As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Olutola Osadugba (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
James Allen is trying to tell me that I make my own destiny. I am who I think I am. My inner thoughts together with my outer experience and sacrifices among other things shape my being and make me who I really am. In this book, the author explains how our character are thoughts in action. When you have impure thoughts, you can never produce good actions. The human mind is the master of the body and it is what you make of it that will form who you are as an individual. Your thoughts produce actions, it determines your purpose, it determines your mood and it also determines your re-action to things around you.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a. I am in charge of my destiny.
I have failed in some aspects of my life (mostly career wise). I can choose to either allow my failure wear me down or choose to rise up from it. Ever since I failed to achieve greatness in my academic qualifications, I have had lots of discouragement particularly from those who believe that I can’t make it. To be honest, that has affected me in so many ways. I still think about the regret that comes with not putting in my best when I should have. I think about it and it still eats me up. From this book, I have come to realize that I need to let it go. My past doesn’t make me who I am. It is what I do with my mistakes in the present that would determine how well my future will turn out to be. Failure is not my destiny and I can only make it mine when I decide to continue to dwell on the past mistakes and not Focus on the present and how I can turn things around for myself.
b. To achieve greatness, sacrifice must be made.
There is no easy road. I have great aspirations and I envisage being successful. However, I need to realize that great things don’t come easy. It is always formed as a result of sacrifice, long suffering and patience. Choosing to accept this fact will make me have great patience in all that I do. The truth is that I can be impatient at times. I tend to always think that life should be on a fast lane and that things ought to happen quickly and sharply. Now I know that it is not so. The funny thing now is that I kind of know this rule of life but I choose not to accept it. After reading this book from James Allen. I have come to embrace the truth that Patience is truly a Virtue and it definitely never goes out of style.
c. My thoughts determine my actions.
When I see people achieve the success that I am yet to. I get discouraged and feel at times that I am not good enough and I am a failure. My thoughts are clouded with negative feelings and that shows in my actions. I become angry, frustrated and cranky. I even transfer aggression to people around me most times. James Allen is giving me the idea that it is okay to experience bad things, but what I choose to do with it is what matters.
Instead of choosing to dwell on my discouragement for not achieving it. I can choose to dwell on the positive side of encouraging myself that since the other person has achieved it, I can also achieve it. This can boost my morale and change my thoughts to sweet, vibrant and enthusiastic ones. Having the good thoughts would in turn change my actions towards people. I would be happy and encouraged to have great conversations.
d. Find a Purpose through your thoughts and focus on it.
As self-explanatory as it sounds, I used to find it difficult to do that. I have always wanted to be all over the place at the same time. A friend once told me that I have too many plans and dreams and that if I don’t focus on the important ones, I would find it difficult to get inspired to really achieve. For more than a year, I didn’t achieve much because I was busy focusing on all at once. Now I am choosing to pick one (okay maybe two because they are closely related) and focus on it. Channeling all my energy and expertise on that very dream would help in achieving better result.
e. My Body responds to my thoughts either positively or negatively.
I used to wonder why people always tell me that I have a serious look. I was always concerned and worried. I kind of look older than my age and maybe now I know why. Like Les, Brown once said “To enjoy life, don’t sweat the small stuffs. It is all small stuffs.” Life is not that hard and the sooner I realize that, the better for me and my looks. I don’t want to be the wrinkle-faced 35 year old woman who wouldn’t even break a smile at anyone for anything. I need to control my thoughts and make them happy thoughts so that I can stay happy, youthful and vibrant. Life is short after all.
f. Discover my Vision and Cherish it.
A dream I cannot die for is not worth living for. When I discover my dream and purpose in Life, it is important that I nurture and cherish it. Like James Allen said “The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart-this you will build your life by; this you will become.” It is important to always have the consciousness of what my vision and purpose in life is. This will help to shape me and my destiny.
g. Aspire to have a Calm mind.
