Students Testimonials

Student Testimonials
In the first writing exercise in Level Three we ask students to write a summary of what they have learned in Levels One & Two and how the Institute studies have affected their lives. The students below have reached this Level in their studies.

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1:
Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples. This assessment should be a minimum of one page and a maximum of three pages, single spaced in word format.

Mantsebeng Suzan Maepe (Lesotho)
suzanmaepe@gmail.com

How Have You Changed?

I came across International Institute of Global Leadership when I was still an impressionable student in tertiary. It had come at a time when I was on a soul searching journey of who I was as a person, and how I wanted to live my life.

From the first two books that were my introductory level books at IIGL, I particularly liked James Allen’s “As a Man Thinketh.” From the very first moment that I laid my eyes on the words in the book, I knew I would never be the same again. Being a book worm since my formative years in primary, I loved the written word since around the ages of six years when I learned how to read. But my readings had mostly been fiction work, I had never read the self-development, biographies or leadership books.

I started my leadership and self-development journey with IIGL as a second year pursuing my undergraduate degree. I had undergone a very dramatic change in my life at that point, having experienced my first fear; my fear of failure. I had failed one module in my course, and coming from a background of having always been among the top performers in my grade, I felt that by failing I had not only let myself but my family and relatives who believed in my intelligence down. The first book, As a Man Thinketh, was the perfect antidote to the negative self-beliefs that had started to emanate to myself as doubts started creeping in when. Feelings such as, “You are not really as smart as you thought, so you really thought you were all that hey, newsflash, you are just like the rest of us’ were slowly trying to build a home in my thought system.”

The ideologies in the book indicated that I would be the exact product of my thoughts. I knew that I would be heading downhill if I did not change my thoughts. One particular book that was very integral to helping change my mind set, was also Success through Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). I worked on cultivating a positive Mindset, re-directing negative thoughts and deciding that I had the abundance of opportunities out there waiting for me. I came to realize failing as one of the best thing to ever happen to me at the time as it liberated me from my fear of failure. Because of failure, I was able to become courageous and to go after passions I had without fear of rejection or failure as I had been scared of before. I took back my power and realized that I am the author of my own dreams. This is a summary of how my life has changed since I enrolled as an IIGL student.

1. I began taking responsibility over my own life.
I realized that 10% of life is what happens to us, but 90% is how we respond to it. Ever since I learned of this, there was a paradigm shift in how I viewed life, and experiences. My life changed when I began taking responsibility for my life, my actions and the decisions that I take. I am the author of my own life, when I make mistakes or make bad decisions. My life consists of the 3 Cs. I know that I have to make choices to take chances that life offers in order to make changes in my life. I had the choice to decide whether I would let the fear of failure or rejection dictate my life and hinder me from trying some of my biggest passions. I began watching my thoughts and realized that one of the things I missed most of I made the choice to start writing, that year I approached some media houses and began contributing articles to them, I began doing outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing which I loved. Taking for my life, also helped in my work life, when I joined the Non-Governmental sector. I managed a district with over 45 team members who I was supposed to lead. Having assumed the position when I was only 24 years, a lot of people used to judge me because of my small petite body and my young age. It was a lot of responsibility to assume, but because of the leadership training I had received at IIGL I was able to manage it.

2. I was able to define my Vision for my life.
I was able to define what my vision for my life was; clearly articulated my goals and the dreams I wanted to achieve in my life. I knew I wanted to serve the world with my gifts, to contribute to youth development. This ultimately helped me charter an unforeseen trajectory in my life, where I enrolled for a certificate program on child and youth development while I was still balancing my Economics degree. Becoming more self-aware, through the tools in the IIGL books, I was able to realize this passion of working with children, and also the importance of having great leadership structures in place. This ultimately also helped me realize my passion for working with young people to achieve the Sustainable development goals.

3. My time management skills improved.
The principles of highly effective people, was one of the books that taught me better time management skills. As a huge procrastinator, I used to miss out on so many opportunities because of lack of effective time management strategies. Through the skills I was able to actually improve my procrastination habits and this assisted my mostly in the day to day management of project management. With an accelerating project, it was often not easy to manage and juggle school on the side and also being there for my family and friends as well.

4. I became more self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses.
Since I began the journey of self-improvement, I have become more self- aware. I have had to go on a self-actualization journey. This has helped me become more aware of my strengths are, as well as my weaknesses. Realizing my weaknesses actually helps me work more on improving them. I also learned to have compassion for myself and forgive myself when I make mistakes. That is one of the most difficult things, forgiving oneself for not knowing better or doing better.

5. My relationship with others improved tremendously.
Not only did I improve the relationship with myself but with other people, having become a bit more self-aware of my actions with my family, friends and community. I recall when I was amidst a conflict in the community where some of the people we work with, were in a feud and did not want to work together in an initiative that required working together in a group. I was able to assist in the conflict through the principles in had learned in Non-violent communication. I know how overwhelmed i would have felt, had I not learned from such instrumental books how to go about assisting in conflict resolution. I was also a better leader to my team because of it. The biggest compliment i received from my team, was that I had never made them feel like I was their boss but was rather a friend in whom they could confide in and was a source of inspiration through the life I led. To me that was the best reward ever as I believe in servant leadership.

Cheurombo Pswarayi (Zimbabwe)
cheupswarayi@yahoo.com

What have I learned, How have I Changed

I remember reading my first book in the studies, the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The concept of transformation of excelling, of being in a different realm than others and having the abilities to go beyond the ordinary truck a cord with me at that time. I’m yet to repeat the book but the impression it gave me made me commit to reading “self-help and self-improvement books.” I had always held onto the notion that reading such types of books was for individuals who’re too scared to map out their own lives, or discover on their own what life has to offer. The empowerment and self-belief I had though made me want to go through as many such books as possible. I made a commitment to finish the studies as quickly as possible and have the experience under my belt.

I’ve accepted how much life can be simplified by leveraging other people’s insights, experience and expertise. Reading the books that I have in levels one and two have given me access to this resource at no charge at all. I find myself speaking with authority over subjects of positivity and influencing and this is derived from the books I’ve read.
I’ve grown in my confidence in self. I used to be very timid and unsure about myself. I’m the person who’d listen to a debate and then look to the other people to voice their opinions first so that I can shape mine and then just echo what they say. That is now a thing of the past. I’m unafraid to speak first, or to express different opinions to those I respect. My confidence in my successes have led me to lead my team with more authority. A fact I truly enjoy. The confidence boost is also closely linked to the self-acceptance.

These two years of going through Levels One and Two (way more than what was supposed to be!) I have had other opportunities and experiences availing themselves to me and I can affirm that my experience, acceptance and making the most of the opportunities have been shaped in no small way by the books I’ve been reading. I’ve been more receptive to my environment without being angry at situations. I appreciate all the more how the people I meet and interact with are not a mistake. Each individual plays a role in shaping me up to be the person I am.

I have an increased appetite for reading has also been another result/side effect of taking up the course. I’m pleasantly surprised at how much information I’ve absorbed. I’m also not daunted by thick editions of books anymore and I know once I start the next step is to complete the book. I registered for my law degree last year. The course involves a lot of reading for reference. Being a student of IIGL has meant that I’m not starting the notion of reading from scratch but I’m simply stepping up from what I was already doing.
With regards to my spiritual beliefs, I’m a Christian and have been one for as long as I remember. Reading the texts that I have the opportunity to read, my beliefs have been reinforced and strengthened. I believe in God and Jesus. In a purpose that is not a destination but a journey. Some of the texts refer to a being, a force and for me, that was God being talked about. I enjoyed some quotes from the Bible as well from some of the books. What I also appreciate more though, is the diversity of religions. The difference between religion and spirituality has also been highlighted to me. Initially I thought it would make me negatively question the catholic system which I’ve been a part of most of my life. Contrary to that, I enjoy it more fully. I have made an informed decision to choose the faith I belong to. I also understand and respect other religions.

I’m generally more knowledgeable than I was 2 years ago before I’d started the course. The totally new knowledge I now have includes the art of mind mapping, the art of influencing and the accurate way to set goals. I have also improved my communication skills and effectiveness and efficiency.

Surprisingly, because I didn’t expect this from an online course, I have been able to increase my network. Last year I was contacted by a gentleman from the USA who’d seen my profile on the website. He was visiting Zimbabwe with his son and wanted to meet up to hear about my work. We had the opportunity to have coffee and discuss my work and his. It was awesome, inspiring and uplifting. During this COVID 19 lockdown we’ve communicate as well and the offer to support in any initiatives being undertaken in Zimbabwe has been extended. I’m overjoyed by this. I’m also proud to say that I have been elected to be on the board of IIGL! It’s a huge honor, I feel this kind of network of individuals whom I sincerely respect because most have completed this course is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I intend to serve and contribute positively. My interaction and feedback from Deb has always been positive, encouraging and motivating. I sincerely feel like she has my back, I hope to have hers in some way at some point as well.
With regards to my personality my patience and tolerance levels have increased. I used to be impatient with people whom I viewed as not understanding of the person I am. Even though I would sing constantly in church to say I need to seek more to understand than be understood, somehow the message wasn’t really sinking in that I had to understand more than seek to be understood. It’s enlightening to introspect and identify the weaknesses within me. I noticed that I was deflecting some of my weaknesses to my employees. I was passing on the buck and finding blame in others when things went wrong. I’m on the path to recovery. Being aware of the tendencies has helped.

I have noticed a change in my relationships. I am more intentional in my interactions with my friends. What I realised was that some of the relationships were not benefitting me because they carried a lot of negative energy. I have consciously made a decision not to let naysayers discourage me from setting ambitious goals and going after them. People’s negativity doesn’t dampen my spirits anymore. Usually it now spurs me to I have also made a conscious effort to strengthen relationships with positively minded people. I have built positive relationships from mentors. I approached a couple of individuals to mentor me and those relationships have provided a sounding board. I have also got assistance to improve my strategic skills in order for me to become a better CEO.

I can set targets, not meet them initially, but I can still proceed to work towards achieving those goals. When I started the program I was convinced I’d set a record in fastest achievements with the highest scores, if at any point there’d be a scoring system. One of the quotes I’ve come across is life happens when we’re busy planning. The flexibility of the program has managed to keep me in the system up to this point where I’m successfully getting the first assignment of Level Three. It gives me a sense of pride and a very big dose of motivation. When at first I don’t meet targets, it doesn’t mean they’re off the table. The last book I read mentioned that the goal is never wrong, sometimes what’s at fault is the how to achieve part. Another important lesson which I’ve derived from not meeting the completion target I’d set for myself in this course is to be realistic in my expectations. This is however a constant back and forth debate within myself because I would like to set ambitious goals and achieve them. I am still working out a balance. I believe I’ve come a long way however from when I started.

The different books have had exercises for the reader. What I discovered was that the exercises forced me to take longer in actually reading the books. This has taught me to read in order to apply and implement knowledge instead of ticking a box to say completed. I am a more thorough reader since starting the course. The standard questions required to be answered as assessment after each book had also taught me to ready with the intention of grasping concepts being explored. Sometimes instead of just 7 ideas my first drafts would have 11 main ideas. It then forced me to combine some point. There were a couple of cases as well were the ideas would be fewer than the seven required. These situations would motivate me to further analyse the book. I am generally a more disciplined reader because of the 2 Levels I’ve completed of my studies. I’ve grown, positively. The IIGL studies have been so embedded in my life these last two years I find it difficult to separate the improvement to self that have happened from it.

Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)
eusebiustobechukwu@gmail.com

How Have I Changed?

My Journey through IIGL so far is the best thing that is happening to me in life right now; it has made me to understand to a great extent that I don’t just exist but that I am very special in the unfinished work of creation because of my development of a healthy self image. It is revolutionary because there has been a mind re-orientation and a positive adjustment of my world view about life as well as a change in my behavioral patterns that are tailored towards success-driven and goal-oriented lifestyle. The positive mental impact IIGL has had on me cannot be easily summarized to the fullest in essay writing as it is better experienced than imagined or narrated. The following paragraphs are an attempt to explain how my journey in IIGL so far has changed me.

Since my journey started in IIGL, I have experienced an adjustment in my self-image to a healthier one at that. I now see myself as a creative life force, a builder, and a blessing to my family, friends, the society and the world at large. I consider myself very important in the unfinished work of creation. This perception wouldn’t be easily made clear to me, as well as consciously and thoughtfully developed if I had not been exposed to the classic book, “Psycho-cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz as part of my level one books. An exposure to this book has made me passed through the furnace of mental reprogramming. Since I read this book, I have been in the practice of upholding and maintaining a higher sense of healthy self-image by living consciously, improving what I can change and accepting what I can’t change as we all know, self acceptance leads to self improvement; practicing self responsibility; self-assertiveness; living purposefully; planning and upholding a strong sense of purpose and personal integrity. This is as a result of my self-knowledge and my adjusted personal belief system as different from what the majority belief is good about me and for me.

IIGL has instilled in me the habit of passionately reading self-help, leadership and business books alongside my professional books. I tend to become a voracious reader and I have developed the capability of reading at least one of such books per week with a full grasp of the contents. It is said that, “What food is to the body, reading is to the brain,” therefore the benefits I have experienced from being a voracious reader cannot be overemphasized, they include: feeding my brain, improved vocabulary, meeting interesting people with advanced mindset (because of the law of attraction), becoming a better version of myself deliberately, it serves as exercise for the memory, it opens my mind, it improves my focus, and improves the world around me.

Another very remarkable benefit of being an IIGL student is the practice of deliberate meditation and spirituality consciousness which have been improving tremendously and progressively as I journey through IIGL. This mind shift started by applying the ideas or lessons learnt from the book “Real Magic” by Wayne W. Dyer and this book really revolutionized my life in terms of my thoughts and actions; I seem to be more spiritual and purposeful than how I used to be before reading the book. I now practice meditation at least once daily and I have a transcended view of every issue because I always look beyond how things are now, but focus on how things can be by employing the power of imagination and visualization. Funny enough, this way of thinking and mindset eventually becomes my reality. Things thought otherwise to be impossible in the past become very possible for me because of my belief in possibilities and meditation for solutions as a spiritual being. The lessons learned from this book and my journey through IIGL so far have made me to pay less attention to worries, but instead focus more on my purpose and give all my energy to it daily until someday, somehow, and by some form of unseen forces see my goals and desires manifest magically in ways I can truly describe as real magic. Little wonder, in the last quarter of 2019 when I evaluated my life, I saw a litany of unsolved problems or better still, challenges. I was worried about them initially, but took a positive step after my exposure to the classic book, Real Magic, which I picked up at that time, because I needed encouragement badly to push forward. After reading a few pages of this wonderful epic book, I started experiencing mind transformation. I then, wrote down all what I really wanted to accomplish before the year ran out. I started thinking deeply on how these goals can come through. But by believing and taking positive actions as a result of the inspiration drawn from this book, I started seeing results little by little. I later accomplished over 70% of my goals for that year. With this renewed zeal, I became tremendously driven towards living a purposeful life. This is a confirmation of what Wayne W. Dyer wrote in his book, Real Magic, that, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Also, another yet important personal benefits I gained in my journey with IIGL so far is a reinforcement of my commitment to giving; giving of my time, service, efforts, materials and money to the people that need them in the world. It is often said that, it is more blessed to give than to receive and that, giving is living. As I give out my resources and time to humanity, I discovered that, I am happier, wiser and more fulfilled in such a way that I experience an alignment and oneness with the universe. Such a feeling, to me, is better experienced than described or imagined. That is the greatest service of purpose and inner worth anyone can offer the world.

With the awareness gained from studying non-violent communications, I have become conscious about my communication skills and my attention given to how best to communicate honestly and non-judgmentally with others. I have also learnt some of the applications of the science of neuro-linguistic programming, NLP, and how it applies to communication in general; whether in the personal or corporate world. Therefore, to gain the trust and confidence of others as I tend to guide or lead others at various levels, I learned to develop and devote time and attention to listen to people non-judgmentally and empathically if I must make any impact with my advice, suggestions or guidance to them. I do this regularly with my students as I tend to advice and re-direct them aright on the best option(s) or decision(s) to take when they approach me with their multiple personal challenges.

I have been exposed to the requirements of successful leadership. My journey through IIGL has taught me that there are three key leadership skills that successful leadership requires. These include: (i) elicit the cooperation of others, (ii) listen, and (iii) put others before yourself, in order to achieve a goal. As I reflect on these three skills, I started applying them when mentoring my students as they come to me for counseling. Because of this new awareness, I don’t just treat issues superficially, but from a deeper place as I carefully listen to my students in school, this time more empathically and try to put them first before considering myself. Now, there is this scenario about my students whom I teach that are in their final certificate class and needed me to teach them a few topics in Mathematics because they believe I could teach them better. I then asked them to give me some time to consider it because that was outside the jurisdiction of my job description since they have a teacher for the subject at that level already, even though I was once their Mathematics teacher at a lower level. It took me sometime, but after my studies of the book, “Leadership for Dummies” by Marshall Loeb and Stephen Kindel, I decided to take the pain of fixing a convenient time for them (and they were very happy about it) first before considering the odd hours for my personal goal. This is also a demonstration of putting others first. This decision was done to enable them succeed in their final exams in one sitting.

I have been able to develop a sense of urgency towards goal achievement as part of my lessons learnt so far with my journey in IIGL. As Brian Tracy and Anthony Robbins would advise, take action, a massive action at that, and take that action immediately. As such, when I set my daily, weekly and even monthly goals, I tend to be more conscious about it and take actions immediately on my most important tasks and maintain the course with little or no distraction(s) most of the time through to its completion. With that, I have become very happy about my life because I am convinced now that I am living a life of purpose and that my self-esteem and self-confidence has increased tremendously.

Finally, the realization and reassurance I gained from my IIGL studies about the working principles of and how to tap into the power of my mind; my super-conscious mind, my God-mind or the infinite intelligence to be specific, is one of the single most important knowledge and understanding I will forever be grateful to IIGL for learning and internalizing. It is the starting point of great exploit in the world of form and it’s truly the most powerful creative force found in the human body.

Mantsebeng Suzan Maepe (Lesotho)
suzanmaepe@gmail.com

How Have You Changed?

I came across International Institute of Global Leadership when I was still an impressionable student in tertiary. It had come at a time when I was on a soul searching journey of who I was as a person, and how I wanted to live my life.

From the first two books that were my introductory level books at IIGL, I particularly liked James Allen’s “As a Man Thinketh.” From the very first moment that I laid my eyes on the words in the book, I knew I would never be the same again. Being a book worm since my formative years in primary, I loved the written word since around the ages of six years when I learned how to read. But my readings had mostly been fiction work, I had never read the self-development, biographies or leadership books.

I started my leadership and self-development journey with IIGL as a second year pursuing my undergraduate degree. I had undergone a very dramatic change in my life at that point, having experienced my first fear; my fear of failure. I had failed one module in my course, and coming from a background of having always been among the top performers in my grade, I felt that by failing I had not only let myself but my family and relatives who believed in my intelligence down. The first book, As a Man Thinketh, was the perfect antidote to the negative self-beliefs that had started to emanate to myself as doubts started creeping in when. Feelings such as, “You are not really as smart as you thought, so you really thought you were all that hey, newsflash, you are just like the rest of us’ were slowly trying to build a home in my thought system.”

The ideologies in the book indicated that I would be the exact product of my thoughts. I knew that I would be heading downhill if I did not change my thoughts. One particular book that was very integral to helping change my mind set, was also Success through Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). I worked on cultivating a positive Mindset, re-directing negative thoughts and deciding that I had the abundance of opportunities out there waiting for me. I came to realize failing as one of the best thing to ever happen to me at the time as it liberated me from my fear of failure. Because of failure, I was able to become courageous and to go after passions I had without fear of rejection or failure as I had been scared of before. I took back my power and realized that I am the author of my own dreams. This is a summary of how my life has changed since I enrolled as an IIGL student.

1. I began taking responsibility over my own life.
I realized that 10% of life is what happens to us, but 90% is how we respond to it. Ever since I learned of this, there was a paradigm shift in how I viewed life, and experiences. My life changed when I began taking responsibility for my life, my actions and the decisions that I take. I am the author of my own life, when I make mistakes or make bad decisions. My life consists of the 3 Cs. I know that I have to make choices to take chances that life offers in order to make changes in my life. I had the choice to decide whether I would let the fear of failure or rejection dictate my life and hinder me from trying some of my biggest passions. I began watching my thoughts and realized that one of the things I missed most of I made the choice to start writing, that year I approached some media houses and began contributing articles to them, I began doing outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing which I loved. Taking for my life, also helped in my work life, when I joined the Non-Governmental sector. I managed a district with over 45 team members who I was supposed to lead. Having assumed the position when I was only 24 years, a lot of people used to judge me because of my small petite body and my young age. It was a lot of responsibility to assume, but because of the leadership training I had received at IIGL I was able to manage it.

2. I was able to define my Vision for my life.
I was able to define what my vision for my life was; clearly articulated my goals and the dreams I wanted to achieve in my life. I knew I wanted to serve the world with my gifts, to contribute to youth development. This ultimately helped me charter an unforeseen trajectory in my life, where I enrolled for a certificate program on child and youth development while I was still balancing my Economics degree. Becoming more self-aware, through the tools in the IIGL books, I was able to realize this passion of working with children, and also the importance of having great leadership structures in place. This ultimately also helped me realize my passion for working with young people to achieve the Sustainable development goals.

3. My time management skills improved.
The principles of highly effective people, was one of the books that taught me better time management skills. As a huge procrastinator, I used to miss out on so many opportunities because of lack of effective time management strategies. Through the skills I was able to actually improve my procrastination habits and this assisted my mostly in the day to day management of project management. With an accelerating project, it was often not easy to manage and juggle school on the side and also being there for my family and friends as well.

4. I became more self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses.
Since I began the journey of self-improvement, I have become more self- aware. I have had to go on a self-actualization journey. This has helped me become more aware of my strengths are, as well as my weaknesses. Realizing my weaknesses actually helps me work more on improving them. I also learned to have compassion for myself and forgive myself when I make mistakes. That is one of the most difficult things, forgiving oneself for not knowing better or doing better.

5. My relationship with others improved tremendously.
Not only did I improve the relationship with myself but with other people, having become a bit more self-aware of my actions with my family, friends and community. I recall when I was amidst a conflict in the community where some of the people we work with, were in a feud and did not want to work together in an initiative that required working together in a group. I was able to assist in the conflict through the principles in had learned in Non-violent communication. I know how overwhelmed i would have felt, had I not learned from such instrumental books how to go about assisting in conflict resolution. I was also a better leader to my team because of it. The biggest compliment i received from my team, was that I had never made them feel like I was their boss but was rather a friend in whom they could confide in and was a source of inspiration through the life I led. To me that was the best reward ever as I believe in servant leadership.

Cheurombo Pswarayi (Zimbabwe)
cheupswarayi@yahoo.com

What have I learned, How have I Changed

I remember reading my first book in the studies, the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The concept of transformation of excelling, of being in a different realm than others and having the abilities to go beyond the ordinary truck a cord with me at that time. I’m yet to repeat the book but the impression it gave me made me commit to reading “self-help and self-improvement books.” I had always held onto the notion that reading such types of books was for individuals who’re too scared to map out their own lives, or discover on their own what life has to offer. The empowerment and self-belief I had though made me want to go through as many such books as possible. I made a commitment to finish the studies as quickly as possible and have the experience under my belt.

I’ve accepted how much life can be simplified by leveraging other people’s insights, experience and expertise. Reading the books that I have in levels one and two have given me access to this resource at no charge at all. I find myself speaking with authority over subjects of positivity and influencing and this is derived from the books I’ve read.
I’ve grown in my confidence in self. I used to be very timid and unsure about myself. I’m the person who’d listen to a debate and then look to the other people to voice their opinions first so that I can shape mine and then just echo what they say. That is now a thing of the past. I’m unafraid to speak first, or to express different opinions to those I respect. My confidence in my successes have led me to lead my team with more authority. A fact I truly enjoy. The confidence boost is also closely linked to the self-acceptance.

These two years of going through Levels One and Two (way more than what was supposed to be!) I have had other opportunities and experiences availing themselves to me and I can affirm that my experience, acceptance and making the most of the opportunities have been shaped in no small way by the books I’ve been reading. I’ve been more receptive to my environment without being angry at situations. I appreciate all the more how the people I meet and interact with are not a mistake. Each individual plays a role in shaping me up to be the person I am.

I have an increased appetite for reading has also been another result/side effect of taking up the course. I’m pleasantly surprised at how much information I’ve absorbed. I’m also not daunted by thick editions of books anymore and I know once I start the next step is to complete the book. I registered for my law degree last year. The course involves a lot of reading for reference. Being a student of IIGL has meant that I’m not starting the notion of reading from scratch but I’m simply stepping up from what I was already doing.
With regards to my spiritual beliefs, I’m a Christian and have been one for as long as I remember. Reading the texts that I have the opportunity to read, my beliefs have been reinforced and strengthened. I believe in God and Jesus. In a purpose that is not a destination but a journey. Some of the texts refer to a being, a force and for me, that was God being talked about. I enjoyed some quotes from the Bible as well from some of the books. What I also appreciate more though, is the diversity of religions. The difference between religion and spirituality has also been highlighted to me. Initially I thought it would make me negatively question the catholic system which I’ve been a part of most of my life. Contrary to that, I enjoy it more fully. I have made an informed decision to choose the faith I belong to. I also understand and respect other religions.

I’m generally more knowledgeable than I was 2 years ago before I’d started the course. The totally new knowledge I now have includes the art of mind mapping, the art of influencing and the accurate way to set goals. I have also improved my communication skills and effectiveness and efficiency.

Surprisingly, because I didn’t expect this from an online course, I have been able to increase my network. Last year I was contacted by a gentleman from the USA who’d seen my profile on the website. He was visiting Zimbabwe with his son and wanted to meet up to hear about my work. We had the opportunity to have coffee and discuss my work and his. It was awesome, inspiring and uplifting. During this COVID 19 lockdown we’ve communicate as well and the offer to support in any initiatives being undertaken in Zimbabwe has been extended. I’m overjoyed by this. I’m also proud to say that I have been elected to be on the board of IIGL! It’s a huge honor, I feel this kind of network of individuals whom I sincerely respect because most have completed this course is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I intend to serve and contribute positively. My interaction and feedback from Deb has always been positive, encouraging and motivating. I sincerely feel like she has my back, I hope to have hers in some way at some point as well.
With regards to my personality my patience and tolerance levels have increased. I used to be impatient with people whom I viewed as not understanding of the person I am. Even though I would sing constantly in church to say I need to seek more to understand than be understood, somehow the message wasn’t really sinking in that I had to understand more than seek to be understood. It’s enlightening to introspect and identify the weaknesses within me. I noticed that I was deflecting some of my weaknesses to my employees. I was passing on the buck and finding blame in others when things went wrong. I’m on the path to recovery. Being aware of the tendencies has helped.

I have noticed a change in my relationships. I am more intentional in my interactions with my friends. What I realised was that some of the relationships were not benefitting me because they carried a lot of negative energy. I have consciously made a decision not to let naysayers discourage me from setting ambitious goals and going after them. People’s negativity doesn’t dampen my spirits anymore. Usually it now spurs me to I have also made a conscious effort to strengthen relationships with positively minded people. I have built positive relationships from mentors. I approached a couple of individuals to mentor me and those relationships have provided a sounding board. I have also got assistance to improve my strategic skills in order for me to become a better CEO.

I can set targets, not meet them initially, but I can still proceed to work towards achieving those goals. When I started the program I was convinced I’d set a record in fastest achievements with the highest scores, if at any point there’d be a scoring system. One of the quotes I’ve come across is life happens when we’re busy planning. The flexibility of the program has managed to keep me in the system up to this point where I’m successfully getting the first assignment of Level Three. It gives me a sense of pride and a very big dose of motivation. When at first I don’t meet targets, it doesn’t mean they’re off the table. The last book I read mentioned that the goal is never wrong, sometimes what’s at fault is the how to achieve part. Another important lesson which I’ve derived from not meeting the completion target I’d set for myself in this course is to be realistic in my expectations. This is however a constant back and forth debate within myself because I would like to set ambitious goals and achieve them. I am still working out a balance. I believe I’ve come a long way however from when I started.

The different books have had exercises for the reader. What I discovered was that the exercises forced me to take longer in actually reading the books. This has taught me to read in order to apply and implement knowledge instead of ticking a box to say completed. I am a more thorough reader since starting the course. The standard questions required to be answered as assessment after each book had also taught me to ready with the intention of grasping concepts being explored. Sometimes instead of just 7 ideas my first drafts would have 11 main ideas. It then forced me to combine some point. There were a couple of cases as well were the ideas would be fewer than the seven required. These situations would motivate me to further analyse the book. I am generally a more disciplined reader because of the 2 Levels I’ve completed of my studies. I’ve grown, positively. The IIGL studies have been so embedded in my life these last two years I find it difficult to separate the improvement to self that have happened from it.

Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)
eusebiustobechukwu@gmail.com

How Have I Changed?

My Journey through IIGL so far is the best thing that is happening to me in life right now; it has made me to understand to a great extent that I don’t just exist but that I am very special in the unfinished work of creation because of my development of a healthy self image. It is revolutionary because there has been a mind re-orientation and a positive adjustment of my world view about life as well as a change in my behavioral patterns that are tailored towards success-driven and goal-oriented lifestyle. The positive mental impact IIGL has had on me cannot be easily summarized to the fullest in essay writing as it is better experienced than imagined or narrated. The following paragraphs are an attempt to explain how my journey in IIGL so far has changed me.

Since my journey started in IIGL, I have experienced an adjustment in my self-image to a healthier one at that. I now see myself as a creative life force, a builder, and a blessing to my family, friends, the society and the world at large. I consider myself very important in the unfinished work of creation. This perception wouldn’t be easily made clear to me, as well as consciously and thoughtfully developed if I had not been exposed to the classic book, “Psycho-cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz as part of my level one books. An exposure to this book has made me passed through the furnace of mental reprogramming. Since I read this book, I have been in the practice of upholding and maintaining a higher sense of healthy self-image by living consciously, improving what I can change and accepting what I can’t change as we all know, self acceptance leads to self improvement; practicing self responsibility; self-assertiveness; living purposefully; planning and upholding a strong sense of purpose and personal integrity. This is as a result of my self-knowledge and my adjusted personal belief system as different from what the majority belief is good about me and for me.

IIGL has instilled in me the habit of passionately reading self-help, leadership and business books alongside my professional books. I tend to become a voracious reader and I have developed the capability of reading at least one of such books per week with a full grasp of the contents. It is said that, “What food is to the body, reading is to the brain,” therefore the benefits I have experienced from being a voracious reader cannot be overemphasized, they include: feeding my brain, improved vocabulary, meeting interesting people with advanced mindset (because of the law of attraction), becoming a better version of myself deliberately, it serves as exercise for the memory, it opens my mind, it improves my focus, and improves the world around me.

Another very remarkable benefit of being an IIGL student is the practice of deliberate meditation and spirituality consciousness which have been improving tremendously and progressively as I journey through IIGL. This mind shift started by applying the ideas or lessons learnt from the book “Real Magic” by Wayne W. Dyer and this book really revolutionized my life in terms of my thoughts and actions; I seem to be more spiritual and purposeful than how I used to be before reading the book. I now practice meditation at least once daily and I have a transcended view of every issue because I always look beyond how things are now, but focus on how things can be by employing the power of imagination and visualization. Funny enough, this way of thinking and mindset eventually becomes my reality. Things thought otherwise to be impossible in the past become very possible for me because of my belief in possibilities and meditation for solutions as a spiritual being. The lessons learned from this book and my journey through IIGL so far have made me to pay less attention to worries, but instead focus more on my purpose and give all my energy to it daily until someday, somehow, and by some form of unseen forces see my goals and desires manifest magically in ways I can truly describe as real magic. Little wonder, in the last quarter of 2019 when I evaluated my life, I saw a litany of unsolved problems or better still, challenges. I was worried about them initially, but took a positive step after my exposure to the classic book, Real Magic, which I picked up at that time, because I needed encouragement badly to push forward. After reading a few pages of this wonderful epic book, I started experiencing mind transformation. I then, wrote down all what I really wanted to accomplish before the year ran out. I started thinking deeply on how these goals can come through. But by believing and taking positive actions as a result of the inspiration drawn from this book, I started seeing results little by little. I later accomplished over 70% of my goals for that year. With this renewed zeal, I became tremendously driven towards living a purposeful life. This is a confirmation of what Wayne W. Dyer wrote in his book, Real Magic, that, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Also, another yet important personal benefits I gained in my journey with IIGL so far is a reinforcement of my commitment to giving; giving of my time, service, efforts, materials and money to the people that need them in the world. It is often said that, it is more blessed to give than to receive and that, giving is living. As I give out my resources and time to humanity, I discovered that, I am happier, wiser and more fulfilled in such a way that I experience an alignment and oneness with the universe. Such a feeling, to me, is better experienced than described or imagined. That is the greatest service of purpose and inner worth anyone can offer the world.

With the awareness gained from studying non-violent communications, I have become conscious about my communication skills and my attention given to how best to communicate honestly and non-judgmentally with others. I have also learnt some of the applications of the science of neuro-linguistic programming, NLP, and how it applies to communication in general; whether in the personal or corporate world. Therefore, to gain the trust and confidence of others as I tend to guide or lead others at various levels, I learned to develop and devote time and attention to listen to people non-judgmentally and empathically if I must make any impact with my advice, suggestions or guidance to them. I do this regularly with my students as I tend to advice and re-direct them aright on the best option(s) or decision(s) to take when they approach me with their multiple personal challenges.

I have been exposed to the requirements of successful leadership. My journey through IIGL has taught me that there are three key leadership skills that successful leadership requires. These include: (i) elicit the cooperation of others, (ii) listen, and (iii) put others before yourself, in order to achieve a goal. As I reflect on these three skills, I started applying them when mentoring my students as they come to me for counseling. Because of this new awareness, I don’t just treat issues superficially, but from a deeper place as I carefully listen to my students in school, this time more empathically and try to put them first before considering myself. Now, there is this scenario about my students whom I teach that are in their final certificate class and needed me to teach them a few topics in Mathematics because they believe I could teach them better. I then asked them to give me some time to consider it because that was outside the jurisdiction of my job description since they have a teacher for the subject at that level already, even though I was once their Mathematics teacher at a lower level. It took me sometime, but after my studies of the book, “Leadership for Dummies” by Marshall Loeb and Stephen Kindel, I decided to take the pain of fixing a convenient time for them (and they were very happy about it) first before considering the odd hours for my personal goal. This is also a demonstration of putting others first. This decision was done to enable them succeed in their final exams in one sitting.

I have been able to develop a sense of urgency towards goal achievement as part of my lessons learnt so far with my journey in IIGL. As Brian Tracy and Anthony Robbins would advise, take action, a massive action at that, and take that action immediately. As such, when I set my daily, weekly and even monthly goals, I tend to be more conscious about it and take actions immediately on my most important tasks and maintain the course with little or no distraction(s) most of the time through to its completion. With that, I have become very happy about my life because I am convinced now that I am living a life of purpose and that my self-esteem and self-confidence has increased tremendously.

Finally, the realization and reassurance I gained from my IIGL studies about the working principles of and how to tap into the power of my mind; my super-conscious mind, my God-mind or the infinite intelligence to be specific, is one of the single most important knowledge and understanding I will forever be grateful to IIGL for learning and internalizing. It is the starting point of great exploit in the world of form and it’s truly the most powerful creative force found in the human body.

Thomas Shereni (Zimbabwe)
thomashereni@gmail.com

What I have Learned?
I have learned the key secrets that have become the pillar of my life as I pursue my goals. These studies have helped to experience a certain level of mental maturity that I can easily apply in situations that I face on a daily basis. For example; one of the goals that have become a life habit in me is to read at least 2 motivational books in a month. This goal has helped me to strengthen my mental capacity and it has boosted my energy levels. In the process of reading these books I also ensure that I have taken time to put most of the principles to practice and I have been doing this for the last 2 years. One of the principles that have made a tremendous impact in my life is the principle of meditation; I set aside 15 minutes every day to silently reflect on my life goals and continue to build a picture of who I want to be. I have also learned to tape the secret powers that are hidden in deep silence to boost my energy levels. The power of meditation has helped me to focus on matters of importance in my life. This is what has helped me to endure a rigorous time table and still finish my two levels of study with IIGL. Whenever I feel depletion of energy levels I resort to meditation.

The power to lead: I am a leader not because I am in a position of authority but that I take challenges; through my studies with IIGL I have also learned to be actively involved in my community. I help in community projects and offer leadership mentorship to young people who are pursuing various kinds of studies. My studies have helped me to show initiative and at the same time be creative. I gather young people every 2 months and equip them with leadership skills.

The power of affirmation: Every time I woke up in the morning; I look in the mirror and talk to myself. I tell the person in the mirror that, “you can become all you want be as long as you believe in yourself.” I have learned to use the power of affirmation as a yardstick to measure the level of my moral. This principle has taught me to harness the power of positivity. I always feed my mind with health thoughts and do away with negative thoughts because they are parasitic by nature. I have learnt to confess things that attract what I want to be. There was a period when I had fallen behind my Level Two studies and I thought of giving up; but the power of affirmation changed me and gave a new course to take. I told myself that nothing can stop me to accomplish what I desire and what I desire is to become a knowledgeable leader; so I have to complete my studies. I resisted the fear of the unknown and confessed every day that I can do it. I went back to my study schedule and resumed my studies and within a short space of time I was back on track.

