Elebiju Sunday Tope – Assessments – International Institute for Global Leadership

As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is that man are makers of themselves by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.

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 to as why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Everyman is where he is by the law of his being, the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance.

ii. When a man makes his thought pine, he no longer desire impure food.

iii. Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.

iv. A man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to achieving his purpose.

v. The calm man having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others.

vi. In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results. The strength of the effort is the measure of the result.

vii. The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do

i) Every man is where he is by the law of his being, the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance; During decision making in life, making the wrong decision always land you in the wrong place and bad situation. This wrong decision can make you feel very uncomfortable, it can make people around you hostile to you and also depreciate your health. Whenever I make wrong decision, through wrong thinking and finding myself in a wrong situation, I always feel bad and sometime fall ill if it is a crucial one. That is why nowadays if I want to make decision I pray for divine guidance and for God to help me in my decision making, so as not to hurt other and myself in my decision making. Wrong decision in choosing a career will deprive a lot of people of what your purpose meant have serve toward benefiting the people around you or over the world.

ii) When a man makes his thought pure, he no longer desires impure food. It is very important to know that no matter hygienically you eat balanced diet food, you still fall ill if your thought is impure. Before, every year I used to fall ill, but 2007 I didn’t sick and toward the end of 2008, I didn’t fall ill. I was trying to figure out why I didn’t fall ill when I wanted to give testimony concerning my health, a thought now occur in my mind, that the reason why I didn’t fall sick is that I have not been taking tap water but sachet water. Immediately this thought came to my mind. I rebuke it, but due to my shy nature then, I refused to give the testimony and a week later I felt sick and almost died. Thank God I survived the illness.

iii) Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment; you can never be best with what you are doing if it is not in line with your purpose, you can never have crazy ideas and channel it to a purposeful use. When I have the plan of starting marine club activities, I thought through of what purpose will it be, how will I use for God and how will it benefit people. When I couldn’t see how am going to use it for god, I wanted to quit the idea until I realized that God has plan for every purpose, so this make me think further and I begin to see different way I can apply my marine career to different aspect of life, helping humanity and doing God works. A purposeful life always bring a creative and intelligent thought that lead to great accomplishment only if the thought is in line with your purpose.

iv) A man should mentally work out a straight pathway to achieving his purpose; Dreaming of dreams and aspiring for great things require mentally marking out plan toward making that dreams come to pass. My dreams of becoming the most successful marine explorers require me making out a plan of how am going to achieve it by going to marine school, offering marine course and working hard towards my goal. Mentally planning how am going to achieve this dream after leaving school that is, developing ways of achieving my purpose by making an achievable mental planning.

v) The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. I have seen calmness as a great tool for defeating anger and aggressiveness. I was an angry person before, whenever am angry and got in fight with somebody, if the person didn’t say or do anything, I will became a shame of myself and giving the person the next day, I start greeting him. Thus I found that calmness is power of great controlling force. Through calmness I have win a lot of people to myself in school, because they see me as gentle and friendly person.

vi) In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are result; I believe that truly the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Sacrificing little give less and sacrificing greatly means achieving greatly. I believe you cant receive what you cant give. I hear some people give 90% of heir income to god and in turn they are greatly blessed. They own a lot of business and they are very rich and wealthy. I have been trying to live by this great people example, applying the same principle that made them what they are, but am still struggling giving 10% of what I have to God. I know applying this same principle will also make me rich and wealthy, but it take a lot of discipline and sacrifice.

(vi) The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do: sometime when you see people doing what you have trying to do you wonder why you can’t do it and if you ask those people how they do it. They will say it is what they Wanted to ,it is in them “.whenever I go to the beach ,I saw a man that swim 200m offshore and am always afraid to swim that far. One day I said to myself, if that man know how to swim and I also know how to swim, why cant I swim that far. So one day at the beach I decided to swim 200m offshore. After getting back onshore, some people were asking me “if am mad” can’t I see that the wave is too high. I know very well now that as long as you can do, so I can.

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?

This ideas or lessons will help me in practical ways in life by making me think differently, seeing myself as a better and extraordinary being, to be careful in the way I think, to dreaming big, upholding self-control and practicing calmness in my daily activities.

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:

Bestial thoughts crystallize into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circumstances of destitution and disease. Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence. Lazy thoughts crystallize into weak, habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary. Hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution. Selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into distressful circumstances.

On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances. Pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom. Energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness. Gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances. Loving and unselfish thoughts which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches. These statements is very important to me because the result of these thoughts are true, it has make me seen the result of any kind of thought and consequences of negative thoughts, thereby making me to be conscious of the kind of things I should allow to come out of me.

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 didn’t seem to understand what the author view was when he said ”not what he wished and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns”. In the story of Jacob and esau in the bible, I didn’t think Jacob really justly earn the blessing of Isaac their father. I believe God bless anybody He chooses to bless and favor anybody He decided to favor regardless whether he deserve it or not.

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 contain exercises for me to complete in the learning of calmness and self-control, I know it is very useful for me.

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

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

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is the discovery of who you are through learning, practicing and living a purposeful life.

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

The seven ideas which are personally important to me are:

i. Practicing is the best way to learn
ii. Our purpose for living is to find perfection and show it forth
iii. Keep working on love
iv. Everything that limit us, we have to put aside
v. Break the chains of your thought , and you break the chains of your body too.
vi. Your whole body from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see.
vii. You need to keep finding yourself , a little more each day you need to understand him and to practice him

(i) Practicing is the best way of learn: you discover through practice the reason why something is done or not. You discover new skill through learning. During my primary school days, I never know how to read until I got into secondary school that I discovered that for you to know how to read there must be a personal effort on one side to learn and practice. Through practice and my eagerness to learn, I know how to read and I was able to teach myself difficult subjects in school. Through practice and learning, I believe we can list ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill, we are free and we can learn the extraordinary. In my career and school work, I realize that practice bring less effort in doing something during chart work class in school, having make a lot of mistakes in my work, never copying anybody and always wanted to know if I merited the result of what I did. With continual chart work practice, I just got to know it without reading the chart work any more, I can solve any question on it, it has become part of me. In drama practice in church, I got to act any character without anybody imposing any role on me through weekly drama rehearsal. I have learn to act without scaring of the congregation.

(ii) Our purpose for living is to find perfection and show it forth. It is good to know that the glory of living a purposeful life is beyond going to school, getting a job, buy a car, build a house, marry, give birth, get old and die. I believe there is more to life, God don’t just create us for that, but has a purpose to fulfilling his plan for humanity. Sometimes parent just want their children to be like other kid, doing what other kids, dong what other kids are doing, taking the same career, doing family business and other. My father always wanted me to become a soldier, because he wanted to be respected, family want me to become a doctor because and brilliant but none of this I wanted. Still confused about choosing a career, I prayed about it until I discovered that I want to be a marine explorer, which an very happy with pursuing and always getting a creative idea about.

(iii) keep working on love: I always thought that visible things are only meant to be learn, but never knew that you need to learn and practice love. I always think loving somebody, people is a grace never knew it can be acquire by learning and practice. Love is the true nature of a purpose driven life; the more you work to know the nature of love, the more you are driven to help people in need.

(iv) Everything that limit us, we have to put aside: whenever I wanted to do something, I always felt that there is something that is preventing me from doing that I want to sometime, I see still being in school and staying with my parent as a limitation that is preventing me from carrying out the crazy ideas that I have. I see a need to graduate from school quick to help my family financially. I now understand that my family have to wait.

(v) Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body too: In Nigeria, most of the youth have become limited to the way they think, they never see future in Nigeria of today. They think of Nigeria as no place to succeed, they have become chained in their thought that they need to go to school after that get a job or go abroad before they can make it, they never think beyond material thing. For example in the hostel, the only things my roommate ever think of is going abroad and making money fast, which sometime make me think of material things as achievement. Break the chains of your thought in conversation in the hostel among my roommate, I always make myself standout by thinking differently from them and am always ready to take the sacrifice of being push away from their conversation. Especially when they are discussing about the rich and the poor in the society, they always don’t want to hear my view, because they say I always speak out reality that I never view something in a practical way that I always think that live is easy and as if I am already rich. This I do and did not want to follow them critizing the rich people, because I know very much that am a rich man.

(vi) Your whole body from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see: before, whenever I found myself in rich place, I always felt timid and uncomfortable until I realize who I am. You should think big and you will feel big and people will see you the way you present yourself. I use to see myself as a thin and ugly boy, so I decided putting on extra large cloth to make me look big, but this make me more ugly. When I begin to see myself as slim and handsome person; I begin to put on fitted wears which make me look good and attractive.

(vii) You need to keep finding yourself, a little more each day, you need to understand him and to practice him. Nowadays, I discovered people like coming to me for advice sometime people tell me what I don’t know about myself that I possessed, sometime people come to me telling me that they want to be like me. This means to me that I need to keep finding myself everyday and learning everyday each thing about me that are yet to be discovered.

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?

These ideas will help me in my personal life and in creating a better world by learning and working on love, channeling my energy to living a purposeful life and in seeing the best in others and bringing out the best in them.

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

(i) Keeping working on love: This is very important to me because an struggling in this area, I really want to love people unconditionally and all this while I never knew that you can learn and practice love as you practice other things like singing, acting, swimming. E.t.c.

ii) You didn’t need faith to fly, you needed to understand flying: It is important to me, I now know that one need to understand what you are believing God for and understand that you need to play your part by working.

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

We choose our next world through what we learn in this one. I don’t understand this because, I don’t really know which world the author is talking about. I believe for man, after death is either heaven or hell and no matter what you learn in this world without Jesus it is vanity and no reward for it after death. It is appointed to a man to live once and after death judgement.

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 contain exercise for me, which is the working on love and perseverance which am still working on.

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.

ii. It is not right to abide by any law, but it is right to accustomed oneself with the law of the supernatural that say you are free to be yourself, putting aside everything that limit us from reaching and touching perfection to living purposeful life.

iii. When people see leadership ability in you and appointment you be their leader. There is a need for you to sacrifice your time, leaving you comfort zone to help those in need of your help. The leadership act displayed by Jonathan Livingston gull by being at the side of each of his student each day demonstrating and suggesting, pressuring, guiding and exhorting them never to stop their learning, practicing and their striving to understand more of the perfect invisible principle of all life. Pressing them beyond the limit of their ability and teaching them to love. This is a very good attribute of a leader I will like to commend and also work on.

A. How interesting was it to read? 5
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
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? 10

Keys To Success
Assessment by Elegiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea the author was trying to convey in this book is the application of success principle for living a purposeful life.

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

The seven ideas that are personally important to me are as follows:

(i) General education is important because by pursuing it you discover you aptitude and desires. Definiteness of purpose will act as a magnet to attract to you the specialised knowledge necessary for success : Education has become a thing we go to school for just for the certificate. While I was at home before I gained admission to the college, I really don’t know the career I wanted to pursue in school, I was a drifter to any suitable career then. When I got into school, I was still not sure of the course I put in for because in the first year of the course I wasn’t seeing anything interesting or unique to me in the course of study let alone wanting to take it as a career. Not until my second year when I heard of a lecturer in the department taking his project student for marine science work. Immediatel I exclaimed-that is it ,that is the definition of the career I want to pursue. And I asked myself a question then about my presence course of study-fisheries technology of it relevance to my career and of it nature as a marine science course. Since then I realised the career for me.

(ii) Opportunity is every where ,but it is fleet of foot, even if you have the vision to recognised it, without a fast decision it will be gone: A friend of my who was a photographer did a beautiful picture enlargement for a family, he kept it in the hostel for two weeks in the hostel before he delivered it to the family. All the while the enlargement were in the hostel it didn’t occur to me as opportunity. When he took it away and delivered it to the family, it then occur to me that I could have take it to some people who will be very interested to also make theirs as sample of the service I can rendered to them. I believe strongly that if I had taken it to them ,they wouldn’t be able to resist it, because the portrait was made for an influential family. When he took it away ,that’s when it occur to me of what opportunities I have let go. I realised that I didn’t take the decision fast enough even though I have a plan to make opportunity out of it, I didn’t quickly recognised it as opportunity until it was gone.