A calm mind shows ripened experience and sacrifice. Having a calm mind can help to manage emotions and interactions with people. It also shows a level of great knowledge and self-control. Having an irritable temper is the worst of all character. It shows lack of control and lack of control can be the beginning of disaster.
I will strive to always maintain serenity in my mental state of mind. It will help me to achieve more than I can ever imagine. After all, Self-control is strength…Calmness is Power.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The truth is that I need to make conscious effort to meditate on these ideas and make sure I display them in my character and in my day to day 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.
“They themselves are makers of themselves.” This confirms that I am in charge of my life and I write my own destiny. How my life turns out to be is of my own doing and my own doing ALONE. It is important to me because this will guide me in my dealings with people and my values as a person.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
The writer said, “It is Pleasing to human vanity to believe that one suffers because of one’s virtue; but not until a man has extirpated every sickly, bitter, and impure from his soul, can he be in a position to know and declare that his sufferings are the result of his good, and not his bad qualities.” I disagree with this statement because there are times when a man is pure in heart and thoughts, yet he still finds himself short of some accomplishments in life. I understand that success is first a mindset before a state. But, it is important to note that that statement cannot be absolute because different factors can be in play. There are times that the heart is fully in tune with positive vibes and are void of any negative /bad thoughts, yet things become bleak and unsuccessful. Mother luck can sometimes not just shine on some people, not because they are not loved but because that’s the way nature wants it to be.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No comment.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Olutola Osadugba (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
That there is no limitation for anyone except the one you place on yourself. It is okay to be different. That being different doesn’t make you an outcast, it makes you special. Discovering your potential has nothing to do with rules. It has more to do with you.
That there is a Jonathan Seagull in every individual. The innate characteristics to excel and push limits. Don’t be afraid to explore and get freedom. In the end, your success will speak for you.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a. Don’t be afraid of being different
I am from a family of 7 and the truth is that I am termed the black sheep. For some reason, my way of thinking and reasoning has always been different. Initially, it got me scared and I started to think that maybe I would (like all other relatives who have supposedly failed) be the black sheep with no story to tell. Maybe, I would be the different one with low level of success and achievement. I always saw my siblings do things different and I wondered why I wasn’t like them. But then again, I thought, maybe being the black sheep might actually be a good thing. Reading this book from Richard Bach just gave me hope and confirmation that being different is not a bad thing.
I am not going to apologize for who I am. I am being myself and there is no shame in that. I will try to focus on how I can maximize my potential into being a black sheep to be reckoned with in my family and the society at large.
b. Dare to Dream
There are times that I inhibit myself and restrain from dreaming. I focus more on my problems and neglect the resources that I might have at my disposal. Jonathan Seagull was not afraid to dream. After getting successful at diving from 2,000 feet, he dreamt of more and had to try out the 5,000 feet dive. The Jonathan seagull in me shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. There will always be challenges in life. But, with challenges, come new experiences and one of the many ways by which a man can grow personally and professionally is to overcome challenges.
c. Strive for greatness no matter what
Just because I am different doesn’t mean that I need to brood and sulk over it. It is important that I channel my energy towards achieving greatness. Being different should be a plus for me because I am in my zone and that can give me room to discover great potentials. Because I am the odd one out, I try to use that to my advantage. I step out of my comfort zone and I give myself the opportunity to Not play by the rules. This has helped me to achieve some level of discovery and success and I want to continue to use this to my advantage. Now, because I am different, all eyes are on me. Everyone is curious and would want to know what I will achieve. This alone is motivation and inspiration for success. Knowing that you will have to prove them wrong is a task on its own and as long as you become great, no one cares if you were ever branded a Black sheep. Absolutely No One.