Building my image: The greatest lessons I have learned is that; my mind can transform my image into anything that I desire to be. What I believe is what I become. I can become what I intend to be as long as I capture it in my mind. I don’t need to live by the dictates of other people; because I am myself. What people think of me should not affect who I believe I am. This concept has helped me to deal with my inferiority complex which had haunted me for a long time. I now believe that I am made in the image of God and no one can change that; now I live with an image that is aligned to my values. This approach has inspired and motivated me to connect with people who value my independent image. I have dealt with my frustrations and disappointment which were a result of poor imaging. The books that I have dealt with in my first two Levels of my studies have made a tremendous impact on my thinking pattern. The books have altered all the traditional beliefs that were dumped on me by my parents and school teachers. So I have taught myself to be sure of the thoughts that dominate my mind on a daily basis. I have developed a personal plan that ensures that my mind focuses on things that are motivational to me. For example; every morning before I go for my daily routine I tell myself that; this morning is going to be great for me and I am going to meet wonderful people. I am going to rejoice and be glad in it. This approach injects a sense of certainty in me and I can approach my day with the zeal of a crusader.

The foundation of love: I have to embrace people and develop a welcome spirit that believes that every human being is a product of divine creation. People are made in the image of God. I have come to a point of understanding that every person that I meet has something to contribute to my life. Since I started my studies with IIGL I have developed a principle that is open to accept people and seek to understand them. I have also discovered the vast deposits of effective living in the process of relating to people. I love people for who they are and what they bring into the universe. I have also developed an outgoing personality that embraces the weaknesses and shortcomings of others. For the last 2 years I have a feeling of vibrancy and energy that I tap from people I meet every day. I feel encouraged to continue building my people skills because they are adding value to my life. So I have set a goal to at least make a new friend every 3 months.
Setting goals: I have also discovered the power of road mapping since I discovered my genuine life purpose on earth. So for me to achieve it I have to set some goals. Every time when pressure piles on me and I feel like throwing in the towel; I quickly turn to goals to ease the burden and organize my approach. Goals enable me to approach my work with a renewed zeal and a sense of purpose. I have discovered that every time I break my tasks into simple small chunks; I quickly experience a breakthrough. With an organized approach I can now safely say; nothing can stop me to achieve my life purpose. Goal setting enables me to save time and replenish my energy bank. I have had a problem of finishing my tasks of late; every time I set to do something I found myself drowned in boredom but when I learned the secret of goal setting, I am so excited that all my work is now a bundle of joy. I am getting the results that I want. I am now living in the world of possibilities. I am a happy man because my vision, purpose and aim are in clear perspective and that I have set deadlines and plans when to fulfill them.

A leader as a reader: I have to read as much as I can for me to fulfill my purpose. A great leader is a good reader. Knowledge is power and my extent of influence will always depend on what I know. People will only come to me to get the best out of me. I have set a goal to develop myself to the level of a consultant in my career. So one of my goals; is to read at least 2 books on leadership every 3 months. My studies with IIGL have helped me to understand that a leader who stops reading must also stop leading. An effective leader is a product of many years of acquiring knowledge. It is knowledge that makes the man. So I am working so hard to accumulate as much understanding as I can in line with my life pursuit.

Thank you IIGL for this tremendous vision to equip leaders with knowledge and this is the best program on leadership that I have associated with since. I pray that this program will continue to impact generations that will come. God must richly bless all the people that are contributing to the success of this dream and that they don’t lose hope and must continue to plant the seed. The world will be a better place for everyone and good leaders will help to make it that.

Anita Kiddu Muhanguzi (Uganda)
a.kiddu@gmail.com

How have I changed?

I am filled with gratitude over this course because it has been an eye opener for me. For a very long time I kept thinking that I was not lucky enough because I was not achieving my dreams or living the life that I wanted. After reading “As a Man Thinketh,” my perspective of life shifted and I realized that I am in control of what happens to me through my thought, since then I put my focus on positive thinking only. Generally, I have always been a positive person and always looked for the good in people, however much they hurt me, a habit which emphasized the need for constant positive thoughts about life and more so learning from the bad things that happen to us and choosing to move on with life.

When I lost my dad in 1997, I felt completely lost and I hated God for taking him away from us. Life seemed so horrible to live without him and I struggled to see the good in anything. I am grateful for my friends, siblings and my mother who fought to ensure that life was actually livable. I have learnt that the body is a servant of the mind, thus we are in total control of which direction our lives take. With the loss of my dad I lost self-esteem, confidence and hope for a better life. Through the books that I have read in this course my self-esteem has escalated and confidence regained, this has made me so positive about the future. I know that my father is my guardian angel and will always look out for me. I have come to realize that my happiness has to come first and that I should stop sacrificing my happiness for others otherwise I will burn out.

In “Keys to success” I learned that we need to form a mastermind alliance that is, working with people who share our vision and dream. I realized that this is very important because over the years we have hired people to work at the farm however they don’t believe in the same vision and this had to a high staff turnover.

Over the years I had no clue of what exactly I wanted in life until I started working with vulnerable and marginalized communities. Working with such groups of people gave me a purpose in life and I knew that is what I wanted to do, to better their lives. In 2011 I started an organization with some friends to work with ethnic minorities but we didn’t have the same passion and dream so many of them dropped off before the year ended. I went on to start farming and came across a community of rural women farmers whom I started working with. We had the same dream and passion and to date we have an organization where we are applying for funding for our various projects.

In many of the books in this course, it has been emphasized that criticism is dangerous because it wounds a person’s precious pride and hurts their sense of importance and arouses resentment. I have learnt in life that the only way to learn is to try out, and many times we fail but still have to keep on trying till we master the game. However, we have no right to point fingers at those who have failed because one day they will eventually succeed and we shall be forced to swallow our own words. I for one try my level best not to criticize because I know that the person is already feeling horrible and there is no better punishment for them than self-condemnation and conviction. The best option is to guide them and help them get back on their feet.

I love meeting new people and making friends which has always come naturally for me and I realized that in this course it is a very important principle to winning in life. You have to invest in relationships, show interest in what your friends do and they will reciprocate the love and time you have invested in them. My ideas and beliefs have changed drastically with this course, because I now know that for me to achieve my goals in life, I have to write them down and go through them daily and come up with actions that will help me achieve these goals. I have also learned that my goals should be realistic and achievable and they should be written in the present tense with a deadline to it. In addition to constantly referring to our goals I also learned that we have to reinforce these goals in to our lives by using the powers that we have in our sub-consciousness.

My goal in life is to impact communities by empowering them economically to be financially independent. I have learned through this course that you have to invest in people who have the same dream and vision in their minds as you. Am working closely with the community to ensure that we achieve this vision and dream together and it is them who keep the fire in me burning because they are constantly coming up with ideas and asking for progress on the proposals and fundraising attempts. I have always loved dancing and swimming so I have intentionally purposed to be one of the best swimmers in the next year’s Masters Competition. I have found friends who share the same dream and vision and together we are training so that we can win the trophy next march.

Emmanuel Ojimah (Nigeria)
emmisnoopafly@gmail.com

What Have You Learned?

I learned that my thoughts and character are the same and I cannot do without either. My thoughts influences and shows in my character. My mind and thought attracts what I love, hates, and fears. These elements are seeds that have been planted. Having in mind that whatever is planted my grow. My thoughts can make or mar me and this will show in my character. Whatever I fail to achieve or do actually achieve is as a direct result of my thoughts. I can never leave in bondage when my thoughts are alive and positive. I cannot achieve what I do not think of, my thoughts puts me in the right position to win, to achieve, to grow, to accelerate and to attain the highest height.

I have learned that diseases and sickness thrives well in impure thoughts and negativity. The effect of impure thought to my health and body cannot be over emphasized. Having a purposeless life leads to anxiety and depression. Just as negative thoughts leads to suicide so also do positive thought leads to bright and excellent ideas that can improve and change the world positively. What I envision is what I will eventually become. My visions and ideals are vehicles that take me to where I intend going. Without them, I would remain stagnant, and a daydreamers. I can only achieve what I dream of. Pure and clear thought leads to positive healthy lifestyle. So in order to stay healthy both in body, soul and mind, I have to have positive and clear thoughts.

I have learned that thoughts and character are one and the same. They complement and direct influence each other. I must therefore have good, clear, positive thoughts since it will definitely show in my character. It is very important to be clam: both within and without. A calm mind can think, get solution to challenges faster and can resolve issues on time. A clam mind reduces stress and high blood pressure. A calm mind leads to a long life in good health. Whatever I think of becomes and this has a significant effect on me and my environment. My thoughts and purpose are intertwined. The only way to archive my purpose in life is to have good, clear thoughts.

I learned that my thought factor directly affect my achievements. My aspiration and desires are my keys to great achievements in life. My vision will get me to where I want to be and my ideals will keep me there. I now see that whatever happens to me is as a result of my own doing and making. My thoughts are either my limitation or my transportation. There are times when I would have vowed to stop, to break, to end or to cancel, at such times we should forget about the pain but look forward to the gain which in turns leads to great gain.

I learned that my character is the physical manifestation of my thoughts. It was very interesting to me. My thoughts can be shaped, renewed, changed, improved, guided and shared with others and these transcends to my character as well. My mind is like a garden, it must always bring forth good or bad fruits: depending on what I plant or do not plant. My mind and thought are a very fertile ground that must be nurtured, groomed, guarded and watered daily. I concentrate too much on problems instead of solutions. Once I have improved myself, my circumstances will change for the better. I have to first work and improve our thought process then will my anxiety to improve my circumstances be reduced.

I have learned to see far, fly as high as possible so that I can see more and wide. I am determined to do my best in my area of specialty and will keep going. Breaking the chains of my thought is unleashing my full potential. This will lead me into my desire and goals. Because learning never stops. I need to find myself every day. This is achieved by constant practice and more practice. Time can be used positively. When I deliberately forget about time and concentrate and improve my own learning pace, I would have achieved so much in no time. When I begin to help other, inspire and teach others, I will gain new insights and my thoughts are broadened, while I am better capable of answering challenging questions. Learning never stops: keep learning. This leads to daily improvements. There are certain limitations that cannot be overcome without knowledge

I have learned that time is a distraction. Time is important but should not be used to my disadvantage. There is no hurry in life and several attempts do not mean I am a failure. I have learnt that all I have is now and I am going to use it wisely. The best way to being what I am meant to be is by doing what I am meant to do. We should always reach out to perfection by doing what we love to do. It is time to encourage and teach others what we are learning. Information and Communication are very important; they are keys to the inevitable future. Working on our self image is paramount and of key priority. Our self image determines who we are and what we become. A better life starts from a great self image. Everyone deserves a better life, and these can start with me. Whatever we imagine, we become. Imagination is a powerful and purposeful tool to greatness, prosperity and wealth. I learned that the success mechanism is what propels outward success and imaginations are what make all of it to happen.

I learned that outward peace comes from within. It first starts with telling you that all is well and that inner peace is possible. It is important to tranquilize yourself first before inner peace of mind is achievable. Then when inner peace of mind brings outward peace which can be easily extended. What we act like is what we are. There is a limit to what we can do. There is power in our imagination. Whatever we do or do not do is as a result of what we perceive ourselves to be. We can change, we can improve, and it all starts from the mind. There is power on rational thinking. Most people think in and irrational manner, they are self centered and do not mind hurting others. I will begin to activate and keep my peace of mind. Peace of mind is possible, easy to share and teach. Teaching the art of peace through meditation and other means. I will continue to work on my success mechanism and keep improving myself on a daily bias. I have learned to give little or no attention to negativity and failures. I am only focused on the positives of life. False beliefs are barriers to success and achievements. I will consciously live in the present and not worry about the future.

Enock Pedze (South Africa)

Through the studies from International Institute of Global Leadership I have learnt quite a lot in my life. There are things that we grow up believing in and those thoughts sometimes lead us away from what we believe is right and doing what is right. We may seem to see that these studies are there just for fun or to while our time is some reading but for me the whole process of the studies brought me to think really about my personal life and things that I would like to achieve while I can be able to do it.

From the reading itself it reignited that passionate in me to learn from the inspirational books. There is something that I see lacks just from not reading, even if you go a single day without reading you definitely know there is something that you would have missed out on. If I can remember when I was back in school I used to read quite a lot of literature and did some research for my studies. Now after completing my schooling that passionate even to go to the library just left me and so did my interest to read. After I enrolled with the IIGL, I did begin to read and through that reading it ignited my passionate in reading. I can say that it we are all in a learning process and we learn from reading and that inspirational talk you get makes you be a changed being. There can be things that we are so accustomed to we can be changed in an instance after just reading what you could have thought that was impossible to achieve in life. I have made my goal to encourage young children to take up reading especially at a young age and encouraging parents to let their children visit the library to get a book and read. There is something that is in the books that you will gain in your life and that is the root to success for my life.

There is a duty that lies in everyone here on earth. We are here to serve other people and that service is not just going to be limited to your home or small community but the country and the whole world at large. We seem to be involved in our personal well being especially when it comes to looking for money, and personal attributions. We see people that do not like to even help others or serve as a leader of their community. I have learnt that service brings you that satisfaction to really find who you really are and that to me will help build up a better self being which will develop our world we live in. I have been given the opportunity to actually help others and I can say I enjoy volunteering to my community whenever an opportunity arises. There is that seed planted in me to help others because we are not all privileged to have everything we would love so much to have in life but that little you have help others too.

I have learnt something that I can relate to in my life, Communication with others. There are ways we talk just to others is very important. We can try to reach to others in a way to try and put across our point of view and not get the message through. I learnt something and today I am proud of it being able to communicate with yourself. Be positive and be able to find yourself and that’s the only way you can be able to relate to others. I can give an example for personal development. There comes a time where you should be able to communicate with yourself of what you would like to do in your life. Being able to get your mind to think of positive things that will give you a positive outcome. I can say that through the studies I am a better person with my communication with my wife children and even other people I meet. There is the vacuum that is filled and the outcome of happiness fulfillment you get is true to your life. You do have to be able to learn how to relate to other people and different situations you can find yourself in and this for me has brought me positive attitude I like in myself everyday.

There are things that we really feel are important in our life. I have seen that and have really changed some of my personal important things. We have values that we have to uphold and hold dearly to our hearts. I look at my own life and see the importance of family unit, responsibility that comes with it too. We all have values we have to uphold and work everyday to keep. I can say that with my life I have put that commitment to do whatever to keep my family and work hard to keep to that responsibility to bring up a good family. Marriage is something that people enter into agreement and that bond is kept alive with love and understanding by people involved. I can say I have learnt to keep that commitment in my marriage and even getting into one there are things that you must learn to appreciate from the other person and be willing to show that love and understanding to the other person. I have learnt a lot through IIGL and have been able to even help others in situations that I would have gone through in my life. Love is not just keeping a family together but it is all about showing it to your partner and your family be it your children, in-laws or brothers or sisters. The more we learn to show that love do we get the trust from those people. Trust is earned and not expected to be got from people, be faithful and open communication and that’s what makes a happy marriage.

There are things that we grow up believing in and limiting us to the development of ourselves. I can say for me I went to school and gained a reasonable knowledge and that need that you would like to pursue a career in something that you dearly love is one of my desires that I always loved to get even if I work and do studies at the same time I am determined to achieve those results one day. I can say just after my enrolling with the IIGL I have been in pursue of my goals more than ever and one on one I am getting there with a positive mental attitude. There are barriers that one can overcome but some that you need to get help on. Do not let somebody make decisions for you on your life because the world we live in some people like to take advantage of other people even the vulnerable. Take a stand on something you believe in and do not compromise to leave something you believe in.

There comes a time in life where one has to take on a leadership role and that process is one everyone is poised to encounter in life. I can say that in my life there came a decision that I had to take up that leadership role and put into action things that I had learnt. There are things that one should make a decision in life whether the path you are going on is going to take you to your desired destination. It is really about what you believe in as a person that makes to be what you are. If that decision you make you will be the master of your own destiny and it takes upon leadership role to be a man of your decision and take the responsibility of your life.

From all of these I can say that I have changed my life and am working for a better life not only for me but for my family at large, community and a better world through the studies from IIGL. Inside me there is that change of heart and my actions towards different situations surely speak for themselves. Life is truly a journey that begins with one step. Every step you take someone will be watching you and people are going to learn something from you and this is all a learning process and you will impact on other peoples lives too. If nobody is willing to be involved let yourself be a good example of change and let other people be influenced by your good actions. I can say that this is really a turning point for me and I attribute all this to the IIGL studies that have helped transform me to be who I am today and I am thankful for the people that got me involved into the studies because up until today others have given up in their lives but for me I am going on with that positive attitude and determined to the end.

Yieh Odette Gwain (Cameroon)
To begin with, my marriage with IIGL has been that of fulfillment, joy, self discovering, building of self esteem and the list can go on and on with no end. Before now all I deed was dream and dream and underestimate myself in the face of so many challenges but now with my studies at IIGL I have seen that the sky which is said to be limit is my springboard. As is said in one of the books I read in level one, poverty is just a state of mind and no one is designed to be poor just that we do not aspire beyond our nose. I have come to realize that some families stay in poverty because of ignorance and lack of courage. Anthony Robbins quotes “life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity and responsibility to give something back by becoming more” I have come to realize that I am more than what I see of myself. I have the responsibility to give back to life what it has given me and that can only achieved by becoming something bigger than what I am right now.

The changes I live right now are beyond comparison to what I was before. This is just a short story about me that I would want many young girls to learn from me. I was involved in a relationship for more than 6years with one guy who promised me marriage and when suitor came along he will manifest either by crying or telling the person out rightly that he my fiancé. We stayed in the relationship and I became like my whole life revolved around this friend of mine that I could do anything humanly possible to keep the relationship. I even went extra miles to borrow what I did not have to make the guy comfortable but he was never satisfied. I even thought that if he left me I would certainly not survive it but helas it came to pass that one day we were in very good terms and he called on the phone to tell me that it was over. If I were still the same person as before I might even have committed suicide but knowing what I know now I just said to myself he is just a stepping stone and not the corner stone. Today I am stronger that ever. This is just to throw light on the fact that we attract to ourselves just what we want and the end result is just the fruit of our imagination. This is because throughout the relationship I always said to myself that I did not deserve this guy, he is too handsome for me, he is this or that that I am not. I over underestimated myself but today I can proudly say that I refuse even men more handsome and better than this guy that is because I know where I am going.

At the level of my job I had a lot of complexities that I could not remove from my head. I always thought there were places I could not be sent because my outfits were always beneath that of my colleagues who were usually sent to these institutions and my salary gosh is nothing to ride home about. The salary status had not changed but I have grown more than the salary and I go places still with the same outfits as always and I feel very confident of myself. During my level one and two studies I have changed the way I thought about physical build and the way I thought people looked at me. I can enter any office without feeling a type. I know I can go anywhere and prove to be worth what I represent. I now like challenges and am always ready to pick at any challenge.

Edwin Akpan Joel (Nigeria)
The greatest thing I learned in the seminar is the courage a young man like you have in getting bishops, evangelists, and leading Church leaders into one place and teaching them.”

That was one of the glowing comments written on the feedback form I gave out for attendees of my “Sermon Excellence” seminar. Most of the things I taught at the seminar are what I learned from the study books provided by IIGL and I had the courage to put together such a big event also because of the principles I learned from IIGL.

My life changed the day I came in contact with IIGL. I really don’t know where I would have been without the books I read from IIGL. The way I deal with the ups and downs of life has changed; my belief system has been dramatically transformed.

The greatest impact IIGL studies have had on me is my communication – both with myself and with others. Before now, I could do ninety-nine things right and just one thing wrong in a given day and still go to bed depressed and angry with myself and the world. Why? Because I will take the one thing I did wrong and magnify it, while I dim out the “ninety-nine” things I did right.

For instance, I remember what happened when I attended a leadership training program. I was part of team that worked on a certain business project. Throughout the project, I supplied almost 90% of the answers to the problems we were asked to solve, but I did just one thing wrong in my presentation. For the rest of the day and for the next few weeks I was a pitiable sight to behold.

Fast-forward to now and it’s a new Edwin. I make similar mistakes now, but I now choose to focus on the things I did right while I take the mistakes and failures as feedbacks for improvement. I take any “negative” experience that tends to put me down, cut it size, and watch it burn to ashes in my mind. This is based on what I learned in Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins.

In my communication with others, the experience has been nothing short of spectacular. I once had a problem with one of my mentors who misunderstood my intentions and was so annoyed that he ordered me out of his office. It was something I’ve never experience before. I was extremely angry.

I could have gone into depression but rather I went into my “communication lab” and pull out the study materials provided by IIGL, especially How to Win friends and Influence People By Dale Carnegie and Non-Violent Communication by Marshall D. Rosenberg. I put together a strategy and wrote to him and was surprised to receive his call inviting me over for a meeting.

After the meeting, we were back as best buddies and we’ve both gone ahead to do great things together and touch many lives. This wouldn’t have happened if I’ve called his bluff even though I knew I was right in my actions. But the principles I learned in IIGL study materials taught me that I should be responsible for the results of my communication.

Yet another instance is the one that happened to me recently. I went into a business partnership with one of my acquaintances and most of the work to be done in the project rested on my shoulders. Somewhere along the line, I fell sick for several months and faced other challenges that made it virtually impossible for me to do anything.

One day, she called and asked me a question that was designed to end the project and destroy the relationship we’ve both laboured to build over the years. I was not happy because she didn’t show any concern for my health and had no future orientation.

But instead of me toeing her path, I reframed the question to, “What can we do to put the project back on track?” The answer to that one question turned the whole situation around, put the project back on track, and restored our dampened relationship. I learned to ask this type of positive question in the book Giant Step by Anthony Robbins provided by the Institute.

Another major area of my life that has changed is my self-esteem. My self-esteem has soared to unprecedented heights. Four years ago, I hardly go out, associate with people or talk in public. I’d rather be whipped with a strong horsewhip than stand in front of people to make a presentation. Now, people say I’m the “life of the party” and I lead clubs and organizations. I address crowds of hundreds and thousands. I get invitations to speak in seminars and conferences. I now believe I can do anything. I can address any crowd. Thanks to PsychoCybernetics – a book made available to me by IIGL.

The way I now handle situations has changed for the best. Recently, I delegated authority to a member of my team to lead the youths of my Church to a certain youth retreat. While there he flouted the agreement we had and took some decisions that will have a long-term negative consequence on every one of us. Worst, my image and reputation was tarnished before the very people I lead. Initially, I was mad; I was shocked beyond words. I was shaking with rage. I wanted to call it quit with the youths.

Several things I learned from IIGL study came into my mind and summarized itself in one question, “Edwin, would your actions solve the problem and prevent it from happening next time?” And the answer was, of course, no.

So, I took some time out and meditated, call some people to pray with me. After that, I talked to each of the youths privately including the leader I delegated to the retreat to gather more intelligence. Later, I call a general meeting and gently expressed my feelings and made requests. The result? The person I delegated apologized profusely and so were others who played a key role in the “misadventure.”

After the meeting, some of them confessed that they have learned a lot from me in that singular experience than they have through the lessons they take week in, week out.

Another crucial way my life has changed is in the area of my thoughts. I now guard my mind the way the US military guards US territory. I’m very careful about what I let into my mind. I rarely listen to radio or watch TV because the things I hear and see people do in these media are designed to corrupt the mind.

I now catch myself thinking negative thoughts and immediately replace them with positive thoughts. I now catch myself thinking thoughts of scarcity and immediately replace them with thoughts of abundance. For instance, sometime ago, I was broke and I needed to get to my church after one of my speaking engagements to meet with some people. I had money enough for me to get there quickly but it would mean I would ask people for money to enable me return home. And I had the option of trekking a little and boarding a bus so that I can have money left to get back home.

I immediately recognized it as a scarcity thought and I changed it and affirmed that I would attract abundance. I stopped a taxi right where I was, entered, and headed to Church. When I got to Church, as if by magic, some people bought some of my training materials and paid on the spot. So, I didn’t have to beg for money after all, to get back home. This has happened time and again that I’ve since lost count. Since then I have been catching myself this way and making the necessary shifts in thought. Thanks to Dr. Wayne Dyer books made available to me by IIGL.

Another belief of mine that has changed is the belief that “whatever happens to me happens for a purpose and it’s serving me.” Recently, my new laptop computer packed up completely in the middle of an important project with no funds to buy another one. I wasted money trying to repair it to no avail.

Instead of getting bitter and angry with the vendor for selling a “bad stuff” to me, I sold it off as a scrap and went into popular restaurant and treated myself to my favourite delicacy with the money. I felt better and got busy trying to raise money to buy another one.

My ideas have changed as well. I now have the idea that if I know how to run by brain effectively, I can make anything happen for myself and for others. For example, because of an eye problem that’s been disturbing, anytime I walk in the sun with my eyes unprotected, it is always hell for me because I suffer serious headache and the remaining of my day will be ruined.

Then one day, I forgot my sunglasses. “What should I do?” I asked myself. “Should I buy a new sunglass?” I had two already. Then I remembered what Anthony Robbins wrote that when we feel pain it is because we’re sending painful messages to the brain and representing things as pains, so the brains interprets it as such and delivers nothing but pain.

So, what I did was to imagine the sun as nourishing my eyes and giving me pleasure. That about handled the situation for me. I never felt any eye pain or headache.

Another instance I used the idea of running my brain effectively was to the benefit of one of my church members. She came to me for help because she said she was spiritually down. First I had to know what she meant by being “spiritually down” by using one of the Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) questioning method I learned from one of IIGL’s study materials.

When I discovered her frame of reference and understood what she meant by being spiritually up, I asked her if there was ever a time she was spiritually up. Of course, she answered yes.

Then I elicited her strategy for being spiritually up using the NLP principles taught by Anthony Robbins in his book Unlimited Power. Then I talked to her in “her language” using the strategy I was able to elicit. When I got home that day after the meeting, I received a text message from her testifying of an instant improvement in her situation. And of recent, I have personally observed that her spiritual life has changed for the best.

Another area my life that has changed is in the area of goal–setting. I set goals almost on any project I’m embarking upon. And the magical thing is that even though I don’t frequently refer to the goals, I attract things I wrote down especially in the area of people who will help me in out in the course of attaining the goals. This has helped to put my life on purpose.

In a few words, my life has changed for the best, the way I handle situations in life has gone from ordinary to legendary. Thanks to IIGL. I’m eternally grateful.

Andrew Kisangala (Kenya)
Indeed there has been tremendous change and growth that has been experienced since my inception in your program. Growth is really painful as it is strategic because watching oneself let go of the trend that has been and adopting a new life style. For example I have been able to adopt a new life style that focuses on the process rather than the outcome. This has meant that I would have to go to another level of awareness in all I do. I have been monitoring my time and its been really painful to purpose to be a proper time manager and see myself fail continuously. Failure in this case is because I haven’t attained my goal though the process is great. For example my major challenge this year has been getting out of bed very early in the morning to meditate and read. I have been waking up on time but struggling to get out of the bed and time goes by unnoticed till I find myself late. As I write this there has been an improvement that is phenomenal and soon I will be there.

Attaining a new path to wholeness has been my goal. We think that God has blessed us if we don’t have too many troubles. In fact religions have erroneously taught us that pain is punishment for our sins. We often ask “what have I done wrong?” when things do not go the way we want. Yet, to become ourselves in the truest and deepest sense, we must face our own duality, which of course includes facing our darkness’s souls we strive for wholeness, not for perfection. At first, we really don’t know what is going on. We just find life difficult, challenging and often painful. Eventually, after much experience and reflection, we start to find meaning in it all. Eventually, we gladly accept the means whereby we can do the soul work we have come for.

I have learnt through meditation and prayer to be a thankful person. For there are many that have come and always may go unnoticed through the day and years without me being grateful. A sense of gratitude for life, health, opportunities that come
along, family, friends, education intelligence and many more. The more I have been grateful the more I have been given to generously.

As we become conscious as souls, we walk our journey purposefully. Embracing the reality of our earthly nature along with the truth of our divine nature. When we are conscious of our personal uniqueness and our universal nature we express ourselves creatively. In this way we fulfill our dream and our life purpose.

Our purpose is hidden in our joy, our inspiration, our excitement. As we act on what shows up in our life our purpose shows up. Indeed some of the questions I usually asked my self were what is my reason for being alive because over the years I have lost many peers in some engagements who were so enthusiastic about life but hardly survived. I had a friend in high school who was very talented, well behaved but on that fateful day breathed his last as he was involved in an accident. I for one survived one where I had gone to visit a friend just a few miles away from home and as I crossed the road I found myself in the path of a very speeding car where I just froze awaiting my fate as onlookers screamed. Miraculously the driver applied the brakes and I realized when there was to much squeaking of the tires.

Ability to recognize abundance because if my everyday life seems poor, I don’t blame it, I should blame myself, admitting that I’m not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is no poverty and no indifferent place. If I’m hard pressed to find abundance in my finances or possessions I need to look to spiritual qualities. The more I acknowledge abundance in my spirit; the richer my life will become because not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes my abundance. Surely, I have learnt to adopt and monitor my vibrations to the different things I envision. This involves my desires like being a man of excellency, a inspiration to my peers and reliable in all areas especially economically where I will be in position to help many people with my resources. At school we are next to the regional referral hospital and usually every evening I pass through the different sections of the hospital looking at the patients with different ailments, where some are even breathing their last. I usually ask my self who I’m I to well? Most of the patients here are living below the poverty line and therefore can even hardly afford the medication later alone there own needs. My desire is to gain the capacity and ability to multiply and grow wealth to the point where it will be sufficient to facilitate such people in this condition of which they are the majority. I believe with the right environment and knowledge there is unlimited provision.

Going for depth; Mastery doesn’t come from dabbling. I have to be prepared to pay the price. We need to have the sustained enthusiasm that motivates me to give my best. If I for change in my life, however, I need to do more than skim the surface. I need to make time and take time to both learn new approaches and then most importantly to apply what I have learned. If I jump around to new techniques too rapidly, I won’t benefit from any of them because genius is only the power of making continuous efforts. To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of my destination. It means to know where I’m going so that I better understand where I’m now and that the steps I take are always in the right direction. How different my life will be when I really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, I manage myself each day to be and to do what really matters most.

In case the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster. We may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind. This has involved me learning to plan, prepare my self for whatever activity I’m undertaking. Its been a great tool for me to use because I have been in position to evaluate my progress on those activities undertaken.

Ability to never quiting and pushing on has become a part of me despite the odds against me. Taking a lesson from water. When flowing water … meets with obstacles on its path, a blockage in its journey, it pauses. It increases in volume and strength, filling up in front of the obstacle and eventually spilling past it….

“I have learnt not turn and run, for there is nowhere worthwhile for me to go or attempt to push ahead into the danger …I have learnt to emulate the example of the water: Pausing and building up my strength until the obstacle no longer represents a blockage.” This has created a tremendous difference on my approach towards challenges and I have seen phenomenal results in return.

Opportunities in leadership have presented themselves to me and I glad that I stepped up to expectations. I have been able to inspire many peers of mine positively and most have openly said so. Yesterday I was elected president of a club that works closely with the inspectorate of government and I believe this is a opportunity for growth in my leadership skills as well as personal life. This has been possible through your kindness and I believe this is just the beginning. ,My desire is to be a person of global influence because I’m not just a human being but I represent the highest creation of God and as a matter of fact I also possess that innate ability of creation.

Doing things systematically step by step has enabled me achieve success. “The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time, has been a great lesson for me.

When I get overwhelmed by the number of tasks on my to-do list, I remind myself that the only way to get anywhere is step by step. And I cover the most distance in the journey of my life when I take a moment to decide which step will bring the greatest rewards.

Noeline Kirabo Mulongo (Uganda)
My journey with IIGL started in 2007 when I was looking for answers to fill the void and dissatisfaction in my life at that moment. I had little to look up for and all I wanted was to live an average life and simply get by. I was working at a job where I was earning less than my fellow colleagues for one reason or the other and I had to accept that in life we are all not equal yet I could not figure out why this imbalance existed more so in my life. I was very shy and timid and did my best to avoid all forms of confrontation at all costs. When I started the curriculum; the provisional books were more like eye openers for me and I decided that enough was enough. I purposed in my heart that no one was going to look down on me or talk me into quitting anymore. At the end of that year I confronted my boss about the salary imbalances and threatened to quit. The structures were improved but I felt that I was not putting all my potential to work with the kind of job that I was doing. At the end of 2009, I put in my resignation and applied for my current job that required more qualifications than what I had at the moment. I had gained confidence and mastered the art of a positive mental attitude. I applied and the manager was impressed by my courage so she decided to short list me. I went for the interview and I beat people who had more papers than me. I got the job and my life has not been the same. I endeavor to put the principles that I learn into action that bear positive fruit.

Today I sit on the executive board of two different organizations; I am the IIGL national coordinator for Uganda among many other responsibilities. Many young people look up to me and wonder how I have been able to make it this far in spite of my humble beginning. I credit much of what I am to the IIGL curriculum and the mentors that take the time to walk with me through life. I have learnt many things from the book and I am still learning more. Level two was quite inspiration for me because it kind of moved me from the passive position in regard to setting and achieving me goals to actively pursuing them and accomplishing them. In the last year I applied the principles of goal setting that I had acquired and I am already seeing tangible results. My life is positive and fulfilled.

On my last birthday, it hit me so hard that I was no longer a child and did not have anymore time to waste. Level three of this curriculum had prepared me for such reality. I had had the time to think through what I wanted out of my life and to consider my next course of action. There is no year that I have begun with such confidence and contentment as I did with this one. Being certain of where I am heading and what I want out of life gives me confidence to venture into the unknown. In the previous years I would normally fuss about New Year resolutions that I would often lose track of in the course of the year but not this time. Level three is helping me think through what I want to achieve and where I want to be even as far as 20 years from now. All I have to do is break down my long term goals into small measurable goals that I can pursue in the course of the year. I no longer live for the moment but rather the big picture. There was a time in my life when if asked where I saw myself in the next five or ten years – I would not have a constructive answer but not any more. I know where I am headed like the back of my mind. Yes some things may change along the way but I have a clear sense of purpose and direction as a result of the studies.

One of the books that has left an impact on my life is ‘How to win friends and influence people’. It is indeed a well spring of insights and life changing principles. I had always been a leader and often assumed that many of the many relationships I had simply happened and would be maintained as a miracle. Reading this book challenged me to start living more purposefully and intentionally more so in the area of building relationships. It helped me understand why some of the most meaningful relationships in life had failed. As I begun to put these principles into practice, I have seen positive changes in my relationships at all fronts. They are more meaningful and purposeful. Many people have complimented the way I treat them with respect and provide an atmosphere where they feel comfortable to open up. I credit all this to this book.

Denis Waitley in his book, “The New Dynamics of Winning” gave several points on how to win in whatever you do using his experience as a coach. The book is as fast-paced as it is inspiring and motivating. He writes, “It’s obvious that talent, looks, and other attributes aren’t equally distributed among us, but we’re all given an abundance of value – more than we could use in several lifetimes. The game of life certainly isn’t played on a level playing field for each of us in terms of education, a supportive home life, and other circumstances beyond our control, but I can assure you that you were born with the qualities of a champion. That’s what I mean by value.” There is a price to pay for whatever we want. Things won’t always go the way we plan or expect, but we can and always will win in the end if we stay strong and do the right things. I believe that I have everything it takes to be all that I am meant to be. I am a champion not in the making but in the manifestation.

One of the things Dr. Dyer said that has stuck with me is, “When the student is ready, his teacher will show up.” This is so true and very challenging at the same time.

One of the ideas that was very important to me from Success through a Positive mental attitude is the idea of how i can change my world. The fact that victory is built into every living person and that the victory with in us does not assert itself until we are ready. This principle greatly blessed me and has actually worked for me. This is because i purposed to apply the principles that i acquire through these books at every given opportunity.

I have learnt not to set limits for myself or others. Some times even when we know things, we need some one to remind us of what we already know. This idea from Real magic not only encouraged me to think and dream big but also to believe the very best of everyone. There is a lot of potential in every one, sometimes all people need is some one to believe in them and they will rise up to the occasion. They way I think will also attract the right kind of people around me so by thinking positive I will attract people of a like mind around me. Like the holy book says, if you walk with the wise, you become wise therefore I must think right to live right.

I have learnt from the book Leadership for Dummies; the need to relentlessly search for the truth. Being a very spontaneous and emotional person, I often make rush decisions before hearing every piece of information. Often times I am in a rush to get to the end of an issue that I do not invest in research and information collection. This has cost me a lot in many cases and I am slowly learning to wait for all the information so as to make an informed decision. This is an on going progress in my life, I am slowly learning to search for all the truth before drawing conclusions.

‘Treat your body like a spacecraft, not like a used car that you drive around hoping you won’t have to spend much on maintenance’. This i had heard before in different words but i had never really taken it that serious. This was a very good reminder for me considering the fact that i was taking much care of my physical health. After reading this i went through a detoxifying process which i now do occasionally. I am more keen on what i eat, how much sleep i get and even started on a work out schedule. I am more conscious about living a healthy life and i am determined to live a long healthy life starting then.