(iii) live in a style that suit your physical and spiritual requirements, and don’t waste time keeping up with the jones: living a lifestyle that suits your physical and spiritual requirements is a thing of utmost important to me ,because some people may seem to have problem with one lifestyle and in this society of ours where people seem to determine the way you behave and live, because you always want to satisfy peopll and despised to be different. For example, it is easy to allow one spiritual and physical lifestyle to be toss to and fro from every religion doctrine and differenr teaching from different pastors. When I got know about God and how He wanted His relation with human to be like , I got to know Him from relationship point of view and not by religion point of view

(iv) The more you learn to be aware of and in control of and in control of your facial expressions , the better you will be able to interprete the expressions of others : this idea is personally important to me, because I always react and feel bad when i discovered that people around me react badly or feel abused by the way I looked at them or feel or felt depressed or uncomfortable with the way I express my face toward their attitude and the feeling that make me look like Mr perfect. I am also very sensitive to people facial expression to me especially the one of belittling me by the way they look down on me with their face. For m example, you want to help someone and the way the person looked at you and the expression is like-what do you have or if you can, you would have help your self or make use of the opportunity to help yourself . if the way somebody look at me is unpleasant ,it will give me the kind of view of who the person is and it will make it difficult to communicate better with the person . I think facial expression is the expression of one state of mind and of your unspoken word.

(v) It is imperative that you develop the habit of being sensitive to your own reactions to individuals , circumstances ,and events and to reaction of individuals and groups to what you say, think or do: I believe if you are y not sensitive to your way of life, you will be too self conscious . one day in school while speaking with my room mate and when he open his mouth and reply to me , what he say baffles me ,because he said that I stammer when I speak and the reason he gave for it was that I never relax when I speak ,that I always speak as if somebody is after me . immediately he said it ,I taught about it to confirm it and realized that I never was a stammerer, but I have being confusing myself when I speak . I found out the reason for me speaking like that, I realised I was too self conscious and I never realised it as a fault I had to deal with . I am glad he put it that way, because what he said about me being stammering has help me to be sensitive to myself and to what people are feeling about me.

(vi) The worst thing that happen to you may be the best thing that can happen to you if you don’t let it got the best of you: this remind of different situation in my life which has shape me to who I am. When I don’t know how to write and how people ridicule ,this make to strife to know how to read and to be the brilliant boy in class. It also remind me when my father died in 2000, it was like everything is gone , but I didn’t let it to get the best of me, the situation taught me a lesson of what kind of life I really wanted for myself, it give me a new turn to see the kind of life I wanted ,a choice and an opportunity to look at the picture of the kind of life my father lived and the kind of life I wanted for myself, to choose between the kind of life the lived and the one I wanted to. Am greatful to God in every situation and that He didn’t let my father death to get the best of me but to make me live purposeful lifestyle.

(vii) You don’t always get what you expect unless you inspect with positive mental attitude: from this idea I strongly believe that there is something to gain or to learn in every situation ,and that you might gain in a situation may be that you are looking for only if you see every situation as opportunity and you inspect it with an attitude of getting what you want from it . for example ,before at home I find it very difficult to sleep at night ,because of the heat, bugs, mosquito and the inconveniency of sleeping on the floor. But after reading psycho cybernetics on relaxation as an aid to health and problem solving ,that night when I wanted to sleep and couldn’t sleep ,I decided to relax and inspect the situation with expectation that there is going to be a solution to this inconveniency . I discovered that I have a mosquito net but nowhere to hang it ,but also there where three plastic chairs at home ,so I decided to support the mosquito net with the three chairs and I make use of a thick cloth and towel to lay them on the floor and make use of the mosquito e.t.c. That is how I got my sleep and heat free,mosquito free and sleep, because I was able to sleep with only knicker by inspecting the situation with PMA for my expected need

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?

These ideas will help me in a practical ways in my personal life and in helping me to create a better world by the application of God given principle for life, success and living a life suit my physical and spiritual lifestyle. And also to open up , share ,taking to corrections and leading a life of humility

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

[i] if you can see an opportunity as quickly as you can see the faults of others you will soon succeed : this is important to me , because it is very easy to see the fault of people and complain about it possibly all day ,but seeing opportunity is something will taught as luck or search for all day, week, month or through out lifestyle waiting for opportunity and believing the saying that opportunity come but once.

[ii] the more generous you are ,the more help you will get : I didn’t really know what to say in this ,but it make me realise that when you give ,you receive in different way not necessary in material ,but in other thing beyond which can translate into peace ,help ,kindness ,joy, peace, happiness e.t.c.

[iii] Reinforce the habit of tolerance ,and keep an open mind on all subjects and toward all people no matter their race or creed : I discovered that I don’t really like listening to some people when they are talking , because of the way they speak ,how they speak and what they speak ,but because I am growing and I realised that when I started listening to them I discovered that most of these people started from speaking gibberish word and they ended up with a reasonable point . Tolerance here taught me a lesson which is to listening to people, regardless of who they are .

[iv] you can have many non conflicting goals which help you to reach your major definite goal : non conflicting goals to me is just like parts which is being put together to make a meaningful use or function. For example, your goal may be to build a car ,for the car to be built you need several spare parts to make the car. These parts that is put together to make the car may or is the non conflicting goals .

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

No , there is no ideas which I disagree and unclear about.

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

the exercises this book contained for me to complete is the application of principles to my lifestyle.

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, there are no anything I read that I wanted to comment on ,the book is very brief and very clear to read and understandable

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 ? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others ? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it ? 9

Psycho-Cybernetics
By Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author was trying to convey in this book is the understanding of the power of imagination and its principle for creating a great personality and achieving real success for living a purposeful and healthy lifestyle.

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 to why It was important to you.use personal example from your own life.

The seven ideas that are personally important to me are;

(i) Any path to success is defined by mistakes and corrections, dont dwell on your mistakes –but don’t be afraid of them either, after a time your subconscious mind will forget the errors of the past and learned to follow the new part you have created for it. Your buit-in guidance system moves you toward the things you think about if you watch limits instead of destinations, you bump up against those limits everytime.

I have not come across this idea about mistakes and corrections but for the first time I understood the word ”mistakes” and what it had to do with “success” . Whenever I finished a paper after writing an examination ,I realized mistakes usually had be committed in one of the answer, because of this I will dwell on the mistakes for week till the result of the examination is out. I discovered that whenever I want to write an examination, I was always afraid of making mistakes until now. The path to success is defined by mistakes and correction is an idea and statement of encouragement toward taking a step that leads to success.

(ii) Our self-image is bound up intimately with our imagination. It Is base 100% on what we imagine to be true. you act and feel not according to what things are really like but according to the imagines of your mind holds of what they are like. you have certain images of yourself, your world, and people around you, and you behave as though the images were the truth, the reality rather than the things they represents.

Our self-image is bound up intimately with our imagination: In youth fellowship in my church, while discussing about characteristics of Daniel, one of us raised a question – who among us is a perfectionist?. Non of us could give the right answer. Instead of answering the question, we begin to attack who a perfectionist is. Non of us really like a perfectionist .They see perfectionist as somebody difficult to please, as if they have being having a fight with their boss or co-worker who is a perfectionist. I didn’t have a problem with a perfectionist, because I have worked with one and the challenge is that they stretch you. But my reply to the question was also bias. When the aunty in charge respond to our reply, she said “ our imagination of who a perfectionist is conditioned by the kind of life will live in the country that we act not according to what things are really like but according to the images of what our mind holds of what they are like. She said a simple question was asked and the answer we gave is a certain mental images of who we see a perfectionist to be, because we have become so conditioned to see a perfectionist as a wicked being in our society . And we behave as though the image of a perfectionist were “truth” what we image it to be rather than what it represent. Concerning my self-image, I discovered that I feel high spirited any time I image a success image of myself and feel good when I realise this. Anytime I am walking, sitting or doing anything, I like imaging who I am and where I want to be .This has help to adjust in my lifestyle and self esteem.

(iii) Your attitudes, feelings and behaviour change in the direction of what you believe to be true. your imagination can change your belief.

While I was selling drinks in a shop before I gained admission into school, I sometime got electric shock from the freezer even when the freezer is repaired from electric shock fault. I have developed an imagination that the freezer can shock at anytime, because of the rat that go in and out of the shop. I believe that the rat can at anytime cut open the wire and cause electric shock. Because of this, anytime I want to open the freezer I have developed the habit of tapping the freezer with my hand or wrapping my hand with cloth before I open it. Because of this imagination, I have got to believe that the string of a hot-plate, fridge, iron can cut and shock at any time. Before starting a generator was a problem for me, because I was afraid that it may blow up anytime or suddenly. Thank God I have being using rational thinking to challenge this false taught.

(iv) Relaxation is an aid to health and problem solving as well as a necessary condition for the work of reprogramming your internal guidance system-stress result from the way you respond to outside events,not from the events themselves

I have get to accept relaxation and surrendering to God when am very stressed in any circumstances. The best I realised doing for myself is to relaxed and let what will happen to be. During my seminar in school, because of the kind of person my supervisor is “a perfectionist” I had a lot of challenges in getting a topic for the seminar and in coping with her, because she rejected several topic I brought to her. A month to the seminar presentation she accepted the last topic I took to her. A week to the seminar presentation she approve the work and she started making every little correction even till the day of presentation. She got me almost frustrated, but I just decided to surrendered it to God and to relax and not to worry about it.

(v) Just as your mind conditions your feelings about your body, so your body condition your mind. It is usually difficult for me then, anytime I go to the market to buy cloth and I ended up buying the wrong size of cloth. This happen because I always see myself as being very thin and instead of buying the appropriate size that the cloth seller recommend for me, I refused and ended up buying undersize cloth. I was so conscious of the size of cloth that I became so unconscious of the fact that am growing and increasing in size, not until my junior brother who is big and fatter than me, wore a shirt that belong to me and the shirt fitted him. The difference in the shape of the shirt compare to when I wear it was insignificance. I also know very well that when I put on a cloth that look cute on me, I usually feel confident, cool and feel very belong in the company I find myself.

(vi) The art of self-confidence begins with clear images of success. In fellowship for example, anytime I see my friends and the youth in fellowship whose parent are rich and whose life have being bettered by their parent, instead of feeling inferior as I had always being before, I always imagine the success image of myself. This usually keep me calm and relaxed and not feel intimidated. Because of the success image of myself, I was able to relate with youth in fellowship regardless of where they come from.

(vii) You an free your personality from inhibition by learning to respond correctively to criticism. I believe when you free personality from inhibition you unleashed your creativity, you can be creative in any task that you set your mind at. I remember that I never wanted to join the drama group in the fellowship, because I felt am not good in that aspect. Uncle Ted called me one day in fellowship and said “how can you know that you cant when you haven’t try. I know very well that am afraid of being criticize, that am not good in acting. One day in fellowship aunty Bola said “she miss me in fellowship” because it have being long she last saw me in fellowship. For the first time, I felt belong in the fellowship. The second week when we were to present a drama, I acted so well that most of friend couldn’t image that it was me acting because they were surprise at my display. During my conversation with my friend after reading pscho-cybernetics success through positive mental attitude and key to success, after the conversation he was surprised that I was the one talking to him.

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

This ideas would help in a practical ways both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by thinking differently of my environment, always seeing the advantages in any situation ,taking advantages of every circumstances, creating, imagining and working toward bettering people and creating better environment. By planning and imagining what I want my days to be like. Taking advantages of my dreams by channelling it to purposeful use.

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

“An imagined experience is perceived and acted on by your subconscious mind exactly the same as a real experience.”

“Your behaviour follows what you believe to be true.”

“Your behaviour changes in the direction of your beliefs.”

These statements struck me because I realised it to be true and that it has being affecting people including me unconsciously, this thinking can lead people to succeed or to failure .

“Program your day dreams by focusing on your new beliefs as you go to sleep. This dreaming design directly addresses your subconscious mind and helps install the new images in your right brain.”

“Internal scanning, by making use of the period of internal scanning before going to bed to better use.”

“Program your day dreams toward positive images that support your new beliefs.”

These statements is important to me because I now know that I can take advantage of dream to better use and not to waste that time of relaxation.

“Separate fact from opinion:” This is important to me because it will help me in taking better decision by separating between fact and opinion for combating my emotion for success and in taking a bold step.

“We do not develop a success type personality by standing still:” it is important because it will or has encourage me to go out to explore, mixed and participate in social activities.

“If you are actively engaged in expressing your spiritual nature, anything anyone says or does that’s potentially injurious to you appears so clearly a product of their own ego that is hardly affects you:” This is important to me because it will help me to access my spiritual state from my reaction to criticism.

