray.

g) “Greatness comes to those who develop a burning desire to achieve high goals”. To be great, one must have a burning desire, an obsession to achieve high goals.

h) “We translate into reality thoughts of poverty just as quickly as we do thoughts of riches.” Thoughts are things and the way we think either positive or negative is what we become. As a man thinketh in his heart so is he!!!!!!

i) “Loving people and serving them is the greatest value in life.” The best work of life is service to humanity. Love people it’s the best thing that one can do.

j) “If you are unhappy with your world and you want to change it, the place to start is with yourself.” Change must start with myself before I seek to change other people.

k) “It only takes one idea, followed by action, to succeed when others fail.” Success is for those who think and act. Action is critical in human achievement

l) “Learn to see. You may find acres of diamond in your own backyard.” Give yourself time to look at things critically before you decisions. There may be something valuable that you may miss if you don’t look critically.

m) “Seeing is a learned skill. But like any other skill it must be exercised. ”Practice seeing practice it and you will an expert in seeing.

n) “It is better for people to do something and pay the nothing than to pay dues and do nothing. ”Do something as working from a weak plan is better than not working at all. If you don’t o anything , still you will pay the dues for not doing anything so its better to pay for having done something .

o) “That which you share will multiply and that which you withhold will diminish. ”Giving is sowing seed, it will be given back to you multiplied. So give give, and you will receive.

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?

NIL

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 exercise was quite 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.

The book has great ideas but some of them are not presented in a very organized form. In Some chapters , The main thing is NOT made the main thing , may be relooking at the title of the chapter may help.

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? 9

Real Magic

Assessment by Edwin Shumba (Zimbabewe)

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

He emphasizes the point the we are Spiritual beings first and physical beings second. As spiritual beings we MUST live a life of purpose i.e giving, loving and serving others. When we live our lives in this way we CREATE REAL MAGIC in our day to day lives.

a) We are spiritual beings FIRST. So we live a life of purpose and understand that all things are there purposefully.

This idea, made a radical change in my life. I learnt that it is critical in my live to know and accept that there is an INVISIBLE force (God) running through our physical lives that connects it all together. Without this invisible force, our lives will be chaotic. I learnt that I need to work things out in my spiritual life FIRST, then the physical life will follow likewise. This idea helped me go back my inner/ core beliefs and see whether how I was living could create miracles.

The answer was No. My life was a very logical one. I would expose every idea thought to the logical process. After reading this book I was transformed and now believe that can go beyond logic, there are no limits in my life, all things begin in my mind, and I can change my beliefs. I had to realign my whole life and I am now a growing spiritual being in the process of growth.

LOVE is the essence of life. We need to be focused on LOVE and not on things that divide us. This what Christianity and other religions teach also. God is LOVE. So as a person, I must live a life of LOVE. This was so touching.

Giving and serving- the message of your life is in what you give and purpose is about what you give. I realized that to live a life of purpose is to give and serve unconditionally because it is the will of God. If you cannot give what you possess then you are possessed by that you can’t give.

A spiritual being knows the following and these points changed my life and improved my belief system:

1. I am never alone

2. I live a life beyond the 5 senses.

3. I focus on personal empowerment rather than external power. Empowerment taught me NOT to judge others

4. I learnt to see the fullness of God in all the people that I meet. So I am connected to all people and we share being human with each other.

5. I now understand that things do not just follow the cause and effect concept, but there is a HIGHER power.

6. I am now motivated by ETHICS in my business dealings, and improving quality of lives in all things I do. Regardless of the rules I will live ETHICALLY. Because some rules demean other people and do not see the fullness of God in others, living by the rules does not lead to miracles.

7. Intuition is GOD speaking to me. I now believe God always guides me in the direction of growth and purposefulness. I learnt to listen and trust my intuition in ALL things from today.

8. I will live my life in awe, reverence of God. Being thankful for EVERYTHING for all things happen purposefully.

b) Never worry about proving other people wrong- Relinquish your need to be RIGHT

No one wants to be proved wrong. By giving away your need to be right, you empower the other person and you avoid unnecessary conflict.

Never seek to win an argument, prove someone wrong or show someone that you are superior. As spiritual beings our relationships are EQUAL. Stifle your need to be right and you have created a real miracle.

LOVE people, Give to people and DO NOT judge people.

Remember, a person’s actions are theirs and we can only process the actions with our mind but we will never be them.

Everyone needs love-LOVE is the central ingredient of any relationship. Love is ALL about giving. It has nothing with what you get. Remove your ego and send LOVE to ALL people.