I am working on some curriculum development work so that ideas and knowledge that I am getting out of these books are integrated into some of the short trainings that I am working on and the results are amazing. What is a seemingly simple idea is magical in the ears of some people when they hear it for the very first time.

It is one thing to think about something and desire it but it is another thing to put it down on paper and continually refer to it. After reading the ‘laws of attraction’ I realized that there are lots of ideas and insights that I have lost in the past because I failed to put them down on paper. I now right down ideas as soon as they cross my mind. This has saved me a lot of valuable information and insights.

As a team builder, these are very valuable resources for building the capacity of my team members. Knowledge is power and often time we fail because of ignorance. By empowering my team, I will be equipping the team for success. Some of this information is very expensive through the formal education system but am glad I can access it at no cost and still be as good as those who have gone through formal training. I have seen my team grow through the various team meetings where I take the time to share with them some of the things that I learn from the various books. Many times I have been asked if I have a master’s degree and I just laugh it off. I believe we are living in a competent world and its not so much of how far I have gone in school but how much I can deliver. Am gad IIGL has given me a chance to reach my full potential and I am not hesitant about doing the same for others.

One of my long term dreams is to be a life skill coach/ teacher because they are so much needed in my country and that will involve writing my training manuals. These principles are definitely going to form a foundation for me when the time comes. The other thing is that as a public speaker i have a whole lot of resources to share from using the IIGL books that i have read. I have already seen this working for me in the few public speaking opportunities i have had of late, i have a wide scope from which to refer and consult.

Kennedy John Offor (Nigeria)
It is really true that man is the author of his destiny just as an unexamined life is not worth living. He who fails to think will have his thinking done by another for him. The Bible also says that people perish for lack of knowledge. The quotes above are part of the things I will be talking about. I have always had the belief, which I
acquired from my culture, that people live a life of chance, tossed around like paper or feather in the wind, a life of poverty, suffering, depression, envy, anger, jealousy suppression and oppression because of external forces. We believe that the causes of our problems are out there and we crave for sympathy from the world believing that we are victims of circumstances. We believe that there is an external force responsible for our suffering without realizing that those forces has power because we gave them such powers. We fail to realise that any time we wake up to our responsibilities and decide to take our destinies into our hands, all external forces will succumb and even work for our success. We can harness every force of nature to our advantage. The Creator has not placed us under any creature but above all creatures. The bible taught that God gave man dominion over all the earth.

I must confess that my life has been that of wishing and dreaming without a definite purpose and action. Having seen the level of suffering, hopelessness and aimlessness in my country occasioned by corruption and ignorance I have always dreamed and desired to put an end to suffering and give hope to the hopeless but I have not really begun. I have been waiting for a “perfect opportunity” to do it which never came. It was when I started the IIGL studies that I discovered that the best place to start is with myself. I then realized that before I can truly help others to be free from ignorance and hopelessness, I must first be what I want to see in others. I realized what Christ meant when he admonished his followers to first remove the stick in their own eyes so as to see better to remove the speck in their brother’s eyes.

Through reading of the books in levels one and two I was able to discover how to first be the change I want to see in the world. I can declare that I am now a transformed person in thought, belief, actions and inactions. I really know that I am no longer the same again. I am now in charge of my life.

I have come to realise and appreciate the fact that I have an inherent unlimited power to do whatever I want to do, to acquire anything I want to acquire and to really be in charge of my life. In the past, I am a victim of circumstances blaming all my failures on fate. But now, I know better. I now understand that I am the author of events in my life. I can determine what happens to me and even those around me. I can choose how to respond to events in my life. I can now take my own fate into my own hands and steer it in the direction I so wish. I no longer allow people and events to determine and direct my life but I now have all the tools to design my life the way I want. I am still improving on how to use this power in the way and quality of how I communicate with myself and others. Every invention is a product of thought (either conscious or unconscious). Before anything can exist physically, it must first exist as a thought or idea in the mind. When that idea is nurtured for long and given expression through action, it manifests in the physical. Thus whatever I have achieved or failed to achieve in the past is made possible by the kind of thoughts I incubate in my mind. When that thought was fully expressed, it hatches into a definite result. Now, for me to change the result I must guard and determine the kind of thought that I will harbour, in so doing, I will recreate my life. The only limit to what I can do is what I believe and accept. This is my belief now and it is what I have decided to do in the remaining exercises in level three. There have been times when people tried to discourage me saying that no one has done what I was about doing, but because I believed that I can do it I have succeeded. I have experienced the fact that to succeed in life, one must ignore the status quo and launch out against all doubt and fear of failure. In all, “cross comes before crown”.

It was through IIGL that I was able to overcome getting angry and judging others because of what they do or fail to do. I easily give in to anger in the past such that I believe that people around me are responsible for my anger. I always justify myself for being angry but now I am in charge. I have learnt what it means to be a responsible man. Since I learnt through IIGL studies that no one can make me angry without my consent, I have utilised that knowledge and assumed such powers that no one can make me angry now. At least, for now, I have observed that whenever I want to get angry because of what someone did or did not do and I remember that I have the power to decide not to be angry, I find myself overcoming the anger. I usually combine such decision with empathy for the person involved and try to reframe it or see the issue from the other person’s point of view. I now strive first to understand and then to be understood. I have also learnt to always let the other person save his face. I rarely tell anyone that s/he is wrong now unlike in the past. I have equally learnt and been trying to practise the idea of first calling attention to my mistakes before calling attention to another person’s mistakes and when I do, I try explaining or empathising with the person.

I have also come to realize that what we experience in life (whether good or bad) is a function of what we continually hold in our subconscious mind or vibrational bubble whether intentionally or not. Before we can achieve anything in life, our thoughts, and actions must be deliberately made to be in synchronism with our desire, need or want. Once our thoughts and actions are in sync with our desire or want, we will attract the success we want. There was a friend of mine that has been dating a girl for the past three years. They have agreed to marry each other but along the line they discovered that they were both AS. Though, the lady was mistakenly tested as AA earlier. But one day because she was working in a medical laboratory she requested for her genotype to be reexamined and when it was done, it was discovered that she was AS. Further tests confirmed that she is actually an AS. But because of the depth of their love, they were hanging on and praying for a miracle. My friends so believed that something good will come out of their prayers and have been specifically praying for a cure for sickle cell anaemia to be discovered. He had nurtured this thought and belief. One day as we were travelling together, we tuned in to the national network news and immediately we did, the news that was been casted at that instant was that a cure for sickle cell has been discovered. To some, it may appear to be a coincidence but we know that it is actually the law of attraction that is at work. My friend still believes that he will one day get married to the lady and have even fixed a date for the wedding even when things seems to be working against him.

Attracting the kind of friends I want has been a task I left to others to do for me. I have not had many friends in the past all because I had waited for people to come to me without realising that I will attract only the kind of people I want to attract. Now, I decide the kind of friends I want and go in search of them. Through the teaching of Dale Carnegie I have understood that the principle that works in winning friends and influencing people is to “do unto others as I would want them do unto me” and that involves appreciating them first. I am now the one who initiates the move for friendship. I now make it a habit to communicate with the people I meet in the course of my work and travelling. My personal experiences have proved that the best way to handle people is to assume that they are “me”. Once I see another person in my role, I will try to understand that person and excuse his mistakes as I would like mine to be excused. I will appreciate him as I would like to be appreciated. This is the way I see life and friendship and it has been working miracles in my life.

In the course of my IIGL studies I have also been able to completely overcome envy.
This was possible because I now understand and know better that opportunities are not scarce and that if I so desire, I can excel anybody in success. It is not just excelling anyone. I have stopped using others’ success or failure as a yardstick for my own. In as much as I occasionally compare myself to people, it has been from the angle of relative appraisal. Such comparisons do not lead me to envy or vain glory any longer. I see each person as manifesting the thoughts they harbour in their minds in proportion to their level of maturity in life. To the degree to which anyone has overcome indecisiveness and ignorance to the same degree has the person improved in attracting the kind of life s/he wants.

By the application of the principles thought in Non Violent Communication, I am so amazed at the results it is producing in my life. I have been freed from unnecessary worries and anxiety. I no longer evaluate what people do or say but rather try to empathise with them and I must confess that it is therapeutic and helpful. I am still working on adopting the habit of relating with one another in a loving, caring, understanding and empathic manner. Also, through the ideas I got from NVC and Unlimited Power I have understood that everyone wants to love and be loved. I now know that the best way to ask and receive is to ask specifically with empathy. In the past, I am afraid to ask for something from people and when I do I have such feelings that my request might be turned down and it has more often been correct. Now before I ask for anything I first try to be clear about what I want and then believe that I will receive it when I ask the right person. I rarely take no for answer any longer. When my requests are turned down, I no longer see it as a rejection or failure. I simply change my approach and strategy until I get what I want.

IIGL have also improved my faith in God and made me to better understand many things I have known in the past. For instance, it was through IIGL studies that I fully understand what it means to pray without doubt but with all certainty that we will obtain the object of our prayer. I have come to understand that God have provided me (and any other human) with what I need. If I have not received it, it is not because of God or anyone else. It is because I have failed to do what I am required to do in order to receive it. I liken it to the rays of the sun. If I shut all windows and openings in my house/room, there is no way I can receive light to illuminate the room. No amount of wishing and praying will illuminate the room until I open a window to let in the rays of sun. In the same way, I have understood that God have supplied me with all that I need in the thinking faculty he gave me. With this, I can open the windows of my life to receive whatever I want. The IIGL studies have also made me to understand what Christ meant by admonishing us to pray without ceasing. It is because as we continue to pray, we will continue to hold the object of our prayers in our thought and the law of attraction will respond to the continuous thought and bring our prayers to manifestation. The creator (God) of every creature both living and non living things have an Intention (or purpose) for creating them. Having realised this “Intention”, my duty now is to consciously synchronise my free will with it, and connect to the Source (God) who will then empower me to take congruent actions with little or no resistance. Whenever I need or want anything, it is not the external factors that need to change; it is ‘I’ that needs to change and this change implies synchronizing my thought with God’s purpose for creating me. I have also come to appreciate the importance of meditation and relaxation and have made it a habit to always have a quiet time.

Another aspect of my life that has changed is my finance. Although I am not as rich as I want to be, I have the conviction and act as if I am already as rich as I want to be. I have come to discover that to attain any level of success; I must “act as if” and thereby allow the law of attraction to make my acting a reality. I know that few years separate me from my dream home, car, career, and financial status. Contrary to my earlier belief about money, I now know the true use of money. I had always believed that too much money is not good or necessary but the IIGL thus far have made me to change the belief to “too little money or barely enough money is not good.” I have learnt how to make money serve me and not serving money.

In summary, I am now the author of my destiny and a proud son of God (the source of all things). I now live a serene, cheerful, grateful and purposeful life. Not that I have fully become who I want to be but that I now decide what happens to me. I will say that I have removed the speck of ignorance, and hopelessness/aimlessness from my eyes and now I see better to remove the logs in the eyes of my people. This is the next stage of my life and I am trusting God to use IIGL to accomplish it.

Collins Odhiambo
Kenya

“What do you want out of life?” If someone had asked me this same question two decades ago, my response would have been vague and varied. But that is before I enrolled as a student of the Leadership Institute. Like most people, I had no particular goal to achieve in life. I merely drifted along, trying this and the other, sort of like playing a game of hide and seek with life. The first two books from the Institute Jonathan Seagull and As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen, wet my appetite to seek answers to the three fundamental basic life questions.

“Who am I?” This question deals with identity. “Why am I here?” This question examines purpose, and “Where am I gong?” This question probes issues on destiny. But it wasn’t until I read “Psycho Cybernetics 2000, A Complete Update of Maxwell Maltz Classic” by Bobbe Sommer and Brian Tracy’s excellent book on Goals, that inner transitional transformation began to take effect in my life.

I was dying to grow up and be my own man; only, I did not know or plan what that my own grown up person would do to make a difference in society. Then, I turned 21, had my freedom and I thought,

“Ah now this is life,” but freedom too has its limitations. Later on I contemplated getting married and gaining societal status quo to raise a family. But never in my wildest of dreams did I stop or pause to think that every step of the way, although ushering in the desires of my heart, also pushed me closer to the edge and end of he road in life.

Earlier in life, I made many poor decisions, took uncalculated risks and lived on the margin. Opportunities were there in plenty to make good my life, but I did not reach out and grab them deluding myself better ones are yet to come my way in future.

Back in the innocent days, everything seemed so pure, so perfect and so purposeful. But that is before life experiences came charging, changing the course and direction of my entire life. In the prime of youth, I had no known role models to emulate like today’s youth boast of. Caught in a tangle web of illiteracy on the one hand and tradition on the other of parent’s lifestyle, at least the parents were closer to the old school of thought where culture reigned supreme. The two illiteracy and tradition along with other life’s pressures greatly influenced and shaped the course of my life. Although a lot of interesting developments have since taken place, many of the mistakes could have been avoided had I the right guidance and counseling from the beginning. I consider belonging to a ‘lost generation’ whose appetite for the good things in life turned into a burden instead of a blessing.

Four years of high school were behind a future of new and exciting life awaited a head, so I thought. There were days the body literally floated on the wings of the wind, anticipating freedom that would finally become part of my adult life. From here on, life would be pure pleasure, I contemplated. Whatever the heart wanted it would have; party from dusk to dawn, disturbing the bones on the dance floor until there is no strength left in the body to move a muscle. Go after girls with gusto selecting ones for friendship fun and future relationship. But none of these things really satisfied the longing and emptiness in my heat. There were also set backs to contend with such as lack of finances to have the good times roll. All I wanted was to live to the fullest for the moment. Literally unchecked personal freedom was coming through my ears, my eyes bulging with desire for the good things, the heart running away with all kinds and manner of excitement.

I lived on the fast lane to nowhere, but a life of dissolution, disappointment and despair. Parent’s precautions sounded hollow, boring and sounded like music to the ears during my teenage tough.

I thought I had it all
Till I lost it all
And I had to begin again all over.

If only someone had whispered behind my wet ears and warned me of the looming danger of trying to take all of life into my teeth or someone placed one self improvement book before me; perhaps the records of my life would have been set straight then.

Every last one is endowed with great potential for success, the difference comes in what one does with whatever one perceives as a heart desire. In my case, it was the discovery of the potential of creative writing. Once I knew the importance of setting and sticking to goals, improving on the knowledge and skills, creative writing became my number one goal in life.

Reading books from the Leadership Institute, I realised, there are no rehearsals in life, it is the real thing and I am the main character in the storyline of the drama that is my life. It is bad not to know when one makes exit from this world; equally worse when that time finds you unprepared as is usually the case with many. But, it is worst that you can’t come back to right the wrongs or put final touches to unfinished businesses. In either case of entrance or exit, in or out of this world, one has little choice or control over. However, one has a wide range and variety of choices to make while still alive upon this planet earth. The sad thing is like most people, I made many wrong choices and was going through life enraged instead of enjoying all that life has to offer.

First, I had to come to terms with and accept the reality of the new challenges in my life. Second, I had take stock and look at my life a fresh. Third, I had to make appropriate adjustments. Walking that road has been tough, trying and torturous. There are those who successfully make necessary changes and cope beautifully with whatever difficulties life throws at them. I am not one of them. Fourth, I had to set new goals.

Once I became aware of the importance of setting and sticking to my goals until they are achieved, life has had a different ring to it. Not all my goals have been fulfilled but I am confident they will be in time judging from the experience of the ones that have been achieved.

Fifth, I had to deliberately take attention off myself, off my frustrations and off my disappointments and purposely concentrate on available opportunities still waiting in life. None of these adjustments come easy and cheap. It took some doing to come to these realizations and time has been the greatest healer.

Today, I am committed to being a participant not a spectator in the game of life. I no longer stand by and watch as others scale the ladder of success, wishing I could be the one. I also no longer sit back and simply expect a better life awaits out there somewhere for me. Wishful thinking I discovered doesn’t cut it for success in life. Once life tossed me out of the warm nest of my comfort zone through painful past experiences, I now know better.

In a short essay such as this one, it would be difficult if not impossible to include all of life’s practical lessons I have learnt in the first two levels of study from this institute. However, the two books mentioned above along with others, laid the foundation of the impact of the course on my personal and professional life, increased my demand for goal oriented results and made me conscious of the involvement of others my pursuit for a successful life.

Erick Kebeka Omari
Kenya

It had been a positive walk of life for me right from the time I joined IIGL. It is not by an accident or by luck, but it was the best destiny in my life that I made a discussion to be part and parcel of the program, God had planned perfectly for me to be in this program and I am a beneficiary of the output and fruits that I have reaped from the Institute. Little did I Know that I needed something to liberate my freedom, thinking, socializing, achieving my aspiration, dreams, goals and empowerment in all aspect of life and make me a better being in this universe.

From the first initial stage, I felt a blessing to have known the Institute, since I had to take governance by reading through the books without supervision, in my own time and my own style. We have undergone lots of training in our life time, but IIGL surpass them, IIGL gives you the practicality of life and how you can make yourself useful in this universe by discovering your being and the purpose of being in this world. Nothing is impossible when you are focused, and determined to achieve your dreams, goals and vision, it is only preparing yourself to be available when the opportunity knocks.

True personal power arises from a personality-soul connection. True personal power is the result of passion and purpose that is heart-driven, not ego-mind driven. Personal power results from empowering – others, not your self, IIGL creates our personality – soul connection, in order to serve our nation better, in my small capacity IIGL has made me conquer lots of personal challenges and made me know how to tackle issues, and also help others achieve their goals through sharing and unleashing their potentials, have made people who have been having difficulties in unemployment struggle realize that they can create employment and employ others instead of thinking on how to be employed, it is a confession that I can testify. At times we find a lot of obstacles in our success than solution, but it is very important to learn that every step in your life counts and matters very much, no matter how ugly it seems to be.

Through prayers, and reading quality books from IIGL, I have made giant steps in my life, I am a better leader, and feel overwhelmed in whatever I do in our organization Alfa Network, sometimes in life we struggle too much, only to find out that whatever we were looking for is just within our reach, life as no rehearsal, whatever you can do, do it now, it as been my policy since joining IIGL, to do right things, at the right place and in the right time, because tomorrow never comes, so I have trained myself to do what I can in the right time there and then.

It is nature as human beings, to be impatient in life and once given one blow in life most of us will give up, or despair, at the earliest possible time, I have learnt that when challenges comes they are preparing you for a better part of life and whatever you achieve is worthy the cost to have it, life will never be smooth, otherwise it will loose meaning, and that is why we have different definition of life, depending on our circumstances and situations. Every human being is successful in his own way, only that we do not see, we have eyes but we are blind, if you start counting your success, and appreciating them that is the first step to achieve more in life, and the greatest barrier to our success is nothing other than our own selves. Remember circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him, you and your invisible mind can create the physical world that you want to create, I have created miracle for myself through the magical use of my mind, and prayers, by using the term P.U.S.H (Pray Until Something Happens). God answers our prayers through miraculous way, so do not cease to pray until something happens on what you are praying for. The greatest tragedy is not death, but what dies within you when you are alive, I am unpacking what lives within me to accomplish it, by doing it now what I can do now, by producing miracles to yourself is about knowing within that you are already a miraculous person in this wonderful universe that God created.
I have also learnt that we can be to others only that we are to ourselves, therefore as we revalue ourselves and begin to feel to be giant in ourselves you need to conquer yourself before we conquer others in our way of thinking, It is what comes out of a home that makes a society and what comes out of a society that makes a nation, you and me have a responsibility to make our nation, from the first step of our lives.
I am privileged to quote Martin Luther King Jr, said The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. May we not escape from our challenges and controversy, they are only preparing us to be better people in life, nothing comes on a silver plate, if anything you want seriously is worthy to have it then also it is worthy to struggle for it, it didn’t take me a nightfall to come up with Alfa, it is through persistence, prayers, struggle and encouragement, from substantial friends.

I have also learnt that when I treat other people with kindness and love, it is part of my way of paying debts to God and the world for the privilege of living on this planet.

The goodness with IIGL it covers all dimensions in life, there are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, there are souls, that are pure and true, then give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. Life is never boring to an exploring mind and that anyone – ad – everyone can expect to achieve by thinking big and awakening the giants in you. I do write this through my own experience and what I have witness from others, life cannot be defined in ones statement and that is why we call it a walk of life, what you have gathered on your way, challenges, bitterness, regrets, happiness, sadness and hatred, defines life, and not what this challenges have done to you but what you have done to them to make you a better you, As we are searching for a future and abiding city of our dreams, vision, goals and aspirations, the road is long and rugged, not always easy to follow. When we fall, we must rise again like our Saviour on the way to Calvary.

I have learnt that there is power in our words, what we speak is very powerful, because it comes from life, or breath, please review what you speak, if you speak positively, your life becomes positive, our attitude determines our approach to life, practical example, I used to say when I was employed as a casual labourer, that one day I will leave the job, everyday I used to say I am going to leave this job and start my own business and also concentrate on my dream of my organization, I never used to have time when I was employed, so it was difficult for me to oversee the project, since it had not picked and I was the vision bearer, I even didn’t know when I left the job and started my business and after that, got time to see how I can develop Alfa, honestly I do not regret for the decision I made and day and night a thank God, so watch your lips before you utter something negative about yourself, it may hinder the rest of your life.

The change cannot come from others, it as to start from us, must come from us, almost daily we witness jobs that are held but hated and marriages that are tolerated but unhappy, all because people are waiting for others to change, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, One day during preaching I had a Pries say that, probably your husband, has been mistreating you, drunk and done all sort of evil things to you, he gave out a prayer and said, it will change someone’s life, kneel down and say the prayer, loudly next to your partner sleeping, because he will here you praying, say Thank you God for giving me this wonderful husband, maybe it will be the first time your husband will hear you calling him wonderful, believe it! It will give him different reflection. Be the change to your partner; do not wait him to change, change starts from you.

Others can stop you temporally but you are the only one who can do it permanently, how many of us, have been dismissed that you cannot make it in life, you are not good at this or that, let it go, do not take attention into their judgment, that is the way of their thinking but the fact remains that you are the one to construct your own life, so get the right material to make your life work, remember the stone which the builder rejected became the capstone of the house.

My encouragement for the entire student in IIGL we are equipping ourselves to be leaders for today and hope for tomorrow, let us have this three striking image of leadership, Servant, shepherd, and steward. By being servants in our small capacity we give service, support and empowerment to our society, also we should be shepherd, by caring, having courage and guiding others, in the right direction, finally we should be stewards, in that we are trustworthy, responsible and accountable in whatever we do. I have gained skills and qualities by being a student in IIGL, God bless IIGL.

Nigeria
Abiodun Mabadeje

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SINCE BECOMING A STUDENT OF THE INSTITUTE

My journey as a student of International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL) has been on for some time now. I want to say here that this journey has rather been too slow for my liking, for reasons that are both my fault and those that are not (I’m not trying to give excuses).

However, that does not take away the fact that I have enjoyed every bit of being a student for this programme. I have unlearned some things and learned quite a number of new things since joining.

Of particular note is what I learned from the book “Psycho-Cybernetics 2000,” about how the mind works; the relationship between the conscious and sub-conscious mind; it is like that of the horse and its rider. In the book, it is established that the conscious mind is the rider while the sub-conscious mind is the horse. When the horse has been ridden through a particular route over a period of time, it becomes used to that route that it can take the rider to the destination anytime it is sat upon. For the horse to stop riding in that direction it has to be retrained, i.e. a process of unlearning and relearning has to be put in place. So it is with the human mind.

This relationship between the conscious and sub-conscious mind also agrees with the Law of Attraction, which states that “I attract into my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative.” When you begin to focus your attention on something, you are telling your sub-conscious mind that that thing is the right thing; it is what you want, irrespective of whether it is good or bad, the sub-conscious mind in agreement with the Law of Attraction or call it the force of nature just gives it to you. We now know that the sub-conscious mind cannot make value judgment between what is right or not and what is good or not.

When I was reading this book, I came up with something. When you spell the words SUCCESS and FAILURE, you realize that they are both seven letters each, and what that suggests to me is that it does not take more energy to succeed than it takes to fail, it is just a function of where you direct your energy and attention.

UNLIMITED POWER by Anthony Robbins is another book that made so much impact on me. As the title is, so are the lessons learnt from the book – EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS UNLIMITED POWER that if he/she knows how to use it can revolutionize the person’s life. This much ‘Tony brought to the fore with the example of his own life of how he literally transformed himself from being ‘a nobody’ to becoming somebody within a short period of time. And now all over the world he is using the same things that helped him to help others. The book has shown and helped to re-enforce my belief in myself about my ‘UNLIMITEDNESS’ as a person – I can be all I want and choose to be. I am only limited to the extent to which I place a limit on myself. I think everyone should adopt this as a daily mantra “I AM UNLIMITED.”

Also in the book (i.e. UNLIMITED POWER), I learnt about “Syntax of Occurrence.” There are things that must happen before some other things can take place. For example, a child must first be a toddler, grow to adolescent and then become an adult. It is a process. In the same vein, any and everything we do or intend to do must follow a process. Another example, you don’t attend secondary school before primary school. And even in the primary, you don’t start from primary six, you start from primary one. Understanding this simple fact helps to plan our goals very well.

GIANT STEPS by Anthony Robbins, is one of the study books in Stage One. Of course the book is a collection of quotes, short write-ups and stories, but the quotes and short notes are very deep in areas of helping to achieve daily steps that can make big differences in one’s life. On page 216, he writes, “Yes, it’s true: We can’t control the wind or the rain or the other vagaries of weather. But we can tack our sails such that we can steer the course we desire.” The Bible puts this thought this way, “He that observes the wind will not sow.”

The two books on goals, that is, “Goal Mapping and Goal Setting 101” are master pieces. Yes I have read books on goal setting before, but I must say that these books drive home the points on this subject very effectively, especially Goal Setting 101, because of the way it is written; nugget-like style. It is easy to read and understand; can be carried around and referred to for quick review, and each chapter makes a complete sense depending on the need per time.

For Goal Mapping, the preface is really an eye opener for me about how the brain works. The synaptic gap; now I know what is going on in my brain when I am thinking positive thoughts and vice-versa. The book contains a lot of inspiring quotes also.

How will I write about what I learned in stages one and two and not mention Dr. Wayne Dyer, the spiritual man. He thought in his books that everything is energy and energy does not die, it only changes form. Though I have my reservations, it is however true that we are all one and part of a system that is preprogrammed to work and function perfectly well if we learn to align to the way nature is made to function. The different examples from his own life and experiences help to drive home the point that life is not a struggle when you understand the angle; you can actually control things in your mind. This position was also corroborated by Deepak Chopra, M.D. in his book “Unlimited Life.”

One of the things Dr. Dyer said that has stuck with me is, “When the student is ready, his teacher will show up.” This is so true. The challenge with most people is readiness – preparation. This explains the saying, “When opportunity meets preparation success is inevitable.” Most want opportunity without preparation.

I will like to share two thoughts particularly from the book “Your Sacred Self.” (i) “Your authenticity will be based on knowing that you cannot imitate others and still be true to yourself and to God.” Simply put, imitation is limitation.

(ii) “Every man has to seek in his own way to make his own self more noble and to realize his own true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for those who have need of help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.” In my own words, you are not in this world for isolation, you are here for association.

In several parts of the world, there are wars and all forms of violence going on. Marshall B. Rosenberg in his book, “Nonviolent Communication” says that what is responsible for this is simply that we have not learnt to have respect and regard for ourselves as citizens of the world. Having love and communicating it in a way that shows empathy for the other person will help to bring to a very minimal level all the violence we see all around the globe. In the book, he addresses the different areas and causes of violence, between the husband and wife, the parent and children and even between and among nations. He went on in the book to watch very close the words used in conversation as these may lead to violence.

He writes, ‘“The intention behind the protective use of force is to prevent injury or injustice. The intention behind the punitive use of force is to cause individuals to suffer for their perceived misdeeds. When we grab a child who is running into the street to prevent the child from being injured, we are applying protective force. The punitive use of force, on the other hand, might involve physical or psychological attack, such as spanking the child or reproofs like, “How could you be so stupid! You should be ashamed of yourself!”’

Denis Waitley in his book, “The New Dynamics of Winning” gave several points on how to win in whatever you do using his experience as a coach. The book is as fast-paced as it is inspiring and motivating. He writes, “It’s obvious that talent, looks, and other attributes aren’t equally distributed among us, but we’re all given an abundance of value – more than we could use in several lifetimes. The game of life certainly isn’t played on a level playing field for each of us in terms of education, a supportive home life, and other circumstances beyond our control, but I can assure you that you were born with the qualities of a champion. That’s what I mean by value.” This about raps up and summarizes the book. There is a price to pay for whatever you want. Things won’t always go the way you plan or expect, but you can and always will win in the end if you stay strong and do the right things.

Charles Kabera (Rwanda)
Assignment 1, Exercise 1

What I feel I have learnt since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute cannot be expressed and summarized in this short assay. However, I will try to summarize it in the paragraphs that follow.

IIGL has totally transformed me and I have reshaped myself for success. I have developed self confidence and I feel I am here for success. I have built a new, positive and realistic self and I am a person I want to be. I now focus on desired changes instead of dwelling on past mistakes. I have changed my mental attitude from negative to positive. I have made my life meaningful to both myself and to the society in which I am living. I have achieved positive self-image:- one that empowers me to set and achieve goals of personal happiness and professional success. How could I have been so blind for so many years? Gone are the days that were wasted! I have left behind negative habits and going back is just as impossible as returning to crawling when one knows how to walk. IIGL has provided me with all the tools and ideas that will lead to personal development and success. Now the only requirement on my side for lifelong success is the habit of taking action on my plans, goals, ideas and insights.

I have started to overcome procrastination which was my major handicap. For instance, I used to fail achieving my goals because of not acting immediately. I have disciplined myself to concentrate on a given task without diversion or distraction. When I find myself getting distracted, or I feel tempted to take a break or procrastinate, I motivate myself by continually repeating, “Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!” I then renew my efforts to push the task through to completion. Whenever I find myself slowing down, I repeat these words to myself: “Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!” I have got rid of procrastination by getting rid of “tomorrow” from my vocabulary. My “future” is “now”. I now do things when they need to be done or sooner and this has created harmony in my home and at work.

I am now getting along with others in my family and in social and occupational relations. I have the capacity to communicate ideas, build positive attitudes, increase enthusiasm, reduce tension and anxiety and increase enjoyment of life. I have learnt not to criticize, condemn or complain, but to give honest and sincere appreciation, to arouse in the other person an eager want, to become genuinely interested in other people, to smile always, to be good a listener, to encourage others to talk about themselves, to talk in terms of the other person’s interests and to make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely. I listen empathically and also communicate my authentic feelings and needs. Those who were once ‘enemies’ of mine, we are able to hear each other’s needs, and we are able to connect compassionately and find new solutions to the previously ‘impossible’ impasses. I now ‘talk about my own mistakes before criticizing the other person.’ Instead of condemning people, I try to understand them. I am now dominated by love, respect, understanding, appreciation, compassion, and concern for others rather than being self centered and selfish, greedy, hateful, and having prejudiced suspicious and aggressive attitudes that originally dominated my thinking. I now live in harmony with those who have done harm to me and this gives me a peace of mind as opposed to the past where I thought of applying “a tooth for a tooth, and “eye for an eye” principle.

I have learnt to program my own thoughts and behaviors. I have learnt how I must think, plan, execute, manage and eventually celebrate my way to success. I now take care and direct my thoughts because I have learnt that bad thoughts can ruin my life and character. I have learnt to “think big” rather than remaining in the darkness of confusion. I have engaged myself in constructive thinking and developed a positive mental attitude. I have learnt that to live a life without well defined goals is like moving in darkness and it can lead hitting the wall or falling in a pit and failure in life.

I no longer fear failure because I know that Every Failure or defeat brings with it a seed of success. In order to achieve the success, I need not to be discouraged by temporary defeats. I now take defeat merely as a test which permits me to discover the nature of my thought and their relation to my definite major purpose. I closed the door of fear behind me, and I now see the door of success open before me. I have learnt that there is no bad experience that no matter what I go through in life— whether it’s a challenging experience or a pleasurable one — every experience provides me something of value if I look for it. I now see obstacles as opportunities to move towards my goals. I have gone back in my past experience and found that each experience in life was absolutely necessary in order to have gotten me to the next place, and the next, up until this moment.

I have decided that it’s high time to use the tool of transformational vocabulary to replace my habitually disempowering words with more inspiring ones. I have eliminated negative beliefs like ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I am not creative’ ‘it is too difficult’, ‘I can never get a well paid job because I don’t have a Masters Degree, Opportunity nocks only once,….I now know that the reality is that opportunity is a steady hammer on my windows and doors, a constant noise that I spend most of my time attempting to block out by stuffing cotton in my ears. This course has helped me to monitor my inner dialogue and match my thoughts to what I want and intend and want to create. For example, instead of thinking that ‘I’ve been always poor; I was raised on shortage and scarcity; I will remain poor’- I have rather directed my thoughts and think that ‘I intend to attract wealth and prosperity in unlimited abundance’. I have learnt that disempoering words are our traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt’. I now select the words I use on a daily basis because I have learnt that words have the capacity to attract either positive or negative vibrations that can have either positive or negative impact on my life depending on my choice. I now avoid the use of the words and expressions that attract what I do not want. I have eliminated words like don’t, not and no in my vocabulary (e.g. don’t panic, don’t forget etc) Now, instead of saying don’t panic, I use ‘stay calm.’

I have improved the way I communicate to myself whenever I encounter problems in my life. Whenever I meet any challenging problem, I consistently communicate to myself that this experience has occurred for a purpose and that this experience will someday provide me with even greater advantages in my goal to make a difference in the world. I now believe that every adversity contains the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. I now take deliberate, conscious action to steer myself in a direction I have predetermined. I am no longer just a leaf in the wind. I have developed the capacity to consciously direct my life. I now create circumstances rather than merely responding to them. I am now being proactive as opposed to being reactive as I used to be. I now take a failure as an opportunity to learn from and keep trying until I achieve my success instead of lamenting on the past failures. I now know that failure in life is sometimes bound to happen along the road to success but I don’t take it as complete defeat. I take failure as an inspiration to try again with renewed confidence and determination and learn from the mistakes that had led me to that failure. I have turned my stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I have discovered that temporary failure is just with some seeds of success. I can now benefit from everything that happens to me, positive or negative, I move upward and onward toward achieving my major definite purpose. Now, whenever I meet any obstacles that happen to make me seem ‘failing’ to achieve my goals, instead of worrying about these obstacles, I take them to be there for a purpose. I take them as an opportunity to serve as a lesson on how I can adjust and move forward to achieve my goal in a better way. I no longer treat defeat as complete failure. I instead treat it as a lesson to correct a mistake that has been made in pursuit of my purpose.

Overcoming self-limiting beliefs and self-imposed limitations was the biggest obstacle standing between me and the realization of my full potential. I have cast off all the self-limiting beliefs and accepted that I am an extraordinarily capable and talented person. I have developed a perfect system of self analysis and this assisted me to know what has been standing between me and the success during my past years. I now spend more time analyzing my weaknesses and less time building alibis to cover them. I have realized that all the riches and all the material goods that I acquire through my efforts begin with me having a clear, concise picture of what I seek. I have stopped blaming others as the causes of my failure but analyze my weaknesses to eradicate them. I now feel happier and at peace with myself when I’m actually doing something or have some sort of goal that I need to achieve at the end of a certain period, this is the time that I feel that my life is actually good for something. I have started creating a better world by first analyzing my weaknesses. I no longer blame others for my failure. I am now able to define my direction in life. I no longer believe that success in life is mere luck.

I now live in an attitude of positive expectancy, knowing that everything that happens in my life benefits me in some way. I know really what winning means. I take the talent and the potential that I was born with, develop it and use it fully towards success and winning. I now view happiness as the natural experience of winning my own self-respect, as well as the respect of others. I now understand that winning begins with feeling good about myself, referring to myself in positive terms, and seeing myself as a winner.

I now see my life as a miracle unfolding everyday and I am living on purpose. I now trust in my own unique ability to create in my mind anything that I choose. I have now aligned my life with love, harmony, giving, sharing, peace and forgiveness. I have a strong will that won’t permit anything to interfere with achieving my inner desire. I have developed a never-give-up attitude combined with an internal picture that will propel me toward fulfilling my dreams. I have become someone with intention. I am now proud of my ability to recognize and take the advantage of opportunities that arise, which opportunities have been passing unnoticed. I can now examine any and all self-imposed obstacles that need to be challenged and eradicated as I work a new at living and breathing this power of intention that was placed in my heart before my heart was even formed. I have eradicated all self imposed roadblocks that have been hindering me to achieve my goals. I have improved my communication techniques. I have also transformed the thinking, language and moralistic judgments that have been keeping me from enriching relationships that I dream of.

I am now capable of accomplishing any goals I set for myself. The regular and systematic practicing of goal setting will take me from poverty to prosperity, from frustration to fulfillment, from underachievement to success and satisfaction. I have discovered that living without clear goals is like driving in a thick fog. No matter how powerful or well engineered my car, I drive slowly, hesitantly, making little progress on even the smoothest road. When I was living without goals before taking this course, I was like a person moving in darkness and my life was at risk of failure but now I am risk free because I know where I am heading. I have decided to act upon my goals and to clear the fog immediately.