d. Explore
One thing I learned from Jonathan Seagull’s character is that he wasn’t afraid to explore. When he met Chiang, he had the chance to either remain in his comfort zone and go back to being a local champion or just explore other opportunities to get better. He chose the latter. To achieve greatness, you must be willing to explore. There are going to be people who know better than you, who can do better than you. What matters is how you can strive to be the better version of your kind by checking out and experimenting all opportunities necessary. As Jonathan told Fletcher “You need to keep finding yourself, a little more each day.” There are skills and talents that have been gifted to us. It is left to us to keep discovering those skills and learn to use them for our personal and professional development. Learning is for a lifetime and if you don’t explore, you restrict yourself to only a part of a learning process and not the whole.
e. Seek Freedom
Freedom gives peace of mind. There are times that I deliberately cut ties with certain friends and family, not because I need to, but because I have to- to get that inner peace and freedom. Freedom exposes your heart to peace and gives you hope of a new beginning. If Jonathan had not left the elders’ flock, he wouldn’t have achieved as much as he did. The truth is that, as humans, we are afraid of change. Even though change is constant, we still want to experience the change without having to bear the consequences.
Freedom gives you a sense of reasoning. It was when Jonathan left the flock that he was able to dive deep into the ocean for fish (something no one in the flock could do). The power to overcome the fear that comes with freedom is important. The trick according to Chiang is to know that my true nature lived, as perfect as an unwritten number, everywhere at once across space and time.
f. Love others
Even though his flock made him an outcast, Jonathan still had love for them and longed to go back to Earth. He tried to ignore it but his love for his people kept calling him back. It is normal to burn bridges to exhaustive relationships. The truth however is that love conquers all. Showing people love, even when they don’t deserve it, makes them see the good in themselves and can effect change. I hope to one day have the courage to express sincere love to those that have hurt me one way or the other. I hope to give myself to them through acts of service and care. Like Jonathan, he encouraged people to practice and see the realness in people, the good in every one of them, and to also help them see it in themselves. There is no point holding on to grudges when you can just let go and be at peace with yourself and with others.
g. Impart Knowledge
When all is said and done, Imparting knowledge to young ones, and those in need just like you once were, can change a life. Chiang found Jonathan, Jonathan found Fletcher. On and on…the knowledge found and acquired was passed unto generations. Achieving greatness is not an easy journey. Some people relish in their success and forget to pass on their wealth of knowledge to the younger generations. That kills the dream and hope. Because, just as you are going through your challenges, someone somewhere is also going through the same difficulty. You can be fortunate to get out of the situation on your own. Some might need the help of others to get out. One of my legacies is going to be able to help young people achieve greatness through spiritual, intellectual and emotional strengthening of their spirit and minds.
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?
There is a Jonathan Seagull in everybody. The power to want the best, to achieve greatness. These lessons will help me realize that to achieve greatness, a lot of sacrifices must be made. By applying these principles and ideas where necessary, I have the hope that the world will be a better place if everyone can relate to the life of Jonathan seagull.
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.
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly.”
Many look but don’t see. The inner mind holds great power to seeing and unlocking the potential to great success in life. Look with your mind. That’s the long and short of it.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
No.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
I like the story about Jonathan seagull. However, I expected the writer to have like a prologue and epilogue that can relate to the main context of the story. But, it’s all good. I enjoyed it.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Olutola Osadugba (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Dr. Maltz is telling me how Self-image is the core of every human’s personality, character and success. How you see yourself psychologically Will determine how you will live your life and how you can achieve success.As a plastic surgeon, Dr. Maltz has seen how self-image helps to change people and their personality. Positive attitude to life and situations is more important than having a perfect body feature. If the outward looks perfect and the inner mind is damaged, the totality of such individual will still be damaged and filled with pessimism no matter what.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a. The Human Brain is more unbelievable that we give it credit for.
