As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Otso Philip Akpawo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author delves into the profound influence of the human mind, emphasizing that our thoughts are the vessel from which our reality is forged. The author contends that our aspirations and the individuals we aspire to be are fundamentally rooted in the fertile soil of our hearts’ ideation. In essence, the author asserts that our thoughts, when translated into action, shape the very essence of our beings. Through well-expressed style and moving examples, the author masterfully illustrates the potency of the mind’s creative force. They underscore that the essence of our existence is sculpted by the intricate dance of thought and action. By recognizing and harnessing this transformative power, individuals can chart a course towards the realization of their deepest aspirations and the actualization of their true selves.
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. Concentrated thinking is the great secret that separates winners from whiners.
This idea particularly stands out to me because it is relatable as I am a testament to the fact that intense thinking is a great recipe in winning life’s challenges. I was invited for two different job interviews at the same but different states. It was crystal clear that I will have to forfeit one for the other. I had to meticulously analyze the two opportunities; which am I having great chance of securing the job, what would the salary look like? Which will cost me more to get the job done? So many questions were deeply analyzed in my mind before I eventually took the bold step and come to a conclusion to attend the best so thought of me. It paid off eventually as it happens to be the best option.
ii. The idea of planting good thoughts in our mind.
Growing up, some of my daily routines which had to be followed religiously includes, morning devotion, helping mum to grind beans in the early hours of 6am, preparing and going to school, meditation, wrap up. (These sometimes are being followed with church activities). Mum will use the devotion hours to teach me life ethics, to think good about people, never to allow negative thought to becloud me, how to dream big and working towards what I love, how to treat people nicely among others, all these and more became my guiding principles as it has inculcated discipline in my daily life.
iii. Circumstances does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.
This idea is particularly important to me because it nullifies the weird feelings that a man is made of the circumstances he is in. as a matter of fact, it was only a few years back that I realized this rare truth. My phone could not access the internet and I am not financially buoyant to hire the service of a specialist, then the software engineer in me came out as I successfully fix the problem and started surfing the internet seamlessly. Truly, circumstances reveals oneself to himself.
iv. The body is the servant of the mind.
I used to think that the body acts on its own, more like the mind only works with the brain while the body acts independently. Here am I laughing at myself after realizing that the mind is actually the controller of the body. I can testify this with an event that happened at work, I was so tired that it seems almost impossible to lift a pin from the floor and I was having a mountain of task to be completed before the close of work, but I made up my mind to complete the job. I stood up voluntarily and to my amusement, my body obliged and I completed the tasks.
v. Being focused in our thoughts.
I love the idea of having direction in our thoughts as it will be a guiding principle to what will become of us. I was doing something earlier today and I switched without concluding the primary task, making me to lose focus and low productivity. Applying it to my thoughts, trying to avoid distractions is the best thing that has happened to me. These distractions mostly come unconsciously, it is up to me to be fully aware of my current state because what frequently happen to me is interchanging tasks even before completing the initial work, ending up having multiple unfinished work.
vi. Ability to know that a man’s strength and weakness are his own, not another man’s.
If there’s one idea I love most is the idea of self-discovery and realization of one’s utmost power. This becomes clearer when I reflect on my life generally, that whatever I am today is as a result of the accumulated careful thoughts and decisions I have taken, making me responsible for the life I live. My strength,weaknesses, lifestyle, perfection and imperfections are mine, not another mans. This will poise my heart to think positively each time to enable me have only positive results.
vii. Opting for serenity as our formidable weapon.
I am intrigued by the phrase calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. This is very relatable as one could only meditate effectively in a calm and serene environment with a sound mind. I used to have an I-don’t-care attitude in my early years of degree program, such that I can decide to study anywhere not minding the serenity of the environment. Moving forward, I took reflected on previous semester’s result, my overall performance, course performance and all, putting into consideration how I studied in each of them, it downed on me eventually that I performed better in those courses where I immersed myself to study in a calm and serene environment. As a matter of fact, I took it upon me to always have my quite time daily to reflect on previous day, assess the present situation and plan the next activity. This has helped me greatly not only in the physical life but my spiritual life as well. I get the best inspiration in my quite time and most decisions are taken at such periods.