In conclusion, I am now an appreciator rather than a depreciator of everything that shows up in my life. I now know why I am here, I know that I am more than an encapsulated collection of bones, blood and organs in a black skin and hair covered body. I now live with a purpose and choose to avoid being detracted by demands of the ego, I now have great reverence for the world of Spirit, and commune with the Source, and I stay inspired.

Olgbenga Adebiyi John
Nigeria

Since I joined the International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL), my life has changed drastically. Finding IIGL is a blessing of a lifetime for me as a person as I have referred some of my friends to take the IIGL course. As a studious person, I have been looking for an on-line programme like the one offered in IIGL, but I have not been able to come across any until I find IIGL. What I discovered from the one I have seen is that it is either they offer fee that is unaffordable and one has to pay to credit card, or that the programmes are not organized like the one offered by IIGL.

By becoming a student of IIGL, I have learned a lot of things which I explained below:

(i) A Bookworm: If there is one thing I can take from IIGL is that it makes me to read. It has often been said: “leaders are readers”. This saying is imbibed in the IIGL Institute. Those who cannot read voraciously cannot be a leader. Reading broadens our horizon, and makes us to discover hidden knowledge. In this part of the world, the average citizen is not so much interested in book as a result of so many factors: poverty, poor reading culture, the economic problem and the unstable educational system. By joining IIGL, I am becoming a bookworm. Although I am a bibliophile, but I discovered that it is not only keeping a book that makes someone to be successful, but actualizing what one has learned. This is what IIGL makes every student to do.

(ii) A Student: Before joining IIGL, it’s been a long time that I came in contact with rigorous academic studies for the past three years when I did my post-graduate in journalism. But IIGL make me to go back to school. The assignments given are not for lazy students. You are given books to read within a specified time and answer the questions on them. The assessment must be certified okay by the Dean of Studies, Michael Lightweave. If you did not do your assignment very well, you have to go over it again until you satisfy the examiner. This is the same as taking courses in the university or college. If you fail a course, you have to retake it again (especially the compulsory one). But unlike in the IIGL, there are no elective courses, all are required, you have to pass one stage until you move to another stage. The only time you have an option is when you get to stage 3.

(ii) A Transformed Person: Before talking the IIGL course, I usually find it difficult to get along with people because I used to be a temperamental person (although I go to church and read motivational books even attend seminars). It was when I started reading books like: “The law of attraction”, “Non-violent communication”, “The Unlimited Power” that my life takes a drastic turn. These books are life-changing. The authors are superhuman; they have the power of God in them to change lives. I remember praying when I got to the last chapter of “Unlimited Power”. The author, Anthony Robbins says “This book will never make any change/transformation in your life until you do what is suggested”. I did a quick sober reflection on what I have been reading and having and make up my mind that I have to change. The book affected my spiritual life that I made another covenant with the Almighty God that I will do what he pleases. Anthony Robbin’s book, “UNLIMITED POWER” is a book I will never forget in a hurry because it changed my life.

Now, my temperament has changed – I have delayed anger. I am no more as judgmental as I used to be. I am more patient and gentle with people and I can get along with difficult people now.

(iv) A Learning Community: Becoming a student of IIGL has made me to belong to a community of learners. It was Tolstoy that says: “The illiterates of the future are not only those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”.

IIGL is indeed a learning community. Since I have been a member of IIGL, I have come across many useful websites. And I believe that I will still come across many more in the near future.

(v) Real Leadership Values: About a month ago, an e-mail was sent to me by a friend on the next CEO. The CEO was able to retire, and was looking for who to succeed him. He called for a meeting of the top management officials and said: “I will be leaving this post, and want to pass the baton to the next CEO”. He then told them what he would do. He gave about five of them a seed and say: “Go and plan this seed, water it everyday and three days or a week after come with your plant and let’s see what you have. The person with the best plant would become the next CEO of the company. This was on Friday (I guess) and on Monday, they all come back with a pot of plant all blossoming. One of them, Mr. X was ashamed because his own seed wouldn’t just germinate. He told his wife about this, but he didn’t just know what to do. So when they were asked to present their seed beds, he was ashamed because it was only soil on a plastic bed and nothing more.

They all come to the front except Mr. X who was staying aloof at the back filled with his own shame and stupidity. The CEO said that there was still someone and the back, and told the audience to make way for him to the front. He managed to come to the front still terribly ashamed and dumbfounded. He was the only person without a grown plant. The CEO looked at all the plants presented and commented that they were all good. They if course heaved a sign of satisfaction for the commendation except Mr. X.

The CEO then announced, “When I gave you a seed the other time, it was dead seed. You all have germinated seed except Mr. X. He is the only one who planted the seed I gave him without changing the seed. So with this, Mr. X is the next CEO of the company”. They were filled with surprises and envy.

The values taught are IIGL are real values. Whenever I read the newsletter or the books sent to me, I found out that both the writer (Michael Light weave) and the authors are down- to -earth. They would always call a spade.

In this part of the world, truth is a rear value. Honesty is forgotten virtue. Those who have it dear not be bold to display it, or else, they would look at you as one of the “holy, holy people”.

The world is in dire need for true leaders – upright people. People who would not shift ground, no matter whose ox is gored; people of inestimable character and virtue – people who are down-to-earth. This is what I have found in IIGL and I’m happy that I am part of the generation of people that would engender change in the near future.

Bulgaria

My LIFE … Years ago and now … Good or bad – I really don`t know. At the beginning of my days here, when I was little – at age and at life experience, I was thinking my way of living was not so good and terrible in some moments. This point of view I was keeping in my mind for many years. For now I don`t know, being older at age and with little more experience – if my life became better … because this is again only one point of view! This is the reason that makes me write here a point of my view, here and now, and if it find it`s changes tomorrow – this will be the sign that I`m still alive, because all this is The Life here, on our Mother Earth.

Nobody can really know what is happening with him through the fields of living. Changes come and go, in joy or in sorrow, we grow or we don`t succeed, falling in our own misery. But if we grow it`s impossible to see, to realize it how it happens – may be only we can feel something new that comes to us in one invisible way. The picture of the real growth we can see after, when the outside action or inner dynamic is over. We can see all the landscape only at the end, when the climbing is over, like one loving-nature man reaching the top of the mountain.

Until I started to study here, and to practice with the Institute studies making exercises and writing assessments, I`m experiencing many new things. First of all I started to realize what is the human life in his basic core. I started to make for myself some analyses, I`ve never done before… It`s true that the the Institute studies are serving the student. It can`t be other way – every study and practice have this purpose. This analysis helps me to look inside myself – such interesting things I found. Things put inside for many years. Into one room full with garbage is difficult to clean and to put everything in order. To make changes is first to clean – many things; to growth is first to clean. It`s inside treasure to make analysis. I feel happy now, may be this is a result of all this years being here. I feel becoming a student of the Leadership Institute I`ve learned such helpful things. I think my ideas and beliefs have changed. Because I feel lightened, in good humor many hours of the day. I`m usually relaxed, many years ago it wasn`t so. My thoughts are positive now, and when I see they aren`t – for me it`s not difficult to change it. Every thought is energy, working with it – you work with a live material energy is. Now I can observe to my ideas, they are fresh, lighter and not so heavy they`ve been before. My beliefs are realistic and not mystic and mythological, they`ve been before.

Reading all this books, I think the beg change came inside without asking me. Asking nobody – stepping inside me. Step by step, quietly passing through my mind, making changes, showing me the way to more harmony and understanding, patience and calmness. One morning, may be two months ago I roused understanding that I feel different. That morning I`ve thought for me the best way to live is to live with the truth and no other manner for being in the Universe. May be is impossible in the everyday life to tell the truth, but is good to try it. Speaking with someone – not only to talk, to open and close the mouth, to rise your voice making noise. I realized that every single word, born by some thought is very, very important for the balance in our World. So I decided to finish with all my little, daily lies I was using by habit, not knowing why. Starting with my most close friends and relatives I began to “clean” my life.

Doesn`t matter I`ve red so many books, for last 10 years – the result into the real life of mine was minimal. Now I see that reading it is not equal to learning. It`s easy to read – the contemporary people are educated, that`s why our poor World is full with books, most of them useless. I understood this when my life began to fall down, not when I was reading the book for life-success. It`s easy to learn and it`s difficult to apply the knowledge. In the last months I lost my job, some friends of mine, I lost my support to live the way I`ve did it before. Loosing many things, for me was easy to start something new. Naturally the new things are dangerous, if we look from our – human being personality. That’s why we usually have fears changing something. The unknown is not so easy to guide the direction we want. What a vanity fair of human life! We always want to be sure in what we do, in what we feel, etc. But we never realize that this our dream is one impossible reality. One never-ending illusion…

Being in that situation – on the edge of the new, not knowing what is next – I was unable to stop all the new things coming through me. Somebody call it destiny, other – carma, or destiny, or fortune, or `fata morgana`… All the incoming is here because of our past ideas, principles, thoughts, decisions, reactions, actions, making, doing, being, etc…

When the changes come, all past breaks – it`s only Now to stay here. What a good training. Training to be , to stay, to continue to exist and to move doing. Training for not giving up! It`s difficult to stay – the same Hamlet`s question… So I`ve feeling differently from before, dealing differently, wishing never to be born, because of my fears. Wantin` go runaway, to be far far away, just not to be here, not to feel Now, not to Feel now, never to Be born… The agony of my human nature. T was easy to deal differently with the situations because of my extreme situation of becoming the life edge of 33 (Christ age), feeling the sublime moment of realizing many things, that was un-seen before. To help myself from learning in the past only reading books – I thing this is unbelievable to use. Because all I`ve learned was from the real life, in practice. Making mistakes and after that changing them, because I was hurt, the signal of every mistake was the pain inside. The same time someone changes, he can`t evaluate this, only after that he or she can see … The same is with the growth – growing nobody can realize doing that, only after he can see at the world from higher place to observe.

I thing no book can really give you progress or growth, or blesses, or happiness, or luck, or prosperity, either to make you enlighten. Only the inner work can serve you when you feel down, seeking for many new things. Since I became a student of the Leadership Institute, I learned many things but not from reading all these books, but from participating here, in IIGL! I learned to make analysis, writing about the book I`ve red. Now I can say this analysis was not about the single book, but for myself. Every assessment was a mirror of mine in that time. This practice I think was and still is very helpful for me. This is the most precious way it helps –to me, and to all others may be. The special and specific education the Institute studies give us, are invisible and not typical for the society we know, but may be in the future it will be the only form to educate the young people. My opinion is that the Institute studies are serving, delicately, inside, quietly passing through the mind. The result of this it`s impossible to see immediately – the big result comes after years. Because the result lies in the practice, not in the `I just know` sentences! The true results come only after practice. The practice to read book are a real one only for the translators and linguists. For all other is something non-conscious doing. This is my opinion; if somebody thinks other way, it is his right to choose and to have ideas.

When I was a little boy I had my believes and ideas linked to the pure knowledge. I want to have a big knowledge – reading too much books, believing them. I`ve trusted all the books, believing it can give me big power. An illusion. Nobody can survive or act into this world (material or energetic) only with information, doesn`t matter it was selected for many centuries. This is a trap. In the Holy book is written that in the beginning there was only the words, but that knowledge wasn`t written on a book form. That knowledge was given from a man to another one – not just words, but words (signal, noise, music) passing from human being to another with the presence of the Holy Spirit. All the words in the past were sacral – one music of God. Than my ideas and beliefs have changed, with every year more and more, step by step dealing differently with situations in my life. In the last 3-4 months extremely more. I think it was a big `jump`. This trespass period for me was a result of what I have learned, but not concretely from the books, but from the training to analyze the results I have till now.

First of all I begin to tell the truth to the people around me, because I realize without this it`s nothing to do with the knowledge. This is the one, first step to become a real one. Many people were hurt from this, now they don`t want to talk with me. They think I`m a bad one, just a person who became crazy. This is their right to choose their friends, if they don`t want to communicate with me, it wan`t be the reason to stop telling the truth, no matter if it is sometimes uncomfortable. It is good to be alive.

Paul Adedayo
Nigeria

I Am Indeed Transformed

Three decade and some years ago the boy call Adedayo was given birth to in the country call Nigeria in the city of Lagos to a family of Mr. And Mrs. Paul. And the boy continues to grow and wax strong both in strength and in wisdom. As at the time he began to distinguish the knowledge of good and bad while the parent are still living in harmony and true love he felt true love in the family and his happiness was without limit.

Suddenly after about a decade of knowing the true love in the family thing begin to fall apart, the home that has witness the real and true love was chartered of hatred and has no meaning again……. I begin living in this scenario for few years until I single handed left the family to search for true meaning of live of peace and happiness.

I began my search by the ordering of divine guidance tutoring my live. I titled this journey an “outcast journey” A journey that no one came into my life to rescue except for the divine intelligent. Few years later, so many events occurred I had a discovery of purpose that grew up to a ‘passion’ in loving and caring for people, most especially the young people who are going the same trouble but had no way out. What grew the passion to love and care was when I had these two discoveries;

(1) I discovered that the cause of my family predicament was both parent do not really understand the meaning of love. (2) Life only answer to what you know even God relates with us based on the level of our intelligent.

I witness a great transformation while burning this passion to change what went wrong around me. My life begins to change as I was waxing strong in my approach to change my world. I got a vision which is the foundation of a life of impact as it is written by the prophet Joel in the anal of history, that ‘Later, I will give my Spirit to everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions…..’

This was beginning, my vision is to build capacity in people to stand against all odds in life, in my attempt to personally develop my capacity to accommodate the level of people God want me to rescue I found myself in International Institute for Global Leadership IIGL. An institution which believe on human transformation from point of ignorance through reframe of mind condition and our believe system.

Many transformations occur in my personal life as result of being part of this institution cumulate in the following;

(1) My thoughts were change
(2) My believe were rekindle
(3) My value to life is quit difference to people around me
(4) My attitude to life become are no longer the way people behaves

As a result of the above change in my life I got to understand a simple principle about life that if life can give me this permission to make these change, then it can happen to any one who also desire these type of transformation, in their respective life if they know and can break the code of success.

I made a conclusion with this statement after observing these great transformations in my life that every thing in life has a code if any one can break the code then success become cheap. ‘You will never be successful until you break the code of successes. The code in this context is simply knowledge, I have seen many people burning in their mind to change their word but their dream and passion are not reached because of lack of this code of success.

I devour many books from my search for knowledge which IIGL provided as course materials

* I read Jonathan Living Stone, (the story of seagull) which shows me how great my decision can affect my life in respective of my background and my limitations in life.

Here I came to understand that I am the architect of my destiny that I have the power to transform my life with my inner ability and zeal to attain any level I want to achieve. This form my orientation to a life of positive and possibility thinking.

* I read As a man thinketh in his heart by James Allen. This book gave me the understanding of the usefulness of the greatest tool endowed in me and how the mind of a man can turn the whole destiny around if explode it by connecting it to the spiritual ream to create desire future.

* I read Unlimited power by Anthony robins, this book taught me of the unlimited power that I possess inside of me only by changing my believe. Now I can tell you that I possess the power in my inside because it really works for me.

*I read Nonviolent communication Marshall Rosenberg, PhD. This book simply enlightens my perspective about non verbal communication. Truly speaking I have not read any similar book on the subject before but reading it gets me a true light about using our vibes instead of speaking; now I have read many books and attended a course on this topic.

* Goal mapping Brian Mayne, if I may say this is one of the best books that I can say that really help me in planning and setting goals for my self and for my projects. The goal setting ideas and some of the quote really lighten me up.

* Leadership for dummies Marshall Loep & Stephen kindle. Haven been on the subject for a while now I learn new approach to leadership from this book.

* The power of intention Dr. Wayne dyer. I understand Dr. Wayne dyer message of the power that create the power that being. This simply talks about the Almighty divine intelligent. Haven read this book this gave me understanding that no creativity without co-creating with the master creator. That is my alignment with the Almighty Divine intelligent is what bring about free flows of ideas, energy and wiliness to create the desire intent.

* Many books were read and assessed like Success through Positive attitude, Psycho Cybernetic 2000 and many more. All these books are life changing book that have transform my life in no time.

• One of the codes I broke to emerge with this testimony is to understand what I am looking in life; I got an understanding while researching in IIGL that if I am looking for money I will never have it except through seeking knowledge, experience and expertise. Then I decided am not chasing after money but decided to go after knowledge that will make money chase after me. Now we just float our consulting outfit we tremendous success though it was rough but today I have a story to tell.

May be if I explain how rough the journey was then you understood my story let me title it my success journey and the lessons.

1. 10 years ago I was barber in a barbing shop (start any where)

2. 9 years ago I was a kitchen steward (never mind the job but on your vision)

3. 8 year ago I was made supervisor of steward in the kitchen( success grows)

4. 6 years ago I become the head of marketing department (success multiplies when you are focus)

5. 5 years ago I was a library assistance (there is always a gold wherever you find yourself) Wahoo this was the beginning …

6. Same year I become the head of the store ( Maximize every opportunities)

7. Same year I decided to go into management training ( take an actions on your vision dream and goals)

8. 2006 I met a man called Fela Durotoye who gave me a personal mentorship on management training ( success and people are inseparable)

9. Same year I heard about IIGL and enlisted as a student in the institution (if you are not inform you will deform)

10. Same year I became a publisher (never mind how you start success has a staircase)

11. 2007 I was transfer to covenant university consulting services ( you most understand why you are in a place per time)

12. 2007 God gave me a vision into leadership called Leadership Now And Then (nothing distinguishes a man like a vision)

13. Now IIGL was an eye opener to me to understand my mission in the leadership

14. 2009 the first edition of the vision was executed at Bells university (always research your vision before you execute)

15. March 2010 I disengage my appointment with Covenant university with one month lieu ( Always known the right timing for the execution of your vision)

16. May 3 2010 decided to strengthen my work with Almighty Divine with 21 says seeking His guidance (no man succeed outside Him, he has the manual of your life)

17. Anything taking away from thinking is taking you out of your destiny ( never allows any one distract your plans

18. 15 of April 27, 2010 I met Dr. Myles Muroes one on one, I sow a seed into his life that change my life (the less shall be bless of the better…heb:7:7)

19. Today I am on top of my world (enjoy where God has place you)

20. Your future is never ahead of you, your future is within you (you are the architect of your life)

Rose Njihia Mbugua
Nairobi, Kenya

Positive mental attitude this is one of the most important thing that I have learnt in the IIGL books and it’s well explained in almost all the books that I have read. This has helped me to live positively, appreciate who I am and what I can and cannot, and also appreciate the little things that I use to take for granted like having a family, job, and affording basic things like clothing, shelter and food that other families are not able to put on the table. I have learnt that life is the way I take it and if I choose to be miserable then every thing I lay my hands on turns out to be even more miserable and thus agitating anger.

Have also learnt the importance of saving, paying myself first and living below my income. I have especially learnt from IIGL the use of writing down all my daily expenses which I review weekly just incase I may have missed an entry. At the end of the month I will total up all the expenses separating the ones on budget from the impulse purchases, this way I have managed to identify how I use my money. I have learnt from my writing down expenses that most of my money goes to things that I had not budgeted for like for example impulse shopping, and other exaggerated stuff. I noticed also that the more money I have at hand the more I get tempted to use it. So I have formed a habit of not carrying my credit card and neither excess money.

Setting goals: I didn’t know the importance of setting goals till I enrolled and started reading IIGL books, I used to think things will flow at their own pace and as long as I m doing the right thing I could sit and wait for the results. And so being a human being I am what I thought was unachievable I could conclude that I can reach there and never ever made effort even for little things as reading. I have learnt that every move starts with a single step and unless I make that step then I am bound to remain stagnate for ever. I have learnt how to set achievable goals and stick them on the wall where I will be seeing them and will also work as reminders of what I am yet to accomplish and how far I am to attaining it.

The IIGL have helped me gain self confidence, being myself and creating time for myself and appreciating who I am. I noticed as mother you can be up and about for 24/7 and this is a profession that is hardly appreciated, tiring and annoying at the same point. I have learnt that I need to take time out for myself and rejuvenate, this I do once in a week and especially on Wednesdays, I can either go to the nearby club jog around the field among many other activities that they have. This has made me look forward to that day and I feel that I need boost my energy to run through out the week. I noticed that I was also very mean to myself and I spend my time doing other peoples staff and at times I could just black-out in the middle.

Joseph Philip Abue
Lagos, Nigeria

The International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL) came to my knowledge sometime around the year 2005 through a friend. It started when I saw him reading one of the books he got as his level one books, though at that time, I was working as a bulk teller in a bank, so I did not have the time to become a member. At that point in my life I was on course with my destiny and happy with the way things were moving. I became interested when one leg of the chair of comfort I was sitting on fell off. I could no longer manage the job; it was a job worth dying for due to the high level of unemployment in the country. I personally did not do anything wrong on the job. Everything about me was in doubt, I was no longer interested in the job owing to a number of reasons I could not understand. I wished the weekend would extend so that I had few days to work. Eventually I quit the job with nothing to fall back on after serious pressure. I spent one whole year of my life in the wilderness without a job and no income. At this time of my life there was nothing working for me. My life needed magic; it had to come from somewhere I may not understand because everything my way was a dead end. I needed some form of companion, one that I could tell what was going on inside me, the one with the solution to my mystery.

Felix gave me success through positive mental attitude, which I read with keen interest. The introductory words of the book blew my mind and I became hungry for more. As I read, some of the questions in my mind got their answers. I noticed that each time I was reading; there is this peace in me that I have not felt before. A man with no vision will fall for anything. I had not held on to anything special like setting a goal, dreaming big about doing anything to improve my situation or society. Challenging my self to get out of my comfort zone or setting a higher pedestal to attain was something else. Life before I got into high institution was to wake in the morning, look for what to eat, go to school and off to the market to help my mother. At the time, I got to high institution the thought was that after graduation I‘d get a job and nothing more. There was nothing special or unique about me. Talking about uniqueness, it was when I started reading some of the books of this program that I became aware of the fact and reality that every person is made with a unique identity and ability. This unique identity is the reason no man is an island and we have to join hands together before things can move well when we look at our selves as a society. We sometime talk about how insensitive the government has been but it is the individual that makes the government. Prior to this, I looked up to the people ahead of me for the decision I took, it was ok not to do what people I saw around did and fail at it. No.

I started becoming aware of my creative power when I joined IIGL, and this is after reading the first two introductory books which titled ‘as a man thinketh in his heart so is he, and Samuel Livingstone Seagull’ this books brought me to the knowledge of the presence of the mind in. However, I did not know that the former was a verse in the Bible; it was when I started to make a show of it that my attention was drawn to the Bible verse. I became aware that whatever I wanted I could get. I started to understand myself better that some of the things that seemed to trouble me became manageable. At this time, I was still without work. I never felt bad anymore that I was advice to resign by my branch manager for incompetence as a bulk teller. The Bible confirmed most of my beliefs. However, I saw it as the reason why I was involved in the IIGL program and the reason why I will someday look back and say THANK YOU. I believe there is more in me than hiding in a cubicle. The time I spend as a bulk teller was all I had to spend and no more not even another hour. I may have disappointed some people like those who wanted me to work in the bank, but only time will tell. I remember when I told someone that I had no job and the person looked at me as though I was not ready to help him when he asked me to help him find a job. Someone met me one day to register his disappointment over my resignation I felt bad but now I know why the negative comment or words they lubricate the wheel of success just as moral and incentive would only if the words are not taking or translated to mean what they say.

Between the period of my level one and two studies quite a lot happened in my life. I am calm, things do not bother me, I am not saying I lost my emotional touch no, if the tap is not running there is an alternative to get water. Rather than listen to music, why can’t I use the energy motivation to finish my assessment? I had a Pentium three laptop I was using to do my assessment I sold it and bought myself a home theater system it affected my assessment such that I was performing below par at a time and it cost me all the time I did not turn in my assessment. I am not yet a master of my finances, and it is one aspect of my life that I need to go to work at. I have control over my life now and I am enjoying life every day. At the dawn of a new day, I’m open to new ideas and challenges. What is more is that I just cannot contain the happiness that being an IIGL student is bringing me. I’m not saying that I have the perfect combinations of ideas to build a new world for myself. Life is give and take, pain and pleasure, success and failure. It’s not the destination that matter but the journey and when the student is ready the teacher will appear. These are some of the ideas that I’ve learnt as a student of the International Institute for Global Leadership. Aside these ideas, I would like to add also that I now take responsibility for my own action and I’m prepared to face the consequences of my decision. I used to be a shame of what people think or say about me if I made a wrong move or acted in a child like manner. After studying my level one and two books again, I notice that great men and women who could stand the test of time were those who looked at mistakes and failure only as the right thing at the wrong time. In the seventeen principle of success, there are quite a lot of illustrations about people who changed their world not because they had the entire secret to success but because they could use the useless things around to make it work at the right time only by going the extra mile. In my world today, I don’t think I could have been able to look at myself and feel that my presence in this world and family is not a thing of joke.

For me life started when I became aware of what I can do with myself, when my teachers in the books I read told the creative power of my mind to me. Each of the books was only a confirmation of the last. At a point, I thought I was being brain washed into a system that I was yet to known in this part of the world. I remember this particularly when I read psycho cybernetics 2000. The book was so strange that the ideas were not like the familiar books I had read before it. At a point, I had to tell m self that it was just a book and nothing more. It was after reading about two books when I had a recast of my mind on the book that the ideas in the book became clear. In fact, it is what you say when you talk to yourself, which is the topic of Shad Helmstetter’s book that made it clear that it is my programming that is responsible for the reason why some people do well and some don’t. I’m better now than before. I know what it takes to succeed in life. Life is not about having money without happiness. The man with peace, the one who knows how to manage the ‘little’ he has been blessed without, who in spite of the ‘little’ is willing to share with his brother, the man who see his brother’s pain as his concern or part of problem in another man.

Lisa Kiebzak (USA)

What I have Learned From IIGL
I remember that as a child I was not very good at school. I was labeled a dreamer and underachiever. I don’t remember reading many, if any books. Instead, I preferred art, drawing, music, creating skits and humorously acting them out, and I enjoyed anything that took me outdoors. I would definitely say that I was a contemplative, creative and experiential child.

My mother, an avid reader, had attempted through the years to get me to read the classics. It wasn’t, truly, until college that I read my first real book. I was required to read Jane Eyre for a British Literature class. I knew my mother would be pleased that I was finally reading one of the books she had pestered me about for as long as I could remember. From the first page of Jane Eyre, I was hooked and thus was born my love of reading. I read nearly every classic that my mom had suggested and was amazed at how good they were. Whole worlds of new experiences were waiting for me in each book.

Much to the amazement of my family and former teachers, I not only graduated college, but I eventually went on to complete graduate school. It was in graduate school that my love of self-help, personal growth, inspirational, and motivational books was born. However, my true learning and acquisition of knowledge began after I completed graduate school, and has continued every day of my life since then.

I found that my contact with positive and motivating people throughout my childhood and into adulthood was pretty limited. I found most people to be self-limiting and fairly negative. I realized that I needed to find what I was looking for, and what I believed to be out there somewhere. The logical place to begin looking was in books. I discovered Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Jim Rohn, Wayne Dyer, and many others. I found these writers to be like long lost kindred spirits. They awakened in me my potential and love of learning.

When I came across IIGL, it was the reading lists that appealed to me. I did not set out to accomplish anything specific with IIGL. I simply knew by the required readings that something amazing would come out of the process of being a student with IIGL. I chose to commit to the program, do the work daily, and remain open to anything that might come from it. Levels One and Two have solidified my daily routine of learning and applying what I learn to my life.

My daily routine for Levels One and Two was to wake up around 5:00 a.m. every morning and read and take notes for one to two hours. Talk about a jolt of positive and inspiring energy with which to begin your day! I loved the feeling and the resulting productivity in my day so much that it is a routine that I have made a permanent part of every morning.

I found that through doing the reading and doing the work, and really committing to it, my creativity has blossomed. I began to dream lofty dreams, as James Allen suggested in As A Man Thinketh. I find that I am now becoming those dreams. Jonathan Livingston Seagull reminded me that practice makes perfect. As I work with new mediums of expression, and even with old, I know that every attempt will not be a masterpiece. But rather, the masterpiece that I am creating is my life. Every day I simply commit to the practice of creating a masterpiece.

Participating in IIGL and working on the curriculum has deepened my relationships. Psycho-Cybernetics reminded me of all of the work I did in my own personal therapy, as well as all of the work I did as a therapist helping my clients. In Psycho-Cybernetics I was reminded to “develop an attitude of love, because love erases the imaginary boundaries between self, others, and the world.” This solidified my belief that love conquers all. It was like an alarm clock awakening me to what really matters.

The more I read of the IIGL curriculum’s required reading, the more I honed in on the power of positive thinking and how to gain Success through a Positive Mental Attitude. None of these things were necessarily new to me, but whenever we revisit an idea it roots itself deeper into our subconscious. I am reminded that, “success must be continually practiced, or it will take wings and fly away” (Kenneth Harmon). Reading these books is like having an old friend give me a daily pep talk. It keeps me on track and focused.

What I have learned, and am still learning from the IIGL curriculum can almost be listed by the titles of the books: Keys to Success, Giant Steps, Real Magic, Winning Attitude, Law of Attraction, Goal Mapping, Power of Intention, Nonviolent Communication, and more. These are all ideas and tools that have the power to not only transform an individual’s life, but they have the power to transform the world. I have shared books, notes, information, and insights with family, friends, and neighbors. The IIGL curriculum has made me realize that I am a true leader. Doing this work has been very personally rewarding. It has brought me hope that something wonderful is bound to come of all of this. It has allowed me to let go of any expectations I might have and simply be present with the material and my own practice and process. It has shown me that I have Unlimited Power in my life, and in the lives of others.

The last book I read in Level Two put forth a challenge. Unlimited Power stated: “I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece.” What does this mean? This means that I am looking for ways every day to be extraordinary in everything that I do and in who I am being. I have begun to eco-run and clean up the neighborhood. Choosing to live the life of an artist who has not yet taken the leap to sell her art, I am consciously deciding to use mostly recycled materials. I am pausing to take a look at all that I have accumulated in my lifetime and use it fully. I am coming to realize that I have more than I need. I am choosing to re-focus my energy on my home and my relationships in a way that takes the mundane and turns it into a masterpiece. I am living a richer more purposeful life, all the while reflecting on the wisdom contained in all of the books I have read thus far for IIGL. I find that ideas are percolating about who I want to be in this world, what I want to stand for, and what I might want to do from this point forward.

Might all of this have been possible without IIGL? For me, possibly yes. But for the average person and many others, I believe it might not be possible. IIGL offers an opportunity, at little to no cost, to transform oneself and affect change in the world. I do not know of anyplace else that offers something this valuable. Many of the students who become involved with IIGL do not have opportunities like this come around in their lives very often if ever. The beauty of what I have learned, and what IIGL offers is that it acts as a sort of ripple effect out into the world. It creates a ripple effect of positive energy. It creates a ripple effect of knowledge and increased awareness. It creates a ripple effect of possibility for all that can be in my life, in my family, in my community, in my country, and in the world.

What I have learned from IIGL and what IIGL offers is huge. It is almost too vast to put into words. If you think about when James Allen wrote his piece and then you think about all of the writers and knowledge and wisdom that came before him, and after him, and that all of that is being passed on and through to IIGL students and into their lives. How can you put into words the impact that all of this has. It is beyond our scope of comprehension.

However, as we all know, knowledge is simply knowledge. It means nothing unless it is followed up by action. IIGL has brought me to a place where I am deciding what type of action I want to take with all of the knowledge and wisdom I possess. One of the things I am interested in is developing a plan to keep the practice and process alive and continuing in our lives. How do we maintain positive momentum? How many times have I, or you, worked hard to achieve something and then something else happens to take us off track and lose focus and we find ourselves back where we started. How do we keep the IIGL momentum going? In a sense, how do we wake up and stay awake day in and day out? This is where I am today. This is where IIGL has brought me. I am looking at the bigger picture and excited to see how I am led to serve others to make this world a better place.

Solomon O’chucks Nwokoro
Nigeria
Going through The International Institute for Global Leadership training has been life transforming and mind blowing experience for me. For the Past twelve months that I have been undergoing this training, I have learnt not just about myself and the unlimited power that lies within me, but also about the world around me, people and leadership to mention but a few.

Levels one and two of International Institute for Global Leadership has afforded me the opportunity to study and understand myself far better than I used to know. I now understand that with Self-talk I can direct my life towards the direction I desire and away from what I don’t want my life to look like. The training made me realize how effective a consistent Self-Talk practice can transform ones life.

I can communicate non-violently and effectively with troublesome and hostile people and get my aim achieved. After reading through “Non Violent Communication” I became very conscious of the fact that I need to be able to respond to people or ask them questions in such a way that we will both benefit, and how to be silent if need be to be able to forestall peace in a potentially troublesome atmosphere. I work in an office where the ratio of women to men is like 5:1, naturally people know women to talk a lot and to be troublesome. But with the idea I have learnt from Non Violent Communication, I have been able to work peacefully and harmoniously with them, initially it wasn’t easy, I kept practicing and it’s getting better now, despite the fact that sometimes I am caught napping.

I have fully understood the function of my left and right brain and how I can make the best use of them to get my life going on a smooth ride to fulfilling my dreams and mission. The idea of Neuro Linguistic Programming – NLP concept which was conceptualized by John Grinder and Richard Bandler is indeed awesome. The fact that it provides us with a systematic framework for directing not only our own states and behaviors, but also the states and behaviors of others makes it the basic tool that we all need in the science of success. If only more people will be taught how to practice NLP, more problem will be solved, especially addiction problem. Using NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming as a tool to enhance my success rate has help me to master my brain and mind and pull them to the direction that I want them to go.

Reading through Goal Mapping and Goal Setting 101 has helped me to know and master the art of goal setting and how I can achieve my dreams in record time. In fact I now know and understood why it is more prolific using the aid of pictures or symbol when setting goals. Basically before now, I understood the power of picture messages, but now most of the goals I set for myself would always be accompanied with pictures and symbols. I wanted to get my business brochure out, the only thing I needed to do to aid me in achieving the goal was to do a computer print out, paste it on my bedroom and view it everyday. Before this month runs out, I will be taking it to press for print.

With the new knowledge I have acquired from this training, I am now aware that things don’t just come towards our direction, knowingly or unknowingly we are the ones who attracts them. Reading through Laws of Attraction has taught me how to attract all the positive things and people I want in my life and also how to repel all the negative things and negative people I don’t want in my life. I have been working on a shift job for the past three years, although I have been able to use it to achieve some goals I have set for my self, but now I desired to start a normal Monday to Friday kind of job with my weekends and public holiday to myself. With prayers and the idea I have gotten from the “The Laws of Attractions” I have been able to successfully attract those that can help me achieve my desire to start working Monday to Friday and also to start my business.

Positive Mental Attitude and Keys to Success by Napoleon Hill Gave me the opportunity to learn of how the Giants of the 20th and 21st century started their life and business with virtually nothing and rose to become the icons we are all celebrating today. From their stories I know that with Positive Mental Attitude I can become whatever I dream of becoming even if I don’t have the money and connections that a lot of people use to think of as the stepping stones or keys to success. The truth is that with little finance, I have been able to start my business (En~route Success Unlimited Speakers Bureau) although for now I know it’s small, but I believe that since I have overcome the inertia of starting it, I am very optimistic that it will grow to become a first class, world recognized Speakers Bureau that the best public speakers and cooperation will be jostling to want to do business with.

Most of the ideas I got from this book are not entirely new to me, but it has thrown more light on the ideas I have about human personal development and the science of success. For now I have been able to deliberately and consciously adopt self-talk into my daily routine and I am beginning to see remarkable result. After my last relationship ended, I needed to start afresh, so all what I needed to do was not just to create a mental picture of the kind of girl I would want to marry, but I included self-talk (positive confession) to my arsenal, and for real events and circumstance are beginning to pull my ideal lady towards my direction, although we are at the peripheral level, but I believe with time I’ll tell the whole world how I used self-talk to attract and marry my ideal woman.

To become an effective and productive leader means that we must first become successful in leading ourselves before leading others. Reading through “Leadership for Dummies” exposed me to excellent leadership skills and styles. The idea I learnt from the book will go a long way in helping me become a good husband, father, colleague and leader in every aspect of life that I found myself. I now know the three basic and fundamental things every leader that desires to lead successfully should know. I now know how to elicit the cooperation of others, how to listen to their plights, comments and complain, and how to put others before myself.

Going through this training has afforded me the capacity to consolidate and reshape my time management skills. Reading through those sixteen books in level one and level two, writing my assessment, coupled with my work life and all other activities has made me to become more faster than I used to be in reading books. With the smallest investment of time, I can now achieve maximum result from life. Shooting aimlessly has become a thing of the past because I now know how to concentrate my effort towards my most pressing needs and goals. My most demanding and pressing needs for now is to build my business to a state where it will become a world standard, and I have been putting my resources and time to see it come to reality.