Every now and then, we marvel at the functions and works of gadgets and we neglect the most important Gadget of all given to us by God; the BRAIN. People wonder how physicists, and great thinkers like Einstein came to be who they are. Truth is that they made use of the brain (something we humans all have). Within milliseconds, the human brain has the capacity to process information and even make use of data stored in its host’s environment. That is something to marvel at. If only we start to make good use of our brains and concentrate on exploring its endless power and strength. Only then would we have a great wealth of knowledge and ideas to make us better for a better society.
b. My Built-in Success Mechanism must have an end result in view.
If I cannot picture myself as a successful leader and entrepreneur, I might as well not try to do it at all. Imaginations have ways by which they shape the psyche of an individual. The phrase “Fake it till you make it” makes sense to me now. It is important to visualize yourself already there even before you get there. Mistakes and fear of failure might seem like obstacles but it is not in any way responsible for your mindset about success. Mistakes and failures are normal and it is okay to feel scared of making mistakes but it shouldn’t determine our attitude and how we view our success state. The good thing is that, according to the Dr. Maltz, the nervous system can’t tell the difference between real and imagined experiences. So be free to think and imagine yourself being that successful person you have always wanted to be. I do.
c. Trust your creative Mechanism.
I am guilty of worrying and clouding my creative mind with alternatives. While it is not intentional, I can make efforts to just trust that the problem presented to my brain would make use of my creative mind mechanism to search for results. If I look for alternatives every now and then, I rob my mind of its freewill and power to think. We believe that we can use our conscious thoughts and forebrain thinking to solve all our problems. Dr. Maltz is telling me that I should relax sometimes and let my success mechanism do its work. We can always avoid stress and anxiety if we give room for our success mechanism. This book makes me see that there can be victory by surrender.
d. There is no inferior or superior personality, you are simply You.
Most people want to think that, in order not to have inferiority complex, you need to develop a superiority complex. Dr. Maltz is telling me that there is no inferior or superior personality. You are just You and that is what it is. YOU are unique and there is only one type of You in the whole universe. To be honest, we can always strive to be like other people. We envy their lives and want what they have. They give us hope that one day, we too can be like them. They are the reason we believe and dream that we can achieve and become successful in life. The best we can do about longings like this is to strive to be the best version of oneself. This cannot happen without thinking about WHO WE ARE.
With this important point, I am drawn to determine who I am and Who I REALLY want to be.
e. Don’t feel unworthy of success
There are many times that I do feel unworthy of success. I feel I don’t deserve a particular level of success or appraisal. This has affected me in some ways and I even find it hard to acknowledge compliments. Dr. Maltz just made me realize that I don’t have to feel unworthy. I deserve it. As much as I have worked for it and given my all to achieve that success. My state of mind and environmental issues should not tell me that I don’t deserve it. I do.
f. Know what you want, not what you don’t want
I have way too many plans at times. I know what I don’t want but I don’t know what I want. I have been resorting to meditation for prioritizing. It is important to really decide what it is I want to channel my energy to. I have to constantly remind myself of the importance of staying true to a cause and following it to the end.
g. The Elan vital can be the real secret of youthfulness
Apart from the mindset of man and positivity that can bring youthfulness. There is a vital adaptive energy that serves as cure to the human body and mind. This adaptive energy (elan vital) changes the mentality and mindset of an individual. There is also RES (ReticuloEndothelial System) which is the connective tissues in the body. This RES, according to scientist like Dr. Selye, can act as anti-aging agents in the body. It is present in all parts of the body like the skin and it helps to fight invaders.This Elan vital and RES can only work well to heal individuals and make them youthful if they choose to keep the mindset. Dr. Maltz admits that psychological factors are involved in the healing of an individual. Do not only expect to heal but also have the optimism that you will heal.
It is important to always watch the inner mind and continue to let it stay positive no matter what happens. That determines a lot of things.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas will help me to understand how I need to pay close attention to my inner mind because that determines a lot of things. Focusing more on the inner mind can help me to realize potentials and hidden treasures.
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.