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?
Put together, these ideas will generally shape my life both personally and professionally, say for instance, knowing that what a man thinks directly or indirectly affects who he is, these ideas will help me to be positive and idea-focused in my thinking and subsequent decision making. I believe that I yearn for a better world, I myself must strive for a positive change that will reflects how I wants others to treat and relate with me.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“He who has conquered doubts and fear has conquered failure; his every thoughts is allied with power.”
This quotes strikes me most chiefly because most times indecision sets-in in some circumstances due to fear, little do I know that these are signs of failure, not until I decided to face my fears and take calculated risks that I began to notice positive changes in my workspace.
“Aimlessness is a vice, as such, drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction, make his purpose a supreme duty; one of the great take-home from this quote is for me to stay focused regardless of the situation. Have a proper plan and follow these plan tentatively with utmost dedication, not being allowed to be distracted by friends or our present conditions.”
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 at all. The author was explicitly clear in his message.
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, just practical application which one can relate and effectively follow.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
None.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 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 Otso Philip Akpawo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author of the book, Richard Bach, is to give an illustration on how the human mind can be and how far we can achieve what we desire if we strive for mastery with patience. Richard Bach uses seagull in this context to because of their distinct characteristics which stand them out among other birds, arguing that if we imbibe these characteristics, we will sour beyond limits. Seagulls are highly adaptable, intelligent, social and tolerable character and a large heart to care for others; they are known for strong and graceful flights, making them travel long distance in search of food with a high resilience to harsh environment. All of these if been emulated, will make an individual to be extra-ordinary. In a nutshell, going an extra mile and everyday learning is the basic principle of life. Eating bread alone is not enough, on should spice it up with mayonnaise, butter, tea, etc. Similarly, having and banking on a single skill is not enough, one need to have multiple stream of income regardless of what the society perceive. The individual might be despised, rejected and even scorned, that should not make him/her to relent in the pursuit of excellence. Pick a trade, strive for mastery and impact lives.
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. Thinking out of the box.
One of the intriguing part I’ve personally learned in this book is thinking outside the box; not following convention but rather being innovative, creative as well as acting differently than the orthodox practices. Creative and disruptive thinking brings about innovations and subsequently bringing positive change both personally and professionally. Great technologies we are enjoying in our daily lives comes as a result of critical thinking and applications of those thoughts which leads to inventions. I once purchased an electrical appliance whose adapter is not the usual wall socket rather, it uses a car charger. The question then arose, how I will operate it considering the fact that I don’t need a car to execute the job to which it was purchased for. I went back to critically examine it, what does it take to power it and all. Looking at it, the adapter seems like that of a laptop charger, and boon, it struck me that I could simply change the power source to that of a laptop charger and there I have it, it worked! This I could achieve only because I gave a second thought to seek an alternative solution.
ii. Pursuing your dreams and aspirations could potentially lead to a shift in your relationships with family and friends.
As funny as it might be, thus has been one of the irony of life, that your dreams and aspiration might cost you rejection. Most times when ideas crosses our mind, trying to sell such brilliant ideas will be like a wild goose chase as most persons will not be in alignment with the reality of such vision, as a matter of fact, might consider you to be mentally unstable. Jonathan Seagull’s dream is to fly, fly so high seamlessly and effortlessly. But to the dismay of his parents who only wanted him like every other seagull, to go after food. He “just wants to know what he can do in the air and what he cannot”. Growing up, I only added an extra effort to the menial job I was doing, and that made me stood out. I was smallest to visit a site to help in loading and offloading bricks, I was rejected by the engineer because he felt I cannot lift a brick. Rather than feeling rejected and going home, I volunteered to help the selected worker, I was working with utmost optimism that the selected workers cannot match-up my strength. It was not too long that the owner of the property noticed me and offer me the job.
iii. My passion is my drive; I should act different if I want to be extraordinary.