Being consistent is one skill I have strengthened during the course of this training. I can now start a thing, stay with it until I see the successful completion of it. I have learnt not to underrate anybody or thing no matter how small they may seem to be. The truth is that anybody can be the link that we need to achieve the success that we desire from life and small successes is what adds up to become the big success that we all celebrate.

Reading through “Psycho-Cybernetics” has helped me broke a negative habits that I have been battling with. I followed the author’s twenty one days plan in breaking habits and replacing habits and I can affirm to the fact that although it is was not easy at first. Some times I will get to eleven or thirteen days and find myself falling. But it got to a state where I was successful in going through the whole twenty one days and the habit became a thing of the past. I can be bold to recommend the process to anyone who desires to break any habit that they have been battling with.

A mind that is once stretch can never return to its original state. The summation of what I have learnt going through level one and level two of International Institute for Global Leadership has helped my mind to be stretched to a level where I now believe in limitless possibilities and I am too certain that my mind won’t ever fall back to the way it used to be of think.

South Africa
To become a whole person for me means to congruent the way I perceive myself with my feelings and action. What informs or influences my perception, feelings and action? How do I move on beyond the storms of life? These were some of the questions that I used consider as myths in my life. My life journey has taken a new turn since I enrolled in this programme. Demystifying these myths and unleashing some of the potential in me. I have become clearer of my vocation. Based on the new discoveries about myself with each book I read, I have made a commitment to complete the leadership training programme before I undertake any new project.

In this essay I explore my life journey in the leadership training programme mirroring on internal and interactive experiences. With former I reflect on personal growth, the way I view my reason for ‘being’ and some of the tools that assist me to do so. With the latter I explore relationship at home and work. I am in my second year as a student and the results have been remarkable for me. I could not continue with my reflection without thinking about one of the quotes that inherently continues to influence the way I see, feel and act since I enrolled in this course.

“The reality is nobody makes you unless you let them. The only person who stops you…the only person who even truly makes you do anything is yourself.”

I am not young. I have always told myself that I was in control of my destiny until I enrolled in this course. Then, I realised that most of the things that I have become are a result of external influences. Negative or positive the bottom line is that I always thought about how the people I love would react toward my action and opinion then adjust to the appreciated accordingly. On rare occasions I would differ with my loved ones. That would also leave me feeling torn between my decision and my relationships.

It was after reading ‘The Psycho-Cybernetics’ that I had a serious discussion with two of my eldest children. Out of this discussion we came to an understanding that they were both going to work and raise money for their upkeep while I paid their university tuition fees. I felt a huge block lifted off my shoulders. The decision enhanced our relationship. They have become more responsible. I used to phone them all time, now I phone them on their birthdays and the rest of the time they phone me. I feel so happy as mother.

At work my behaviour has continuously improved. I do celebrate the new person inside of me. The SEED tool in ‘The Psycho-Cybernetics’ has become part of my life. My director is a seasoned, highly respected woman for her development writing and work. It is challenging to work under such a person because the standards are often lifted too high. From the SEED tool I have learned to keep issues away from people in our discussions. I always point out at the issues. Sometimes I would be the only one differing in opinion with her. As you can imagine these things create tensions, at some point I thought I was going to loose my job. I was amazed when I was assigned to more responsibilities. My director often rings me to sound out her ‘new thoughts’. I continue to be mesmerized by it all.

One of the discussion mentioned above happened during a training programme with international development workers. This woman borrowed money from almost all the 36 participants on the course. My director’s proposition was to send her home forthwith. I proposed that we talk to the woman first to establish facts behind her borrowing such huge amounts of money. I also shared our concern with you. I am grateful I did that because it was your advice that we used to settle this matter. By the end of the course Judith was one of the best participants.

Judith’s case made us all realise that the purpose of the training for transformation programmes is not only to transform society, but also the protagonists who come for training to enhance their capacities to make this world a better place. It is difficult to see the goodness in people especially when they have done something morally unacceptable. From The ‘New Dynamics of Winning’ I learned to focus on people’s strength. Focusing on people’s strengths makes them feel affirmed as a result they aim to become their best.

Reflecting on the above illustration some of the questions that I found very profound as I studied the books were, what is the big picture? How will it look like when it is all done? [Goal Mapping]. I have worked in development all my life. One of the greatest challenges in development work is creating this ‘big picture’ – the vision. The vision is often too broad making it impossible to achieve, yet it is crucial for the organization’s reason for existence. It has become my habit to ask these questions when we are launching a new programme at the centre. I believe that this could be one of the reasons I am now having more responsibilities in my work. The discussion around vision and goal setting for centre activities has challenged me to keep imagining the big picture in activities that I chose to partake.

I have been setting goals for organizations that I worked for, but, I did not consider it pertinent and imperative that I should set goals for myself. I always thought of myself as ‘one with’ meaning that what is good for my work is also good for me. I have started setting up personal goals to the extent of having a ‘to do list’ everyday. This has improved my work remarkably. I feel happy with my work and have created space to relax. I take walks, I meditate. I even go out to have fun! Life feels beautiful and enjoyable. The course has challenged me to explore the meaning, relationship and interdependence of personal growth and worth.

One of the most important decisions I have made in my life because of the influence of the course is to commit myself to The Grail Women’s International Movement. I was attracted to this movement because of its continued search and work toward the establishment of a just society. A just society for me means a society that is build upon the respect of people’s culture, gender equity and equality, political tolerance, solidarity and redistributive justice. These will not be achieved in a big bang, but they speak to the core values that I wish to spend my life working for. These are values such as love, sharing, justice, peace and compassion to mention but a few.

Akinkunle Akinloye

Nigeria

In the last three years within which I have become an active member of IIGL, I have learnt a lot of lessons that are enough to fill the pages of volumes of books. The volumes of books that were sent to me have exposed me to the underlying principles of a self-directed life from many perspectives that I find highly illuminating. But for the purpose of this essay, I will limit what I have learnt to the page limit.

First and foremost, I have learnt that Man’s emotions were not made to control him, he was made to control his emotions as well as his ever-continuous thinking process. The ability to control his emotions and his thinking process is a hallmark of emotional intelligence and pro-activity. I have discovered in real life situations that emotional intelligence is as important as cognitive intelligence because knowing how to tune down negative emotions like fear and anger is very important for sustaining the healthy optimistic mental paradigms and attitudes that increase our chances of success in life.

For example, during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, I established some personal community development projects that got stuck during the implementation process, but I had to completely tune down all the signals of negativity, so that I could succeed, and it paid off. In retrospect, I now realise that the experience was an opportunity for me to demonstrate the lesson of patience, optimism and conditional selflessness that I had learnt from IIGL.

Another lesson I have also learnt is that all that a man needs in life is somewhere in the boundless realm of his inner consciousness awaiting the focus of his thinking. Once I was able to focus my mind’s eye on my community development goals during my post-graduate national service year, I was able to come up with a master plan for each goal I wanted to achieve, and I ended up achieving most of them. I also won an award for the most creative corps member in the local government area where I served my country, about 1750km away from my home.

I have also discovered how good it is to devote some time to improving the welfare of humanity in general. The satisfaction I gained from engaging in active community development for the sake of serving my country is of inestimable value to me today.

Balogun Yekinni Abidemie

Nigeria

My name is Balogun Yekinni Abidemi. I was born in November 28th 1978 to the family of Mr. & Mrs. Balogun Dauda. I am a college graduate from Lagos state polytechnics ikorodu, from where I obtained my HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA in Banking and finance. I became a student of International Institute of Global Leadership sometime in 2005, since then I have had privilege to read two introductory books and fourteen hard cover books that was sent to me via mail. The books that I have read from my studies with IIGL, are books that have brought about transformation of my life and to everyone around me. It has positively affected me that I no longer see things the way I use to see then prior to my studies with IIGL.

The studies of IIGL are in levels and I being able to complete two levels with a certificates sent to me. In the course of my studies, I have read fourteen books, comprising of seven books from each level respectively.

Firstly, I will like to say that becoming a student of IIGL is an opportunity that has made me read books and meet other students that are studying with the institute. In level one studies, the books that I read from it are books that get me on the road map to identifying with my purpose here on earth. Looking at the books in this level, I will like to reference just some out of the seven, psyco-cybernetic, is a book that talks about how one can tune your mind to positive thing and elimination the can not ideas. The books written by Dr Wayne Dyer, Real Magic and Your Sacred Self, are also good books that talks about your purpose here on earth and knowing that when things happen, it is for a purpose. When I got to understand this, I quickly take a look at what happen to me in the past and understand that of a truth, that things happen to us, just because got has different plan for it to happen, since then, if I happen to be in a public bus traveling and suddenly something happen, say like a flat tyre, all I do is to stay calm and say to myself that it is for a purpose, because often than not, I have heard about people being in a hurry to get to there destination, but you do not know what might be there waiting for you just because you are in a hurry. I read some testimony of people that did not get to work on schedule before the September 11 attack. Somewhere said to have spill coffee on their shirt, some in traffic and some other reason that would have made them leave there home behind normal schedule for work, but they were saved because there was a little delay. I want to use a personal experience that I have in life that my level one studies changed about me, I use to be in a relationship, but it all happen that she said its over, I thought the world is coming to an end, but haven’t read the books in level one, such believe was instill in my hearth that things happen and it is for a purpose.

Secondly, I learnt from level one studies how to associate with the right people and how to keep a good company of friends that make use of their positive mental attitude. I also learn that success can only come if only you make use of a positive mental attitude. In this level also, I have learn the principle of success, to a greater extend has help improve how I perceive success. In this level I also learn how to stay on focus. I also learnt a good healthy living strategies from the book of Deepak Chopra. Here in is book, he was able to teach about food that we need to eat that will not have any harm on us, and I have keep to some of is prescribed books which has to with taking more of fruit. Before now, I find it difficult to eat those food he recommended and I have tried them and I have to say the I do more of those things I can’t do when I eat food that are heavy and junk. I have been able to watch my cholesterol level in the recent past.

In another development in level two studies, the books here are quite different from what I have read from level one. Here the books talks about hoe one can work toward achieving the leader to which will ought to be. The level one books are books that lay the foundation of what to expect from level two, haven’t completed level one books, I find it easy to reads books in level two. I want to say that levels two studies is all about the leader in us, I find myself reading book on how to have a good communication skill. I got to know in the course my studies that communication gives good relationship as regards how to express oneself. I learn to map my goals and set them for me to be able to achieve them. Since then, I have set and map goals that I have achieve and some are yet to be achieved, though some came late than the set time, but it was achieve.

Furthermore, leadership for dummies, is another great book that help me to know that some leaders are born and some are made. The one that are made is as a result of there antecedent, where the ones that are born are those that are gifted, i.e no matter where they find themselves, they always have the solution the problem, this is so because of the gift that they have.

Level two studies is also about believing in one self, knowing fully well that there is an unlimited power that God has given every on. I have learn from this studies how to take responsibilities of my actions and making myself available for any task, this way I can exhibit the leadership qualities that I have in me. All I do now is with reference to the books that I have studied from IIGL.

My Experience As An IIGL Student
by Bikundo Onyari
Kenya
Beginnings

Throughout my young life, I have had a strong desire on leadership issues since it’s the foundation for any kind of social development. Since my primary school period, I vividly remember that we used to imitate cabinet meetings or business executive meetings. And as I grew up at some moment this desire got lost as I conformed to the world of my peers and I started living a different kind of life than I had imagined. Perhaps to name this better, I can say I lived a life full of fiction and day dreaming. Afterwards, I cleared my O levels with some difficulty since I failed to attend one level due to some financial constrains and other factors. The world welcomed me with both of its two hands and there and then, one thing was clear to me, you are alone in this world.

I have to admit that my self-esteem was lower in high school and all the zeal I had in primary school vanished from my grasp and control. I tried public speaking in high school with no much success maybe because I did it halfheartedly. I became very sensitive to my surroundings, not able to communicate my true feelings since I hated the fact that I was born in Africa and staying in a low settlement area. I feared crowds and couldn’t express myself before me since I looked down at myself with scorn. Amazingly as I left high school, I was able to join an educational drama group that went around my community to educate people on various social ills and challenge them how they could address them. As I educated the community so was I nourished by that education since I was part of the community. One challenge though I got was about luck and how the world through deception had continued to say unabated that everyone is lucky once in life. If you miss your luck, you are good as done. I foolishly held to this believe for sometime before discarding it since it only brought worry to me instead of motivation. This was a useless excuse I was using in my life to be unhappy and avoid goal setting.
Where I am today is as a result I made several years later that I wanted to be a catalyst, facilitator in Africa’s quest for social development starting from my community. Every opportunity that I have embraced has had a major impact in my life. That for me to first accept the opportunity it had to show how as a person I was going to be built and exposed in areas that I wanted to excel.

My Exposure at IIGL
As I applied to be an IIGL student to be part of a global youth leadership program that champions peace, joy, unity and development was indeed a big break for me. I am surprised by the mode of education and experience that I have received so far. This is not what I had expected when I applied to join, it blew me out of my comfort zones and challenged believes and values I have held since I was a kid.
As I look back at my life and having gone through Level 1& 2, a lot has been learnt, explored and applied. There were amazing life building tools that I came across that can forever change my life to realize full potential if am only willing. I have to share here that in school I was a fan of reading fictional books and most of the books known have passed through my hands. Later I came to admire African writers and their works about cultures and myths in the continent. I still do admire these writers; however I had never imagined that I would come across in my life across self-help books that could challenge my thinking. The books I have read as an IIGL student have truly and amazingly refreshed my life application principles. I remember I had indicated in one of my assessments that it would have been easier for me to dismiss the books in entirety. Why? Most of the contents are what I was aware and not applying. That’s why a true leader needs replenishment and refresher exposures!! The interesting thing about the books is that they are organized and give back up tools for application. I also learnt that knowing alone is not enough, it has to move and be acted upon. There and then will I be able to realize the potential that lies within.

LIFE EXPERIENCES WITH IIGL
Am not sure that I will be able to name or list all that has happened in my life as a result of my relation with IIGL. I am however listing areas that have had a strong impact on my life. Some of these areas am going to mention, I had total disregard about them. As I dug deeper to learn and apply some of the principles and other people experiences there was a lot I found out.
Below I am listing areas that touched me most and am baptising them to be called My Great Lessons: –

My Great Lessons
Meditation – this is the major challenge that I was able to overcome in some way as I continued with my study and research. I had a negative view towards meditation since in my life I had come across people who were using this process for negative reasons. I never realized that this was an amazing tool for effective leadership if used well. It also made me observe that there are a lot of personal growth tools in the world that have been used and applied in some instances to frustrate others.

Through personal practice although am still learning how to meditate, I am now aware that it leads to the discovery of self, who I am and what is my purpose on this world among fellow beings. I was amazed last year December some days after I had attempted meditation; I was able to discover that my potential lies in being a teacher/facilitator. I had tried on several occasions to understand my purpose on earth with no success. In my further understanding of meditation made me realize that one could tap the rich source of the Infinite Intelligence, power that is so great to fuel imaginations to become realities. I also became aware that I could use meditation for personal healing. That I can heal or drop those negative attitudes that attack my body.

Applied Faith and Prayers – I think without these two great soldiers, our life can easily become meaningless. Faith is a great challenge that many young people wish away as a non-important component in their lives. To complete faith so that it can be whole is the engaging of prayers. This is another opportunity to be in touch with God to provide guidance.

Here my beliefs and values were challenged on many areas in my life. These areas were success, spiritual life and miracles. My personal list on beliefs and values has now changed. I used to think that beliefs cannot be changed but I have now found that it’s a contradiction. The beliefs and values that are disempowering, I have now swept the aside. One such belief was on luck that it only appears once in life. I have now proved otherwise, that there are millions of lucky opportunities that are available in the world. Things that I used to value but which didn’t bring joy to my life, I have pushed them aside. This has improved my spiritual image by learning that I am a spiritual being having a human experience, therefore am free to feel anything from being joyous to successful. Through faith there are no limits for me now.
Mastermind Alliance – no man is an island, this is an old adage that goes hand in hand with this lesson. I have learnt that I cannot succeed on my own in this life. I have to join forces with other like-minded forces/individuals to realize my potential and what I have set out to do. Most times my fellow young people keep being swept aside by what is called unhealthy peer pressure. In the end this ruins their life mission. In choosing friends, I have to apply the mastermind principle. I honestly now do not want to have a crowd of friends who do not inspire me or strengthen me one way or another.

I like using this saying a friend of mine who quit abusing drugs said to me, “if you want to fly, don’t walk with chicken. Instead fly with eagles”. This has made me very keen when choosing friends to share my vision and relate with. It’s obvious that pessimistic people will never support any progressive move or idea. This is an intention I want to pursue to realize my goals in life.

Procrastination – I have been a victim of this sickness and I have paid dearly for following it. Instead of applying the principle of Do It Now! I have instead been waiting for an opportunity to appear wrapped up nicely for me to take over, ooh, how wrong was I? Nothing complete will present itself in life for claiming. I can term opportunity as an instinct or intuition that one has and has to follow to find out where it will take him/her.

During the holidays there was a lot I observed that majority of young people complain and lack personal initiative to enjoy life. They (me included) just wait, actually impatiently for opportunities to present themselves on their feet instead of rising and looking for them. I have been in this situation and there many things I have missed in life because of postponing action. I do not want to take any chances now. I have come up with small list of things I want o do this year and I want to implement it.

Thoughts/Attitudes – the Proverbs said loudly, as you think so shall you be. This instead of being an inspiring adage, has instead become another lullaby sang to soothe people of their daily chores. I personally realized that I spent a lot of time filling my brains with thoughts that didn’t bring joy and success in my life. I sometimes become afraid to control my thoughts not knowing what it will produce. As a result there was a period a refused to think.

The secret as I discovered latter was to use the power of imagination to replenish my mind with positive thoughts of things I like and would want to achieve. This is an area am also working on at the moment. Mid last year I misplaced some vital documents belonging to a friend of mine. I was almost depressed but as I applied the tool of using my thoughts to produce desired results (guide me to those documents). I was surprised by the results, I did eventually find them. Sex transmutation is something new I came across and it can go well with this lesson. Using the sex drive to achieve goals is something I will want to try out since it is the greatest force that can bring great success.

Detachment – I would like to finish my assessment by discussing about detachment that is an opposite of attachment. In my pursuit of success, I have become aware that it’s easy to be so attached to things that I can see and touch (material thing). This then means that any success I get or achieve and yet it controls me whether tangible or intangible is not true success. It calls me to feel easy and free if I was to share these things out and not feel pain or loss. This is a challenge to me to me also. I have brothers and a sister, I can acquire a pair of clothes/shoes that I like and I later find out that one of them is interested with it and wants it. It’s not easy but I later give it out to them without any reservations. This reminds me of the author Dr.Chopra who noted in the book Seven Spiritual Laws that nothing gets lost in the world, it later comes back or is compensated. This is a beautiful that and reminds me that giving is a great attribute that can be practiced by young leaders. It shouldn’t be mistaken by others or me to me money only, but also other things that can benefit mankind.

Paa Kwesi Inkumsah (Ghana)

Each of us has been created to this world with a purpose, a vision to discover and a mission to impact on society what has been endowed on us. We have been equipped with the adequate tools and resources to turn our dreams to reality. What do we have to do? Search for the information that will enable us discover who we are and the potentials that lies with in.

My involvement with IIGL has given me so much benefits that I think I can fly. No, seriously, I feel it’s possible to do that. Yes this is how crazy my experience with IIGL has made me. It’s made me to be conscious of the numerous hidden potential that sat inside of me, dormant until it was awakened by practicing most of the lessons I learnt.

Our world is full of choices that we have caused which is effecting our lives, some peoples choices have impacted either positively or negatively in their lives. The right information helps us make the right choices that impact positively in our lives.

The first experience I would like to share with all is the level of confidence that I have developed over the period. I took advantage of the fact that the books I read was based on tried and tested principles; on research conducted making references on different books and finally producing the final copy that I read, so I really treasured each word and tried as much as possible to practice them. Tell you what, in one of my experiences after reading my first ten books, I decided to experiment on something. Over here in Ghana, my home country, a lot of individuals that always dreamt of doing business always kept complaining about initial capital to start, but I discovered that like the days of old, things could still be achieved by having some sort of a barter system. I challenged my self to write certain goals, gave my self a time limit to achieve them and really, I felt very excited when I was able to do it. What is the secret? I drew a goal map and always visualized at it each time I made a journey to my office. What did I experience? I gathered extraordinary energy, so powerful that I could see the end from the beginning. Yes! I could see my self achieving.

Before my involvement with IIGL, I was and still am a very enthusiastic young fellow, always vivacious and dreaming of new challenges, but my confidence level rose to a higher pedestal with this institute.

I applied certain principles in most of the books that I read, and each time it worked for me, I knew any other else would. Tell you what, Steven Spielberg’s story in one of the books I worked on inspired me a lot. Knowing that perseverance and a strong will power will always take you to success. If you truly want to succeed and see yourself as successful, it’s important you start acting as success. Why? Because as a man thinks, so is he. Ever heard that adage, you are what you eat? Of course! What we feed our bodies with is a manifestation on how we look. Right? Right! An actor gets our your television screen and portrays himself as a rich man and a rich man is what he will be seen as. Correct?

I am more daring and want bigger challenges. Now, I go for the big deals, just like the big boys and even though I know am not there yet, am convinced that I will, pretty soon. Why? Because am working on my efforts to get there.

I took it upon my self to be one of the young persons in Ghana to create the best international business network in the country, where I offered businesses here with the best international networks in their various fields for a fee. I set my goals and was ready to do the kill. Not too long ago, I started signing NDA’S with companies who were interested in this service. It has not generated into money yet, but it’s in the process of getting there. Really, every thing is possible if we believe and do not doubt our capabilities.

To all that read this, I say to you that the purpose of going through this experience with IIGL can be achieved only when we have practiced what we read.

It is important to note that, it’s taken the research made by many to be compiled into a single book for our consumption and we have to take advantage of this wealth of knowledge for both personal and career development.

Davui Kosi Sepenou (Togo)
lsdavui@yahoo.fr

I discovered and reached IIGL in great disappointment. I was not finding no solution to my education goals. My social conditions of living didn’t allow me to continue with University Studies here in Lomé after my Baccalaureat. I was looking for such opportunities to regain hope for my educational goals.

Becoming student of this Leadership Institute, I feel very hopeful for ever. I like learning, believing in Education as the main way to succeed my life. IIGL is the way to rebuild this belief, this confidence; IIGL a way to reset my educational goals. I feel trustful. I feel confident. Becoming Student of IIGL, my negative thoughts of discouragement, of pessimism become positive. I am optimistic. IIGL is pratical in my self empowerment, transformation and development. It helps and allows me develop positive thought, positive reason. From this program I learned how to analyse things and events as they are not as I wish learning more about living.

IIGL is a School of purposeful living. It is also a school of human goodness. The principles I’m studying here allow me to adjust and improve all the aspects of my life. With IIGL I am more aware of my conditions of existence working on it for radical positive changes. I’m overcoming challenges in my life . Throughout this Leadership Institute, I learned I’m capable of miracle. And the main condition is to believe it: “whatever you mind can conceive and believe it can be achieved” said Napoleon Hill. It is this principle that leads me to IIGL.

My official language is French. And for this reason Michael proposed me to do these studies in French. My response was “no”. As I believed and determined, I am doing this program in this language. Through IIGL, I’m developing and improving this insights I am gifted and geared. IIGL taught me that with stout heart nothing is impossible. This leadership Institute taught me how to build my way of success.

Throughout examples I learned in this program, life is not fair, the way of success is a long process: give time to time working hard in persistence and consistence. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight. That is why I have to work hard to succeed my existence on this earth. However with flexibility and adaptation, I learned “never abdicate in front of any circumstance, challenge, obstacle, difficulty of life. Live and practice faith and confidence daily in anything I choose to do. Do it with great will and determination.

IIGL helps me improve, develop, increase my spiritual life. Always rely on my God through prayers to achieve my goals. Anything that is worth having is worth praying for. God gifted and geared me to succeed anything I can undertake. Happiness and success are gifts of God. IIGL made me aware of my spiritual potentials. I have the energy and necessary potentials to work hard and attract success as I think.

IIGL appears in my life because of my intention, my vision to succeed my life through education. It is my teacher. IIGL reveals me my worthiness, my capabilities, my values throughout my assessments. This leadership Institute made great revolution in my life. It makes me aware of my errors, weaknesses, how to correct them adjust and manage my life through self mastering evaluation. IIGL is a school of practical life. It strengthens and enlightens my living. Touching all the aspects of my existence and anything I can undertake, it is a real global leadership.

IIGL thought me the lesson of forgiveness, love, charity and ethics to apply and practice in my life to experience human excellence and happiness. IIGL helps me improve my relationships through the concept of empathy. I treat people with humaneness making more friends to fuel my daily existence. IIGL is a school of salvation for me about my educational goals regaining hope, making me confident about my future. IIGL is a school for people living dramatic circumstances of life, aware of their conditions of existence; choose and decide to change and improve them living more purposefully throughout goals setting. It is a school of existentialism helping and allowing to shape a destiny.

Linquist Asiebela (Kenya)
linkasieb@yahoo.com

From the time I was enrolled as a student in IIGL my life has changed dramatically. I had ideas on what I wanted in life, but I didn’t know how to go about them. I was so much frustrated and distressed that I kept on wishing one day I would wake up to find a miracle has happen that would bring me to my destiny.

My life was faced with perpetual frustration from people who kept on suppressing all my efforts to pursue my goals. With all this oppositions and limitations that kept on whispering to me that I would amount to nothing, my self-esteem was greatly destroy. Rushing against time with no one to encourage me as a mentor, I felt for sure I was fighting a losing battle. Although as a saved Christian, I never gave up my faith in the Lord, but still the fear of failing to attain my goals was there. Further more, I lost my trust in people. I was paranoid and my cynical attitude made me avoid the same people that I needed to achieve my goals. I kept on asking myself; how am I going to make it? In this life there are people who have made it and others have not. Some started from a humble back ground and made it. My question still remained, what was the secret? Why not me?

I didn’t have a clear understanding on which steps to take towards achieving my goals. I wandered around fumbling for anything that would work hence my life was such a misery.

When I became a student in IIGL, I felt like I had come back on the right truck leading to my destiny. The first books made my focus clearer and imparted the confidence that I needed by working on my mental attitude. I learned not just to believe what my eyes were telling me. All that they see is limitations. Your whole body from the feet to the hair is nothing more than your thought itself.

If there was anyone who needed a high self-esteem due to the nature of his vocation, it was me. This is precisely what the books in level one did for me. I used to feel disillusioned whenever people could oppose or sabotage my efforts to be successful. I had given up many attempts from the word go. But the books empowered me greatly. I realized that every adversity has a seed of equivalent or a greater benefit. My success is not determined by others but by me. Blaming others is futile. I’m the master of my life and I can decide on whatever I want regardless of the circumstances. If you want to play the game of life and win, you’ve got to play full out. Be willing to feel stupid, and be willing to try things that may not work. Otherwise, how can you innovate, how can you grow, how can you discover who you really are?

These books have contributed greatly in nurturing my faith as a Christian by the ideas and beliefs shared in them that agree with the word of God. Every believer knows of the power that emanates from the words we confess. All words carry a vibration for the person who says or think them. There is an energy that comes from our vibrations which is the science of attraction. This law of attraction does not care whether you are remembering, pretending, playing, creating, complaining, or worrying; it simply respond to your vibration. However, I have come to understand that it’s not only a matter of having a positive affirmation, but its how you feel and what you do after what you say.

Level two books came to fortify what the books in level one had done. They set me in motion. I couldn’t read these books and remain the same. This would amount to committing a crime.

I’m a spiritual being in a physical body; therefore I’m not trapped inside a limited body. I can do anything as long as I’m connected to my intent. Intention does not err. The acorn never turns into a pumpkin, or the apple blossom into an orange. Every aspect of nature, without exception, has intention built into it, and as far as we can tell, nothing in nature questions its path of intent. Nature simply progress in harmony from the field of intention.

I marvel at myself how much I have changed when I look at the little things that used to trouble me of which now are no longer an issue. As a musician, I have often lost members in my group after I have trained them only for them to leave for greener pastures having acquired the skills they needed. Some time back this could drive me into depression, but now I’m over this. If my season of working with some people is over, I don’t have to spend the rest of my life lamenting over their departure. I should bless them and let them pursue their goals because there are even greater potentials that I will gain from those that have not hard exposure or someone to mentor them. A typical sign of maturity is the legacy that you leave, the people that you raise to excel in your field of profession.

There is no one that God created that is not as perfect as God wanted him to be. The secret to being successful is to know your intent. Neither your geographical location nor your skin color can dissuade you from achieving your goals and living a fulfill life once you know your intent.

Now I have grown into a person that loves to trust and work with others. I have learned how to create a rapport and elicit cooperation from others. I have realized that no one is special. We are all the same. When you listen to the feelings and needs of others, you’ll no longer see people as monsters. No one suffers or is hurt and I’m not affected. I have learned to value others as myself. If you are to work with people and lead them effectively, you must learn how to identify with their needs.

I asked myself this question, “supposing something happens that I get a reasonable some of money, what will I do to fulfill my goals with nothing bending? How I will I ensure that there is a continual flow of revenue to expand my territory?” I discovered that if I didn’t have a clear written down procedure on how to execute my goals, I would end up eventually returning back to square one.

However, with the lessons that I have learned from this books, my focus is so clear that I can see myself already where I want to be. Anything that comes along the way will have no otherwise but to follow the same track. My goals are no longer wishes but are clearly defined with a set time limit on when to have done what. It’s obvious that they are conditioned to happen. I review them occasionally to make sure that they are coherently arranged in the order of priority.

I was once challenged by someone to make my goals more articulate. Your vision should be more articulate, concise, and at your finger tips that you can explain it to someone in five minutes, leaving no doubt by the time you evacuate the elevator at the ground floor. There was a time when I acted in foolishness. I didn’t see the need of writing down goals, after all I knew them and they were registered in my mind. This way, I kept on whining and shifting with circumstances. But now I feel connected to my destiny. Everything that I do drives me there.

This does not mean that IIGL has worked some magic in me and that there are no adversities. Conversely, I can say that opposition has much more increased. All that IIGL has done is to empower me on how to tackle circumstances so that everything works for my own good. This is the best gift I could get. I have learned how to fish by myself but not to borrow. I’m after the provider not the bread. I have been hurt and frustrated by people but it has not changed my determination to get what I want, to the extend that when I imbark on doing anything with absolutely no resistance, I ask myself; is everything fine? I have heard so many ‘No’s’ but having learned form this books to deploy the ability to persuade, I have ended up successful. The key to success is massive frustration. Anybody who tells you otherwise doesn’t know anything about achieving.

I see myself strong, mature and eligible. All things are possible. Every time when I walk down the streets of Nairobi I know I’m in the divine will of God. Anything can provoke and trigger the resources needed to accomplish these grand goals. I have an expectant heart that yearns for inspiration. I look at the little things that people overlook and I say to myself; how can I improve them? I do things that other people fear to do and I have always learn to go an extra mile when others are tiring and quitting. I’m different, possessing great qualities, that’s why I have to do more than what ordinary people do in order to achieve great results ever.

I used to be a person who saw things as they were and say, “Why Lord? Why me? Why this way?” But now I’m a dreamer and a visionary as well. I dream things that never were and I say, “Why not?” My life is in motion. The passion that had dissipated is now glowing in my life. I feel like a child with a great bright future, intrigue by the beauty of nature. Now everything in my life counts. There are no neutral actions.

Surely, I can’t exhaust all the lessons that I have learn and gain form this series, or I might end up writing a book by itself. In summary, these studies have generally improved my life. They have worked on my self-esteem, my focus and direction, my communication skills, my goals, my health, my love life among others. It has been a worthy time spent in studying level one and two.

Iziomoh, Bidemi Felix (Nigeria)
flelixi@yahoo.com

What I feel I have learnt since becoming a student of International Institute for Global Leadership. (IIGL) are too numerous to mention or rather to write, but I would just be briefed. IIGL has brought me out from the dark to the light, why I am saying these, is that, their are so many things that I have not come across and things that I do not know before now. As a student of IIGL, I have benefited a lot despite the fact that I am just in level 3, I would say this is a great opportunity for me being a student of the institute, to be honest if such institute is not free I would not be a student because how much would be the fees and registration? Definitely registration would be in $(dollars) these has a giving a lot of people an avenue and privileged to learn and develop themselves potentially. IIGL has really transformed my life and I still believed there are still more I will learn as along as am still a student of the institute.

I have learnt how to communicate non-violently, since I read the NVC by MARSHALL B. ROSENBERG. I was very eager to read these book because Mrs. Elisabeth Tepper, in her discussion, in the yahoo group, advice that anyone that has not read the book should try and read the book, I had to drop every other book for it. These book has taught me ways to communicate with friends and family, also with group of people, when I talk people see me as different person, to the extent my friends said I have changed, all these amuse me a lot, so I say thanks to IIGL, my perception to things in life has changed drastically also in my relationship with the opposite sex.

Setting goals are also what I have learnt from the Institute, how to set my goals, I do not know these until I became student of the IIGL, well the goals I set was just a mere ones for me to achieved and that’s all, I do not put them down in writing, I now know how to map out goals, how to achieved them, and what to do when they are achieved. How I attract things are also part of what I have learnt from my level 1 and 2, reading the book “Law Of Attraction”, gives me the values in attracting things I like or appreciate.

Another essential book I learnt from is the book “Leadership for Dummies.” The book really helped me a lot, firstly, it explains more about leadership styles, leadership concepts, leadership skills, then examples of people that are successful now, giving their life experience how they got to where they are now, how they failed and rise again, the risk they took before they got to where they are. These has contributed to my life because it gives me courage and challenged that such people are also human like me. Another fact I want to lay emphasis is on the SWOT analysis in the same book, SWOT analysis, though I have come across it in my second year in school, but it was not well explained and understood, reading the book gave me more insight what SWOT is all about, and how it was explained in the matrix.

About the SWOT analysis I have a friend who came to me one evening, telling me that he has an interview for a job, that the employer said they should bring a presentation on SWOT in a diskette, I first of all ‘smile’ and say thanks to IIGL for giving me the chance to express myself on what I have learnt and that to the extent and employer is asking for such thing. What I did that evening I told the guy to sit and I explained to him what SWOT analysis is all about, and how is relates to person’s business, company’s and organizations. Then I showed him the diagram that is the matrix, we now did the presentation in a rough paper and I told him to meet someone who knows about presentation to help him put it on that form. I was so impressed because I have learnt something and I have used it to show someone also.

There are so many challenges I have come across since I became student of IIGL, but how I faced them is different from those time I used to handle challenges, my thinking also has changed, during my introductory books “As A Man Thinketh” and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”, both books helped me a lot, because the way I use to think is very different now since becoming a student of IIGL. My ideas and believed about life and things has changed.

Dr. Wayne Dyer has also affected my life spiritually, I love all his books because they are spiritually inclined, I have know the difference between my soul, mind and body more so, what makes me different from another person. So far all I have mentioned are not all I have learnt from IIGL, that is from my level 1 and 2 studies, but I would love to stop at these point and share the remaining ones to friends and people that are willing to learn from me, and am ready to share all that I have learnt from the institute to people and most especially to youth. Finally, I have learnt a lot from the discussion group, what people say and I get some points from it, and I still believe there are more I would learn, learning never ends.

IIGL I say a very big thanks and to, the Director, Contributors, Mentors and students.

Joel Ebute
Nigeria

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1: Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples.

The benefits I have derived from International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL) as a student can not be overemphasized. It has been of good and great important to me in person. Come to reason with me in this form, we are creatures of habit, but any habit once learned can be changed, how could I have come to these understanding without the help of IIGL. The problem has been that in the past, changing them has been difficult because I was trying to change direction without first changing the old indoctrination. With self-talk I accomplish both: I override the old while I am creating the new. IIGL has brought me to stand; where I can help other people around me choose a habit and also help them if they would like to change their habits. Habits cannot be changed overnight; it is a gradually process which I have personally encountered. During my training in IIGL, I have come to understand that most of those things I call bad habits are in reality the symptoms of something else which is going on inside of me. They are the result of a broad variety of beliefs I have about myself which, when all lumped together, push me into a pattern of behaviour which end up causing a problem for me. IIGL has brought me to know a singular tool which look at the “whole being” (all of the furniture’s in my mental apartments) from a holistic point of views. It doesn’t just cure the systems; it changes the problem, which caused the symptoms in the first place. I can also help any body around me to solve the same problem. Thanks to IIGL.

I will stand to tell IIGL a very big thank you. This aspect must be disclosed. I have come to realize from a practical perspective that every thing I do is affected directly or indirectly by my attitude. Lets all know that, a change in a person’s attitude can affect just about everything else in that person’s life and close associate. I found out that, just a shift in “attitude adjustment” can have a profound effect on what we do and how we do it or what i do and how I do it. Just a few time I had with some group of choristers in a local church has brought a great change in theirs lives and they are glad about that. That is to say a change in attitude can result in a change in grades, dress, habit, and friends. I have personally encountered these when I was preparing for my international exam by Microsoft Cooperation, my attitude toward the exam made me pass the exams and I am currently applying the same to others international exams I am going to write. I am glad to say that my dressing pattern has drastically change, it all bounce back to change in attitude. Hey!! Come to understand that, the better the attitude, the better the results, in almost anything I do or we do. Because attitude affects my feelings and feelings affect what I do and how well I do it, having a good attitude can be the deciding factor in my succeeding or failing in life. I come to know that, the right attitude gives me that important edge. I have to focus on this aspect because it is one of the most important areas in leadership. I am now a man of few words, I don’t talk too much and I don’t eat my words when I say anything, this is what I call maturity in leadership, this is the first time I am encountering this in life, and I will do my best to keep it up.