“Remember-the subconscious mind cant tell the difference between a real experience and one that is vividly imagined:” This is important to me because it will help to regulate what I allowed to enter and go in of my mind.

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

Answer :page 203, I quote-instead of setting your thermostat at a hundred percent , aim for one percent in hundred different ways.

This idea will go a long way changing my life, because I found the statement as a productive idea, but what I don’t understand is how can a person working for someone or for a perfectionist apply this without having fault with his or her boss that want hundred percent performance.

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

Yes, I did complete the exercises and some that I continually access and refer to and some that am practicing the technique and tests.

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.

Networking : its a key to your action plan whether your goal is a new job ,someone to love or a new hobby .I appreciated the word “networking”. The explaination in this book has made me see a lot of reason to network especially among my fellowship mate, to love to meet people and make friend.

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 Elegiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea the author was trying to convey in this book is the changing your world with success lifestyle and accurate goal setting through a positive mental attitude.

The seven as which were personally important to me are as follows:

(i) Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement: Before I read this idea I have a lot of ideas and different plan for achieving but was confused on which one to start or the one to put first on my scale of preference and to identify the relevant of each one to achieving my purpose. I had all this ideas and plan confused together and didn’t have a sense of direction as to which one to start from. After reading about definiteness of purpose I started highlighting every ideas and plans and I gave deep taught as to why some of the ideas were on my scale. That is when I discovered that all the ideas and plan are toward achieving a particular plan on my scale, i.e each idea accomplishment lead to another goal plan. It was a list of how to get to my main goal-how I imagine it to be like. It was a step to another and it was a great relief and focusing of attention.

(ii) Learn to use proper suggestion in influencing others, to employ the right conscious autosuggestion. When you do you can have-physical mental and moral health, happiness, and success, For example when I want to convince people or to talk them to something, I usually say what I think they like or probably love in other to convince them. For example when I want to invite somebody to fellowship, I usually tell them only about the fun aspect, about how we interact, meet people, enjoy ourselves, visit some uncles or aunty house, how we go to places e.t.c, but I never tell them about the spiritual aspect of the fellowship.

(iii) Extract principles from specific illustrations so that you can relate, assimilate and use them: once a principle has been acquired it becomes a part of one and is never lost. It can be applied to novel problems and does not become obsolete as to all facts in a changing society. For example, we wonder in school of fisheries technology department the only fish they taught student how to culture is catfish. I got to understand that it is not about catfish but it is about the principle of hoe all culturable fish can be cultivated following a particular procedure, although we were not told , but I find out myself that all culturable fish follow a particular requirement in a particular procedure.

(iv) To be enthusiastic, the act be it physical or mental, precedes the emotion. To speak enthusiastically and overcome timidity and fear talk loudly ,rapidly, emphasis important words, hesistate where there is period, keep a smile in your voice so that it isn’t gruff and use modulation. For the first time that I acted enthusiastic was at a drama I took part in the church. Looking at my performance from the step of acting enthusiastic I can say that I was not self-conscious, that I was motivated to act enthusiastic, I affected the part I took with enthusiastism , I spoke loudly, rapidly, e.t.c according to the above. I discovered that I usually choose myself in a particular mood to be enthusiastic or not.

(v) The higher you set your goal, the more concentrated will be the effort you make to achieve it- setting your standard: I believe crazy goals deserves crazy attention. When you set a higher goal and you want it to be different from someone else own and more standard, you give peculiar attention and concentrated effort. For example, my setting of higher and attainable goal inspire me everyday toward pursing my goal and be alerted to every information and opportunities that is helpful for me. Because of the high standard goal I set for myself, I have learned to see, be alert and focused to attaining this goal.

(vi) The more civilized, cultured and refined you are, the easier you can control your emotions and feelings- if you choose to do so: before I changed my environment for school, in my formal environment beating a girl when she abused or do something wrong was a normal thing. When I change my environment and interact with people in school and outside the school, in church and outside the church, I saw that beating a female child seem as much as a taboo, a nuisance act to the civilized people. A lot of my attitude have change toward certain things the way I dress and the way I react to certain things. I remembered a day we invited a professor of psychology from abroad to our fellowship, she made a statement which really changed my angry attitude, she said “we are angry only because we choose to be angry and we are not only because we choose not to ”that we don’t just get angry . what she said long ago till date still have help me to react to things. The more you mix with civilized people the more you learn about things that count and things that don’t worth it.

(vii) It doesn’t take courage to take a step: this idea is very important to me because anytime I wanted to take a step at doing something, I always pray for boldness and courage due to fear of taking that particular step. I once have the mentality that to take a step you have to be extra courageous. I say it doesn’t take courage to take a step, it take God. for example, after class in school I went to the beach to relax , to swim, me and some student in the school, after swimming and as I was about to leave the beach I heard a shout that one of our student is being carried away and was drowning. I didn’t even reason my action to help him, I just jump into the water and went after him. After getting him on shore I was very afraid because I would have got drown with him because when I reached out for his hand, he just grab me immediately and I almost died that day. Before I recovered from the shock ,another student was carry away by the water and I was told to help rescue, but I was very afraid from the first rescue and was very calm and I waited for the guy to be very weak before I went after him. The water was very turbulence and most swimmer around didn’t make any attempt to go after him, I never taught of courage or boldness before I went after him, it take me knowing that God is with me and I was not afraid of want the student said about the sea gods taking the student away. It does it take courage to take a step but it take God to take it.

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?

These ideas or lessons would help me in a practical way in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world by creating a definite plan, alerting to opportunities ,motivating people to explore and do the right thing, to take pleasure in work, application of principles for creating wealth, to always creating an enthusiastic atmosphere around me and always take a step to doing somethings.

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

[i] If a man is right ,his world will be right : the bible has made emphasis on the blessing that will follow when you leave a righteous lifestyle. The bible says that the expectations of the righteous shall not be cut short and that He will bless the righteous. This means to me that living right is having a right life and compromising is having a compromised life.

[ii] When you make decisions because you refuse to keep an open mind and learn the truth -that Is ignorance . Endavours to keep an open mind and learn. He must base his conclusion on what he does not, yet be prepared to change them when he becomes more enlightened: The ignorance aspect is what got my attention, the way a person who refused to keep an open mind is being described as ignorance. I have made several decisions by not keeping an open mind because I felt people will ridicule me . keeping open mind has made me to experience a lot of help and more ideas concerning a particular problem or challenges . you will just be amaze of peoples contribution to your work when you choose to keep an open mind.

[iii] Seeing is learned through association : This really got my attention and the saying is true. For example ,I got to know the kind of attitude some of my friend have that I didn’t know about until we lived under a roof together.you wonder whether all the people you called your friend are really who you think they are,because you just get to see them for who they really are.Comparing this association to spending more time with God, it is amazing how I can get to see God the way He really is ,a friend and a father.

[iv] Anything in live worth working for is worth praying for: it is the saying of work and pray. Any part to success must be accompany by prayer.

[v] But if you know where you are and where you want to be and you start from where you are to get to where you want to be, you will, if you keep properly motivated , move forward step by step until you get there : this statement is important to me because it reminds me of the word of God which says “looking unto jesus the author and the finisher of our faith ”He is the beginning and the end. This implies that when I know where am coming from, knowing the situation of where am coming from and I set for myself where I wanted to be ,I will get there because it will be my focus regardless of how I am going to get there.

[vi] Show me a millionaire and I will show you almost invariably a heavy borrower: immediately I came across this statement I began a lot of reasoninig to confirm this fact, after reasoning i was greatly motivated to take great step and in aiming higher.

it Make me to have this great believe about making a good business plan and not thinking of money as a barrier. Before, instead of thinking how to get money, it has posed a new challenge which is how to make or prepare a business plan.

[vii] Learn about cycles in order to know when to expand and when to make and pay off loans: this ideas caught my attention and it is important to me, because it is new to me and it also seem to review the secret behind borrowing for wealth creation and management.

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

No , there are no ideas that I disagreed and unclear about.

6. Did the book contains 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 exercises for me, some which I did in the book and some which I believe I need to make reference on for daily life assistance, also some that I need to include on my daily routine.

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] you will develop your mental powers when you learn and develop the habit of asking yourself question :I believe when you ask your self question is like communicating with your inner self. You can get a lot of answers to a lot of questions when you develop the habit of asking yourself questions. you can discovered a lot of things by making it an habit .

[ii] anything in life worth working for is worth praying for : I believe that when one is faced with problem or embarking on a project he should ask for divine guidance . After that start thinking. I believe that the period of thinking is the listening period that you will hear from God for solution. Your subconscious mind will be fed and open for ideas ,answers, solutions and guidance .

{iii} what is surprising to a person without experience is how easy it is to get what you want by understanding and applying the success principles to be found in an autobiography: I say it is rather pleasant to learn from somebody else experience because it is very costly or sometime injurious to learn by your own experience. Keeping open mind to learn from people experience is more of a guidance, rule, safety and precautions.

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 ? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Real Magic
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea the author was trying to convey in this book is creating miracles in everyday 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 to why it was important to you. Use personal example from your own life.

* Imagination is more important than knowledge. This idea is important to me, because it gives me an answer to one of the major reason why some illiterate are wealthier than literate people due to the power of imagination. I can see big pictures and create a future for myself by imagining what I want to be in future, while the present knowledge you have of yourself to become that object in future can limit you. Knowledge often thinks of impossibility while imagination thinks beyond it.

* The spiritual being knows that he is connected to all others and lives his life as if each person he meets shares being human with him. The important of this idea is that it makes me understand the saying “Love your neighbour as yourself”. When I know am a spiritual being, which is true, and I know that am connected to all others, my attitude towards people will change. For example, am now very conscious of any decision-making that involves people. Before making any decision, I say to myself to consider being in other people shoes and the effect of any decision made. Any decisions made that affect others people life negatively would also have the same negative effect on the decision maker spiritual being.

* All that you are for empowers you. In my life, when faced with a challenge, I spent more time focusing on the negative side of the challenges. The more I spent time analysing the negative side, the more I see the negatives about the situation/challenge. This depresses me a lot and the more reason I get not to venture into doing that particular thing that may be very creative and fun doing. Now I asked myself, if I had been thinking of the positive aspect, I definitely would have had more insight on the ideas, challenges, situations and solutions to counter the negative aspects.

* For a few moments, in your encounters with strangers today, shift to knowing and trusting as your way of interacting. I was reading an epistle of Apostle Paul, which says, “believe every thing, endure everything, bear everything and hope everything” I Corinthians 13. Getting to knowing and trusting people you encounter is a serious issue and a good advice to me. If in my interaction with people and am interested in knowing and keeping an open mind, I would never be afraid of what to say or hide anything that will benefit other people, if I know that my secret is safe and that I will not be make jest of.

* Ask nothing of anyone and practice unconditional acceptance. People gave me their used cloths, because they thought that I needed it. This make me feel very uncomfortable, annoyed and felt displeased knowing that they felt I needed the cloths. One day, somebody gave me a shirt and I asked his friend of the reason why I was given the shirt, and he said, “Maybe, it was because both of us wear the same size of cloths due to the same stature”. This statement changes my perception about receiving and my attitude, and I felt ashamed of myself when he said that. I thought of the two people giving me their cloths and I realised that will almost have the same stature and probably wearing the same size of shirt. I realised they did it for love. Anytime people give something, even if I know am not going to use it, I would collect it with appreciation and give it to people who needed it. I have stopped getting annoyed over nothing, especially when I greeted or somebody did not return my complement. I have stopped expecting things from people, be it the way I wanted them to behave.

* Your mind is all you have for relating – visualize yourself sending out love and paying no attention to how the person responds. Despite all the books I have being reading on relationship, the challenge I have being facing is the paying of attention to responses. For example, when I visualized how I am going to tell somebody how lovely they are in order to cheer them up, I am discouraged before getting to them due to the way they are reacting. There was a girl in church, which I know was struggling with inferiority complex before and after chatting with her. After chatting and encouraging her online, I visualized how to encouraged her when we meet in church, but meeting her on Sunday in church, her response was not what I expected. I felt bad, because that was not what I expected to get from her. This idea is important, because it has just solved a problem, that when am communicating with people, I should not pay attention to their response.

* Living as If one is already prosperous is to be a generous person- yes, I said fake it. I have always visualize myself of doing a lot of humanitarian work and a lot of giving in the future, but never taught of it much in the present. I have never taught of it because I felt that I do not have a job yet. This idea was like me saying, “When I get old I will give my life to God”. Although I have been given in my own little way, but it was not the way I have just understand it after reading this idea.