I personally love doing what I love, this is one of my biggest motivation because I feel the joy of accomplishment in me while at it. Once there is passion and commitment in whatever I do, excellence becomes the order of the day like Seagull, when he was off by himself after neglecting his parent’s advice and despite being hungry was happy learning how to fly. Growing up, my mother wanted me to study mass communication or theater art as I am vocal and a jovial person. But I noticed that personally, I have great passion and genuine love working and playing with figures, I noticed I always pay key attention to detail, observe things and most times draw a conclusion from the observation, this made me more curious on how I could apply this in reality, hence the choice to study Statistics in higher education came handy.
iv. Taking one step at a time.
One of the biggest ideas I love is the stages of success attained in succession over time. Jonathan Seagull learnt one at a time, starting from speed then balancing. Likewise in career journey, one starts off from crèche, Nursery, Primary school, High school and subsequently Higher education. Before now, I started off as a volunteer in a high school as a mathematics teacher, this helps me as an individual to build myself on how to be organized and given detailed report writing. Over time I grew in patience and endurance while constantly building on myself. Truly, the journey of a thousand mile starts with a step.
v. Giving in to daily practice and being consistent.
Practice they say makes perfect. I have hold on to this adage as a guiding principle to most ventures I get involved in. Jonathan has made several attempts and failed in many, however, he did not give up, rather he becomes much more resilient, mounting up with strength and learning from the previous mistakes and perfected his steps, eventually setting a speed record. When I was learning excel, I studied the theory after which I went to my shell, feeling relaxed that I have mastered the skill. Not so long before a task came up which I could not deliver chiefly because I have forgotten, I had to go back to the drawing board to put in hands on practical daily until it became part of me. A little inconsistency will jeopardize all of one’s effort in learning a craft. Practice gives us the necessary experience for self-discovery on what we can do.
vi. No one understands my dream and vision more than myself.
While in my primary school, I had a wish then, to quickly finish my education and rest. Unknown to me that the mysteries of life are unveiled in our daily endeavor. I learn every day, from work ethics, personal and career growth, new words, new techniques and innovations among others. The author did not only inspire me to search for more knowledge but gave me a reason to press forward and I am not relenting. I have started a course on data science to further broaden my knowledge on analytical thinking and making informed decisions.
vii. Finding a purpose to life and not relenting at the peak of new success.
One of my biggest take-home in this book is finding my purpose. I am able to ask myself some key life-changing questions like who am I? What’s my purpose in life? What’s my dream and vision? How do I achieve them? What have I done and what am I doing now? All these and more are the questions I need to genuinely answer to fully explore my potential. I wouldn’t want to relent on new success rather, to see it as a drive to press on to the greater prize that is ahead. I want to strive for mastery, to understand the basic principle of what I do in order to perfect it. Above all, to live life with genuine love and kindness, wearing a contagious smile daily regardless of the circumstances.
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 directly affect my personal life firstly and then my immediate society and subsequently the world. Say for instance, I am building to be a better version of me, knowing that success is contagious, more persons will ask the how and when question. It is in my place as a change agent to share positive feedback to all in other to have a better world. Whatever I am learning today, I am not keeping it to myself alone, I will practice them and share as much as possible until everyone becomes a better version of themselves.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you;
None.
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?