“Rightly speaking no man should attempt to be a success, but every man can and should attempt to be successful; trying to be a success in terms of acquiring prestige symbols and wearing certain badges leads to neuroticism, frustration and unhappiness. Striving to be successful brings not only material success, but satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.”
This quote reminds me of what an acquaintance once told me. He said, “Just be successful at something, Tola.” The truth is that most people measure success by material things. That might be what the society has pegged as standards for measuring success, but it doesn’t have to be absolute. Being successful in something as simple as putting a baby to sleep can bring so much sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
If I am successful in something, I find the joy and accomplishment to forge ahead and make new plans. This not only increases my sense of accomplishment, but also make me be at peace with myself. Dr. Maltz gave me the right quote that has not only changed my perspective about success but also my stance on how success should be achieved in day to day life. It doesn’t matter what I do, as long as I strive to be successful in it. Every other thing will fall in place.
5. is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
None.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
Yes, I completed the exercises and I find them helpful and it is something I can recommend for friends and family.
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, it is a perfect read and I have recommended it for 2 of my friends.
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? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Keys to Success
Assessment by Olutola Osadugba (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Napoleon Hill gave guides and principles on how to achieve lasting success. He emphasizes on a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) and explains how PMA is important for every individual striving to achieve great success in life.
The Mind is the master of the body after all.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Have a clear picture of what you really want:
Just like the book PsychoCybernetics by Dr. Maltz, You should know what you want. Most people know what they don’t want and continue to reject every possible opportunity that presents itself. Now Napoleon is saying it again that I should have a clear picture. It is important to know this because this narrows my focus and gives me the power to channel my energy and positivity to “That” thing. I think up until now, I never really knew what I wanted. I just know what I didn’t want. Since January, I have been able to read books and pray to God (Yes, I am Believer). Now, I have a path to follow and my goals, energy, and drive is towards that and nothing else.
ii. Have a positive mental attitude
Okay, to be honest, this can be hard sometimes. I am from Nigeria, and whoever reads the world news would know what has been happening in the country, with the recession and all. The truth is that when I think about that and the goals I have to achieve, I fear for myself and the coming generation. I hope to achieve my dreams not just in Nigeria, but in Africa and beyond. I want to be an agent of change and a Global Leader. Having a positive mental attitude in Nigeria comes with a lot of courage and strength. Even when your spirit is filled with Hope, you tune to the news and hear stories that are devastating.
Nonetheless, it is possible. Reading books like this help to motivate you and keep you going, even in trying times. I am happy to be a part of this, and I believe this will not only help to shape the minds of aspiring Global leaders like me but will also serve as the blueprint for generations to come.
iii. Whatever your mind can conceive or believe, it can achieve
The flow of infinite intelligence – which is your active faith in connection to the world resources depends on your mind. Our minds must be ready to tap into the core of the world’s subconscious. There, we will find so many opportunities to make meaningful changes to our environment. Napoleon Hill is telling me that I should free my mind and not allow it to be hindered by limitations. Truth is that we are quick to find excuses as to why something will not work. I choose to, from today, find the positive side of everything and always look for opportunities present in situations. Napoleon says it is important to have a definite desire for the achievement of any purpose you find for yourself.
iv. Get Rid of Fear and Replace it with Hope
This came out strong for me because I had to struggle with it. I had a lot of negative energy around me and I had to make a very tough decision to do away with it. It affected a lot of my relationships with friends, families and loved ones. Well, I have not regretted my decision since then. Almost all the seven types of fear highlighted by Napoleon Hill affected me. I became a shadow of myself. Now, after getting rid of them, I am in a new place, I enjoy the peace of mind and have the hope of a greater tomorrow. I am well rid of negativism and I have replaced it with hope and positive thinking. I am happy Napoleon Hill is confirming my convictions. Faith together with Hope is one of the best mental attitudes towards unlocking the keys to success.