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

This idea would help me in a practical ways both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world knowing that the purpose of my existence is to give and to love my neighbour as myself.

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

* Yes, I said fake it”.

Reading psycho cybernetics, where the author said, “fake it till you make it”. I never believe it and I never taught it walk even to practice it as a Christian. I always taught, it only makes you a fake person and not a real one. “Yes, I said fake it” I will say it make a lot of sense as it create real magic. I never taught that as a student I would own a laptop until after school. One day after reading all the level one books, I woke up one day and said that I wanted a laptop and during the week, I got it. It was a miracle. I discovered that I have been saying and faking having a laptop by carrying a laptop bag and loading it with long books and a folder to make it look as if it is was a laptop that am carrying. I also know that I have been telling people that I want to buy a laptop, when I know that I do not have the money let alone of saving for it. I realised that I have been faking it all the way and I have gotten it.

* “Complete possession is proved only by giving. All you are unable to give possesses you”.

I think, this is where greediness developed. We became greedy unknowing when we have good intention to be a giver, but because we struggle to give and thinking that when we have enough, we would be able to give something better.

* “When a person feels separate from all others he becomes more self-centred and much less concerned about the problem of other”.

The feeling of inferiority, isolation and always expecting to receive from people to meet ones need, made a self-centred person. This kind of person works toward disappointment and he or she faces disappointment, and result of self-centeredness.

*“Keep little corner of your mind open to miracle making. Investigating the life of others who have experience miracle”.

It is very easy to believe in miracle and to open ones mind to it when the people you know have experience it. In fellowship, when Lily was sharing her testimony of trusting God not only in big thing, but also in little thing. She gave a testimony; she said that someone came to their house and does away with their foodstuff and some money. She said she prayed about it and the next day the person returned what he took. The same thing happens to me, Lily’s testimony encouraged me to pray to God concerning it, and the money was returned the next day.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree 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, I did complete the exercises, some that I continually access and refer to, and some that I practiced.

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? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Winning Attitude
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea the author was trying to convey in this book is that attitude is the key to success and living a life full of purpose.

Attitude application.
My environment as a child was generally unstable and intimidating. I remember a situation when someone said something negative to me that affected my attitude. I remember when my elder brothers, cousins and neighbours said to us whenever will listen to them that “it is ok and more fun to have sex with ones relative” this affected me and other youth in the neighbourhood. We did not see anything wrong in it, but after realising how wrong it is, it became a struggle that we had to overcome.

The closeness of criticism.
I remember the time I wanted to have sex with my cousin living with us in the same house. The mentality that there was nothing wrong with it was ringing in my head. When I wanted, I remembered the covenant I made years ago and I stopped. She was surprised that after undressing, I did not do anything with her. I called her the next day and explained the reason why I could not do anything with her. Since that day, whenever am praying or reading the bible and seeing her around I feel very guilty. Thank God, I am free from it now.

Treat everyone you meet as the most important person on earth.
Treating everybody as the most important people on earth to me is a very good idea of getting along with anybody regardless of his/ her status. I was at a cyber café and a girl was having a problem opening a document from the computer she was using. She needed help and I decided to allow her to make use of mine to do what she wanted, but during the time she was making use of my computer, I did not offer her a seat. I did not offer her a seat because I thought I was doing her a favour and not treating her as a very important person. When it occur to me that am rude and not a gentleman, not treating her as an important person, I stood up and offer her a seat and then i apologised for being rude.

Be careful what you set your heart on, for it will surely come true.
I have set my heart on many little things and it came true. While I had those things, I felt it was not what I wanted. So with this, that is why whenever I needed something, I always pray to God about it and saying to Him to help and decide for me.

Enlisting someone’s help will not only assist you, but it will also give a friend a blessing in return.
This idea is important to me, because I am a kind of person that found it very difficult to ask people for help. After considering the benefit that will be obtain by the person whose help I solicited, I think it is worth asking for their help.

Start exposing yourself today to successful people and experiences.
This idea is a shift in my association to associating more with successful people and experiences. I can say, I believe so much in associating more with people that I can influence positively, people that want to learn from me than wanting to associate with successful people. I think this was one of the reasons of being in this institute. I can say that my association with successful and wonderful experiences had made me a better person than associating with people I wanted to influence. When am secure in Christ, I can afford to take a risk in my life. To me, this is the beginning of all boldness and courage to becoming who you want to be. I will say, I can afford to take any actions disregarding the risk involve, when I know Christ is in it with me. I have learn a lot of lessons from taking any action that I did not pray about, this is why I can not afford to take any risk when Christ is not in it with me.

I don’t have to survive. This is a powerful attitude statement by the author. While reading it, it had me shouting. I must survive is a deceitful attitude that kills destiny, it is a false mentality that has being incorporated into our language of prosperity. I cannot believe that I have been saying to myself until now that I will survive, while the purpose of my being is to live a sacrificial life. A life that is base on surviving is not a secure life, hence will not give. Living a surviving life is living a distracted life doing anything that brings money to staying alive.

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

This idea would help me in a practical ways both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by being concerned more on my attitude in any situation and with people.

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

“My child, you have always been with me, All that is mine is yours”. I believe that a successful attitude is the characteristics to be aware that everything is available, and that we have the right to access it- the privilege to the possessions. While I was reading this statement quoted by the author in the story of the prodigal son, I learned that attitude is what makes you to be aware of your right. The father of the prodigal son was not pleased with elder brother, because of the attitude he had concerning himself for not behaving as a son that have the right to all possessions.

When there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present. The author is very right about this statement. The ability to say no to sex, depend on what you see yourself of accomplishing in future and this empowers you to say no to it. When you know what you want to become, you will have the power to say no to stealing, no to drugs abuse, no to war, no to terrorism, no to destructing act e.t.c. This is possible, because you have seen the future and you have seen what you what to be, you have taken the power to say no from it, to anything that will prevent you from achieving your goals and dreams.

Anything less than God will let you down. No matter how brilliant, popular, influential, power e.t.c you are, anything less than my God will let you down. This is a fact and it is an encouragement to hold unto God, the author and the finisher of our faith.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree 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.

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.

Giant Steps
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday

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

The main idea the author is trying to convey in this book is the positive lifetime impact of taking bold steps.

The seven ideas that were personally important to me are:

(i) Having a powerful enough why will provide you with the necessary how

(ii) Finding a way to help others-those we care about deeply-can inspire us for a lifetime.

(iii) Asking the questions that will uplift your spirit and push you along the path of human excellence.

(iv) Trying to achieve the pleasure of success without risking the pain of rejection would never work.

(v) The only way a relationship will last is if you see it as a place you go to give, not a lace you go to take.

(vi) You’ve got to be willing to feel stupid, and you’ve got to be willing to try things that might not work.

(vii) Remember, any limitations you have in your life are probably just the result of limited reference experiences.

Having a powerful enough why will provide you with the necessary how. Anytime I get an answer to a problem or being curios on how things is being done, I get a lot of answer to the questions and a lot of how. Sometime I ask myself if it is true that there is noting impossible to those who believe and the answer is completely yes. Looking at the inventories, television, radio, telephone, airplane e.t.c, nothing is impossible. Asking myself of questions why can’t I do something that people may see as impossible, and how am going to go about it. I designed a water bicycle using my imagination and then draw it on sheet of paper. I tried different design of the water bicycle to make sure I got it right, by asking why and how to go about it. I also asked myself why is it that there is no water bicycle yet after finishing the design. Although, I have the design with me and I know that one day the water bicycle will be in existence.

Finding a way to help others-those we care about deeply-can inspire us for a lifetime. I am a kind of person that like searching for information on how to better peoples life and mine. whenever I get information that I know would be of important to people around me, I always tell people about, because I do not want the information to waste. It is in my hobby to know what people want and help them get information that will help them. My passion to help people with information is what make me discovered how to search for information using the right search word. This also helps me in seeking for information that would be of benefit to me.

Asking the questions that will uplift your spirit and push you along the path of human excellence. This idea is of great importance to me, because reading it make me realised that asking questions is not only about getting answers to what one want or curios about, but also about being aware of question that pertain to one spirituality and that, that will uplift the spirit. Reading this idea would be of great important to me in questioning my spiritual life to growth.

Trying to achieve the pleasure of success without risking the pain of rejection would never work. I discovered that I would not take a particular step or approach toward communicating with people simply because of the fear of rejection. This idea is important to me, because it relates pleasure of success to the pain of rejection. Avoiding experiencing the pain of rejection will not make one take the step of experiencing success.

The only way a relationship will last is if you see it as a place you go to give, not a place you go to take. I am in this kind of situation whereby I do not like going into or creating relationship that I will not find myself giving to. I find it very difficult to go some friend house knowing that all they would like to do is to give to me, making me the receiver. I feel comfortable to be the giver instead of being the receiver. While discussing about giving and friendship in fellowship, no one like to be in a relationship or friendship where no one gives anything, likewise they do not like people who always come to them to receive. For me, I rather not go into relationship if I do not have anything in mind to give.

You’ve got to be willing to feel stupid, and you’ve got to be willing to try things that might not work. To be willing to feel stupid in any situation and event to me is a giant step and attitude, to achieving anything impossible. Nobody would like to look stupid in any situation, including me as person, but I see sense in it. Sometime, there would be something on my mind to share or do in a particular situation, but in order not to look or act stupid I would keep quiet. In that particular situation, when somebody else contribute or take action that I would have taken, I exclaimed in my mind that “I thought so and that I would have done it”. Acting in any situation on what you think without being afraid of looking stupid is taking giant steps. This idea is important to me as it will be a good reminder to me when it comes to decision and action taking.

Remember, any limitations you have in your life are probably just the result of limited reference experiences. I totally buy this idea; God has changed a lot of thing in my life through books He had brought across my way after reading them. The understanding of the saying that “leaders are readers” is because they have read through the experiences and challenges of successful people and how they have overcome different life limitations. I would have remained limited or still having the mentality that I have in 2000, if not because of experiences and references. I say this because there were a lot of people I left secondary school with, and seeing them today on the street, you can tell what influences them and their references.

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

This idea would help me in a practical ways both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by taking steps and knowing that my actions count.

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

(i) To get what you want, you must discover what is preventing you from taking action.

(ii) For whatever area of your life you want to improve, there are questions you can ask that will provide you with answers.

(iii) Do something today to demonstrate that your actions make a difference.

(iv) The next time you see someone in trouble, instead of just passing by or feeling guilty about being unable to help, get excited about what you can do.

To get what you want, you must discover what is preventing you from taking action. When faced with the challenge to get something, I often think about that thing and able to know the reasons for wanting it. If I discovered that the reasons was that someone has it or because people are using it or without a tangible reasons, I put the thinking of wanting that particular thing in the trash. Therefore, whenever I want to get what I want, I ask myself of the reasons I needed it and what is preventing me from having it.

For whatever area of your life you want to improve, there are questions you can ask that will provide you with answers. I believed so much that the questions you are able to ask yourself, the answer you will get for the questions. I have heard a lot of story about how some people life changed simply because they ask themselves questions about the kind of life they were living. How people stop smoking, simply because they ask themselves “why cant I stop smoking- is it a curse, I must break it, it is not a curse, I did involved myself in smoking, I can bring myself out of it”. The moment you start asking yourself question on every areas of your life, the moment change comes in.

Do something today to demonstrate that your actions make a difference. Knowing that ones actions count and can make a difference, believing that whatever actions one take could make a difference and believes in oneself and what you can do as individual to bring change. Taking actions in every situation is the gathering of giant steps, because you do not know which step would count. I am saying this to myself “my actions make a difference, therefore take action in every situation”.

The next time you see someone in trouble, instead of just passing by or feeling guilty about being unable to help, get excited about what you can do. I quote this statement because I feel pity for people especially homeless, suffering disabled people e.t.c. anytime I see them on the street, I crave for how to help them. I am not excited about them now, because I didn’t see the way I can help them now, but am excited about helping them in the future by putting them in my vision.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree 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

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.

8. Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. A .How interesting was it to read?

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 it recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating? 10

How To Win Friends And Influence People
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea the author was trying to convey in this book is the power of influencing and winning people through sincere appreciations and taking responsibility.