No exercises.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
None.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 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 Otso Philip Akpawo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author of the book, Richard Bach, is to give an illustration on how the human mind can be and how far we can achieve what we desire if we strive for mastery with patience. Richard Bach uses seagull in this context to because of their distinct characteristics which stand them out among other birds, arguing that if we imbibe these characteristics, we will sour beyond limits. Seagulls are highly adaptable, intelligent, social and tolerable character and a large heart to care for others; they are known for strong and graceful flights, making them travel long distance in search of food with a high resilience to harsh environment. All of these if been emulated, will make an individual to be extra-ordinary. In a nutshell, going an extra mile and everyday learning is the basic principle of life. Eating bread alone is not enough, on should spice it up with mayonnaise, butter, tea, etc. Similarly, having and banking on a single skill is not enough, one need to have multiple stream of income regardless of what the society perceive. The individual might be despised, rejected and even scorned, that should not make him/her to relent in the pursuit of excellence. Pick a trade, strive for mastery and impact lives.
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. Thinking out of the box.
One of the intriguing part I’ve personally learned in this book is thinking outside the box; not following convention but rather being innovative, creative as well as acting differently than the orthodox practices. Creative and disruptive thinking brings about innovations and subsequently bringing positive change both personally and professionally. Great technologies we are enjoying in our daily lives comes as a result of critical thinking and applications of those thoughts which leads to inventions. I once purchased an electrical appliance whose adapter is not the usual wall socket rather, it uses a car charger. The question then arose, how I will operate it considering the fact that I don’t need a car to execute the job to which it was purchased for. I went back to critically examine it, what does it take to power it and all. Looking at it, the adapter seems like that of a laptop charger, and boon, it struck me that I could simply change the power source to that of a laptop charger and there I have it, it worked! This I could achieve only because I gave a second thought to seek an alternative solution.
ii. Pursuing your dreams and aspirations could potentially lead to a shift in your relationships with family and friends.
As funny as it might be, thus has been one of the irony of life, that your dreams and aspiration might cost you rejection. Most times when ideas crosses our mind, trying to sell such brilliant ideas will be like a wild goose chase as most persons will not be in alignment with the reality of such vision, as a matter of fact, might consider you to be mentally unstable. Jonathan Seagull’s dream is to fly, fly so high seamlessly and effortlessly. But to the dismay of his parents who only wanted him like every other seagull, to go after food. He “just wants to know what he can do in the air and what he cannot”. Growing up, I only added an extra effort to the menial job I was doing, and that made me stood out. I was smallest to visit a site to help in loading and offloading bricks, I was rejected by the engineer because he felt I cannot lift a brick. Rather than feeling rejected and going home, I volunteered to help the selected worker, I was working with utmost optimism that the selected workers cannot match-up my strength. It was not too long that the owner of the property noticed me and offer me the job.
iii. My passion is my drive; I should act different if I want to be extraordinary.
I personally love doing what I love, this is one of my biggest motivation because I feel the joy of accomplishment in me while at it. Once there is passion and commitment in whatever I do, excellence becomes the order of the day like Seagull, when he was off by himself after neglecting his parent’s advice and despite being hungry was happy learning how to fly. Growing up, my mother wanted me to study mass communication or theater art as I am vocal and a jovial person. But I noticed that personally, I have great passion and genuine love working and playing with figures, I noticed I always pay key attention to detail, observe things and most times draw a conclusion from the observation, this made me more curious on how I could apply this in reality, hence the choice to study Statistics in higher education came handy.
iv. Taking one step at a time.
One of the biggest ideas I love is the stages of success attained in succession over time. Jonathan Seagull learnt one at a time, starting from speed then balancing. Likewise in career journey, one starts off from crèche, Nursery, Primary school, High school and subsequently Higher education. Before now, I started off as a volunteer in a high school as a mathematics teacher, this helps me as an individual to build myself on how to be organized and given detailed report writing. Over time I grew in patience and endurance while constantly building on myself. Truly, the journey of a thousand mile starts with a step.
v. Giving in to daily practice and being consistent.
Practice they say makes perfect. I have hold on to this adage as a guiding principle to most ventures I get involved in. Jonathan has made several attempts and failed in many, however, he did not give up, rather he becomes much more resilient, mounting up with strength and learning from the previous mistakes and perfected his steps, eventually setting a speed record. When I was learning excel, I studied the theory after which I went to my shell, feeling relaxed that I have mastered the skill. Not so long before a task came up which I could not deliver chiefly because I have forgotten, I had to go back to the drawing board to put in hands on practical daily until it became part of me. A little inconsistency will jeopardize all of one’s effort in learning a craft. Practice gives us the necessary experience for self-discovery on what we can do.
vi. No one understands my dream and vision more than myself.