The more you give away, the more you get.

c) When the student is ready the teacher will appear.-

I learnt that I have to make a decision to be determined in my own MIND to live a life of purpose and real magic. I am a life long STUDENT. In life I have to grow GREEN, i.e have room for new input. I can learn from anyone in life. I must avoid the CURSE of being an expert. This idea changed my life as I used to see myself as an EXPERT in job but after learning this idea, I realized that I needed to continue growing take new input from my co workers.

Being a ready to learn is a choice. It is the WILLLINGNESS. I have to seek to learn in every opportunity, even when I things take a wrong turn, remember everything is happening for a purpose so I seek the lesson in that.

The teacher is everywhere, once I have the willingness to learn I will find teachers in every niche in my life. One teacher that I discovered when I was ready was this BOOK REAL MAGIC. I had kept this book for 6months delaying studying it for no reason. My wife read it and encouraged me to read it as well but I always had excuses not to read. But when I was ready, the Teacher appeared. It has changed my life with ideas. I can say after reading this book, I have seen a number of miracles.

d) There are three parts to enlightment- Enlightment through suffering, enlightment through outcome and Enlightment through PURPOSE

The highest state of ENLIGHTMENT is through PURPOSE. This leads to MIRACLES in my life. I learnt that all things are there for a purpose. When I align my actions with the purpose of God I will experience miracles. This idea gave me a new perspective of looking at life and it was an important building block to my understanding of being SPIRITUAL FIRST. When operating at this higher level you become selfless and do NOT worry about” what’s in it for me?”.

e) Miracle mindset

All things are created twice.1st in the mind and 2nd in the physical. So whatever the mind can conceive it can achieve. So thoughts are THINGS. The journey to real magic requires one to set their mindset correctly. As a man thinks so is He. So thoughts play a crucial role in what we are and who we are. It’s only me and me who has the ability to create magic in my mind.

All of my accomplishments began with belief. I must learn to consult my mind before acting.

Telling my mind that “ people owe me nothing, I expect nothing of them I will accept them where they are today” is magical. This struck me like lightening. My whole mindset towards my wife was changed. It’s has brought magic in my marriage relationship.

Play out events in your MIND before even they occur so that you become empowered authentically.

g) Creating a miracle for my physical health

h) Meditation is important in creating real magic in my life.

I did realize the power of meditation until I read this book. Meditation gives peace and serenity. I must include my spiritual being, relationships etc. here are no limits to meditation. Meditation MUST become a special assistant to 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?

Meditation will help me hear from God and seek solutions to challenges in my life. I will set aside time daily to meditate. Meditation, will help me heal by releasing chemicals that will reduce my discomfort.

Being a spiritual being first will assist me look at ALL things in life purposefully. I will live a life of purpose as a result and radiate LOVE, GIVING and serving others. This will go a long way is bringing solutions to what humanity is looking for LOVE.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear- I will be a ready student ALL my life. Everything that happens in my life will be a teacher. I will read books, listen to my intuition.

No one owes me nothing. I will not have expectations for anyone. I will see the God who is in every person and create miracles by not EXPECTING anything.

* I will give away my need to be right and STOP proving other people wrong.

* I will SHOW love to ALL people.

* I will give 10% of what I earn to God .

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

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and your own self” ALDOUS HUXLEY page 216

Personal development is the only thing that you are sure of improving since you are in control of every aspect of your life. I have experienced it in my life,. From the time I dedicated myself to life long learning and improvement, my life has radically changed for the better.

“I am a miracle”

This phrase struck me, it was a SATORI, instant awakening, I had never pondered that I was a MIRACLE myself but after reading this I am convinced that I am a miracle. I was looking for miracles elsewhere leaving the miracle right with me. My life has been a great miracle from birth to date. The things that happened in my life testify so.

“Stop structuring your life upon a need to be better than someone else” page 288

It is important that we stop comparing ourselves and competing with each other. We have different purposes so why compete. Go for your purpose. I won’t compare or compete from now. I live a life of purpose.

“Circumstances do not make a man but reveal him”.

Circumstances are there to SHOW us who really we are. We will already be the person and the situation only EXPOSES who you are.

* “If you want to know what your thought were like yesterday look at your body today”

* “Our bodies are gardens to which our wills are gardeners’ ”

* “Everything on the planet has a purpose including your visit here as a human being.”

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

I did not understand the idea of connecting with Death on page 59.

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

No.

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

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