The seven ideas that were personally important to me are:

i. Giving honest and sincere appreciation: Giving honest and sincere appreciation was one of the ideas that is very important to me. I will be happy and more comfortable with what am doing when somebody give honest appreciation to it. It will not only motivate me, but also make me do better. If the appreciation is not genuine, from the mouth of other people, you will confer it and it will make you uncomfortable with that particular thing and towards the person who give such false appreciation. For example, I bought a shirt and one of my friends told me that he like it, but I felt quite uncomfortable with the shirt. At first, I did not think he was saying the truth about him liking the shirt, because I did not see anything lovely about it. All the way from home to church, nobody told me how nice the shirt was as usually. Therefore, I felt my friend was only flattering me. One day I decided to wear the shirt in school and one of my course mates approach me and told me he liked the shirt. He told me if I can help him to get one or if I do not mind selling, the one am putting on to him, since I told him that I do not like it. I discovered that he was saying the truth concerning the shirt and I felt free and comfortable with the shirt and my friend in their judgment. Honest and sincere appreciation will make you trust the judgment of somebody giving it.

ii.The only way on earth to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get. Talking about what other people want and showing them how to get it is a very good idea that anybody would submit to easily. For example, a friend of mine came to me to discuss transportation business. He told me he wanted a loan to buy a bus for the transportation business, he said doing the business would fetch him money while in school to pay his school fees and to pay off the loan. He could not get a loan from the bank, although he is working in a bank .The reason that no bank is willing to loan such amount for transportation considering the state of transportation business. I listened to him and I understand his intention of wanting to have a profitable business he wanted to run while in school. I gave him an idea of how to go about it and how I going to be involved without discouraging him about his idea. He bought the idea and he was able to start a business with what he had.

iii. Arouse in the other person an eager want. I would say the idea of arousing an eager want in people is the idea behind the organisation that we have started. The realisation that everyone around me wanted to be self-employed, but most were not sure of the business to do, because of the starting capital. I told them about doing an agro- business, and how they can start with what they have and how they can do it as a group business. I discuss with them the plans and ideas to show them how creative and enjoyable doing agro-business can be. I arouse in them an eager want to venture into agro-business, which they accepted after letting them know that it will enable them to save money for the business they have in mind in the future.

iv. Increase the tendency to think always in terms of other people’s point of view, and see things from their angle. It is very easy to judge, condemn or blame people when you think in term of your own point of view. When I was at home for some month doing nothing-a state of idleness, I was having a lot of fornicating taught. It got to a stage that some of the saying I heard from my elder brother and cousins were coming to me that “you can learn to have sex easily by having it with relatives or ones cousin. When that taught came to me , it gave me an excuse to have sex with my cousin who didn’t even resist. I must confess to you that during that moment I was not in my senses. As I was about to have sex with her, God brought to me the covenant I made with him that I will not have sex until I get marry. Immediately the thought came to, I was in my right senses. While I was reading this book, I said to myself that if this can happen to me, then I should accept that things happen to people and I do not have the right to judge, blame or condemn them. Things that some people would not do in their right sense can happen to them if they allow evil thought to take hold of them, without God grace it will manifest in them. Thinking through that situation I realise that it was God grace in my life, I would have lost it. This was why I have decided to be calm in any situation toward people not to be judgemental and to think as if am in their shoes.

v. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely. Late last year we had a camping program and the camping coordinator said that every one of us should say something nice to two people each. I was not expecting what someone said about me. It was real, genuine and nice. It makes me feel very important and it changes my attitude and relation toward that person the very day. I also remember that I said something nice about somebody that day, and I noticed a change of attitude of that person toward me during the camping and till date. Making people feel very important has a lasting effect on people attitude and the way they see themselves and it relationship making. It is ok to look at a person and spot an interesting part of him or her to make him/her feel very important, it works magic.

6. If you aspired to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. It is very tempting to talk when you are with somebody than to be quiet in order to be listening. Not everybody would like to do the talking while you listened. When I read this statement of becoming a good conversationist , by being an attentive listener, I stopped and meditate on it, if it is a good idea because I struggle much with it. I discovered that it has been working for me than against me. Although, I am a very quiet person and a good listener, but when carried away with listening, I find it difficult to say anything when suddenly ask to contribute. I also discovered that my listening attitude as earn me various opportunity to be spoken to, either for advice or complains.

7. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. We have always being involve in quarrelling, fighting and complaining even to the point of losing friends, just because we refuse to admit our faults and mistakes. After reading this, I realised that I didn’t gave up lying, because I don’t want to hurt peoples feelings. I had made several vows and attempt to stop lying, but to no avail. Reading this idea make it seems very easy by proving a very good alternative to lying. I have stopped lying after meditating on this idea and it was very easy to give up lying. This idea provides an easy way of not hurting people’s feelings.

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

This idea would help me in a practical ways both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by seeing other people as myself. Putting other people first and helping people to get want they want.

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

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”

I agree with this statement, although it is very difficult to admit that it is very easy to look at people view on something when you are trying to prove a point. Looking at people’s points of view settles a lot of things by making both of you feel better at the end of the discussion.

“All of us like people who admire us”. I like people who approaches and always ask after me when am not around. It is very easy to approach and communicate freely with people who admire us. In fellowship, when we were discussing how difficult it is for some people to communicate and why some people like talking and meeting a particular group of people. Michael said “ I like it when Anna is around me and I always feel very happy to talk to her, not because I cant speak to other people, but because Anna make me feel very special”. He said that whenever Anna saw him coming, she greeted him by jumping at him, and this make him feel good.

“Your smile is a messenger of your good will; it brightens the life of all who see it”. I must confess that putting on smile in every situation changes ones mood and the way you relate to people. The way you relate with people with smile on your face normally tells how people will attends to you and how you will relate to them. I have being using this approach to remove intimidation and in improving my self-esteem. I sometime smile when I find some people unapproachable, to get want I want and it also make me speak better.

“Show respect for the other person’s opinions. “Never say you’re wrong”. I discovered that anytime I tried to prove a point whenever am with friend, it always make me feel bad. Trying to prove one’s point normally end up in malice, strife and unfriendly argument. Showing respect to other people’s opinion by keeping quiet will earn you respect, and will make people come to you for advice and to speak to you on issues, opinions and challenges.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree 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, I did complete the exercises, some that I continually access and refer to, and some that I practiced.

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.

Leadership for Dummies
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is that leaders are formed by their ability to embrace responsibility

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 examples from your own life.

i. In order to elicit cooperation, listen well and place the needs of others above your own.

This idea will be very important to me, because it will help me in making decision in matters or things that involve other people. When I was given the responsibility to be the head of the fishery unit of the state national youth entrepreneur farm and I made my first decision on how I wanted the farm to be run. I forgot to ask the people involved on how they wanted the farm to be run and I made the decision because I am knowledgeable in the field, which at the end of the day was criticized based on how they saw it. They saw the management of the farm from their needs perspective. They gave me reasons why they cannot go about the farm the way I suggested. That day, I learnt not to impose idea as a leader on anybody, but to hear people view on things even if they are not professional in the field.

ii. Leadership mostly involves getting other people to move toward a goal, but sometimes, it means getting people to wait if there is an unresolved conflict.

It reminds me when I was made the fisheries head unit of the entrepreneur community development service, C.D.S. A decision was made by the supervisor that every member of the C.D.S must come over to C.D.S farm to feed the fishes. A timetable was prepared and everyone in the group were complaining about such arrangement or responsibility on their part to come over to the secretariat to feed the fishes. All the complained that they can’t come over to feed the fish and that the expenses of coming over is too expensive. It was an unresolved conflict that lasted for weeks. When they were forced to come over to feed the fish, almost half of the fishes died during the first week. In the next meeting, I suggested the practical way out by putting their interest first and we came to an agreement. The supervisor and I wanted them to find interest and learn how to rear fish during the service year, but I waited for the supervisor decision to be in action in order to see the attitude of the group toward the fish project. When I saw the group attitude toward it, I made a decision to be responsible for the task of taking care of the fish. I made that decision, because I realized that we are new in service and none of us really understood the need of having an additional skill. The conflict was resolved and within few weeks their interest in fish farming grew.

iii. You’ve got to have enough confidence in yourself that you’re not worried about being fired for saying or doing the wrong thing, you cannot let anything scare you

This idea is important to me because, it explained why I refused to make most decision that would have lead to productivity in my place of primary assignment. We have overcome many challenges in term of losses that would have earned use huge success in my place of service. These losses made decision making kind of difficult for us for few weeks. Reading through this idea is helpful to me, because it has restored my professional confidence and decision making in my place of primary assignment.

iv. The drive to succeed is composed of aggressiveness, self-confidence, and the ability to communication.

This explains to me why most of the drops out people with social skill are making it. I made daily motivation my aggressiveness and self-confidence my drive to reminding and propelling me to success, but I have not thought of it in communication. This idea will go along way in helping me taking and seeing communication as an essential tool toward succeeding.

v. The only way you can make decision well is if you have information – and lot of it

This idea is important to me because decision making in life goes a long way in affecting ones life. This is the reason why the bible says that my people perished because of lack of knowledge, and knowledge I believe is information. Before I was sure of the career I wanted to pursue in life, I made a lot of enquiring and guidance from the internet and from people that are already in the field, knowing that my decision of a career today would go along way affecting me in the future. Gathering information and knowing more about my choosing career gives me joy and more creative vision in the field. I now know more about my chosen career and the area I wanted to specialize in.

vi. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear In the face.

This idea is important to me because, I have learnt to take risk and not to fear in taking any step when it comes to doing business or making decision. Working with a boss that has overcome different challenges in business, who believe that anything worth moving forward needs to be moved, and in moving it forward there is risk. I was sent to my state to buy fingerlings, about 15,000 fingerlings to be transported through a 15hours journey. The next day after introducing the fingerlings into the pond, 10,000 pieces of the fingerlings died. And my boss reaction to the loss was different from mine. I lent that day, that in life there are loss and there are gain, you loss by gaining strength and in strength you loss fear-that what makes you a man.

vii. Use silence as a weapon. Do not immediately respond to what people say, if you think that they are giving you nonsense, don’t argue back at them.

This idea is important to me because, I always felt better and non judgmental anytime I kept quiet in any situation I found myself, especially when sitting in the midst of people who are saying nonsense. Reading through this content, this idea will help me in communicating better. I argued a lot most of the time when I am trying to proof a point or convey a message and this usually made me feel bad at the end of the day.

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

Embracing responsibility as emotional intelligence by working with people and their emotion would help me in my daily life to be a non judgmental person, to respect people and to be considerate in my dealing with people

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

“The real potential leader is the person who volunteers for the tasks that no one else wants to do and then does them In such a way that everybody wants to help out”. When I was made the head of the fishery unit of the N.Y.S.C entrepreneur fish farm of the state, and there was a conflict in managing the fish farm. When the entire entrepreneur member said that they cannot be coming over to feed the fish and I took over the responsibility. Since I took over the management, every member are now interested in the fish farm when they saw the growth of the fishes.

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

Yes, the book contains some exercises for me, some of which I completed and was very useful, and some which I look forward to put in practice

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

Rating

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 other? 9
E. What is the overall rating? 6

The Law of Attraction
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is the conscious awareness of things that happens in our lives as a result of our thought and the deliberate use of thought to attract the right things into our life

i. When you constantly expect that which you persistently desire, your ability to attract becomes irresistible.

This idea is important to me, because of the outcome I got from my persistence desire for a particular need. When I was robbed of my laptop, I said to myself that “I will get another one that is better than the one they stole”. I didn’t say anything more than that immediately the armed robber left. Whenever I see people with laptop, I will say to myself that I will buy my own very soon, “this month” I said to myself. I consistently telling everybody around me that I want to buy a laptop whenever they say anything concerning computer and browsing the internet. When I got the laptop in the month of august 2010 and how I got and saved the money was God. It is not that the monthly salary of 3000 naira they pay me in my place of primary assignment or federal allowance was enough for it, but how I got it was God. Because I said I will buy it on august, even when I only have 19,000 naira. Suddenly I got a call that my state is paying our bursary of 25,000 naira which will had apply for while in school. I went and collect the money, and I also got some money I had hoped will come my way that month. That is how I got my laptop, with my strong desire and my persistent thought of how to get a new laptop.

My boss son was complaining about a laptop bag they gave him to be using for school, that he did not like it. He said that “when his friends and other course mate sees the bag, they will called him big boy” thinking that he had bought a laptop when they sees him with the bag. I asked him if he did not have the desire or feeling of getting his own laptop. I said to him that he should start developing the thought and the feeling of having his own laptop, which he should start faking, since he said he would love to.

ii. When you expect something you do not want, you attract the undesirable.