While in my primary school, I had a wish then, to quickly finish my education and rest. Unknown to me that the mysteries of life are unveiled in our daily endeavor. I learn every day, from work ethics, personal and career growth, new words, new techniques and innovations among others. The author did not only inspire me to search for more knowledge but gave me a reason to press forward and I am not relenting. I have started a course on data science to further broaden my knowledge on analytical thinking and making informed decisions.
vii. Finding a purpose to life and not relenting at the peak of new success.
One of my biggest take-home in this book is finding my purpose. I am able to ask myself some key life-changing questions like who am I? What’s my purpose in life? What’s my dream and vision? How do I achieve them? What have I done and what am I doing now? All these and more are the questions I need to genuinely answer to fully explore my potential. I wouldn’t want to relent on new success rather, to see it as a drive to press on to the greater prize that is ahead. I want to strive for mastery, to understand the basic principle of what I do in order to perfect it. Above all, to live life with genuine love and kindness, wearing a contagious smile daily regardless of the circumstances.
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 directly affect my personal life firstly and then my immediate society and subsequently the world. Say for instance, I am building to be a better version of me, knowing that success is contagious, more persons will ask the how and when question. It is in my place as a change agent to share positive feedback to all in other to have a better world. Whatever I am learning today, I am not keeping it to myself alone, I will practice them and share as much as possible until everyone becomes a better version of themselves.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you;
None.
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?
No exercises.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
None.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 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
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Otso Philip Akpawo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main context of “PsychoCybernetics” revolves around the idea that individuals can achieve personal fulfilment, success, and happiness by understanding and connecting the power of their own minds. Psycho-Cybernetics emphasizes the power of the mind in achieving success and happiness. Dr. Maxwell Maltz, its author, underscores the importance of self-image in shaping our outcomes, asserting that our actions and achievements are heavily influenced by our beliefs about ourselves. He noted that a positive self-image of us created within the mind does not only help us achieve our goals but help us to reprogram our subconscious minds for success. Maltz stresses the significance of embracing failure as feedback and encourages readers to harness the mind’s plasticity to overcome self-imposed limitations, ultimately enabling them to lead more fulfilling lives by aligning their thoughts and actions with their desired outcomes. It also explores the relationship between self-image, beliefs and behavior.
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. We act according to the image we create of ourselves.
Our imagination has the potential to shape our reality. Prior to my school life in higher institution, I used to imagine that’s some persons were born perfect, not until I after my year one that I figured out it is an intentional effort by an individual, striving to become the best version of ourselves. This became possible with a deep sober reflection, with my actions portraying what’s in my mind. Psycho-cybernetics helps to deepen my knowledge on the true image of myself, being that I act out of the abundant thoughts on my mind.
ii. We’re hypnotized by negative beliefs, the power of rational thinking can lay them to rest.
Sometimes life challenges us with negative beliefs, such that it makes us to lose focus and purpose in life. However, this masterpiece from Maltz stresses that positive affirmations can rewire our subconscious beliefs and boost self-esteem. For example, repeating affirmations such as “I am confident and capable” can gradually shift our self-image towards greater confidence rather than the obvious negative outburst we cry mostly when faced with life’s great challenges. Rather than saying I can’t do it, I would simply say “I can do it” or it is possible. This is one of the exercise I keyed into and it has helped me greatly in overcoming some of my fears.