I am glad I can now set goals and achieve them without having problems. I want every body to understand with me that the subconscious mind recognize, accepts, and acts on problems in the exact same way that is helps me reach my goals, I can change, in a positive way, how I look at many of those things in my lives that I have been told are the natural circumstance of life, which, when overcome, automatically and naturally result in the achievement of goals. I cannot solve a problem without reaching an objective. Now I am good at solving problems. I like challenges and I meet the head on. Problems are my teacher; there is no problem I cannot conquer. I am strong in mind, body, and spirit. My will, my strength, and my determination are always greater than any problem I face. I do not fear problems, challenge, conquer, solution, and win are words which I live by daily. “Challenges” are opportunities. “Conquering them” is the inevitable outcome. “Solution” is the stepping-stones to my success, and “winning” is my way of life. Big thanks to IIGL; I am glad I am a student of IIGL.

Osuoza Emmanuel
Nigeria

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1: Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how you ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real- life personal examples.

IIGL AND ME: THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Leadership is a noble calling, a calling for the initiated. Studying for the introductory, levels one and two of the IIGL curriculum has been quite demanding but richly rewarding.

Learning the fundamentals are only the beginning, outstanding leadership skills have been developed and I’ve had the opportunity to rub minds with successful authors in their respective fields. I’ve learnt how to communicate a vision, marshal great minds around me and generate exceptional results.

The building blocks of character, values and skills which were instilled in me from childhood are surprisingly upfront when I face the real world everyday. These authors took those blocks I was given and refined them into powerful transferable skills.

It’s one world of discovery into another and I’m looking forward to more as I progress towards higher levels. My first had to do with discovering my true identity. Dr Wayne Dyer opened my eyes to the fact that my true self has no nationality. Being an African or an American or a British or any other nationality is an illusion needed for this level of life. The real me is an eternal spirit. In the world of the real me, nothing ever goes wrong. The truth is, only our bodies have problems. My real self, is unperturbed by the harsh realities of life. He may reside in a body that moves around in a world where there’s famine, wars and rumors of war, earthquake and other natural disasters, yet the real me remains undisturbed. Though he’s in this world, but he’s not of this world.

‘I may not have the artistic talent of a Michelangelo, or the musical ability of a Mozart. I may not have as much money as Warren Buffet or as much as Donald Trump had. But there’s one thing I have as much as anyone else; time’- Dennis Waitley.

Personally speaking, poor time management has cost me dearly especially in my academics. Prior to joining IIGL, I wrestled seriously with procrastination until it got a hold on me. The alarm goes off at night reminding me to wake up and read. “There’s still time”, a voice calls from within. So I switch off the alarm and sleep again. Finally, exams draw close and I’m ill prepared to face the examiner’s questions. This had an adverse effect on my first year results in the university. All of that changed when I read Napoleon Hill’s, success through a positive mental attitude. In that book, he talked about responding to the self starter “DO IT NOW”. Even in my weakest moments, repeating this self starter surges strength through my being enabling me to do what procrastination would have prevented or delayed me from doing.

The greatest discovery of all was when I realized that there was a better way to wake myself up instead of depending on those screeching disturbing alarm signals.

The same Napoleon Hill, in his two book volume; ‘law of success in sixteen lessons’ revealed the ability of the subconscious mind to act as an alarm. All I have to do is to repeat continuously to myself, that; ‘I am waking up at a specific time without fail with inner strength on the inside of me and with a sharp and active mind’. Believe me, at that appointed time, it’s like someone will walk up beside your bed to wake you up. To date, I never have to use an alarm to wake up. Why should I? When I have something better on my inside

That’s not all. I have also developed great goal setting skills. I write down my goals daily along with the steps I need to achieve them. Bob Sommer, Author of Psychocybernetics 2000 led me through a course in the science of imagination. On a daily basis, I hold a vision of my future in my mind as well as the achievement of my goals. Remember, the subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and what is vividly imagined.

Lastly, I have learnt how to use self talks to my advantage. I learnt this from Shad Helmstetter, author of ‘what to say when you talk to yourself’. I have self talks on self esteem, time management, money, character, self organization etc. There’s nothing that can be compared to the practice of repeating these self affirmative statements out loud to myself in the privacy of my room.

I have used it to influence me relationship with people, expand my networks and to discover beautiful things about me that I previously didn’t know about. I assisted a friend to develop a self talk to stop his smoking and drinking habits, he did in three weeks. His brother ended a sleeping disorder with a self talk which he developed after reading the book. Another uses it to control his temper. I actually do too and it’s great to hear people around talk about its effectiveness.

So far, it’s been awesome and I’m hungry for more. No regrets whatsoever. I’m far better compared to when I started with the introductory level.

Afere A. Lawrence
Nigeria

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1:
Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples.

Dedication.
I like to dedicate this essay to the following:
* To my favorite Spiritual author, Dr.Wayne W.Dyer. Your Spiritual words have been a tremendous blessing to my dear life.
* To my IIGL mentor, Lily Ann. Ma, you are really a blessing to my life and those that I share the blessings with.
* To Michael Lightweaver. You are indeed a world changer. IIGL, come five years, would be a place where destinies of millions of lives are moulded.
* To all IIGL students. I believe we are an extension of this vision of becoming leaders that are consciously aware, personally empowered, high integrity, and heart-centered that will change the community and the entire world. I believe in us.
* To all our sponsors. You are leaving an indelible scratch in history, in Africa, America, Asia, Australia and the whole world.

When I first read through my level three studies, I put it aside for days in order to put a lot of thought into it. Daily, (it became a ritual), I kept thinking about how to put all that IIGL has impacted into me since I became its student because it is too much to be written. During these reflective days it was like playing the video of my past for the past one and a half year since I became IIGL student as I tried to put it into writing before typing in Msword.

Candidly, there was one impact that I needed not to think on. IIGL, in my levels one and two, made me know “who truly I am.” Prior to becoming IIGL student I used to think I was only a physical being striving to survive and compete here and after some times, depart.

In his books “Real Magic and Sacred Self”, Dr. Dyer Wayne, my favorite spiritual author, made me understand that I am a spiritual being having a physical or human experience on this planet earth. This truth, just as I discovered it, illuminated me and since then I have been operating with it. This truth has really made a clear and major difference between my past life and present one.

This assignment states the vis-à-vis of my previous stages of life with the present. Before I continue, I must boldly confess this “I have really changed.” Both within and without.

Obviously, I have learnt, within a short time, a great deal more from IIGL than I have learnt from my nearly 15 years in conventional schools. IIGL has taught me what life really is and what gives meaning to it. It has taught me “who I am, why I am really here, and what this place is all about.” If you truly know these, you’ve known life and how to lead it and enjoy it.

I recall that a never-to-be-forgotten day that I read “As a man thinketh and Jonathan Livingston seagull.” They were my introductory books in IIGL. It was the beginning of a big turnaround in my life. I discovered another truth about myself and success. In “As a man thinketh,” I learnt that I am God-created but self-moulded. I mould my life with my thoughts. All that i possess outside of me is a function of my inner possessions. If my outer world is ugly my inner world is ugly. I must possess beautiful inner possessions in order to possess beautiful outer possessions. I remember being alone in that classroom in school and crying while I read this book. While in that class I recalled all I had done to my life with my thoughts.

A similar experience occurred to me when I read “Jonathan Livingston seagull.” I recall saying to myself “I’ve got it.” What did I get? Just like Jonathan Livingston seagull, I am in Africa to make a huge difference. Never before did I know this. My mentality was conventionally patterned after my society. I thought all I had to do with my life was to go to school, struggle to get a job in order to make a living, get married and make babies and live within the means we are able to make and some day die. Believe me! That was my mentality. Countless Africans still have this mentality.

Every book in my levels one and two has really affected me positively. Right now I can’t begin to state my experience on each book. But let me put all in a nutshell: “every personal change begins with knowledge and wisdom. You acquire knowledge from the kinds of books you read and you gain wisdom from its application.” I recall the words of that ancient man in one of our religious books; he said that “our people perish because they lack knowledge.” When you observe people, you will discover that what makes the difference in our lives is knowledge. But I love to call it ‘Enlightenment.’ IIGL has really enlightened me.

Also, IIGL yahoo group discussion has been a tremendous blessing to me. I have learnt a great deal from every one in IIGL. I take time to read other students’ assessment and words and I learn so much from them. The words of Elisabeth Tepper have blessed me as well. Whenever I read her assessment and other words of contribution my mind gets renewed.
I have learnt so much from Sammy Jacobs. His successes motivate me. I spend some time to read the assessment of every student in IIGL and words of contribution so that I can learn from them.

Nothing good comes without paying a price. We must all a pay price to receive a prize. I recall on different occasion I had to trek a long distance from my house to the post office to pick up my books. On these occasions I didn’t have transport fare. I constantly look into my beautiful future as I do this. It takes a lot of sacrifice and effort to get my assessment written, typed and e-mailed. Prices are tagged to great destinies.

It has often been said that Africans don’t read. Someone said that if you want to hide a thing from a black man put it in a book. But IIGL, to my pleasant surprise, has removed me from the blacks that don’t read. I can now read hefty volume books. I recall reading the hefty volume books in levels one and two authored by Anthony Robbins.

I am afraid I am writing beyond the maximum of three pages given to me. I shall soon end.
Candidly, this is not where I long to be, but I thank God I am not where I used to be. Every day when I see the level of poverty, ignorance, disease, suffering, turmoil in Africa I get restless. I get disturbed. My inner companion begins to remind me of all that needs to be done.

With gladness in my heart, I constantly look into the future. I realize that I still have tens of years to spend here and I ask myself; “what is the next 10 years of my life going look like? What about 70 years? This really depends on the choices and decisions I make today and as these years come by.” When these years come I want to look back and thank so many people that God has used to put me on this path I am now.

What else can I say or write………? I believe that the best way I can say all that I have learnt in IIGL is with my life and results and not with my words. I have learnt how to change the world by changing the community I live or find myself. This I have begun to do with the commencement of “Lifting Our Community Project, for short LOC” and I shall continue to do. In less than 2 years to come if I am being told to rewrite this kind of essay I want to be able to write a very practical one, that is, how I was able to solve practical problems in my community or society.

Onoh Gabriel Obinna
Nigeria

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1: Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples.

When I received my first set of books from the IIGL. Little did I know that those two books marked a beginning of great things in my life.

At the moment, to the glory of God, I have read a total of sixteen different books written by some of the world’s renowned authors. I know from the inside of me (to the extent that I don’t need an angel from Heaven to tell me) that I have changed. So much have been deposited my personality. Being a student of IIGL has given me what I call “a golden opportunity no small measures. For these, I will always remain grateful to the director and all the board members of the “greatest IIGL”.

Since becoming a student of this institute, I have learned so much particularly from every single book that I have read. For example from reading Bobbe Sommer’s Psycho-Cybernetics, I learned how to specially program myself towards my goals and to also help someone else do the same. In success trough a Positive Mental Attitude; by Napoleon Hill and Clement Stone, I learned how to majestically walk along the path of success by a principle simply known as PMA.

In the New Dynamics of Winning: by Denis Waitley, I learned how to achieve peak performance in any field of endeavour by using practical mental skills. Just to mention, but a few.

Remarkably, I have observed that there is something unique about all the books I have read. They always seem to improve my ides and in most cases change some of the ways I used to think. For instance in Wayne Dyer’s book ‘The Power of Intention”, my thinking was so changed that right now, I can’t even imagine me “relating to scarcity” or Thinking something not working out”.

And in Goal Mapping Brain Mayne, helped me to realize that whatsoever I focus on is what I will have. Which implies that instead of focusing on thoughts like “I don’t; have”, focus on “I have”.

I have moved from a scarcity (need) conscious state of mind to an abundance (supply) conscious state. This of course, wouldn’t have been possible if my focus wasn’t on it. practical goal setting and many other things. But thank God now I know better.

My first over business plan was written only after I have read some of the books. that is just to mention some of the impact the studies had in my life in particular and those around me in general.

Kishor Bajracharya
Nepal

Assignment #1
Objective: The object of this assignment is to help the student evaluate the changes and growth he or she is experiencing through the Institute studies and to help the sponsor and the IIGL director see if and how the Institute studies are serving the student.

Writing Exercise #1:
Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples. This assessment should be a minimum of one page and a maximum of three pages, single spaced in word format.

Introductory
– Good thoughts bring good results, bad thought bring bad result
– To make oneself strong and happy to help others and make others happy
– I believe that things sometimes not go what we expect them so at that time we have to develop our patient to take things as it is. Reading the book make my believe more strong
– I learned about continuous learning process, Importance of good environment, Perfection in our work

Level One
– How do we cope from being victimized
– I learned about the art of living happily
– It is my first time to get ideas of world’s top leaders like US president George Bush, CEO of SONY and so on who made decisions rightly in the tough situation
– I learned that if we tend to contribute for the betterment of others, in return it leads us toward happiness and satisfaction. That satisfaction can’t be achieved through amount of money. I have experiences of such practiced in my life.
– I remember I got prize for completing reading of the book “ Awaken the Giant Within” It is such inspiration for me. But the prize money was stolen, anyhow mentally I am so encouraged.
– My belief of money only is not enough is clearly stated in many books.
– Many people make the mistake of thinking that all the challenges in their lives would dissipate if they just had enough money. Nothing could be further from the truth. However; money will make our lives sophisticated physically in some extend only.
– I feel so happy to learn about the medical Dr. Deepak Chopara who treats patience with full of loving kindness and with spiritual guidance
– How interesting it is for me to learn from a medical doctor explaining about ethnical norms and practices, meditation to reduce our illusion
– As I have been practicing meditation taught by Rev. Satya Narayan Goenka. I strongly believe that we could only be balance through practice of right meditation.
– Reading the books make my belief more concrete.
– It is my privileged to read about the 12 principles
– Reading the books I got strong believe toward unconditional love
– Develop my feeling to do something for others
– From reading the book real magic by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer I learned how real magic appear when someone practices full spirit of loving kindness and unconditional love and the spiritual qualities. I believe that real magic can happen when one can contributes his/her best efforts for the sake of other beings.
– It is so interesting to read books mentioning about spiritual development apart from physical development
– My meditation teacher often used to tell us that we need to take food for making our physical body healthy, similarly we need to make our mind also healthy by giving some spiritual energy, it is not other than right meditation. Once we have sound health of both mind and body, we could be balance in any circumstances whether that is easy or difficult no matter. The real magic appears to any efforts contributed with such balance situation of our body and mind.

Level Two
I feel it is so interesting to find out the aspects of Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) of Napoleon Hill still valuable. The author said that what the mind could conceive and believe, it could achieve.
It is true that when we treat someone with unconditional love, we will feel so peace and harmony. I have gain such experience while working to the organization.
Satisfaction is a mental attitude. Your own mental attitude is the one thing you possess over which you alone have complete control. Memorize: I feel healthy! I feel happy! I feel terrific! Set your target and keep trying until you hit it.
I learned that whatever problems we face in our lives come from our own. We have to be alert in every circumstance for living our lives happily and peacefully.

Ten Secrets for Success and Inner peace
1. Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing
2. Don’t die with your music still with you
3. You can’t give away what you don’t have
4. Embrace silence
5. Give up your personal history
6. You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.
7. There are no justified resentments
8. Treat yourself as if you already are what you’d like to be
9. Treasure your divinity
10. Wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken you

Become self-confident of achieving what I really want to achieve, self confident formula
Communication – The process of conveying information by language, signs, symbols, and behavior. It can be directional led, which is to say that the place you end a conversation is different from where it began, as in negotiation, therapy, and sales. It moves toward an outcome.

I would like to share some of ideas from the book as stated in the below: I hope it will be helpful to all readers of my assessment.

Think and grow is the most important book I have ever read. It really helps us to improve our practical life adopting all the aspects written in each chapter. I have got an opportunity to review my activities through the questions, which the author pointed out so clearly. It helps me a lot.

Solutions to every problem
– Developing of Love, compassion and calming down our mind and services to others

I found it interesting and new ideas to read as three components of law of Dharma as stated below:
1. To discover true self i.e. to discover higher self or our spiritual self
2. To express our unique talents. The law of Dhamma says that every human being has a unique talent.
3. The third component of the law of Dhamma is service to humanity

Commitments for making maximum use of the law of Dharma, then you have to make several commitments.
1. To seek higher self, which is beyond my ego, through spiritual practice
2. To discover unique talents and finding unique talents
3. To ask myself how I am best suited to serve humanity

The Magic of Thinking Success
I learned from this book is that anybody’s success starts with knowing what we want from our life. These are some of the most important aspects from the book.
i. The Successful life begins with a dream
ii. How to build confidence for success
iii. Successful techniques for motivating people do what you want
iv. Enthusiasm plus Action equals success
v. Five sure steps to success through leadership
vi. Five never- to- be forgotten keys to wealth

Reading this book my serious attention draws on loving and enjoying our work for better health, to enjoy making sacrifices. Yes sacrifices are investment in success.
The ideas to focus on minor things for success, observing customers’ willingness for long run business, personal good approaches and considering of positive attitude people are some additional and important and practical ideas that we can learn from this book.
I have the strong believe that the IIGL will bring many positive and fruitful results not only to the associates but to the whole world. I feel so happy to join it.

Gifty Tortoe
Ghana

LEVEL THREE
Assignment # 1

Writing Exercise # 1: Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute. You should discuss if and how your ideas and beliefs have changed and how you may be dealing differently with situations in your life as a result of what you have learned. Please offer real-life personal examples.

I have learnt a lot especially about Human Beings and their behaviours. I didn’t know and understood how Human Beings behaved; this has really helped me a lot to claim my nerves down. Let me give you a personal experience I’ve witnessed, I gave some money to my brother for him to buy me a mobile Sim card which I’ll use to start a Communication business on 13th November,05.

The Sim card wasn’t forth coming, so I asked him to collect my money for me since the Dealers can’t keep my money for that long. I kept asking and putting pressure on him before on 10th Feb, 06 he told me he used the money to take care of his personal business. Can you imagine this; he used my money without my consent. I was really mad and I told him to get the money for me when he’s paid from that business.

If it was during my older days, I would have fought him as we used to do when we were growing up. I knew something was wrong when he started giving me excuses upon excuses, but I thank God that I didn’t insult, fight, curse or be angry with him.

I went into a joint business venture with a family friend about 2yrs ago; she was to give me profit after each trip. But for about 6months now I haven’t received any money from her because her buyer hasn’t paid her yet. This really affected me and the preparation of my wedding because I must support my husband with certain things. I was a mess and didn’t know what to do; my money had being locked up some where when I needed it. There is a paper agreement signed between the two of us, stating that I whenever I needed my money back, she has 2months to give it back to me. After which I can take her to Court, I haven’t done that because I put myself in her position and I feel for her knowing how faithful she was to me.

What I’ve learnt so far has taught me how to handle problems when they come my way. My ideas of always looking on a family member to help me have changed, AS A MAN THINKETH SO IS HE. If I think I can’t make it, so will I be but I believe that with God all things are POSSIBLE.

I was very cold hearted and revengeful because of the way my Mum always abused me physically. This physics theory states that ACTION AND REACTION ARE EQUAL AND OPPOSITE, and that was what happened to me. Whenever somebody wronged me, I make sure I also do the same thing to that person or something worse than what he/she did.

My belief now is that, it is not worth it paying people back when they wrong or hurt your feelings. I asked myself this question, IS THE PERSON WORTH MY INSULTS, ARGUMENTS OR REVENGE? I don’t even have to waste my time, breath and energy fighting that person. God says VENGEANCE IS MINE, so I leave everything in the hands of our Creator.

Oluranti Blessed Efunwoye
USA / Nigeria

Writing Exercise #1: Please write an essay on what you feel you have learned since becoming a student of the Leadership Institute.

IIGL study is one of the platform on which I’m fulfilling my goal of personal development. My first two introductory books laid a good foundation to what changes I expected as I progresses in the studies. Jonathan Livingston Seagull taught me to dare to be different. I have always had an instinct that I’ll dare to make a different in my life and it has help in attracting dignified people into my life.

As a man thinketh in his heart, written by James Allen, was another interesting concept I found useful in creating what I wanted to see. It has work ages before now and will work till thy kingdom come. It doesn’t matter whether my thoughts are evil or good, it surely births the seed sown. I have experienced it times and over.

I have benefited greatly from several authors by being in this institute. For example I never heard of Anthony Robbins until I read his book -Awaken the Giant Within. And I might never have encountered the concept of “giant within” as related by Anthony Robbins if not for IIGL. I took special note of the author’s highlighted details in goal setting, ranging from the different types of goals. I remember going through the practical workshop of writing down my goals as led by the author.

I will never forget the impact of the book – The Magic of Thinking Success/Big by David Schwatz. In my opinion, this is my best book so far in IIGL. It is a recommended practical handbook for people to literarily think big. In thinking big I’ve been able to dream of things I once thought impossible and saw manifestations thereafter.

In my Life Impartations group, we had a seminar that gather over 50 participants with speakers from different functions. This was in December 2004. I was perplexed it could take place. In fact, starting Life Impartations for me was a great project. In the first quarter of 2005, Life Impartations came up with 6,000 two color, fully graphics publication of inspirational messages that reaches selected part of Nigeria. When I first suggested the idea, to some people, it was a crazy one, because the last publication was just 2,000 copies and we managed to fund it. But to be sincere, I had grown so fat in my thinking to accommodate such a large increase. And in-spite of delays and barriers, we finally reached the target. It was all by the magic of thinking BIG.

I have also been able to improve my reading skills. This was my fear before commencing the IIGL program in January 2004. I had taught I will not be able to meet up with the reading, but to my amazement I’ve found the books interesting as I moved up.

I had a great deal of lesson from the series of books by Napoleon Hill. He talks extensively on getting rich by principle. I under that principle govern life and have seen some of his principle worked for me.

Success through a positive mental attitude played a great role in me when I was preparing my application for my immigrant visa to come to United States. There were series of obstacles I had to overcome in the process. I could remember there was a delay in my interview letter. When I finally got it, my interview date had passed two days. Also I remember confessing, “God is never late”. I had to put a force of positive confession upon myself not to feel sorry but in charge of the situation.

Lastly but not the least, there were a great deal of work I did on changing myself haven read Change Your Mind Change Your Life. It reveals parts of me I needed to work on. And by changing the state of my mind, I have been able to improve my dreams, relationships and outcome in life.

Indeed, great has been the impact of the first two levels of IIGL studies in my life especially in my thought patterns. Thanks to all the contributors and sponsors.

Oluranti Efunwoye.

Mark Elisha Mazadu
Nigeria

When I first saw my task for level three, even without reading it, I knew it would be more rewarding, interesting and will require more time and positive thinking., I felt so because I guess it connects you to things you’ve read, both the ones you can remember those you can’t which becomes an avenue for one to be reconnect with such.

Having gone through levels one and two, known to each and every student of IIGL as the personal empowerment levels, I must say that was the most important and valuable moments of my life, when I read through and understanding my task the need to write on things I’ve learnt the first thing I told myself, was where will you start from? Because I’ve learnt a lot that writing all I’ve learnt will result to writing the story of my life which I guess will include both the past and the present.

However at this point I would like to say I’ll try as much as I can to limit my gains into key major lessons I’ve learnt that will forever remain fresh in my mind.

First I learnt how to catch a dream. I never knew much before becoming a student of IIGL about goal setting or an act of catching a dream. Then I thought all you need do with your life is following what just comes your way either good or bad.

My greatest joy today is getting to realize that dreams defines the limit of a mans destiny and knowing things a man needs do or rather I need do as an individual to accomplish my dream in life. Working that knowledge I grew into knowing that without actually looking up to a particular thing in life, there is limit to how far I could go. When we look at things critically, I must say i’s common in Africa most especially among Nigerians and among youths that whoever is successful is being attributed to have been born with a sliver spoon. Insted of setting real goals and ways we’ll achieve such goals. Youths rather think well it’s not my luck besides I’m not born with a silver spoon. At this point I’ll say this is the genesis of the problem most African youths have that result into abject poverty for most people due to unrealistic means of setting goals and ways of achieving them, for unless we learn to set our own goals things will never work as it ought to.

Number two principle I’ve learnt is the power of purpose. Benjamin Disraeli will always say ‘the secret of success is continuality through purpose’. And one constant thing I’ve noticed among successful people is that they all are men of great purpose. They all had a purpose in life. They not only have purpose in life but they knew what it really takes to achieve their purpose in life. I belief before a vehicle moves, you need get that which it requires to move, which include Petrol. Engine oil and so on. Therefore before any man becomes successful, he needs be a man of great purpose aiming a particular thing.

One thing that amazes me too is the fact that purpose empowers ability, rejects stativity, commands authority, conpletes fulfillment and finally secures destiny. I so much believe our inability to do something in life is not because of anything but because of the image we paint of ourselves.

Each time I sit and think, one thing I regret is my not knowing my purpose on time, but I got one consolation too, which is my journey so far, which I attribute to daily empowerment to always work with the present and not the past. I still remember when I knew nothing about purpose; all I sit to do is inject negative thoughts into myself, and instead of getting empower since that used to be my primary aim I still get depressed. I’m happy today every moment of my life now keeps increasing day by day.

Then each time I look at successful people, the first thing that comes to my mind was, can I really be this successful? And I’ll also tell myself was ‘I guess not you cant.’ Why because a lot of things were missing in my life and knowing my purpose in life was one of them, it was an unfortunate thing that I lacked the clear understanding that a mans future is dependent on his present foundation. Some are black, others white, some intelligent, others less intelligent, some bound, other free. But I guess one fact still stands out clearly that reminds us all that we all are born with a specific purpose in life. Well at this point I would like to say the force behind my saying this now is the different mindset I now carry which keeps moving my steps above my equals.

Dedication is one thing I’ve also learnt, which equally talks much on commitment. One particular thing that actually sets men above their equals is their ability to be committed towards everything they do. It is believed when you put in one hour and another fellow puts in fifteen minutes there is no way the two will get the same result. Why because the other is more committed than the other through the use of time.

Having read a lot of books I’ve come to realize that you need be committed to a productive life before you can attract success. I always remind myself each passing day that the key to success is preparation and dedication. I’m glad I now have a great deal of what it takes to be committed, at this point I’ll like to say life is all about commitment, for commitment is a life long treasure as life is all about finding solutions.

I learnt to always believe in myself, there are times when I used to avoid a lot of things, why because, I never believed in myself, I always get discouraged, any little challenge aha, that’s the end, I give up even without thinking twice. Well thank God I’ve got a great lessons on great books I’ve read and ever since my life has not been the same again. I’ve learnt to always believe in myself by encouraging myself to keep trying at all cost till I get the desired result.

Engaging the tool of patience is one thing I’ve also made part of me as part of lesson’s I’ve learnt during the course of my levels one and two studies. I now realize that to every thing there is a season and a time, therefore by doing the right things and at the right time, I’ll get to that place I’ve always wish to.

Other things I’ve learnt include time management, which has really taught me a great deal on how to maximize my 24 hours given to everyone equally both the rich and the poor. And secondly financial management and issues that concern’s relationship and how to keep one. I’ve also learnt a lot on capacity building which I’ve described below.

‘The deeper your problem, the deeper you have to search for answers to solve them.’
– BISHOP T.D JAKES.

In this era of fast moving and fast minded approach to everything, there is a need to take a pause and momentarily take a look at life from without.

A strong search for relevance and importance generally resides in each and every one of us, although the only way to attain importance is to endeavor to make contributions to our world and the people around us. This leads to a place where we realize that we can only give what we have.

This means that an empty life would surely produce empty results as sustenance of success is only possible as a product of accumulated strength in time past.

Life and history as witnessed the strong roll call of men and women who have assumed success as their trademark. Benjamin Franklin, Mary Kay, Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Adedoyin (Doyin Group) Aliko Dangote, Arthur McGuiness (Guinness plc) est.

In between these people lies less than 15 years of formal education, however within the constraint of their desires, they became renowned voices adding an excellence touch to every aspect of human endeavor they mingled with.

Franklin had only about three years of formal education, however he taught himself single handedly till he became a lawyer as well as a remarkable inventor. He is also regarded as one of the founding fathers of the present USA with an unparallel contribution to the drafting of the American constitution.

Adedoyin of Doyin Groups is an entrepreneur with holdings in more than 20 viable sectors, his educational career ended before he was 15 however he stands as one of Nigeriaís foremost industrialist and employer of labor est.

These aforementioned people were at inception equal to every youth around them as at then. However, continuous self improvement and development as produced men and women of deep know how about most issues.

If we still remember the starting of quote, there is a need to dig deep to find answers to issues affecting us so as to stay a step ahead of our challenges.

Capacity building involves expansion of the mental frontiers as knowledge never leaves you the same, it helps create focus, guide reasoning, shape thoughts, liberate mindsets and ultimately establish control to a large extent, over life and its issues/ challenges.

Capacity building can be done by READING, DEEP REASONING, GIVING REGARD TO FLEEING/ PASSING INFORMATION as within them is the seed for transformation etc. Also, every activity and experience that stretches the mind positively, and in a defined pattern, rather than create confusion.

In conclusion, it is necessary to note that capacity building saves you from an incapacitate position at the peak or summit of success.

We need to establish a strong desire to make use of 15 billion pieces of information estimated foe each day (in circulation) to ensure relevance in an ever changing world like ours.

Thanks for leading those who have read as we are pleased to see the birth of a new dawn in life as well as follow up to success.

Ubah Chinedu Gideon
Nigeria

I was introduced to the Leadership Institute by University for the study of human Goodness, Greensboro in North Carolina as well.

I am happy to say that is the best thing that have happened to me. Information is a very vital tool in this life and through my study so far, I have gotten some important information that can be called knowledge which will serve me for life.

For instance, I used to see the world as where everyone comes to compete, more or less a survival for the fitness. But from the deep insights I have gained I realize that this is not so, because every creature is a unique being, and has one uniqueness that is different from every other person. Why should one compete to be like the other when all we need do is to fight or strive to make sure that we awaken the giant that lies dormant within us. Every person in the world has a different calling, and trying to be like the others will mean you are moving away from your own calling. All I am expected to do is try to mimic the right ingredient that was of help to them that made them attend to their highest goal and then apply the compatible ones to help me in my own dreams in life. Reading or hearing their stories has energized me, but competition only brings envy and that leads to killing one another.

Another important thing is understanding of human behavior which help me in relating with others in a proper way. Before I use to get annoyed by the way people behave, but now I know I should not, because everyone does what s/he knows how to do best and cannot act exactly as the way I act or want them to act. Through that way I will be able to save myself from what Dr. Wayne called in his book “Pulling your own string” victimization

When I get angry, it is all to my expense as the other person that caused
that may not even be aware that I am annoyed and goes about his business and I am there troubling myself.

Another things is learning to speak out on anything I do not like, not allowing it to be a burden to me, and is bound to happen over and over again without my speaking against it at once.

For instance, here in Nigeria, in the transport sectors, there are funny things they do. You will agree with a driver to take you to a certain place and the price will be settled, only for the bus driver to stop you on the way after collecting the agreed money from you, and ask you to join another bus without enough money to paid for that. Leaving one stranded if he happens to have no other money with him.

Before, I use to fall a victim to this and will be sad for the rest of the
day, spending more than I have budgeted. But no more does such things happen to me, as I learnt to fight for my rights and live the best of each day that comes by. I do not keep quiet about such things and my last dealing with one of them sent a signal to others to respect me because respect is a reciprocal.

I have always known that I will be great in life, but this course has been pointing me to fundamentals as to my getting to where I want to go and be in life. I have faced so many setbacks and frustrations in life that at some point I began to ask myself if I can really make it. Lessons I have learnt in this course so far has been able to reassure me, that there is no course for alarm. All these are preparations. I have been given so many instances and references, that qualifies the fact that this is a moment of training, that I will not loose hope or relent about attending to my greatness in life.

I was made to understand that I should not ignore the lessons that I am made to learn at this point because the reason for the problems and frustration is the lesson therein.

Anthony Robbins in his book” Awaken the Giant Within “made me know that I am a spirit with human experience and not the other way; hence I am not bound by the nature of my body or my circumstances, that I have all it takes to transcend all of these and move on. This concept was shared also by other authors like in the principle of self mastery, etc.

I did learn so much and have been seeing things including the world, my fellow human beings, myself, etc., differently unlike before.

Ratherford Mwaruta
Harare, Zimbabwe

The International Institute for global leadership has accorded me the opportunity to learn about myself as well as learning about the global environment is a very short period of time. Through reading all these books. It is very difficult to pin point what i have learned because i have learned almost everything. Through reading the inspirational books it has completely changed my perception about life.

In short here are some of the great lesson which i have learned.

Setting goals in life. I have learned that it is very crucial to set goals in life and to work hard in order to achieve those goals. I should set my own goals and work towards achieving those goals. If i fail to achieve those goals i should go back to the drawing board and start again. Through setting goals i will not compete with any one else but with my goals. Then if i do not achieve those goals i know i am a failure.

Competition. The world today is moving from the concept of competition in to a global community which is more in to cooperation and complementing each other’s effort. Even at village or community level it should be like that. This one of the crucial lesson in my life.

Soul with a body. Before joining this programme I was completely lost, I thought i was a body with a soul but after reading one of the books i found out that i am a soul with a body and 99% of myself is invisible and untouchable

Blame. I was very good at blaming the environment, religious, the government and everything else for unfovourable situation but i have learned that you do not benefit anything through blaming anyone but one has everything to gain through networking and complementing each other if things are not moving according to the plan.

Happiness. The primary purpose of life is to happy before reading through the institute be happy was not important in my life but i have realised that happiness is the way of life.” There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.”

Values. In order for one to understand her/him self one should have some core life values. These values will help in self-understanding and self-direction. They will act as guarding principles in life.

Unconditional Love. I have learned that to love and to be loved is the greatest thing in the world and love should be unconditional.

The Concept of positive living. In life one should always treat her/himself positively.
Belief are so powerful in shaping the norms and values of a society. Our life is controlled by our beliefs

The power of a positive mind. It is important to think positively in every given programme. This will assist a lot in coming out with the desired results. Our body is controlled by the mind so it is very important to be always keep a positive mind

My belief has actual changed towards other religious groups from a negative perception to a very positive perception. Before reading was viewing all these other religion in a negative way and i only associate the with a culture of violence. After reading I realised that all the great religious teacher and religion teaches about peace, love and harmony

My belief about death . I have realised that death is not a bad thing at all it is simple a transfer from the place to another place. In most cases people are fear the unknown what will happen to them after death. One of the books actual cleared all the bad perception about death. This book actual changed my belief because i know we are dying almost every day we lose a huge number of cells. So one should not have a bad belief about death. So I should not waste time thinking about death.

Sammy Jacobs Abbey
Accra, Ghana
ayd_alliance@yahoo.co.uk

You can do something now to change your future. Donít just sit down. Plan and implement your strategy but remember that no matter how beautiful your strategy, not many people would immediately understand what you are trying to do or share your vision.

My candid opinion about my involvement with the International Institute of Global Leadership (IIGL) studies I must say have enable me to reach a height I never thought to have reach.

Reading 14 books I believe contributed to my current state of mind and high sense of doing things. Before I was enrolled at the institute, I have mentioned it time without number my attitude to life but now I can confidently say I have developed myself to the admiration of all and sundry.

As I did mentioned in one of my assessments, I had a shocked of my life when my fiancÈe broke up with me and to me that was the challenging moment of my life, I thought all hope had been lost and every moment of my life is limited but until I read the book ìsuccess through positive mental attitudeî after reading the book my spirit was awaken and I developed a positive mental attitude to problems and till now I have now develop a potential of dealing with issues without prejudice

The studies at the IIGL have had a great impact in my socio-economy life, and have also enhanced my moral life. For instance through the study I have begun seeing children as a symbol of forgiveness and showing love, until that I have no respect for children and sees them as a problem instead of finding forgiveness and love in them.

Another impact the studies at the International Institute for Global Leadership has had on me had been the fact that I have gain self confidence and sits in the mist among those before my enrollment at the institute thought I could not near them.

Another significant impact the studies at the institute have had on me as been the fact that showing love to another as become something part of me.

Throughout my studies at the institute for the level one and two, my capacity and personal development was enhance through the reading of the books and another insignificant but very important aspect of my studies and involvement with the institute e-network group where ideas are exchange and supports are received from like-minded fellows.

I could not imagine the amount of knowledge I have acquired ever since I was enrolled at the International Institute of Global Leadership.

The first two introductory books ‘As a man thinketh” and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” indeed prepared my mind in to the IIGL studies and really made a lot of impact of my life.

My entire perception to life and attitudinal way of doing things has been enhanced if not changed entirely after being enrolled in the Institute.