This idea is important to me, because I have learnt that what you don’t want but desire is covetousness and can kill you. The day I went to an aunty house in the church and I saw her laptop, immediately I wish for it. One day when I was on my way to the cyber café with my laptop and the thought of having that aunt’s kind of laptop came to me, I said “how can I get this kind of her laptop when I already have a good one am using. I didn’t give myself any reason why I wanted that kind of laptop and what is going to happen to the one I already have. Is it going to be stolen or what for me to buy that kind of laptop? I didn’t know what to say, but I rebuke the thought of it been stolen, so I ignore the entire thought about the laptop. Two minute immediately I got to the café, armed robber came in pointing a gun at me, and only my laptop out of the laptops in that café was stolen. What I said immediately to myself after the armed robber had gone was that I am going to get another one better than this and it going to be that aunt’ kind, though I did not desire to be robbed. But I know that day that I attracted something I did not want, I could have been shot dead or injured due to the covetous desired I didn’t give a better thought to.

iii. Allowing it and identifying contrast

Allowing it and identifying contrast. This idea is important to me, because I believed that you are responsible for what happen to you. I discovered that in my life nothing happen that am not expecting or have not thought of or in some case where you are not sure of what you want and what you don’t want. Things happen that will have thought will happen to us, either by saying it aloud due to anger or displeasure or in happiness or in an excited state or thought of it. For example, when I was going for my national youth service corp. N.Y.S.C. program and I board a particular company’s bus to the state I was posted to. A lot of things happened on the way that made me say to myself that “I will never board that company’s bus again in my life” and if I do, something undesirable should happen. Fortunately for me, I was sent to my state by my boss to help him with some goods and life fish. I booked and pay for a whole bus, and the next day that the bus ought to pick our goods in the place where will had made arrangement, where the life fish are already waiting to be picked. The company disappointed us that day and I don’t have any option but to go around looking for another bus that would carry the goods, but didn’t see any. I was desperate for a bus, because of the life fish that I was to transport with me to such a long distance. Fortunately for me, the bus I have proposed in my life not to board was the savior. I paid for the bus immediately despite additional cost. When we left for the journey and a lot of things were happening to us on the way. I asked myself why was this happening to me and Immediately I got an answer to it. I remembered what I said about using that company’s bus. I prayed by rebuking what I said concerning using that company’s bus, for journey mercy and immediately I felt better.

iv. I am in the process of

I am in the process of. When I wanted to get my laptop, I would say that I am going to buy my laptop this month or next month. Although, I know that I don’t have the money, but my belief that am going to get a new laptop was so strong that I see beyond my lack

v. Abundance is a feeling, be more deliberate to include the feeling of abundance in your current vibration.

Abundance is a feeling, be more deliberate to include the feeling of abundance in your current vibration. I discovered that it is easy to include the feeling of abundance in my life when I don’t feel depressed or worrying about anything. When am worrying or feeling depress, it take an additional motivation for me to set myself in the mood to think abundance into my situation. The feeling of abundance can easily be made deliberate into ones current vibration if one is at peace with him/herself. This idea caught my attention and is important to me, because I see the explanation on how to deliberate include the feeling of abundance into ones current vibration working.

vi. When you meet somebody and before you even learn their name, you catch yourself saying wow, I don’t like their energy.

This idea is important to me, because it make me understand that whatever you give out or received from others will have a long lasting impact on my or and their personality – the way I see the person and the way the person sees me. When I met some guys in the state where I was posted to serve, and one of the guys opened up, telling me of different places in the city where I could go and drink and womanized. He said a lot of gibberish thing that I exclaimed “wow”, and saying to myself that, this guy didn’t even allowed me to speak in other for them to know the kind of person I was before they give such counsel. The thought of unseriousness always come to my mine anytime I set my eyes on that particular guy.

vii. Always say yes to money.

This idea is important to me, because I have developed this attitude of saying no to money whenever people give it to me and I don’t really sees it as a bad attitude. I always say no to people when they extend their hand to give me money even when my intention was to collect the money, or even when I needed it desperately. One day a very young boy and his brother saw me refused to collect the money their father gave me, and one of them had noticed that attitude of mine. He asked me “why did you like refusing to collect money whenever somebody is giving you”, and i don’t really have a good reason for doing it. Finally, I said to him that it was tradition. Truly, the reason for refusing to collect or say yes to money when people are giving it out is a traditional thing in Yoruba land, though their intention is to collect the money, because you know that person is going to persist that you collect it and finally you will collect or say yes to it.

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

Deliberate use of the law of attraction would help me to become a better person in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by selective use of thought. To always thinking about the things I wanted and to close the door to my mind of the things I don’t want, knowing that my thought will bring what I want into my life that will affect people around me

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

i. “Be selfish”: sometime we see the meaning of some words in the dictionary the other way round with its meaning , but the author statement of being “selfish” caught my attention having another meaning to me, which I called “ knowing the different”. Sometime I don’t really know the difference between making the right decision and what people are thinking about that particular decision, although you know you are doing the right thing. You stand in the position of either pleasing the people around you or not at peace with yourself. Reading this statement by the author, I say to myself “ be selfish about doing the right thing and be at peace with yourself” as long as you are doing the right thing and making difference.

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

No, I think the examples given by the author explain most of the points

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?

Yes I did and I found them very useful, like deliberate altering my thought in any situation.

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

No.

Rating

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 other? 10
E. What is the overall rating: 699

The Power of Intention
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is the understanding of intention as a powerful tool of purpose that nothing occur by accident

The seven ideas which are personally most important to me are;

i. Power of intention has to be creative or nothing would come into existence

ii. Your presence allows others to feel better about themselves

iii. The way to establish a relationship with spirit and access the power of this creating principle is to continuously contemplate yourself as being surrounded by the conditions you wish to produce

iv. To realize your desire, match them with your inner speech. Keep all inner talk focused on good reports and good results. So, if you match desires with inner speech, those desires will ultimately be realized

v. Think from the end

vi. Show kindness to all of life

vii. You don’t need a reasons to be happy, your desire to be so is sufficient

Power of intention has to be creative or nothing would come into existence. This idea is important to me, because I see creativity as what purpose or power of intention is all about. I have always asked myself, that what is the difference between me and somebody else in my field of study? The answer I got from within me was that, the difference is the realization of the creativity of what the purpose is all about. Since then, I began to think of what people in the field had done, what is yet to be done and what I wanted to do. These gives me a lot of creative ideas about what I want to do and realization of creative thought behind my chosen career.

Your presence allows others to feel better about themselves. This idea is important to me, because I had enjoyed the feeling of expressing myself and sometime felt very lively when with a particular sets of people. For example, I noticed that I always felt very lively and l talk much in fellowship by way of contribution. I noticed this whenever I sit near Michael, damilola, peter and aunty bola in the fellowship. But the case is different when am sitting beside some sets of people in the fellowship. Whenever I was in the fellowship and I have something in mind to say, I intentionally sit beside these people. I studied their lifestyle and I learnt what make them comfortable to be with and I imitate the characters.

The way to establish a relationship with spirit and access the power of this creating principle is to continuously contemplate yourself as being surrounded by the conditions you wish to produce. This idea is important to me, because I always ask myself questions about anything that happen to me whether good or bad. For example, when I first came to my place of primary assignment and it was very quiet without much to do in the place. I found the place very quiet and lonely, because I was the only youth corper serving there. I started asking myself questions about how I had portrayed the place to be before coming. I began to create what I wanted the place to be and what I wanted to be doing as I had imagined it. Things started to happen in my place of primary assignment as I had imagined it. I was able to do this, because I knew that nothing happen by accident and the realization that the condition one found his or herself is as a result of his/her thought. I knew that thought is invisible and it is a spirit that brings about or to past anything communicated in it.

To realize your desire, match them with your inner speech. Keep all inner talk focused on good reports and good results. So, if you match desires with inner speech, those desires will ultimately be realized. This idea is important to me, because I have made it a habit of asking myself questions whenever my expectation toward a particular desire is not coming forth. There are times that I wanted something, and when the thing is not showing forth I ask why. For example, I had the desire of going into university of Lagos to study marine biology, and I was denied the admission. I asked myself why I was denied the admission knowing that am a brilliant type. And the answer was that I didn’t focused my attention on the possibility of gaining the admission and I was not really ready to go into the university that year, seeing that my focus was on the possibility that our school may be called up for youth service that year. After I got answers to my questions, I was sure that my school will be called up for youth service, which they did. So, I am very sure that when my heart desire matches with what I think and am focused on good reports, that the desire is right and will be realize.

Think from the end. That is, assume within yourself the feeling of the wish being fulfilled, and keep this vision regardless of the obstacles that emerge. This idea is important to me, because it keeps me going when I see myself from what I portrayed it to be in future. Anytime the thought of not living up to my expectation or whenever the doubt about what the future holds, I became afraid. But when I think of what I want to be from the angle of a fulfilled dream, I draw hope and strength from it and review my plans of getting there.

Show kindness to all of life. This idea is important to me, because I felt guilty, touched and challenged while reading through this page. The story told in this page by the author’s daughter of how her life got changed by a stranger heart of kindness, and how she passes the same kindness on. I decided to extend my own heart of kindness that particular day, by paying somebody else transport fare .Although it was difficult for me to practice at that moment, because it was the last money with me, but I decided to practice it in a difficult situation. After I gave out the money that day, I began seeing kindness as a thing that can be practice regardless of your status. I learnt from this idea that anything you give out from within you at a moment in your life, whether small or big, its value is defined by the feeling in which is being given out and the feeling it gives or needs it met to the person that received it.

You don’t need a reason to be happy, your desire to be so is sufficient. This idea is important to me, because I believed that it is a good idea to be happy and not until you have a reason to be. Life can be very unlovely and boring when one is waiting for a reason to do anything. When you wait for a reason to be this or that, you get stranded, frustrated and never have the reason to do what you wanted to do that will bring you joy. When you are happy over nothing, you find happiness in all things. For example, when I was at home around my family and I jump up excitedly and stand dancing, because of the thought of a bright future. I have use the thought of a brighter future as a reason to be very excited and happy, but my mentality on what keeps me happy and excited changed last two years when I fell ill and almost died. I realized during the period of the illness that one should always be happy and thankful for being in good health.

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

Knowing that everything created has its’ intention. This would help me in practical ways, both in my daily life and in helping me to create a better world by tapping into every opportunities nature has to offer.

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

“Stop taking yourself so damn seriously”. This quote is important to me, because reading it make being offended a joke to me. The content of this idea make it too simple to let go what would usually offend me. I have put this idea in practice, and anytime I am worried, offended or not happy, I would say to myself “stop taking yourself so goddamn serious”. Anytime I said that to myself I felt better and unserious about that situation.

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

Yes, I completed them and I find them useful and helpful, it makes you a better person and you worriless.

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

Rating

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
E. Would you recommend it to other? 10
F. What is the overall rating 700

Unlimited Power
Assessment Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeira)

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is the act of knowing what you want and modeling who you want to be is a source of unlimited power toward achieving anything in life.

These ideas are;

I. Whenever we feel we can’t do something- we can’t approach that woman or man, we can’t talk to the boss, and so on. We can change our states and empower ourselves to take action either by changing the pictures and dialogues in our minds or by changing how we are standing, how we are breathing, and the tone of voice we are using.

II. If you can find enough reasons to do something, you can get yourself to do anything

III. The man who never alters his communication patterns finds himself in the same dangerous ooze

IV. The key to life is opening up as many avenues as possible, trying as many doors, using as many different approaches as it takes to solve a problem

V. The more flexible you are, the more options you create, the more doors you can open, and the more successful you will be.