iii. The human body contains mechanism that is driven by imagination
One of the ideas argued by Maltz is that our body is driven by imaginations, an image of ourselves that is created within our mind helps to propel us towards the realization of our dreams. Our body never stops creating great ideas, both positive and negative, it is up to us to decide which of them we want to subscribe to as it will greatly affect the level of goals we could achieve in life. I have never stopped dreaming big regardless of the situation since I began reading Psycho-Cybernetics as I believe there is no limit to what I can do or where I can work.
iv. Being aware of what causes failure is key to achieving success
Maltz suggests that failure is not permanent but rather a learning opportunity to build upon the existing strategy; an avenue to learn and improve on the approach for future success. When faced with obstacles, we should visualize overcoming them and achieving success, in so doing, we have conquered the challenge even before it comes. It is also paramount to learn from other’s failure rather than failing ourselves just to prove a point.
v. Attend to your emotions and unleash your real personality
Our emotions plays a great deal in shaping our reality, what we allow to get to our subconscious mind might play a great deal to our personality. Personally, I tend not to be active when I allow my emotions to play me down, in order to be vibrant at all times, I don’t let my emotions down regardless of the situation, I could be deeply hurt but rather than thinking or being depressed, I in turn will make a joke out of the situation just to be happy. At times I will just take a deep breath and relax as relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation can help calm the mind and enhance mental clarity. The book also emphasizes that our self-image determines our actions and perceptions. If we see ourselves as confident and capable, we are more likely to achieve success. For instance, a person with a positive self-image may be more inclined to take risks and pursue opportunities. Visualizing our desired outcomes can help reprogram our subconscious mind and align our actions with our goals.
vi. We can stimulate creativity and make ourselves happy
Passion to me is what makes an individual happy, having passion in what you are doing does not only makes you fulfilled but also helps in filling the lacuna in the society. One this that makes a man happy and proud in the society is seeing that their ideas or services a solving at least on problem in the society. The best in us will come out when we begin to create what we want to see. Setting specific, achievable goals also provides direction and motivation on what to do and how to do it. Surrounding ourselves with supportive people and uplifting environments can reinforce positive self-image and beliefs. One big life lesson I’ve learnt in life is that an I need to surround myself with a tribe of mentors who will support, advice and correct me when I am on the wrong track.
vii. We can achieve success through practicing positive affirmations
During my 200level in my undergraduate days, I got scared of a core course, Statistical Theory, one because those that passed through it in my department always complained on how hard the course is. Considering the credit unit it carries and how important it is to my CGP, I began to ask questions as to why it is hard and why most persons fail. Most of their responses are attributed to the broad nature of the course and how strict the lecturer is, so I decided to learn from that and take out the fear in me, studying twice as I used to in previous courses, this singular act did not only make me pass the course but improved my general performance and made me overcome my fears. Through positive thinking, fear will be eradicated and success will be the order of the day.
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 thought-out lessons from this masterpiece will not just help me personally but also professionally. Over time, I have had this low esteem syndrome on myself, thinking I have to be a master in a profession before I could practice, forgetting that failure is also part of the problem. My first public speaking that encompasses different demographics including Professors and Doctorate Degree holders was in Kebbi State in 2022. I was scared to mount the podium because I was scared, what if I come across questions I cannot answer? Would they even pay attention to what I will say? But in the twinkle of an eye, I was there delivery my lectures, attending to questions, I understood better that I had value in my note and was eventually proud of myself. The next day became a smooth ride as I have overcome my fear. This masterpiece has consolidated the fact that I need not to fear of whatever may come my way, failure will only give me lessons to learn to be able to better myself.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you;
“The self-image is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self-image and you change the personality and the behavior.”
This is important to me because it makes me to look at myself with a different perspective, not the regular scared Otso Philip.
“The most important thing about a person is his estimate of himself. If he thinks he is a little, he will act a little. If he thinks he is big, he will act big.”
Similar to the quote above, Maltz encapsulates that I should not think or look less on myself, rather I should explore the world of impossibilities as picture myself overcoming every obstacles.
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 that I could think of.
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 practice them and I find them rather helpful to me.
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 was well detailed and self-explanatory.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9