I have always been limited in my way of doing things which I have already shared in my previous assessments of the books I read, but now I feel too bold and happy in living my life all to the credit of the Institute. The books for the level one and two is enough to help you move mountains in your life and I have benefited from such opportunity.

One aspect of impact the institute has had on me was when I put forth the intention and decided to own my personal laptop computer. Through the able effort and encourage from the rector of the Institute and my understanding of possessing what belongs to me, though I have not yet purchase a laptop computer at least I have manage to purchase a desktop computer which before my enrollment at the Institute I did not have and never thought of owning.

As I have stated in my previous assessment, I had an inferior and not deserving attitude about myself. But when I read the book “Real Magic” by Dr. Wayne Dyer and related it to my social and physical life, I discovered my self-confidence. It helped me to boldly attempt and achieve successes that I would not have done before. My new association with the Global Citizens organization in Ghana is one such bold step that resulted from reading the book “Giant Steps” by Anthony Robins.

The book “Success Through Positive Mental Attitude” by Napoleon Hill also had a major impact on my life. It really challenged me and changed my attitude toward life. After reading the book I begun seeing things different, I kept motivating myself and others that as far as we develop positive mental attitude in life, success shall be ours.

A real impact the books had on me was especially evident when my fiancee separated with me. I decide to take a positive mental attitude about the situation and as a result, none of my colleagues realized I was disturbed or affected by the situation. The secret was that I digested every dint of information from the books I read and related them to my personal life.

The books not only affected my life but help me to help others who had problems. For instance I have a friend who thought he was useless and never possess anything in life and had given up hope. Using what I had learned, I helped him to see that he was the most important person living as I introduce him to the books.

In summary, all of the books and my nvolvement with the International Institute of Global Leadership has had great impact on me and I’m looking forward in continuing making references to the books in my possession.

Elisabeth Tepper
Venezuela

One of the most important things that have happened to me in the past two to three years is finding there are always people ready to help me in my worst hour.

I decided to resign from an established position in a transnational American pharmaceutical company in 2000. I though I would be able to support myself and my family from that point on from my own personal work in translation, writing and facilitation. However, several political and economic situations changed the scene. Venezuela was changing its status quo into a who-know-what’s-next situation, so people and companies were and still are afraid of investing in programs and expenses strictly necessary. Translations were reduced to a minimum, basic home maintenance expenses surging with an unexplainable inflation, and things got real hard for me.

I thought to myself, how can I keep learning, growing, somehow doing the things I love in the midst of this craziness. and there was always a helpful and loving hand ready to lift my moral. One of them, YOU, the scholarship I’ve been receiving from the IIGL, with books that richen my life and that of those around.

Maybe its been the situation we’ve been living, maybe it’s the help I’ve received, or a mix of both, maybe it’s the books and the subjects you have chosen for each level, but one of the things that I do now, is that I give
my books and information our freely. Books have always been an important part of my life. Before, I would think twice as to sharing a book, I would try to find some kind of guarantee of it coming back to my bookcase. Now, I know if someone needs to read it, and especially if they can’t afford paying for it, I can give it and know it’s going wherever it has to go. They now have a life of their own.

Even my work objectives have changed regarding people. Most of the information in the books has proven useful in my daily work: I read and teach Tarot as a Personal Growth Instrument, NLP, Reiki, translating, stress management, meditations. I realize now that whoever needs my work can receive it. The terms and conditions aren’t as strict. I used to think I’m not going to prepare a course or training from just a couple of persons. I do now. I realize that all that I’ve been learning from the previous two levels and other sources, must be shared. Much like the books. What use is it in my mind if it can’t be share or be useful for myself and others?

Some of the books, as those by Anthony Robbins have helped me refresh my NLP knowledge, reminded me of different techniques I can use to help myself and others.

I realized after reading several books from the same author, that sometimes they are inspired, and sometimes not so much. This is especially true with Richard Bach. The difference between Jonathan Livingston and Running from Safety is abysmal.

On the other hand, authors I don’t really care too much about as Deepak Chopra, gave a wonderful insight into the beauty of our bodies and the wonder of our minds.

And then, others as Wayner Dyer and Jerry Jampolsky always seem to write from the heart and for me they are always refreshing. So, whenever I can read one of their books I feel reconciled with all of live.

And then there were the simple and funny ones, such as Have You Hugged a Monster Today, which you can read in a few minutes and remember every time we smile we lighten up and we can see the same miracle in the face of the hardest headed person.

I feel happy to be where I am and I know part of me is you. This has made me decide helping you expand your work to Spanish speaking countries!

Roger Yomba Ngué
Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa

I got involved in the IIGL in November 2002 and started courses in January 2003. By this time my aim was to pursue my studies into a MBA program (Public service) to develop my professional skills. At first I was not interested since I found it like one of this advert. When I realize that some of my friends were already selected, I said why shouldn’t I try this. The content of it did attract me because I needed to deal with communications concern in my professional life. My first objective was to build the capacity of my NGO, Positive Africa. My second objective was to stabilize my social life: to find my wife and start building a family.

II. Lessons learned and their implementation

I became a little bit discourage when I discovered that emphasis in IIGL wasn’t on academic degrees. But as Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) indicates in the 17 principles of personal achievement : “What I call the Law of Harmonious Attraction means that forces and things which are suited to the needs of one another have a natural tendency to come together.” (the Controlled Attention and the Other Principles of Success, P.138). The content of the IIGL curriculum matched my expectations. One reason that motivated me to apply, was to develop a pleasing personality as my relatives thought I was a rustle. Another reason was to improve my finances as I figured out that my incomes were not at the level of my work, vision and commitment.

Reading Wayne W. Dyer’s Pulling Your Own Strings, I learnt that I didn’t only need to build a pleasing personality, but I needed also to avoid been manipulated by others. Dr. Wayne Dyer writes: ‘By sizing yourself and your culture up, you can (1) anticipate effectively, (2) eliminate self-doubts, (3) implement plans A, B, C, etc, (4) steadfastly refuse to be upset or immobilized at the progress you are making, and (5) persevere until you have emerged with what you were seeking’ . Since January 1999, I have created a Non governmental organization (NGO) called POSITIVE AFRICA. In February 2003, I was still hesitating to take over the executive leadership with the excuse that my fellows who were masters and PhD were more equipped intellectually to handle the lead. Unfortunately things were not moving as I wished. When I finish reading Pulling Your Own Strings, I launched a reform of the NGO to become Executive Director in March 2003 with the blessings of my colleagues. In the same book, the author stated that: ‘every march of a thousand miles begins with one step, but you must be willing to take that first step by overcoming your fear and inertia for just one tiny second’ (P.161).

The turning point and confirmation of my new philosophy came from Anthony Robbin’s Awaken the Giant Within . I was literally fascinated by this book and it’s author. Not only because the book allow me to do some exercises in developing the habits of a winner, but also because at the time he wrote this book, Anthony Robbin was 32 as I was then. Robbins put emphasis on the tools for self-improvement within a competitive but dynamic living arena. I found similarity in Robbin’s life and mine. His lessons helped me to design my first action plan – even though it can be called a draft to be revised and developed more (Ref. Appendix 1).

Of course, I haven’t follow this action plan exactly. Many changes that I couldn’t plan occurred in the schedule:

June 2003: Met my future wife – instead of Christelle, I fall in love with Gloria whom I’ll marry soon – she is already living with me;

July 2003: Appointed NEPAD Civil Society Organizationís Regional coordinator for central Africa

January 2004: Hire as national coordinator for West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) – this increased my income
September 2004: won a 500,000 euros grant for post-conflict rehabilitation in Cote díIvoire with WANEP

October 2004: Awarded NEPAD Price for Outreach activity Achievement in Africa and the diaspora

March 2005: Consultant for the African Union/South African mediation in Cote díIvoire

The voyage still continued – I came to understand that it is necessary to refine my Action plan. I am glad to discover that level III studies teaches us how to develop a comprehensive Action plan properly.

I learned with Wayne W. Dyerís Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Every Day Life , that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. ‘All of the major problems that we humans face were created by our way of thinking’ (P.317). If we want to transform these problems a new way of thinking or a new consciousness will be required: ‘You create a world of real magic when you alone decide to use your divine, miraculous inner intelligence to make it happen’ (P.322). Dr. Wayne Dyer develops a set of strategies on how to direct our mind in order to live on purpose not for outcomes during our life span: ‘Even if all those around you choose to be in competition with each other, you do not have to live by that model’ (P.186). With this course I realized that I truly can achieve many things by changing my way of thinking. This consolidated my self-confidence.

Something that I came across in many books of the program is the Napoleon Hill’s 17 success principles. I became aware that I lack seven of them : (1) accurate thinking, (2) self-discipline, (3) a pleasing personality, (4) learning from defeat, (5) budgeting time and money, (6) maintaining sound physical and mental health, and (7) using cosmic habit force (universal law). The most important thing in this regard comes to be the willingness to keep in mind that I need to pay attention for each of the 17 success principles in my daily life while persevering in the development of those I need.

For example about a pleasing personality, I came to realize, as I mentioned it in level 1 Assessment # 6, that my behaviors disapproved my intentions. This was manifested through my language and actions. Before, I saw only the mote in others eye when I encountered problems with my fellows in business or in private matters. Now, I face with any difficulty that involves misunderstandings with other persons, I first start questioning my self. It is a cure. This improves my relationships and even creates more confidence with fellows in all walks in my life.

Another teaching that I appreciated more is about the Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). This is literally appeared in all the books I read in level II as well as the 17 success principles. I found that it is very important to keep PMA whatever our life is going through. One of the very wonderful books on this issue is Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky’s Love is Letting go of Fear . PMA includes love, joy, forgiveness, optimism, tolerance, etc. It implies to change our belief system. For this principle, to experience personal transformation, there is a need to help ourselves and each other to let go of fear. When we let go of our fear, our life changes and we enter a state of clarity commended by inner peace and love.

I learned with Love is Letting go of Fear that our minds have only the limitations we place on them. ‘Because our minds have no boundaries, they are actually joined: we limit our minds to using it as our reality’ (P.21). Moreover ‘After our inner voice gives us direction, it will also provide the means for accomplishing whatever is necessary’ (P.28). I experienced the outcome of PMA in December 2004.

When I started working as NEPAD’s regional coordinator for civil society, I did it in a benevolent basis. As far as I made sound proposals, partners became generous with incentives. Last December 2004, I was invited by UNDP (United Nations development Program) to Bangui (Central African Republic) for the set up of the National Civil Society coordination for NEPAD. I had a very good surprise when I met with the person in charge to know that I had the opportunity to negotiate my honoraries. This was my true first contract as international consultant with UNDP. Previously I had worked indirectly with them and I earned 200 euros as honorary for 2 days. My mission lasted 8 days and the gentleman:’we will give you $275 per day.’ I said to myself ‘Wow, $ 1650 in 8 days. This is the best.’ And I needed this money. I mentioned this to show that my other colleagues regional coordinators are still waiting for seed money to start effective work in the ground. But I did propose the way by sending Terms of Reference from my imagination to partners and stakeholders for them to give the opportunity to implement my activities.

III. Conclusion
I sincerely think that I am among those who have realized tangible outcomes from my study within IIGL, both in my private and my business or professional life. My regret concerns the Lack of attraction or abandonment by many fellows who started with us. I think the institute needs a strong financial back up to organize a get together sessions for graduate students and some authors we read as Anthony Robbin, Dr. Gerald Jampolsky, Dr Diane Cirincione, Dr. Wayne Hudson and the IIGL staff. Should it be possible to organize a graduation ceremony at the end of the level 4? As the director previously announced it I pray IIGL to accelerate the affiliation process towards a faculty or an university to boost the academic recognition of the curriculum. This would undoubtedly keep the commitment of fellow students and stresses the importance of what we learnt in comparison with other training programs (competition with similar initiatives exists). I am really happy with the progress made to develop the curriculum and I humbly congratulate my fellows who remain on track and IIGL management team.

Solomon Teshome (Ethiopia)

I dare to say that what I have learned since I joined IIGL is indeed a lot. But I have tried to summarize some of the benefits of the program as much as possible.

The first thing is that because of IIGL I got to realize that having definiteness of purpose is the starting point for great accomplishment. I recognized that having a definiteness purpose in life is a basis for all kinds of success. While living for years in this planet, I dare to day that I haven’t had a clear purpose which I die for it. As a result, I have experienced a number of inconsistencies in my work as well as in my professional life. It was common for me to give up the effort I have exerted if I got stacked or faced challenges. I would lose my hope simply. But now, as a result of this program, I have come to know that having definiteness of purpose is indispensible to do great work. Because of this I have got back to my inner self where I am listening to my calling that God gave me to accomplish it while living in this planet. Though it is not as clear as I want, currently I am getting to realize my definite purpose. I hope through time the vision would be clear.

The other thing I got to realize is that having definiteness of purpose by itself is not a sufficient condition by to do great things. So, it has to be supported by living by faith. While reading some of the books, they have reminded of me those fears I have experienced in my life. Their root cause was nothing but the lack of faith in my inherent potential. I have learnt that the fear of failure is something that could be conquered; I am taking bold actions in faith whenever I get the opportunity. As far as the opportunity is in alignment with my purpose, now I don’t want to hold my self back from taking action on it. Now the habit I am coming to develop in this regard is very different. Since recently, when I encountered with fear, what I have read about faith has been clicked in my mind, and then immediately I took action by leaving aside the fear. Now I am developing such habit; in the future I hope fear would be no longer the reason that hinders me back from what I wish to achieve.

I have learnt that through our human endowments of self-awareness, imagination, conscience and independent will, we become conscious of areas of weakness, areas for improvement, areas of talent that could be developed, areas that need to be changed or eliminated from our lives. Then, as we recognize and use our imagination and independent will to act on that awareness- making promises, setting goals, being true to them- we build the strength of character, the being, that makes possible every other positive thing in our lives. Given that, I am taking care of my first creation in my mind first. As everything is connected through invisible threads called energy, my though and action is not limited to myself. Rather it reaches to every person who lives everywhere in the world. Therefore, I have to use my invisible thought to visualize a better, safer, cleaner, more responsible, more loving and more peaceful world.

I have come to know that when I focus on my imagination on the way I wish to be, my conscious mind directs my subconscious mind to accept these new images. In this regard, reflective relearning is a technique that helps us have new picture of ourselves and turn our imagination on the way we want. As a result, I have begun to use reflective relearning to create a new image of myself, reprogramming my automatic creative mechanism to move forward to speak English language fluently. I am being trained myself in my new image by reminding myself several times a day that I am in the process of replacing my old habit.

I have a made a 360 degree assessment on myself. In deed, I have sorted out several bad images of myself that need to be replaced with new ones. For instance, so far I have been convinced that I had poor in English language skill and was too late to improve it as well. As a result of such negative conviction, I have limited to do what I want in this regard. But now I have learnt that it is rather a self-imposed belief, however, the reality is different. So, I have begun to erase such a poor self-image and replace with positive self-image. I come to believe that I can be as fluent in English language as the natives.

I have learnt that taking responsibility and initiative to do things for my own sake is vital, rather than waiting for some other person to do my work. No matter what the effort is small, I have to seize that opportunity and discharge my responsible to the maximum. Now I begun to appreciate every encounter in my life and tried to turn them around. Rather than blaming and pointing my figure on others, I have started to look for any task for which I have a total influence and begun to act upon them. Time to time I have come to expand my area of influences which take me forward.

I now understand that any failure or pain which I have experienced through out my life is the language through which nature speaks to me, pointing out mistakes. The program taught me that adversity breads opportunity, every setback carries with it an even greater opportunity, and every curse has a corresponding blessing. As a result, I have begun to assess the root cause of my failures of the past and started to tackle some of them. For instance, I was addicted to alcohol, and previously I though that it had nothing to with my failure. But now I recognized my addictedness was the root cause for most of the failures I have encountered in past. So, what I have done is taking immediate action on it; and thanks to IIGL I am now free from any addiction. My money, time and energy have been started to be used for productive work. Really I have experienced observable change in my life.

As I have discussed in preceding paragraph, the ideas I have learnt from the program have been bringing meaningful change in my personality, especially in relation with dealing with other persons. Since I have come to know Dale Carngie’s methods and techniques of influencing people, I have begun to practice them in my daily life, be it in family or in work environment. Previously, I would get into trouble with others, because I was not aware with the negative effects of criticism, blaming and condemning others. Moreover, I would not care about what the other persons feel about themselves or what he or she wants; what I did was only focusing on what I want. But, now thanks to the program, I have get to know a simple and easy way of handling and influencing people. Now I have come to prove that it really works in practical life. I have able to observe its effect in my relation with my boss. Before, we had gone through nagging and complaining on each other, as a result our relation was not said to be good. After learning Dale Carngie’s principle, I have understood that I can easily develop a good relation with him. What costs me is nothing, except to throw away my ego or self-esteem. So, I would rather to do so as I am coming to reap the benefit of the techniques.

From my experience, there were times I focused only on my immediate problems and urgent demands while forgetting the possibilities and opportunities placed ahead of me. Contrary to this, I would often overlook the opportunities at hand and wait for until the opportunities turned up. However, because of this program, I have learnt to pay attention to anything I have at hand and at the same time for opportunities of the future. I have come to appreciating rather than complaining.

The other most important thing I have learned in the program is about rest. Our body and mind needs rest to rebuild themselves and get back what they have lost. It is through rest and relaxation both can recharge themselves. I want to become a well-balanced person therefore I usually make sure that my energy is recharged to the extent that my strength and vitality are developed. Earlier, I considered taking rest or playing with friends as a waste of time as a result I preferred not to do so. But from now on, I am convinced that allocating some portion of the day to rest and relaxation is equally important with working.

To sum up, I am becoming a person who emits positive energy, knows his core purpose, looks for the sunny side of life, sets goals for every aspects of life, and in general a person who elevate his life by conscious endeavor. Through a series of such disciplines- mental, emotional and moral and mental imagination- I begun to exercise my small, embryonic freedom until it grew larger and larger.

Ziyad Rube Abdule (Ethiopia)

I have joined the International Institute for Global leadership in 2010 when I was searching for opportunities that can impact my life. The time was when I was working in Oromia zone Disaster Prevention and Food security office as a Food security work process coordinator, two years after my graduation with BA Degree in Management from Haramaya University, Ethiopia.

The area where I was working is located 325 kms away from the capital city, Addis Ababa. Due to both the location of the area and limited expansion of Infrastructure, it was difficult to have an Internet connection. I use dial up connection even during the days I filled the application forms to join this Institute.

The Initial situation I have seen during the two introductory books was unforgettable in my life. Though small, what James Allen wrote in his book, As A man thinketh, were the eye breaker in my life. I have understood the role I have to take in my life and the way I have to lead my life. When I read Jonathan Livingston seagull, a slightly difficult book to understand, it took me a few days. But In it I see how one can achieve what he wants in life.
I have finished the first two books in a week which enhances the need to read and explore more about personal transformation. It was a time when I learned the importance of my own thinking in shaping my todays and tomorrow’s life, unlearned that the external environment is the controller of my life and relearned that a man is the complete sum of all his thoughts. I discovered that whether a man thinks that he/she can do or cannot do something; in both cases they are right.

As I read the first three books of my level one studies, I have come to know many facts extending from importance of positive mentality to giving priority to others. Those books enabled me to be one among the three Ethiopian students who have joined an Institute that practically impacted my life.

Through those books, I have come to know what it means by success and its major ingredients. How true successes have been realized by the so called successful peoples in this world. The path of success and growth as I can understand from the books was full of challenges, failures and sometimes painful moments. The road to realizing one’s own vision is problematic and includes many ups and downs. But I see that challenges, problems and painful moments are a way of intelligently standing again and strive towards its attainment.
When I read those books, I was working with a team of individuals who have been graduated from different fields. All were worrying about the existing situation and look their future as if it will not be dramatically changed. They worry of ways to advance their educational career. But, I was reacting to existing situation in a different ways. The lessons I took from the Institute enabled me to believe that, whatever a mind of man conceive, it will achieve it one day. All I was doing was to be optimistic about my future and be confident enough that the existing situation will surely changed. And, I was also advising my friends and colloquies to react to things in a creative way.

I have started to focus on shifting back to Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia, in to more than a year, with full confidence and faith. I had also a burning desire to pursue my Masters education with Leadership. When I was thinking of this Leadership was given nowhere by masters’ level in all higher Institutions in Ethiopia. But, I was confident enough, and the lessons in IIGL have strengthened my faith and dream that, it will be realized in a short period of time.

One day, when I was on the way to my home for lunch, I see some peoples gathered and looking for an advertisement in front of one public Institution. This has gained my attention and I have returned back to read what it is. Surprisingly, it was a notification that the Ethiopian civil service university has established a new Institute in 2010 and wants to accept applicants for its first batch to teach with MA in Leadership & Good Governance. It was an amazing coincidence, though this department, as I said before wasn’t given in any higher institutions in the country, it is going to began in 2011. It was notified that only three civil servants are needed from each zone (an administrative area that comprises of districts under it).

As the lessons I took from international Institute for global leadership, I have visualized immediately that I am one of the first batch students in this new department. Another important lesson was the accurate thinking strategy I followed. It was merely said that the above named university is blamed to enrol civil servants that supports the leading political party. And it was said that competent individuals will not enrol at that university. But, thanks to the lessons I draw from IIGL, it helped me to sit down and evaluate the sayings. I checked for all the credible sources and decided to sit for an entrance exam.

I have gone more than 600 kms, to Bahirdar City, regional capital, to sit for an entrance exam, which was given on December 2010. I have read many documents and books related to leadership as it is essential to realize my dream. When I sat for exam, I see that three hours are given to finish it. Surely indeed, it was the moment that challenged my performance and I see that the exam is too difficult. I thought I am unfit for passing that exam. But, I rehearse the lessons in IIGL and told myself that I can pass the exam.
When the result of the exam was notified after fifteen days, you don’t imagine if I have passed by being the second scorer from all the examines who were sat for the exam. Within duration of one week, I could able to join Ethiopian Civil Service University, Institute of Leadership and Governance for my Masters studies. That’s what I have stated before, the lessons I draw in IIGL have helped me to use all the potentials I have and unleash the inner capacity I have, visualize my dream and finally actualize it.

As I joined the university, I set clear goal with regards to my academic status. During my first degree I was one of the academically medium students. But I have convinced myself that that is absolutely below my real potential. But for my MA studies, my goal was to be one of the best academically strong student in the university. To become one of the tough, vibrant and active youth in any projects that will undergo in the campus and have a nice interpersonal relationship with all the students in the university and the Institute in Particular.

While I set all this goals, my inner belief was so strong and I am confident enough that I could do that. In the first terms of my studies, I have come to score 4.0, the maximum grade point. I myself was amazed by the power of lessons I learnt in International Institute for global leadership.

With the overall performance I have shown in the university, I became the only student who was elected three times in co-curricular activities during the first year of my studies as a leader of Language club. In those times I could able to lead the preparation of two students’ newsletter which gains the appreciation of the students, the institute and the university.
While I write this sentence, I am serving as a chairman of the Book preparation committee, about the Internship program conducted by the Institute, which includes five students. It is unpaid job that only requires going an extra mile as in the words of napoleon hill in his book Keys to success. Before I join the International Institute for global leadership, I was calculating the benefit I will get, mostly in financial terms when I am assigned to accomplish additional tasks. I don’t do any job that doesn’t have any immediate monetary return. But, nowadays I have fully cancelled all those thinking. I believe that going extra mile has a lot of unseen benefit at least in the long run.

Many students are surprised by my behaviour including my beloved friends who I brought up with them. They highly appreciates my Interpersonal qualities, the way I treat people, the way I handle people, the way I see things. Though I am 25, the second youngest student in the university where I am learning, I have a greater respect among the students, teachers and my directors.

I am one of the most beloved men, in the family of seven where I have a greater acceptability and respect in many aspects. Even I was responsible for negotiating among families and relatives where I am given a nick name ‘ Ijaro’ an Afan Oromo language, a word equivalent to ” Reconciler.

Nowadays, I have convinced myself that I will never fear any responsibility. At this time, whatever responsibility and assignment given to me, the confidence I developed during the two levels in IIGL could enable me to face it. Even if I will face a challenge, a bright will follow soon. My mind is always busy with what to do for my community, how to serve them and how I can contribute something that affects their life.

I could also able to look things from positive perspective. I have developed the culture of looking the half full part instead of half empty. Whatever problems I see, whether local, national, Individual or group I prefer to see the positive side of things.

I prefer to appreciate a single quality I see in individual’s potential instead of many defects. All the friends that know me well and approach me were surprised by the appreciation I have for them, in a community that precedes blaming. My witness is a young Ethiopian student who has joined IIGL in February 2012. He is one of my best friends in the university who is the younger among all of us. He is only 24. I always tell him that he has a great potential that can help his society.

For that matter he didn’t have the patience to read books. Even though I have introduced him with IIGL, he could able to become active student on March 2012, after nine months.
Another thing brought about by IIGL is the rapport I built with Inspirational youths and potential youths across the world. Some of these are Afere Lawrence of Nigeria, Paa Kwesi Inkumsah of Ghana, Noline Kirabo of Uganda, Felix Azamoah of Nigeria, Bikundu Onyari of Kenya, Kosi Davoi of Togo and etc. These are a group of peoples who have joined IIGL before me and are doing practical work and impacting their community.
The other thing is that I have joined the Africa Unbound Movement, Led by its Founder and president Dr.Rahel Kassahun. I could able to meet her physically and joined the movement. As a result, currently they have assigned a Mentor that can help me to advance in knowledge in a way that I can become part of a solution for the problems in the world. His name is Ally Sannoh, Gunnien PhD Student at Colombia University, in Newyork.
In February 2012, I am delegated to serve one of the professional journalists who came from Africa 24 TV, French. In the days I was with her I have facilitated all her duties and this ease her task. One day, when we had a tea together in a small cafeteria, I have raised her about the world is meant for me and informed her how one can become the master of his destiny. She was fascinated with the way I treat her and the way I look and express the world.

She asked me “Ziyad, do all students in the University think like yours? I replied, “No
Mine was different and it emanates from my subscription to International Institute for global leadership” I said. She was surprised and said.. Really I appreciate your way of looking at things. She is Myriam Sellam and can be reached at sellam@africa24tv.comMy University, Institute director whose name is Dr. Waqgari Negari can also witness the way I deal with things and how the way I deals with situations looks like. He can be contacted via mbetru@yahoo.comIn General, I can say that International Institute for global leadership has concretely impacted my life. It enables me to reaffirm the way I think, the way I speak, the way I treat peoples and so much more. It helps me to gain confidence, to accept responsibility, to be persistent. It introduced me to many concepts such as accurate thinking, visualization, imagination, spirituality, meditation, non violent communication, positive thinking, center of life, circle of influence and etc.

Ayoade Anthony (Nigeria)

WHAT I HAVE LEARNT

Each book I read in IIGL had been given me defining moments and the awareness of the right things to pursue. The book, “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull” gave me the consciousness of my uniqueness and the need not to follow the crowd. I can handle the people’s criticism because I have learnt from my studies in IIGL that everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses. I have learnt to appreciate people who express their weaknesses in words and actions through criticisms and condemnations of others. I only need to empathise with their ignorance or weakness by refusing to complain and criticise them back. It is said that a great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.

When I got married, I expected my wife to always know what I needed, an attitude that affected our relationship badly. I had the knowledge needed when I read the IIGL book, “The Real Magic” by Wayne Dyer. To have peace which I needed, I no longer seek to analyse her behaviour with my head but only seek to know what is good about her in my heart. I have also learnt that I have to choose protective action than punitive action in raising my children and leading my followers.

The personal development books I read in level 1 and level 2 at IIGL had enhanced my self-esteem. I have a spiritual job that necessitates going from street to street once a month to reach out to people, but it used to be a difficult task for me to perform due to low self-esteem. Knowledge has the power to improve self- worth and self- confidence. My continuous learning now makes me reach out to people and give inspirational talks with confidence; and l have a website, “basicfreedomnetwork.wordpress.com” to serve as a forum to share my experience with people.

One great habit that I have learnt from various books in my studies is meditation. Based on what I’ve personally gained through its practice, I can say it is the mother of all habits. Meditation makes me inspect what I expect – a period to contemplate my goals and their purpose. Sitting quietly alone for 30 minutes daily makes me listen to my inner voice. Recently I was able to avoid being duped because I decided to meditate to listen to my inner voice before taking the decision to purchase a land.

Another thing that I have learnt is how to address fears. I have to write ten self-affirming beliefs on paper as suggested by Denis Waitley in his book, “The New Dynamics of Winning” and paste it where it can be read every day to develop the faith I needed to tame any fear that shows up in my daily activities. I also learnt how to use TO DO LIST whereby I make a list of activities to be accomplished the next day in order of their importance each morning before going to bed. I have had occasions to apologize to people for not remembering appointments in the past and I used to be annoyed with my actions, but my days are now well organised and peaceful with my TO DO LIST.

I learnt a lot from Anthony Robbins in his book, “Giant Steps.” I learnt that I can use my power to immediately change my experience at a moment’s notice simply by consciously selecting the words I use to describe the way I feel. I have learnt that I have to change my vocabulary to change my life- If I describe an event to myself as a problem, I will feel different than if I describe it as a challenge. The words I choose to adopt determine the emotional pattern I go through.

Two quotes of Anthony Robbins that I have learnt by heart are: “If you trust in the cycle of the seasons, you know that in the long term you will reap the harvest you have sown” and, “Just because you don’t see immediate results doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.” They succinctly teach me the principle of persistence.

I have learnt the tools I can use to change my life. One of them is by changing the words I constantly use to describe my feelings. When I encounter something which is unpleasant, I used to say, “Too bad” or “Poor me” based on how I feel, but now I’m learning to say, “That’s great”. Anthony Robbins had taught me to consciously stop using such negative words like “poor”, “bad”, “stupid” and so on to describe my emotions to avoid the negative impact these disempowering words have. I have learnt that I cannot grow beyond the words I use to describe myself. It is a wonderful lesson to know that when negative words become part of my habitual words, they eventually shape the way I feel about my life and my environment. As school children learn new words, I made a list of positive words on a sheet of paper which I read every day; as I have learnt that “what I see is what I become.” I carry the paper with me everywhere; it serves as weapon of defence for me in challenging situations when I have to glance over it to read the positive words to myself to have positive emotions.

I have learnt that, “Some of the simplest things can make the biggest difference.” Anthony Robbins taught me that I can use my physical body, or my physiology to change how I feel. When I laugh, clap my hand, raise my shoulders, lift my head, and breathe fully, I can feel happy. I can feel great, and accomplish more than my abilities by choosing what I want to feel in my heart before allowing my conscious mind to think about what it gets. It is helpful to know that I can feel good for no reason at all by laughing in front of the mirror, because it sparks the nervous system to generate feelings of happiness.

An invaluable law that I have learnt in my studies at IIGL is the Law of Attraction, thatI can attract a good thing by having feeling of abundance. I was taught that feelings, either positive or negative give off vibrations, and feelings of abundance gives positive vibrations. When I feel abundance in words and thoughts, the Law of Attraction does not know the source of my thoughts, whether it is as a result of remembering, pretending, creating, visualizing, or day dreaming. It is noteworthy that the law of Attraction entertains one type of vibration, either positive or negative vibration at a time. More deliberate creation of the vibration of abundance makes it enter my “Vibrational Bubble” more often, thus increasing abundance in my life. I have learnt to deliberately create abundance in my life by recognizing sources of abundance and generating feeling of abundance around me to attract what I want. I have created “abundance register” to record events when someone gives me free advice/coaching, or when I receive gifts or awards, or when I buy at a discount, or when I sell at a profit. It shows there are already reasons for me to celebrate, and while celebrating I am offering the positive vibration of abundance. The Law of Attraction responds to the amount of vibration I offer and gives me more of the same.

Another principle that I have learnt is the Power of Intention that Wayne Dyer teaches, that the power to exercise my free- will to discipline my body, to get wisdom, to love all, and to surrender comes from my intention. When I do these I am able to shift my thoughts, to see myself as not being separate from the force of intent but part of it. Therefore, I have to get connected back to my originating spirit to manifest my original attributes: creativity, kindness, love, beauty, expansion, abundance, and peaceful receptivity. I have the knowledge that everything and everyone in the universe is connected to the power of intention, but I had due to my ignorance, pride and logical reasoning got disconnected from the force because I did not have the inner-knowing that I can co-create my world with my creator. Now, I know better.

I silently repeat the word “intent” or “intention” to help me get my ego out of the way. Now, when I teach, I do it from the field of intention; wisdom of delivery comes when my body is subjected to discipline, the spirit is made to love and surrender, and my performance has improved. With this knowledge I began my spiritual awakening by looking beyond self on a daily basis to get connected to God, who is the source of everything. I was taught that I have to be like light that does not struggle with darkness. It is futile to be anxious for “things”; I just need to open up to receive anything I desire by staying in “vibrational harmony” with the all-providing source. The divine law says, “All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and you shall receive them.”

Another principle that I have learnt from the book, “Power of Intention”, by Wayne Dyer is what I wish to call, “Principle of Surrendering.” It teaches me how to die while I am still alive. It is premised on the fact that man is basically a spiritual being having a human experience, and not a human being having a spiritual experience. I learnt that our lives do not begin and end here on earth, but we are connected to a source that is endless and made for eternity. This wonderful book further revealed that life is infinite, the universe is limitless, so what we are experiencing now is not life, it is a rehearsal. Our achievements and physical possessions are not life; we need to think less of them and more of our real life. We can have a taste of the life not limited by space and time by learning to die while still alive. Making this transition to infinity before one’s physical death takes away the fear of death and liberates us from all sorts of fear. Our sense of self-importance and attachment to physical things make us fear death but peace which passes all understanding is received by anyone who has learnt to die while still alive. It is easier to die while still alive than to feign ignorance of the existence of physical death as majority of people do. We are in a body that is going to die, so it is meaningless to pretend or behave as if it is not going to happen to us. These are great lessons that I have learnt.

EXERCISE #1: HOW I HAVE CHANGED

I belong to an organisation where I happen to be one of the leaders. When I began to practice empathic communication with our followers in the organisation, my new attitude makes people approach me easily when they face challenges. But my colleagues who do not appreciate my beliefs felt bad that our followers prefer to relate with me alleging that my compassionate communication indulges them and they made their displeasure known to me. Thanks to my IIGL studies which had changed my attitude, I was able to master my emotions by responding with emotional intelligence. I empathised with my colleagues from my heart by identifying their feelings and needs. I also expressed my feelings and needs, and made my requests known to them in a compassionate communication to enhance the unity of our organisation; in accordance with my new-found belief that, “to give from the heart, we must learn to identify and express how we are feeling .” I know better now that people’s wrong behaviour is caused by an unmet need in their hearts. So, I no longer think about people’s action in my head, otherwise I will be making a wrong judgement of their actions. People cannot behave better than what they know; if they don’t know what they need, people can’t act better than what they know. I use this belief in interacting with people and I am now having wonderful results in my relationships with people. Someone recently took me up on the time I spend alone reading books on personal development, but criticisms and condemnation now bother me less once I can identify what I really need and the right things to do.

I used to suffer from depression and anger but now as soon as I see a failure symptom coming I use visualisation to entertain healthy thoughts and relaxation to re-programme my mind to control my emotions. I have learnt that it is painful to expect so much people- it happens to be the source of challenge. I used to expect so much from my wife, my children, my bosses, my subordinates and everyone I interact with, but they cannot live up to my expectations. Now, I relate with them from my heart by expecting less from those around me. One of my subordinates talked to me angrily in the office recently but instead of showing my anger back as I used to do, I was able to control myself because I have learnt that, “Anger is a wake-up call to our unmet needs.” I had to relate with the offender from my heart by telling myself that I should expect less from him and give more to him instead. By giving him what he needs, that is, calling him aside to identify what he needs, I was able to make him my friend. Afterwards, I have peace of mind and good conscience.

As soon as new consciousness makes me see myself beyond self, I can see my purpose in line with other’s purpose. It is my purpose, for example, to reach out to others because there is much more to my existence. Recently, I was invited to speak at a seminar to a group of students which coincided with the day my brother was getting married. Due to my consciousness, I have to go to the seminar because it relates more with my one big mission: to fulfil my divine necessity. Now my passion for living comes from my desire to give more than to receive. I have changed because I now see other’s needs as been important as my own and I am willing to sacrifice to satisfy the needy.

Listening to early morning daily newspaper reports had been my hobby for many years. To sell their newspapers, the publishers make sure that they have frightening news about what the politicians are doing or not doing. Ignorance made me absorb the negative energy from the news. After understanding the Law of Attraction, I realise that I have to shut people and things that make me think that life is filled with doom and gloom out of my life. I focus therefore on my written goals, and positive affirmations to attract positive energy to avoid being cheated out of so much of the joy in living. Reading my written goals, and affirmations every morning keep me focused on where I am going, they assist me in creating a strong belief and confidence to persist until I win. Based on the law off attraction, I also have a dream board to assist me in transforming my consciousness to accomplish my goals. My new attitude had transformed my life as I no longer enjoy talking about the doom and gloom of my environment, but what I can do to make a positive change.