v. Go the Extra mile and develop personal initiative
It is a common saying that “To become extraordinary, you need to do the extra that ordinary people do not do.” I have always known this somehow and I have believed that it actually works. However, I find it hard to understand what it means to develop a personal initiative. Yes, I am intuitive and proactive but when it comes to going the extra mile with important things and for people, it somehow becomes a problem for me. Hearing Napoleon say how important it is to go the extra mile and develop personal initiative makes me think about my life and how I handle my priorities. I have to think about what I want to be known for and how to handle situations with controlled emotions and good personal initiative.
vi. Budget your time and Money
Self-Discipline is something I have been struggling with for some time now. I am a principled Lady but I still find myself lacking in Self Discipline. I don’t know how to manage my time and I sometimes find it hard to keep track of my finances. I understand that I am more of a Doer than a drifter. I have the qualities but sometimes, I wonder what happened to my finances and how it happened. Okay, Maybe I am taking the whole thing too seriously. Maybe I need to understand that there are times your money and time can simply not be put to good use. It could be during the process of trying to make a sad friend happy or trying to spoil yourself silly for a job well done. Nonetheless, I still need to take charge and dictate what happens to my time and money. Or wait, maybe I still don’t understand what Napoleon means to budget your time and Money.
vii. Use Cosmic Habit force:
Napoléon Hill said, “Repetition of a Habit intensifies it until it becomes an obsession.” I say I couldn’t agree more. I have become so obsessed with Positive mental attitude of success that I find the sound of absolute failure absurd. Having the power to control your habit and fine-tune your desires to what is necessary is something we can all control as humans. A few years ago, I decided to start doing 50 squats a day. No time fixed, but just to do 50 squats before the start of the next day. After a month and some days into it. I discovered that I got so used to it that my mind and body seemed incomplete without it.
After a 6 month break (due to some level of indiscipline), I could hardly do 10 squats in a row. It took me a while before I got used to the 50 again. It takes 21 days to form a habit (or so they say), so why would I want to keep the negative habits. I’d rather get positive vibes and conceive great thoughts and imaginations than wallow in self-pity and negativism. I need to start using the Cosmic Habit force to my advantage.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas just give me the reason to want to always stay positive no matter what. I need to always remind myself that it begins with me. Whatever you think in your heart and conceive is what would Be around you. In creating a better world, it starts with me telling my friends and those around me the importance of having a positive mindset. Making them realize the harm in harboring negativity. I think that because of situations around us, it is easy to think of the worse than hope for the best. That way we don’t get disappointed. But, it doesn’t have to be like that. I need to start preaching it to people that a positive mental attitude never goes wrong.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“If you follow through on your willingness to deliver something useful in return for what you seek, the world will be compelled to reward you on your own terms.”
This is a powerful message to me. I read a book sometimes that said “if you look closely, your needs are a channel to a useful discovery.”
The quote by Napoleon just reiterates that quote. I have no words to describe this quote. It is just so Spot-on and it touched me right where it should. The world is always in favor of solution providers. Be one, that’s all.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
No.
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, Kind of.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 7
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Success through Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Olutola Osadugba (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Every aspect of success you can ever dream of having in life must first begin with you. You are what you think you are.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Learning to see
It is important to know that seeing is a learned process, and whatever we see is always an interpretation of the mind. Training the mind to interpret what we see is what most people don’t do. It is easy to see something and, let the mind wander and play around different possibilities. But, if we focus on the positive aspect of it, and continue to stay encouraged, only then do we master one of the important mental attitudes to achieve success. Learning to see will not only be beneficial to those around us, but also to success. I think most times, I get farsighted about some things and only relish the finished stage of a process. This causes lack of focus at times and makes me see only the fulfilled success stage forgetting that I have to work through it one step at a time. Learning to see is not enough if there is no Action to follow up with.
ii. Do it now!