VI. To model excellence, you should become a detective, an invigilator, someone who asks lots of questions and tracks down all the clues to what produces excellence

VII. They had the ability to read others, to know what response they were getting and they kept adapting, kept adjusting, kept changing their behavior until they found what worked

Whenever we feel we can’t do something- we can’t approach that woman or man, we can’t talk to the boss, and so on. We can change our states and empower ourselves to take action either by changing the pictures and dialogues in our minds or by changing how we are standing, how we are breathing, and the tone of voice we are using. This idea is important to me, because I discovered that whenever I did something perfectly well or expressed myself better; it was as a result of changing my mood to a particular mood of somebody I had pictured to imitate knowing clearing want I want to do or express in another body. For example, the first day I went to some of the classes in the university to create awareness on education and empowerment and the fear of facing the university student gripped me while sitting at home. In order for me to overcome the fear I change the pictures of what I see the university student to be, I changed my facial expression by putting on smile on my face and doing a small rehearsal at home. I changed my entire thought and I acted by going to the school without giving another thought of fear, because I had enough reasons to go. But this can be very difficult for me at times, because I find it hard to see clearly the pictures of the person I want to change my system to be at a particular situation. For example, when you want to talk like a stout in Lagos, you find it very easy to do, because you know who they are and how they talk in a particular situation. I remember perfectly well the day I put up a very wonderful drama display in church that I had a vivid picture of the character I wanted to play and I was motivated by the thought of the character to change my entire system to imitate and play the role.

If you can find enough reasons to do something, you can get yourself to do anything. This idea is important to me, because I know that the only way you can be motivated to do anything in life is when you have reasons or motive for doing it. I remember when I told Lightweave that I wanted to write a proposal to build a library as my personal community development project, and he advised me on what to do. The reasons behind the proposal was to allow people to freely participate in the program by taking away the constraint that will be secure by lack of access to computer and for me to get a national award for such initiative. I had a lot of reasons for the library, and I thought I will be able to raise fund. But when I got a better idea on how to go about it, the reasons for accepting the idea change and my purpose of saying I want to facilitate the IIGL program change. I ask myself of the reason why I decided to facilitate the IIGL awareness, and I found out that doing it for national award will not motivate me to go about it, because I have realized that doing anything because of the national award has prevented me in bringing out my best in service. When I discovered the real reasons to start facilitating the program, it turn out that I wanted to facilitate the program because I wanted to train myself to be able to speak to the public by using IIGL as platform. This reason was strong enough to get me started, which after some class made me to realized that I can speak to the public and also realized some of my weakness.

The man who never alters his communication patterns finds himself in the same dangerous ooze. This idea is important to me, because I find it very unreal and challenging trying to alter your communication patterns, but am now encourage to alter it knowing that it is not what I perceived it to be but what other has seen it to be. For example, when I was in secondary school, I trained myself with a better communication skill. I started keying into my peers way of communication, because I don’t want to been embarrassed when seen as forming white men way of life. I met a Nigerian who is a citizen in America during the time I wanted to go to the N.Y.S.C. camp, and he told me he wanted to be my mentor which I accepted. I started imitating the way he communicate with me whenever am talking to him on phone and while I was in camp. This communication pattern helps me for a while in camp, but not for long. I said not for long because I didn’t communicate with him for some time.

The more flexible you are, the more options you create, the more doors you can open, and the more successful you will be. This idea is important to me, because I have being trying to be flexible in opening up to opportunities outside my field of study. I believe in being flexible and I know that the more flexible you are the more successful you will be, but I have a little problem of being flexible in other career not related to my filed of study, and I have being trying to change that despite the ability I have to be very creative in other field in terms of ideas.

The key to life is opening up as many avenues as possible, trying as many doors, using as many different approaches as it takes to solve a problem. This idea is important to me, because I have tried it and realized that every situation has their own way of approaching them, and you can only get to an end to different situation only when you tried them. While meeting different people during the IIGL education and empowerment awareness, I faced challenges that force me to think of different ways of passing across my messages. This different ways of passing my message was as a result of what I faced with different class of people. So opening up as many avenues as possible, trying as many doors and using as many different approaches has helped me discovered a lot of ways of carrying out my plan in going about the facilitation if I want to continue, leaving out the fear of facing crowd.

Model excellence, you should become a detective, an invigilator, someone who asks lots of questions and tracks down all the clues to what produces excellence. This idea is important to me, because I believed in modeling and I know that you do better in what you know and what and who you model. For example, I know that to become somebody in a particular field of life, you need to think and act in the person’s own personality and doing that I believe gives you a sense of who you really want to be today. The reason I said this is because I believed that when you what to excel in life and you know somebody who has been to the place you want to be, it is easy to get there when you know that person and model him/her. That is why testimonies is a powerful tool of getting what you want. For example, when you see people giving testimonies on TV, the way you believe the testimonies is different to when somebody you know and close to you give such testimonies. You believe strongly that, if this can happen to her, I can also pray for my own situation and receive the necessary answer. This I said because I have experience it. This is one of the reasons I find it hard to imitate or model someone who I have not seen doing a particular things I wanted to do.

They had the ability to read others, to know what response they were getting and they kept adapting, kept adjusting, kept changing their behavior until they found what worked. This idea is important to me, because I believed that for somebody to get things done, he or she must know that he or she will be dealing with people and character. And when you are dealing with human and character one should be able to change is action to fit with his/ her expected outcome. For example, I was able to cope with the work I have being given in my community development service using this idea knowing that we always discuss money in the CDS and this always bring quarrel.

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

This lesson will help me in practical ways, both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world by making sure I know what I want, know the people who has achieved what I wanted and modeling their life style to achieve my result.

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

” to effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others”. This quote is important to me, because with the realization that we are all different in the way we perceive the world; this will make one drop his ego when it comes to proving a point in an argument or in discussion that would have lead to conflict; making you at peace with yourself and saving you a lot of inconvenient thought after a conversation.

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

Yes, the book contains some exercises for me, some of which I completed and was very useful, and some which I look forward to put in practice

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

Rating
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 other? 10
E. What is the overall rating? 10

Goals
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is that written goals is the reality of vision

I. Goal setting is so powerful that the very act of thinking about your goals makes you happy, even before you have taken the first step toward achieving them

II. It is you personally who is usually the major roadblock that is setting the speed at which you achieve any goal that you set for yourself

III. Your super conscious mind is stimulated by clear, written, specific goals, intensely desired, visualized regularly, and constantly worked toward.

IV. Refuse to be surprised or upset when events do not work out the way you thought they would or should

V. Make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit. Make it work and produce for you. Think of things not as they are but as they may be. Don’t merely dream but create!

VI. Sometimes, if your emotion is intense enough and your visual image is clear enough, your goal will immediately come true

VII. The way that you develop courage and confidence is with knowledge and skill, most fear and doubt arises out of ignorance and feelings of inadequacy of some kind

Goal setting is so powerful that the very act of thinking about your goals makes you happy, even before you have taken the first step toward achieving them: This idea is important to me, because thinking about my goals most of the time give me a clearer pictures of the goal and more possibility of it coming to pass, and knowing this makes you want to jump and scream, relax and feel very happy even before you take any step toward achieving it. For example, sometime when am in my room and thinking that service will soon come to an end, asking myself of what next after service make me scare. But when I look at my goals and think about them and how I was going to go about it make me happy, relax and with more idea on how to go about it.

It is you personally who is usually the major roadblock that is setting the speed at which you achieve any goal that you set for yourself: This idea is important to me, because taking actions in some situations has proved to me that whatever I think about and acted upon is possible, and I am the roadblock to whatever I think and don’t act upon because nobody is/was preventing me from acting. For example, when I was in school and I told my friend that we should go house to house to speak with house owners on setting up a homestead fish farm for them in their houses. We were scare and we saw it as a waste of time. We acted on it and most house owner bought the idea, but we lack financial support from the house owners, because they wanted us to use our money to start it first, thereafter they can invest in it following the success. With this we left the idea, but we realized that we can do whatever we think and acted upon. Another example is when I told the president of IIGL that I wanted to facilitate the IIGL program here in Nigeria. I was so motivated that I forgot the thought of standing in the front of university student and corps member. When I was about to start and I started thinking of what to say and how to go about it, the thought of how to face the university student came into my mind bringing fear to me. I tried to ignore the fear and I motivated myself that I can do it and that I won’t quit until I try that I can do it, and moreover that Micheal is aware of it already. I prepare what I wanted to say and this give me additional confident, and I put smile on my face and I jump up and went straight to the university. When I got to the school and I spoke with the classes representatives and meet some of the student, I discovered that I was afraid or scared of nothing, that I can even talk to them without being intimidated. And that if I didn’t go I won’t know what I am capable of doing and I would have being the roadblock to my self of learning the challenges and skills of addressing people in public.

Your super conscious mind is stimulated by clear, written, specific goals, intensely desired, visualized regularly, and constantly worked toward: This idea is important to me, because I have been using it as a reminder toward launching myself to think and put my ideas down and align them with my goals. For example, I was alone in my room one day and I was feeling so inconvenient with fear showing all over my face. I felt so inconvenient and uncomfortable, and I ask myself “why am I like this”. And I realized that I have being trying to write want I wanted to be doing after service the previous day, with the confusion and fear of seeing the possibility of it coming to pass immediately after service. I forced myself to think, write the goals and I wrote the step by step of how to go about it with daily imagination of seeing the possibility of the way I will be going about it. Thinking about it gives me new ideas and what I wanted to do become clearer and specific, and I knew that the way to realize it is to start acting on it which am yet to.

Refuse to be surprised or upset when events do not work out the way you thought they would or should: This idea is important to me, because I made the mistake of allowing myself to be discouraged twice when I found out that the reaction I was expecting from my audience was not what I got. When I went to the entrepreneur community development service unit to tell them about IIGL, and I was expecting that they would jump on the opportunity of getting the information and register for the IIGL program. Most of them rejected the information, because it required them reading and writing assessment which they are not ready for as a graduate preparing for job market. I was shocked and surprise by their response, and a little bit discourage. I went to HIV community development service unit and their response was very encouraging, and I gave out the institute web site to them, the same response was gotten from the Eco-vanguard community development service unit. The response I got from this two community development service unit encouraged me to go further, and this time I have developed a lot of courage to go to the university. When I went to the university, I spoke with one class and their response was not what I expected. Some of the student accepted me and the information, why majority of them seems unconcerned. I was a little bit discouraged, but I realized that the people that were interested in the program are the people sitting in the front seats and the people that seem unconcerned are people sitting in the back and middle seats, and this means that my voice was not audible enough. I spoke to a lot of class representative in the school and most of them invited me to their class, but I was unable to go because of the large size of their class and the need to be audible after my first experience in one of the class. I also learnt from this that I cannot do the facilitation alone.

Make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit. Make it work and produce for you. Think of things not as they are but as they may be. Don’t merely dream but create! : This idea is important to me, because I am also tired of dreaming without acting on them to make it reality. Dreaming everyday about something without acting on it can be very frustrating, so I have decided that I will be observant to look for the opportunity in order for me to make it happen.

Sometimes, if your emotion is intense enough and your visual image is clear enough; your goal will immediately come true: This idea is important to me, because I know that clarity of goal is important toward it achievement and the emotion attached to it determine your drive toward accomplishing it. I usually view different goals in my life differently, and discovered after reading this idea that the importance attached toward some of the goals is due to the emotion attached toward the need of accomplishing such goals. That is why you work more on a particular goal, may be because one sees it as the beginning of the accomplishment of other goals.

The way that you develop courage and confidence is with knowledge and skill, most fear and doubt arises out of ignorance and feelings of inadequacy of some kind: This idea is important to me, because I always felt inadequate when I feared that I am not competent enough to do something which I haven’t done before. For example, when I wanted to go to the university to tell them about IIGL program and I was afraid and felt reluctant. I asked myself “why am I afraid, despite I have stood in front of some corps member and spoken to them about IIGL program”. I now realized that I had problem passing the message to the student in detail to avoid unnecessary repetition with the fear that the university student can be very impatient.

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

This idea will help me in a practical ways both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better by writing and setting my goals in other of importance to allow me take effective action toward bring my goals to life. I believe that when I take action today toward achieving my goals, the realization of other people’s goal we also be achieved

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

I. “See yourself as a bundle of resources capable of doing different things”. This statement is important to me, because thinking of myself as a bundle of resources capable of doing different things we help me in a lot of ways in term of being entrepreneur who can be in any business.

II. “Failure is merely an opportunity to more intelligently begin again”. This statement is important to me; because I have realized that failure is a creative process and it tells you how things can be done in different ways- in a better and more profitable ways. Failure compares your action with your idea. It opens a better way of going about a particular action. It give you experience about people, business and things during your course of action.

III. “To achieve something that you have never achieved before, you must become someone that you have never been before. This statement is very important to me, because it is the best I have ever read in a book. It give me more idea on how to go about becoming who I want to be and getting what I want to get by becoming the person the thing require of me to be in other to achieve it.

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

No, the book explains itself better

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?

Yes I did and I found them very 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?

No.