Just as the statement implies, Do It Now. It is a self-starter to getting things done. I used to procrastinate and I found that enjoyable. But, when reality dawned on me, I realized that I needed to take charge of my time and be able to account for every second of it. Now, I can’t say that I am totally done with procrastination but I have made a lot of progress. I get that little voice in me always saying Do It Now Tola! I have heeded most times and it has been working for me.
iii. Is there a short cut to riches?
I am the product of my human composition (heredity, environment etc.) So Napoleon is saying that the short cut to riches is Think with PMA and grow rich! Positive Mental Attitude is important in everyday life, belief is a word I take very seriously. I like to think that as long as I believe, things would work for me and the funny thing is that it does! I have always known the importance of believing and seeing the positive side of every situation. It has always worked for me and is still working for me. I also believe that anything in life worth having is worth working for.
iv. Don’t be Afraid to be a Failure
As much as it is easy to relate to this statement, it is not easy to do. Failure will come, everyone knows that. We all have people looking up to us in different ways and one thing we dread is always the fear of failing and letting people see us fail. There is no perfect life and people are bound to fail. In fact, failure is normal for those striving to make something out of their lives. If you fail, it is not the end, it is what you after you fail that matters. I have seen this as something to think about and act upon. As long as I get up and try again after I have failed, nothing else matters. I remember when I failed during my undergraduate days in school. I was scared my Dad would disown me (not that he didn’t try to, though). I felt like the world had ended for me and I would never make something out of myself again. After a few months of sulking and thinking the worst of myself, I decided to get up and forget about it. I did forget about it and I focused on the good sides of it all and you know what? It helped me to rise up from it and get the best out of life. Since then, I have seen the need not to sulk or wallow in self-pity. When I fail, I check what went wrong. I get up and try again.
v. You are more apt to succeed if you do what comes naturally
This is a no-brainer, right? Yes, it is easy to say and everyone knows that but deep down we all know that doing this means we are taking a longer route to success. But then, that is the way it is meant to be. Whatever comes to you naturally will be easy to do and you will not grumble even when you are not getting success from it. Why? Because you find joy in it. Most people get jobs and careers just to end up with a lot of riches, which is why they start to grumble when the riches and success don’t come.
vi. It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us.
Napoleon says People make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around, you are being the most effective and efficient self. He also says that I shouldn’t assume I am wasting time when I take time out to think because thought is the foundation upon which all else is built by man. I read this paragraph and it touched me. Living in Lagos, many people find it hard to stop and Think. Through the hustle and bustle of life, they forget to think and think of how great ideas can come to be. I don’t ever want to be like one of those people. I will strive always to get a quiet time for myself. The slang “Quiet time” is what I use when studying the bible. But now, I should get another Quiet Time for myself where I can Think, Think and Think.
vii. Learn how to set goals
Now this is my best. Setting goals not only gives you a sense of purpose and direction but it also makes you better for it. I used to just live my life as it comes –I was living in the moment. Always believed that everything would work itself out. It wasn’t that easy for me to make the most of life because I always found a way to procrastinate and not do that crucial thing I needed to do. Then, I decided to set goals, and it got better. After reading some books about goal setting, I not only set goals now but I also used the BSQ goal setting system. This has helped me a lot because I get distracted easily. The BSQ goal setting technique stands for dream Big, act Small, move Quick. The first time I saw that it looked like a good thing to do and I tried it, first with getting a passport. I didn’t have the money to live well, let alone get a passport to use for abroad applications. I, then, decided to start saving towards getting one. I made sure I gave myself the deadline and guess what? Yes, I was able to do it. I felt happy and decided to stick with the technique ever since.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These lessons will continue to reaffirm my convictions about life and positivity. It is important to know what great advantage positivity is and why it is so important. I can be able to preach to those around me about Positive Mental Attitude and even prove it to 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.
No.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
No, everything is Crystal Clear.
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?
Not really, it gave examples to follow so you can say that they are exercises. I am putting everything into practice so it is safe to say that I am completing the exercises and Yes, they are Helpful.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9