Rating

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 other? 9
E. What is the overall rating? 9

Goal Setting 101
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is the step by step of leading your goal toward it achievement.

I. Never stop thinking about your goal

Never stop thinking about your goal: This idea is important to me, because I know that as a man thinketh so is he. I realized that the only way to have more idea and the answer to what and how to go about your goal or something, is to continually thinking about it. Knowing your goal is a task on its own and defining it is another. And the only way you can know more about the goal in other to know how to go about it, is to continually thinking about. For example, I have developed the habit of asking myself everyday of how I really what to go about my life goal. The answer I always get leads me to another one, which is, what am I really doing about it now? To get better answers and how to go about doing something today; requires me to start thinking about the step I’m going to take in each goal. Thinking about the step I’m going to take everyday to know the reality of it, give me more Ideas about the step and more practical ways of going about it. Getting more idea about something make you have a focus toward achieving it, although taking action about it is another challenges on it own, but I have realized that thinking about it every time make it more simple to achieve. I said it will make the way you go about your goal simpler to achieve, because it will break it down for you to find opportunities in any activities.

II. Remain flexible

Remain flexible: This idea of being flexible in goal setting is important to me, because it is true that there are some factors you can’t change, especially when it come to setting goal for your educational career in part of this world. The idea of being flexible in goal setting is the only thing that can keep most people like me going in achieving their goals, because when somebody read some books on goal setting with the saying that you must keep with the deadline. Keeping with the deadline can be very frustrating at times when you set a date for achieving a particular goal, and you did not achieve the goal in that particular date. This makes you want to quit, because you are not aware that you need to be flexible in making it happen. For example, it is very difficult to set a goal regarding your educational career here in the part of the world, because you don’t really know a specific date when the schools in the country start their admission. When you gain admission into school for a four year course; you don’t know the particular date or year you are going to graduate, because of the monthly or yearly strike. For example, I have made goals for my schooling specifying the dates, and I will go over it again and again to amend the dates. I spent five years in school reading a four years course due to strike, sometime you go for three to eight month strike which you might have not imagined. Most time being flexible can be the best way to achieving the difficult parts of one’s goal.

III. Be unreasonable

Be unreasonable: This idea is important to me, because most of the things that prevent us from making or taking a particular step in life are because we reason with the stagnant crowd. Most time we reason with people that think most about the disadvantages of things, thereby making us reasoning in their direction. I think most reasoning is done by people who like knowing the defects of a solution or actions. For example, I have find it had to think big in the past about who I want to be, because you don’t have anybody in your environment that will tell you to think big or that you can be anything. All you hear around you is to start reasoning of how to get to school and get a job. I also remember the time when I said I want to do something and the response I here is- where did you want to get the money from or are you dreaming or are you ok. Sometime they will talk you out of it by telling you that you watch too much of Whiteman movies. Anything great you think about is very unreasonable to them and seen as a joke that you watch too much of movie or dream, most time you get are you ok for an answer. Today, I said to God that He have being answering my prayers, but why is it that I have not been asking Him for bigger things, and the answer I got was that I have been reasonable about achieving big things.

iv. Examine your speech

Examine your speech! You can and will inspire confidence with your words and vocal tone: This idea is important to me, because I saw boldness, courage and a doubt free word in the short sentence the author gave in watching your language. For example, the sentence- I can! , I will! , I’m on top of it e.t.c. These sentences have a lot of boldness, courage and doubt free in it, it gives you confidence that you can do something, and it will propel you to do something. For example, I was able to do some of the things I did in my place of service, just because I mistakenly open up my mouth to say I will, I can and am going to. I find myself doing well in things I cannot do before, just because I said I can do it. This made me to stretch myself in finding a way to go about doing it, even when I don’t have any experience in it and my word binding me to it.

v. Find a mentor

Find a mentor: This idea is important to me, because I believe in the power of mentorship and I know that it is the easy way to act on your goal, knowing that you have their present and guidance on a platter of gold. Having a mentor in your field, who has achieve what you want to is like undergoing a practical step in a laboratory to me. It takes extra mile effort without a mentor. For example, I have tried several searches on the internet just to find somebody who have carried out great work in marine biology in my country, but couldn’t get any; may be because internet is a hard place to find them. To get people outside the country who you can relate with in term of audio-visual to mentor you has also being a challenge. This is why acting on something is not all about theory, but practical and you find what you want to do clearly and easy with mentorship.

vi. Inspect what you expect

Inspect what you expect: This idea is important to me, because it is a tool for knowing your progress in what you set out to do. For example, when I inspect my action to compare it with what I expected it allow me to decide the course of action that is the best, and to know my progress.

vii. Learn to manage fear

Learn to manage fear: This idea is important to me, because I always thought that fear is the way of the weak and uncourageous people as most time portrayed. I sometime worry about my fear when it come to doing something I have never done before, and I know that I have to deal with it. I have learned to take a lot of steps, just because I feared about taking it. When I ask myself the reason why am afraid of doing a thing, and if couldn’t get any answer to it – I just close the fear in my mind and I just act. For example, I have learnt to manage my fear by just taking action having telling myself that am dealing with people, that the people don’t know if am shy or afraid because they don’t know me before, and that my fear is myself and the lack of knowing what am capable of.

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

This idea will help me in a practical ways both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world by not acquiring what I don’t need through knowing what I want in setting my goals, thereby not depriving other people of thier needs.

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

“Values lay the groundwork for your goals. Goals lead to the fulfillment of your mission. Your mission leads to the realization of your life’s work- your legacy.” This is important to me, because am convinced that our goals sprang up from our values. This will enable me to set goals that are not in conflict with what I value, because what I value is what I stand for.

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

No, very simple explanation and easy to understand

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

Yes I did complete some.

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

No.

Rating

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 other? 10
E. What is the overall rating: 700

Non Violent Communication
Assessment by Elebiju Sunday Tope (Nigeria)

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

The main idea that the author conveys in this book is the creation of a better relationship with all men through the communication of empathic listening.

The seven ideas which are personally most important to me are;

I. Let’s shine the light of consciousness on places that have the potential to yield what we are seeking

II. Taking responsibility for the feeling of others can be very detrimental to intimate relationships

III. If we don’t value our needs, others may not either

IV. Making requests in clear, positive, concrete actions language reveals what we really want

V. Reflect back messages that are emotionally charge

VI. In a group, much time is wasted when speakers aren’t certain what response they’re wanting

VII. Break patterns of thinking that lead to arguments or depression

Let’s shine the light of consciousness on places that have the potential to yield what we are seeking: This idea is important to me, because I always believed that I can go and stay in any part of the country that has the potential to yield what I wanted within a particular period of time. For example, I was sharing an idea with my friend who is a photographer that he can go to one of the state in the country, and open a studio there and make the money he needed to start big. Since there are universities in the state, and that it will be very easy for him with the kind of idea that he has and less competition. His reply was “I don’t want to go there and become a local champion, that he prefers staying in Lagos”. Now he is thinking of quitting the photography work due to the increased number of professionals and youth going into the business in Lagos state. I also spoke to one of my friends that the state am serving has a lot of potential for me in the fish farming business, that I can make it big since the people that are in the business are not really serious with it, because they don’t want to pay expert despite the potential of the business in that state and it neighboring state.

Taking responsibility for the feeling of others can be very detrimental to intimate relationships: This idea is important to me, because taking responsibility for the feeling of others had made me to make several unplanned decisions in the past and even in the present; because I felt I am responsible for the happiness and what is happening in my family. Although, my family happiness and joy is very important to me and in some way I should make it my business, but I discovered that thinking about it all the time and making myself responsible for it make me feel very uncomfortable, thereby making some unreasonable decisions at times, although it had also being a source of inspiration and motivation for me to strive to become successful. Thinking about them sometime whenever there are complain and quarrel at home, this make me feel depressed at time. For example, when I was planning to go for my grandpa burial ceremony in November 12, 2010 and I made a plan to go on the 9th of November. I received a call from my sister telling me to come over and talk to my younger brother concerning some issue. I made a decision that I will leave the next day to see my family, which I didn’t plan before. If I had not being doing a lot of reading on self development, I would have got into fight with a lot of people who I cherished due to the thought of allowing myself being responsible for wanting a better life out of them, knowing that I myself also feel unhappy at times because the way things are.

If we don’t value our needs, others may not either: This idea is important to me, because I realized that it is easy to judge people concerning the needs that we have not expressed. These unexpressed needs of ours can make us very frustrating, thereby resulting to blaming other people who are not aware of the needs let alone knowing its value. For example, I read what my younger brother posted on the wall of one of my cousin’s facebook, telling her that they have forgotten about us in the family, expressing his grievance and asking for his and the family wrong. He was generalizing the whole scene, and my cousin reply asking him about what he wanted and that nobody forgot him or any them. She asked him of what he wanted, and what he is doing or want to do. She told me that my younger brother does not know what he want and that he cannot just sit at home doing nothing, telling me that he didn’t expect her to know what his needs are ,when she is not a magician and that she also has needs. Am writing this, because she, her parent and my family were not in good term and it is difficult for us to relate. I made effort talking to them; I realize that everybody has his or her pride, and that nobody will just extend a helping her to you when they don’t know if you needs it. when I was broke this week, I send one of them a mail and she did say she will send something which am yet to receive, but I know that I have express my needs putting down my ego and I received a response.

Making requests in clear, positive, concrete actions language reveals what we really want: This idea is important to me, because I know that it is a difficult thing to make one request really clear let alone of expressing it in a positive and concrete ways. I said this because I realized that I find it difficult to express myself when the request am making is not clear to me or well written down for clarity to allow sequential order in it presentation. Sometime, a goal or the purpose of doing a particular thing would make me confuse, because the clarity of what the goal or the purpose is about is not yet defined. I get to know what I want when it is clear to me, which when share to people allow me to communicate better with boldness and in positive present language’

Reflect back messages that are emotionally charge: This idea is important to me, because it will help me in communicating better. I said this idea will help me in communicating better, because I like listening a lot rather than talking, and I don’t usually know when to really respond to a conversation when a person who has completely taken over a conversation want me to support or respond to him or her. I really have this challenge of wanting to just say something in a conversation when all I want to do is just listen, because I don’t want the other person to see me as inconveniency for allowing them doing all the talking. But with this idea of reflecting back messages that are emotionally charge will make me a better listener and a good communicator, therefore relieving me of the feeling of being inconveniency to people. Reflecting back messages that are emotionally charged, with the knowing that people express their feeling when they are doing most of the talking and want a better feedback when they pause in the communication will really make me more of a better listener, by listening to what I need to grab in the conversation to reflect back in term of empathy.

In a group, much time is wasted when speakers aren’t certain what response they’re wanting: I put down this idea as one that is important to me, because reading the example that the writer gave in his book make me realized that leader or a spokesman are responsible for directing want they have to achieve what they wanted. When I went to Lagos last month and I was to present a short drama in the church, and the person in charge of the drama told me that the people who would be taking part in the drama was my responsibility. He gave the people their role, and he told me to bring out want I wanted to hear from their conversation, telling me the message they wanted to pass to the congregation. It look very great the way the drama was to be presented and very simple to act, because you are given what to be expected of, and what is required of the drama in term of letting you lead the role in your own way to bring out the response you needed, which fits the drama purpose.

Break patterns of thinking that lead to arguments or depression: This idea is important to me, because I don’t like leading myself to that point in a discussion that will eventually get to argument, which to me is a form of depression. For example, I have involved myself in the pass in argument that I got to know that people have ego, values and belief, which when you get to that point, which require you proving a point that may tamper with their belief, ego or values will bring about a conflicting argument. This conflicting argument or argument is always causing depression with the feeling of annoyance. Because of my past experience with argument, I have learnt breaking patterns of thought that could leads to argument.

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

These ideas will help me both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world by dealing with everybody as my customer in any communication, knowing that customers are always right, that people are entitled to their own opinion and expressed their feeling best.

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

I. We “ say a lot “ by listening for other people’s feeling and needs : This statement is important to me, because I see it as a way of helping others and improving myself from being judgmental or being disgusted by people action which they have decided to act out in their own ways.

II. “Anything that is worth doing is worth doing poorly!”: This idea is important to me, because I see it as a way of starting something, getting something done with the idea that it doesn’t matter how I fumbled at it, but how I can get to know the way to perfect it by just taking a step of imperfection.

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

Yes, I completed them and I find them useful and helpful, it makes you a better person and you worriless.

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

Rating

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 other? 10
E. What is the overall rating 698