Another belief that I have imbibed which has changed my life is that, “Appreciation is to celebrate the way our lives have been enriched by others.” I discovered that I neither knew how to express appreciation nor how to receive it. The only way I knew to appreciate a good speaker is to say “I like your message, it was powerful” without saying what the speaker did to enrich my life; how I felt, and my needs that were met. Now, I always make sure I express my appreciation to people by stating what I gained from them and how I felt emotionally. I can see the satisfactory response from such people each time I use this approach with my wife, children, and other people. I also feel happy each time my expressed appreciation is reciprocated.

In my environment, one emotion that shows up every now and then without invitation is fear. Within my country there is a lot of insecurity that throws up fear of disaster, fear of failure, fear of future and all kinds of fear which we face one way or the other. By reading my affirmations every day, my attitude has changed such that I am no longer prone to frustrations that I used to feel when I think about the future.

The knowledge I have gathered from the books I have read in my studies at IIGL is making me to contribute to the leadership challenges in Nigeria. I organise seminars and also embark on visits to schools in my town to educate and enlighten the youths on the collective vision of building the country. I have received many invitations which had given me opportunity to give informal education to people in higher institutions, churches, and other places.

My decision to change my eating habits had also improved my health drastically. I have written goals in four areas of life: relationships, finance, health, and personality. I have goals to forgive all people, to save at least 10% of my income monthly, to stop eating red meat and to stop getting angry as from the beginning of January 2010, when I became conscious of these needs through my IIGL studies. Based on this, there had been changes in every area of my life. The money that I am saving had gone up to 15% of my monthly income since the beginning of 2012, as I was motivated by the amount saved in the first two years of pursuing this particular goal. I now live according to the belief that, “Good health is the foundation on which all happiness and power depends.” I had been practicing these 6 keys to a good health as recommended by Anthony Robins and its positive effect on my health gives me joy:

Taking 10 deep breaths in the ratio 1:4:2 three times daily.

Eating water rich fruits with every meal.

Taking proper combination of food, and ensuing that it is not immediately before going to bed.

Eating not much food; the first meal not earlier than 12 noon every day.

Eating fruits on empty stomach.

Avoiding animal protein.

The principle of delegation has changed my life. I appreciate the belief that,” Knowing how and what to delegate is the hallmark of a great leader.” Despite being a departmental head where I work, I was able to leave my work without fear of disloyalty from my subordinates for many months. My main task is to identify the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of each member of my staff and my own. Once I identified my subordinates who have the potential to lead, I sit back to monitor and mediate in case there is any challenge. Delegation gives me time to do other things I love.

Goal- setting has made and it is still making a positive change in my life. Average minds find it easier to think about their past or what is happening today than their future, but thinking about future goals brings hope rather than hopelessness and its attendant failure symptoms. When I am confronted with bad emotions, I think about my goals, and I also encourage people to set goals because there is no hopeless situation but only people who think hopelessly due to lack of goals. I no longer think hopelessly but hopefully because good future belongs to those who think about it. Now, I share this belief with like-minds and make them think about a positive change, as it is a proven idea that ‘what we think about expands’. My written goals bring me hope in future and grants strength in the present when I read them; they make me happy to serve others.

I had been part of the people who see life as not a joke, I take everything around me too seriously, and unfortunately the world is full of events that never make one happy. No wonder the world is consequently full of people who are unhappy with their lives. Man keeps looking for things that will make him happy; however, knowledge had made me realize that such expectation is illusory. Instead of looking for events that will make me happy, I now make myself happy by laughing from my heart rather than getting depressed, I do this simple thing in my privacy so that people may not think I am bananas, this simple act produces emotional stability in me.

Harriet Opondo (Uganda)

What have you learned and how I have changed

Life is a journey, which we each travel each day and on this journey we meet many people and make several decisions. I’m still thankful that a dear friend talked to me about international institute of global leadership and I’m glad I made the decision to join the training program.

I have learnt incredible lessons and principles in the last two plus years that I have been a student at IIGL. The books have been eye opening and I believe that I have changed for the better and I hope to have more impact in my country even as I continue to learn more and grow.

One of the ways that I have changed is in my thinking patterns. I have always known that our thoughts affect lives but I had never really taken it seriously since I continually allowed negative thoughts to run through my mind. However the books that I read in level one and two really challenged my negative thought patterns, as I learnt that our thoughts affect our mood, emotions, health and destiny. This was clearly brought in the book “law of attraction” we attract into our lives what we constantly think about. I have had some negative experiences in life and prior to joining IIGL I would allow those negative thoughts to cloud my mind and I would end up being so sad and even throw pity parties. however now with the knowledge that I have about the power and effect of thoughts I don’t allow those thoughts to linger around in my mind, instead I have learnt to think happy thoughts, dream about the great things I would want to see in my life and I’m already experiencing the results of thinking positively.

I have always been a dreamer; I sometimes thought I lived more in my dreams than in the present! Through reading the books in the past two levels, I have learnt to direct and focus my dreams into vision and purpose. I now have a definite purpose that I’m working towards achieving. This has made my life a lot easier since I’m now more focused and I’m clear about what I want and also decision making has been made easier. For instance for years I have been wondering what course to pursue at graduate level, however now that question has been answered because I have figured out what I want to achieve in this life and I also believe God created me for a great purpose. I’m excited about the future and I know that even the sky is not the limit!

The Bible declares that…’the power of life and death lies in the tongue’ this indeed is true since our words have creative power. Even God created the universe by simply speaking! Our words indeed hold great significance. As I read one of my favorite books so far in this course ‘Non-violent communication’ I learnt about the significance of words. I have learnt how to carefully choose my words as I speak to myself and to those around me, I’m practicing the art of clearly expressing my needs and wants to others. For instance I was recently able to speak to a close friend about the way he was treating me and how that was affecting me emotionally. This has cleared a lot of confusion and stress that the friendship was bringing into my life.

We can’t eat our cake and keep it too! We have to decide to forego one thing over another. I have learnt about paying the price for what I think is important. For instance with my IIGL assignments, sometimes it is tempting to watch a movie, go out with friends than completing a book report that is way overdue! I’m also applying this principle in my finances. I’m planning to start my graduate studies very soon so at the beginning of the year I had to increase my savings so that I can have money to pay for my tuition however this meant foregoing a few luxuries like that extra handbag that is not really necessary!

God created each of us with a lot of potential and hence we are able achieve a lot with our lives. However many times we go through life feeling like ‘little nobodies’ because of the circumstances around us or what other people have told us. The principle of the Olympian within as shared in the book “new dynamics of winning” has taught me to have positive beliefs and to know that victory starts from within. I have to believe that I can make it, that I have the potential and resources to achieve all that God has intended for me. We are all champions in our own rights. This has changed me from being timid about my strengths and fearing to share what I know. I’m now sharing what I have learnt through reading or by experience to those around me and this is blessing others.

Character has been described as the sum total of all our habits. It is who we really are especially when no one is watching. Throughout level one and two, the authors emphasized the importance of having a character of integrity, honesty, hard work and humility. One of my favorite authors, Joyce Meyer once said; “your gifting may take to a place where your character cannot keep you”. Therefore I have learnt that I need to keep working on building character traits that will help me be all that I can be. Knowing that we can be trusted with resources and use them well at a work place for instance is very important.

It has been said that… ‘If we can’t stand for something we will fall for anything’. This statement brings out the importance of values and beliefs. As I read the book on goals by Brian Tracy, the significance of values couldn’t have been over estimated. I have been able to clearly spell out the values that I stand for. One of the values that I stand for is honesty and I want to be honest with the people around me. Closely connected to values are our beliefs. What we believe about ourselves, others and circumstances around is very important. What we believe about someone affects the way we feel about them. I have had to practice this principle just a few days ago. I had wanted a particular course for my graduate studies however the university called me and suggested that I take another option. I was disappointed and I started to question God and even thought that He was being unfair, this belief made me start to doubt God’s goodness to me however I had to change my beliefs because I was beginning to get really upset however when I started to meditate on scriptures in the Bible that talk about God’s goodness and faithfulness, I felt better because my beliefs had changed! I know that all things work out for our good and indeed this course might as well be the best option for me.

No man is an island and we all need people throughout this journey of life. One of my pastors always jokes that no man when he is about to die asks for his prized material possession like an expensive phone or a laptop, instead he asks for the people important to him, his wife, children or parents! Therefore while still alive we all need to make relationships a priority in our lives. Most of the books in the past two levels emphasized this principle. In the book “ how to win and influence people’ the author shared practical principles like remembering people’s names and what is important to them like their birthdates or anniversary. I found this be very true, every time I have remembered a friend’s birth date or wedding anniversary, this has made them feel special and has made our friendships richer. Healthy relationships take hard work and sacrifice but they are more than worth it!

Leadership has been defined by John C. Maxwell as influence therefore whether we want it or not we are all leaders in our own respects therefore it is important that we all develop leadership qualities. The book; “Leadership for dummies” taught me great leadership principles like communicating expectations, delegating and decision making. I have learnt to be careful of what kind of influence I’m having on those around me and especially those looking up to me. I interact a lot with children and young adults because of my work setting and also the local church that I attend. I’m therefore being careful to make sure I’m having a positive impact in these young people’s lives.

I used to struggle a lot with negative emotions and one of the changes that I have noticed in myself since I joined IIGL is that I’m now very quick to expel negative emotions out of my life. I have learnt many ways of doing this as I read different books, one of the ways is CRAFT and the other is to simply decide not to allow negative emotions to take control over our lives. For instance I have decided to live a stress free life as shared in the book ‘power of intention’. I know Life can be very stressful but we still have a choice to make, for instance I’m handling work stress a lot better now than before. It is amazing how when negative circumstances happen around me, I’m now able to handle it without allow anger and bitterness to take the better side of me; this is a fresh way of living for me!

It is one thing to know what we want and it is another thing to know how to get there. Through the past levels many strategies have been shared about goal setting and achievement. I have been able to write down my goals both long term and short term and also included the strategies of achieving them. For instance I have noticed that those days when I write down the goals for that particular day, I achieve most of them and more. This has helped me not to be distracted while at work. Also as regards my personal goals, I have learnt to be more expectant as I wait, I’m being psychologically prepared and this has created more excitement as I live with expectation. I enjoyed drawing my treasure map and I can’t wait for the one item that included in my map to come to pass.

Any life that is not balanced is bound to fall apart. Another important principle that I have learnt is the importance of balance. We cannot for example decide to pursue our careers at the expense of our relationships. Both aspects are important and we need to find a way of creating balance to avoid extremes. This principle was well laid out in the book ‘Giant steps” where the author called it ‘putting it all together’. Health, finances and relationships are all vital and I’m learning to ‘put it all together’ for instance I’m now more careful about my diet by avoiding junk food and eating more fruits and taking a lot of water.

What will we be remembered for? I want to lead my life in such a way that when I’m long gone, my family, friends and community will still remember me because of the legacy that I have left behind. Our ultimate gift is indeed our contribution. I have learnt to always think of ways of blessing other people and not just thinking of me and my needs only. It is indeed more blessed to give than receive as St. Paul put in one of his epistles.

In conclusion, the last two levels of IIGL have greatly impacted my life especially in the area of self-development and goal setting. I feel new, empowered and I’m more passionate about life and all the goals that I’m yet to achieve.

Emenike La

What I have learned from IIGL

I am so happy to finally reach this level. I have been waiting for this for a long time. This is the level that I came to mountain light for and the level that is the foundation for all the work and play, play and work I will do for the rest of my life. This is the formal initiation for me into priesthood in my style. There is an authentic clearing and possibility engendered from my core and no other spirit, force, person, or thing this level sets the opening for me to express. To say I am grateful is an understatement. I has been an offering of life to life, something that supports the very foundation of the universe. My spirit values this and returns life is reciprocity.

When I first received the blessing of IIGL in my life I was still hesitant and skeptical. I had so many ideas for changing the world and wanted to change everything in my path. As I progressed through the curriculum, I learned to hone what it is I really choose to be up to in the world and how to bring that about.

There have been some deeply profound transformations as a result of doing this work. One example of these transformations have been increase ability to heal myself and to uplift myself from depression. There is a certain clear headedness that comes when many of the principles are integrated that allows for plans, goals, and intentions to be organized in a way that manifests objectives and generally makes life work.

One example of this is in creating a business. When I first started, I had so many ideas and so many things I saw needed to be done. I was carrying thoughts like, “I don’t deserve to have such a blessed life,” and “man, I’ll never be about to take total responsibility for myself, I just keep trying and I always fail, so why not give up while I’m ahead and just survive.” The crux of this is I saw that I was basically being not inspired by my goals and I was resisting becoming more authentic out of past fears.

However, the most authentic examples come in the form of initiation. This has been an initiation for me and why I would spend so many nights and days working on this. It is also why there was so much hesitation, prayer, dance, arguments, fighting, upset, and mean spiritedness involved in completing this. It was because all of that stuff had to come up to transition to the next level of frequency. I see that now and this has been a master curriculum. This has been the receiving a particular spirit that will stay with me wherever I go in the universe. What a gift.

Here are some specific changes and fine tuning that have taken place of the course of the four months of working on this curriculum. (In truth this curriculum took approximately twelve months with my first arrival to mountain light sanctuary. For me, the land, the crystal, the curriculum, the IIGL community, my shamanic community, and Michael are the curriculum. Last August when I first came I knew I was being called into full time medicine work and that I would have to change everything in my life, my entire energy field, and my way of organizing and processing information, and my actions and behaviors to be about to make it up to the next level, the frequency upgrade.)

I acknowledge my primary values are autonomy and shamanic thinking, self-study and information connection. From this foundation I created a modus operandi that maximizes my potential, focuses my transformative development, and causes me to direct my attention is a focused and productive way regardless of the depth, shallowness, unseen shadows, magic, alternate states of awareness, shamanic worlds, frequency streams and memories left to be spoken. This is the list of the modus operandi manifesto created from these studies:

To do the work for mental strength: connect the dots of information , formal research, and mind mapping.

To do the magical work of maintaining frequencies, enthusiasm, and motivation.

To communicate to people instead of my idea of people

To be honest and authentic about who I am and what I offer in speaking with people.

To know , honor, and feed my culture as a source of life

To define my culture based on my values rather than any outdated concept such as race, gender, sexuality, tribe, medicine, or ancestors. My culture is who I am relative to, how I am relative to them, how I express my gifts, and how I network and combine my gifts for new combinations of community and global gifts. Who I am relative to are people who share my values. How I express my gifts is with enthusiasm, velocity, and shapeshiting/abudance resources. My roots source is abundance. This is a root chakra shift that took over four hundred years. Mountain Light, Michael, and IIGL were in part responsible for facilitating this Plutonian ancestral shift. I network and combine my gifts for the maximum achievement, happiness, and extra-spacial understanding of the beings of humanity. I maintain shamanic collaborative community in autonomous, shamanic, and alternative ancestral autonomous community spaces.

To stand in my knowing of my gifts and my ability to flow between them creating and depending on the moment. I focus squarely on the strength of my gift.

I offer and stand in the knowing that grounds in the most pristine of the past, the ancient, the old, the new. I live in the future and time travel to create futuristic ways of interacting, making money, transforming and controlling money, collaboration, behavior, and energy work.

To focus sole one what is working and those energy structures/ways of being that cause healing including receiving and listening to others, receiving the gifts of others, and do what I know to do to protect, heal, and uplift frequencies and being calm through proper exercise. Proper exercise takes more than the usual as this entails writing, dancing, spoken words, community gatherings where I am sole wisdom bringer, officiating circles of ritual, shapeshifting between multiple frequencies of rituals, using structural geometric medicine to coordinate and organize reality, trapping, organizing, and maintaining control of frequency medicines, organizing my work to make it easier and easier, accepting prosperity to make my work easier and easier, and tapping into shamanic dreamtime as a modus operandi for the upliftment of beings of life and light.

To honor who I am and my own path and to honor and separate my self from people who are not on my path and who may not be good for me to hang around or trust. I honor that I am magical and live a highly rich magical experience and people experience a shift of reality, worlds, and perspective in my absence and a profound facilitation of world view change in my presence.

I honor being happy in my studies and the expression of my research. I acknowledge that my research is received and experienced as valuable and people call on it and for it. Through my researching and writing I am clear where my talismans as a business fit into my life and I activate a profound amount of attraction and business of the nourishing kind to my circle for ever increasing levels of presence to abundance, creation, and groundedness.

To honor that writing, dance, and shapeshifting between ancient, old, new, futuristic, and collaborate medicine/gifts/offerings/ways of relating/co-creative poetic futures is my calling.

To complete the tasks of speaking ancestral lineages and ancestral ritual acknowledge, spoken word as education, and spoken word as connecting the dots to various pieces of information.

To combine what I know with dance, new ceremonies, and futuristic ceremonies to enhance and activate global consciousness in groups of people.

To live in a highly organized space including goals, intentions, awareness of my abilities, cleanliness and communication with the earth, stars, and land.

To absolutely and completely define ancestors as it is important for the moment, instead of hiding and allowing other people to control the direction of the conversation by what they think they need.

To provide water as both a source of healing and source of life to the elements of the land even if it looks like I am not standing up for a fight. To honor that fighting is a cowards way of proving power and that authentic power sources itself in clarity and doing the preparatory work for peace in all areas of life.

As this year point approaches I have also received successes that should be noted as a result of IIGL:

I have started doing community shamanic rituals again.

I released that my medicine wasn’t enough and the medicine of my ancestors wasn’t enough.

I created medicines based on all the ancestral people’s I am connected to.

I defined myself based on my values and my future, not tribe or survival concerns.

I accepted my magical ability to process information rapidly and to shapeshift between roles.

I acknowledge and integrated my desire for physical strength, health, wealth, and happiness.

I acknowledge and integrated my wisdom of how to create peace.

John Adebiyi Olugbenga (Nigeria)

Since I joined the International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL), my life has changed drastically. Finding IIGL is a blessing of a lifetime for me as a person as I have referred some of my friends to take the IIGL course. As a studious person, I have been looking for an
on-line programme like the one offered in IIGL, but I have not been able to come across any until I find IIGL. What I discovered from the one I have seen is that it is either they offer fee that is unaffordable and one has to pay to credit card, or that the programmes are not organized like the one offered by IIGL.

By becoming a student of IIGL, I have learned a lot of things which I have explained below:

(i) A Bookworm: If there is one thing I can take from IIGL is that it makes me to read. It has often been said: “leaders are readers”. This saying is imbibed in the IIGL Institute. Those who cannot read voraciously cannot be a leader. Reading broadens our horizon, and makes us to discover hidden knowledge. In this part of the world, the average citizen is not so much interested in book as a result of so many factors: poverty, poor reading culture, the economic problem and the unstable educational system. By joining IIGL, I am becoming a bookworm. Although I am a bibliophile, but I discovered that it is not only keeping a book that makes someone to be successful, but actualizing what one has learned. This is what IIGL makes every
student to do. After gaining what you have leaned, you have to share this with the student’s community through on- line interface. It is by sharing what you have actually gained or imbibed with other students that make you a real student’s of IIGL. This is because real students of IIGL have to read, learn and keep on learning. This is real-world education that is not commonplace in the classroom.

(ii) A Student: Before joining IIGL, it’s been a long time that I came in contact with rigorous academic studies for the past three years when I did my post-graduate in journalism. But IIGL make me to go back to school. The assignments given are not for lazy students. You are given books to read within a specified time and answer the questions on them. The assessment must be certified okay by the Dean of Studies. If you did not do your assignment very well, you have to go over it again until you satisfy the examiner. This is the same as taking courses in the university or college. If you fail a course, you have to retake it again (especially the compulsory ones). But unlike in the IIGL, there are no elective courses, all are required, you have to pass one stage until you move to another stage. The only time you have an option is when you get to stage 3. A little wonder, those taking the IIGL course are referred to as students. One has the opportunity to learn lifelong lessons not taught in the classroom. Robert Kiyosaki, the famous entrepreneur once said, “If you want to be rich, do not go school because financial education is taught there.” Last year, I have a chat with one of the grandaunts of the IIGL and he told me how the course and the certificates he got from the institute gave him an edge over some of the candidates for the job interview. The interviewer was forced to ask him a question about the university he learned those management principles and he said it was at IIGL. To cut the long story short, he got the job. This is just how far IIGL can transform someone both academically and professionally. We are in a knowledge driven economy, it is driven by knowledge and what you can do. If your knowledge tallies with the certificate you carry about, then you get the job. One of the advantages of globalization is that it breaks to barrier to educate; you can have education within the four corners of your room without necessarily going to school to acquire formal education. This is what the IIGL course has done for me. How on earth do I think I can get those motivational books and learn proven success principle without paying a dime? It is more than amazement for me, and becoming a student of IIGL, I have learned quite a lot, and I am proud to being called one.

(ii) A Transformed Person: Before talking the IIGL course, I usually find it difficult to get along with people because I used to be a temperamental person (although I go to church and read motivational books even attend seminars). It was when I started reading books like: “The Law of Attraction”, “Non-Violent communication”, “The Unlimited Power” that my life takes a drastic turn. These books are life-changing. The authors are superhuman; they have the power of God in them to change lives. I remember praying when I got to the last chapter of “Unlimited Power”. The author, Anthony Robbins mentioned in that part of the book that: “This book will never make any change/transformation in your life until you do what is suggested”. I did a quick sober reflection on what I have been reading and I have to make up my mind that I have to change. The book affected my spiritual life that I made another covenant with the Almighty God that I will do what he pleases. Anthony Robin’s book, “UNLIMITED POWER” is a book I will never forget in a hurry because it changed my life. I suddenly realized that we are carrying unlimited power in us. But how could I know if I didn’t go through this course. The books have really transformed my life. I have been more patient with people even learned the heart of forgiveness. It was also in Anthony Robbins’s book that I learn about the infectious virtue of Mother Theresa which is charity. I learnt about forgiveness too. All these are life-changing. The Bible says, “Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue, and your virtue knowledge, and your knowledge temperance, and your temperance patience, and your patience godliness, and your godliness, brotherly kindness and your brotherly kindness charity. For if these things remained in you and abound, they make you that ye should never be barren and unfruitful. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old self. Wherefore brethren giving all diligence to make your calling an election sure. For so shall entrance be ministered unto you into the everlasting grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. ( II Peter 1:5-11) Now, my temperament has changed – I have delayed anger. I am no more as judgmental as I used to be. I am more patient and gentle with people and I can get along with difficult people now.

(iv) A Learning Community: Becoming a student of IIGL has made me to belong to a community of learners. It was Tolstoy that says: “The illiterates of the future are not only those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”. The books give one
access to learn. Learning is a continuous activity in human existence. One will continue to learn until that person dies. “He who has ceased to learn has ceased to live.” I have learnt a lot of things about building values for leadership and becoming a man of influence. Apart from studying on man own to pass the IIGL course, I am able to learn from other students too through the IIGL newsletter that is usually contributed by the student community. IIGL is indeed a learning community. Since I have been a member of IIGL, I have come across many useful websites. And I believe that I will still come across many more in the near future.

(v) Real Leadership Values: About a month ago, an e-mail was sent to me by a friend on the Next CEO. The CEO was about to retire, and was looking for who to succeed him. He called for a meeting of the top management officials and said: “I will be leaving this post, and want to pass the baton to the next CEO”. He then told them what he would do. He gave about five of them a seed and say: “Go and plan this seed, water it everyday and three days or a week after come with your plant and let’s see what you have. The person with the best plant would become the next CEO of the company.” This was on Friday (I guess) and on Monday, they all come back with a pot of plant all blossoming. One of them, Mr. X was ashamed because his own seed wouldn’t just germinate. He told his wife about this, because he didn’t just know what to do. His wife encouraged him to just go and present the seed as he was given without attempting to change it. Now the D-day came, they were all asked to present their seed beds. The others were very happy to present their blossomed plant, but Mr. X was ashamed because it was only soil on a plastic bed and nothing more.

They all come to the front except Mr. X who was staying aloof at the back filled with his own shame and stupidity. The CEO said that there was still someone and the back, and told the audience to make way for him come to the front. He managed to come to the front still terribly ashamed and dumbfounded. He was the only person without a grown plant. The CEO looked at all the plants presented and commented that they were all good. So full of themselves and confident about their own achievement, they all heaved a sign of satisfaction for the commendation except Mr. X.

The CEO then announced to the chagrin of all the seating audience and the contending managers, “When I gave you a seed the other time, it was dead seed. You all have germinated seed except Mr. X. He is the only one who planted the seed I gave him without changing the seed. So with this, Mr. X is the next CEO of the company”. They were filled with surprises and envy.

The values taught are IIGL are real values. Whenever I read the newsletter or the books sent to me, I found out that both the writer (Michael Lightweave) and the authors are down- to -earth. They would always call a spade. The world especially Africa, is in dire need of accountable and upright leaders who have unquestionable integrity. Men who would rather resign their in order to preserve their names than holding up to leadership position and have their hand soiled. We need such leaders in Nigeria as we see wall to wall corruption in our national life and conscience.

In this part of the world, truth is a rear value. Honesty is forgotten virtue. Those who have it dare not be bold to display it, or else, they would look at you as one of the “holy, holy people”.

The world is in dire need for true leaders – upright people. People who would not shift ground, no matter whose ox is gored; people of inestimable character and virtue – people who are down-to-earth. This is what I have found in IIGL and I’m happy that I am part of the generation of people that would engender change in the near future.

Osayi Ujunwa Lynda (Nigeria)

I can best describe my few years as a student of IIGL as my years of radical transformation. It is not only that IIGL studies have greatly shaped my life for better but it has also opened doors of other opportunities for me in life.

I grew up in a culture that does not encourage mothers to teach their daughters about puberty and its challenges. They considered it a taboo to do so. As the Osayi picture. youngest girl in a large family, I found it very hard to cope with the challenges of growing up since I was not used to discussing certain issues that were bothering me with my parents. When I started noticing some changes in my body, it was a serious concern for me. I became withdrawn and unhappy. My parents and siblings seemed not to notice the changes in my behavior because I had always been a quiet girl. I sought for ways to manage myself but I was almost always embarrassed by people’s teases. I could not comfortably relate with my friends in school. In fact, my body image was greatly affected negatively during this period. Those years, I kept more to myself and smiles or laughs occasionally in other not to attract attention.

Fortunately for me, a group of young nurses came to our school to advertise a sanitary pad called “Always Ultra” and they used that opportunity to give us sex education and challenges of puberty. After that day, I learnt all the things that I needed to learn at that time as a teenager and I developed a strong desire to become a nurse so that I will have the opportunity to help other young girls especially those in the rural areas who may possibly pass through the same challenges. But then, I knew I had personality challenges which may prevent me from becoming whatever I had in mind and to live my dream life.

When I gained admission into the University, I sought for ways to get rid of my disturbing behaviors and acquire new skills and personality that will equip me for my dream life. In my first year in Nursing Department, I spent most of my pocket money on browsing the internet and on self discovery seminars organized in our school on weekly basis.

I believe that it was God’s help and my earnest desire for personal development that made me come across IIGL on the internet.

Since I discovered IIGL and started their studies, most of the questions I use to ask myself have been answered. Questions like – will I ever live my dream life?, Is it possible for me to be free from sicknesses?, how can I be relevant in my society?, Is it possible for me to be happy most of the time? And so on.

In the first instance, my perception about myself has changed. One of the first IIGL books I read called As a Man Thinketh by James Allen made me to realize that those undesired characters or behaviors which I had believed are permanent as they had been in me for years can actually be changed if I simply change my attitudes and thoughts towards them. I came to the understanding that I can create the kind of character that I desire. I began to believe in myself and to think better of my life. Today, I can attest to the fact that my self esteem is far better.

The story of Jonathan in the book Jonathan Seagull has been a source of encouragement to me in my personal transformation. I have learnt to practice any skill or behavior that I desire to possess with zeal and courage. I have been greatly rewarded since I got the idea of “Practice… Practice… Practice.” All the discouragement and failures that initially weigh me down, I now see as stepping stones to greater success.

Also, the idea of “Fake it till you make It” has amazingly been of great help to me.
My relational skills which were nothing to write home about, my public speaking skill and communication skill have improved greatly. The ideas I got from the book Non-violent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg, contributed greatly to my relational and communication skills. I can now communicate non-violently to an extent. Making new friends, creating rapport with people and also influencing them have become a lot easier for me.

My leadership skills have also improved tremendously. In our home, I initiated a day in a year that we sit as a family, share our experiences throughout the year, encourage ourselves and pray together. At school, I work with a women empowerment organization as their training program facilitator. In my community, I have organized healthy living awareness programs among women both old and young. Recently, I started an initiative in my community that empowers women to live healthy lifestyles as there is a high incidence of teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS in my L.G.A. It was IIGL studies that empowered me to do all these. Many people who had known me for a long time are amazed at my “new self”; some including my close relatives are still finding it difficult to believe that I could change. I have discovered myself the more. I now see myself doing things that I never believed I could do.

IIGL studies have made me eager to learn more. I now believe strongly in constant and never-ending improvement and that when the student is ready the teacher will appear.
My reading culture has improved. I read more books now than before and I have been greatly helped.

Also, my perception about life generally has changed. I have come to understand that the situation and circumstances surrounding my life are the products of my thoughts. So I determine what happens to me and the circumstances surrounding my life. I use to believe that fate determines what happen to a man and man has no control over the circumstances in his life. He should take and endure whatever comes his way. But the ideas I have gotten from my studies have made me to see that I am the designer of my life. My decisions not the conditions of my life determine my destiny. This awareness that I control whatever happens in my life has made me live my life daily with determination and courage. In my academics, I made the decision to take charge and work hard to make my desired grades and this changed my attitude towards my studies and so, I am producing the result I want. I fall sick rarely because of this same awareness. When things that I don’t desire come my way, this awareness of being in controls makes me resolve them within a short time.

Also, these few years have made me to have a clearer view of what I want in life. I was not very clear about what I wanted in life but now, I have learnt how to set realistic goals both short and long term goals. I actually began to set my goals after reading the book Goal Setting 101. The act of setting goal has helped me to achieve many of my goals and it has also helped me to be a more proactive and organized person.

Anthony Robbins’s book – Giant Steps exposed to me the importance of decision making in personal accomplishment. I now make deliberate decisions on daily basis and this has been helping me to be an achiever.

I have learnt ways in which I can make a good use of my brain to produce the things that I desire. The knowledge of the law of attraction has been helping me to channel my energy on the thing I want rather than on those things that I don’t want.

The idea of daily meditation is something I learnt from the study that I cannot afford to lose. It has helped me greatly both spiritually and otherwise. It has helped to me improve my ability to concentrate or focus. I now have a longer attention span which is helping me in my academic pursuit and other areas too.

Through IIGL studies, I have learnt to succeed in every aspect of my life through the use of ultimate success formula (by Anthony Robbins – Giant Steps):
– Decide what you want.
– Take action
– Notice what’s not working
– Change your approach until you achieve what you want.

More importantly, my desire to live a life of impact in my generation has been strengthened these few years. Anywhere I find myself – among friends, in my class, at home, etc, I try to figure out how to use what I know or have to enrich others.
I wonder the experience I have had this few years that I will share and leave the rest because they are numerous. IIGL studies have indeed opened my eyes to the realities of life, transformed my life and made me a better person. I believe that I am yet to learn many other life transforming things as I move on in the studies.
I will ever remain grateful to IIGL.

(Sierra Leone)

I was born in the Family of low income earning, far away from the capital city of Sierra Leone. My family has lived with poverty from the beginning of the human Klah. race. My family believed that the situation of circumstance that the live in where created by Nature or “GOD.” Religion teaches us to belief in luck and fix destine as the source of all human development. The culture and tradition of my community teaches us to believe that the only way to gain wealth, power, recognition, influence is by using violence against others, even some time sacrificing human being, animals as a mean of ritual. Above was my belief structure before I joined the International Institution for Global Leadership.

I was living completely in darkness, having no idea about my store house or power house that can give me the light in each step I take in my life. Most of my time and energy were spent on the thing that I don’t want/ like. This put me in the situation to believe that my condition and circumstance were created by someone, thing /Nature or God casting blame on others.

To become a truly human person for me means to have the eye to look and see the entire human dimension. I now coordinate my perception, feeling and action to move in the same direction which helps me to have insight into my day today living. My life journey has taken a new turn since I enrolled into IIGL has awaken my myths and unleashing some of the potential in me and make my vocation clearer. Based on the new discoveries about myself with each book I read, I have made a commitment to complete the IIGL training program.

I have always told myself that I was not in control of my destiny until I enrolled in this course. Then, I realized that most of the things that I have become are a result of external influences. Negative or positive the bottom line is that I always thought about how the people I love would react toward my action and opinion then adjust to the appreciated accordingly. On rare occasions I would differ with my loved ones. That would also leave me feeling torn between my decision and my relationships.

It was after reading The Psycho-Cybernetics, Success through Positive Mental Attitude, Goals and Nonviolent Communication that I had a serious discussion with family and friends. We set a goal to build individual capital by saving ten percent of all earning into the capital account. Everyone is responsible for creating their future (financial independence).

What I have learned since the IIGL Introductory books through my Level Two studies?

The power of word we used for communication and the important of communication to human existence. Seventy five percent of human activities are done in communication. Life and death, poverty and prosperity lies in the word you speak to yourself, others and receive from others.

By virtue of thoughts which you choose and encourage, that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the out garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weaver in enlightenment and happiness.

Since word is the foundation to our thoughts, the kind words we used to ourselves or received from other will develop into thought and that thought will result in to feelings either positive or negative.

This particular concept helps me to understand that the circumstance or situation, condition I am in presently, is caused by myself through the words I used or received and encourage to develop into thoughts and feeling which lead me to take the kind action that created my current situation, condition or circumstance.

As a Christian this concept also help me to understand the location of God that I worship and the way to connect to him. The scripture say that my body is the temple of God, and God dwell in my body as a temple, that is to say there is no distance between myself and the God to whom I serve.

Meditation leads me to get inside myself to found the location were GOD or the source of my power lies? From the experience gained through the practice of meditation my store of light and power lies in my consciousness.

Having authority over your word will give you power to do or get whatever you want, now I am completely change man, taking responsibility of my condition and finding the word that can lead me to solution.

I now believe to live my life by my own design, that is to say, what I want or see as success. At work and relationship my behavior has continuously improved. I do celebrate the new person inside of me.

Adedoyin Adedeji (Nigeria)Adedoyin.

How IIGL Studies have Changed Me

Some years back, I began searching for ways to make myself a better person. I knew to be a better person; it would require me to expose myself to additional trainings and learning. So I started to take self development more seriously and also looking out for seminars, meetings and programs that would help me to learn more. It was during this quest that I discovered and became a part of a leadership development club where we met every Friday afternoon to discuss and learn more from each other on what it takes to be a true leader. Two to three months after I joined this club, one of the members introduced us to International Institute of Global Leadership (IIGL). It was quite interesting for me and I still remembered rushing back home that day, powered up my laptop, connected to the internet and started searching for IIGL. That was how my journey to IIGL began.

My IIGL journey so far has been quite wonderful. I have read more than 14 books which I may not have read on my own and also the quality of the choice of books has been fantastic. Reading most of those books back to back made a lot of information available to me and truly broadened by intellectual capacity. The best part of all these is that IIGL offers us all these treasures at absolutely no cost which I must commend the IIGL community for. I am one of those people that will forever be grateful for this unique leadership learning experience that IIGL has given to students like me from across the world.

Of all the books I have read during my study as an IIGL student, my favorite books include Napoleon Hill’s Keys to success, Leadership for Dummies, How to win Friends and Influence People, Goal Settings.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is also another wonderful story I read and it taught me a great deal of lesson on tenacity of purpose; that once you know your goal in life, be tenacious in its pursuit. Some key lessons I have learnt from my IIGL studies and I have held on it included:

1. Success in not a product of luck instead it is a product of define purpose, good planning and some elements of luck. I remember the words of Henry Ford” you can take everything I have today from me, but please leave me with time along and I will recover all.”

2. There will be other generations after ours. Their lot in life will depend largely on the inheritance we leave them. We all must become bridge builders, not only for the present generation but for generations yet unborn.

3. The journey to effective leadership begins with taking the lead. It starts will taking responsibility for positive change in our circle of influence and beyond. Accepting responsibility is not just enough, we have to be willing to embrace and commit ourselves to the success of responsibility before us. We can’t be effective leaders if we are afraid of responsibility and accountability. Being accountable enable followers to trust us that we have what it take to implement our goals and objectives. We have to be bold enough to accept responsibility for both the success and failure of our goals. Taking responsibility for change will always put you in the spotlight for everyone to see both your strengths and more painfully your weaknesses but we have to understand that for us to see that change we desire, we have to lead by taking responsibility for that change.

4. Anyone irrespective of their current situation has to the ability to lead if he/she understand the characteristics of a true leader and can discipline his/her self to develop these characteristics. Being eager to embrace responsibilities is one of the most important natures of a true leader. Great leaders don’t just sit and watch, they step forward to take responsibilities of change. Leaders cannot do it alone, they need a team. To effectively achieve the set goals, leaders need to be cheerful around the team especially in troubled times. This is essential because the cheerful nature of the leader is what inspires the team to go the extra mile to achieve their goals. To get the loyalty of the team, the leader needs to be transparent with his team. This helps the team to see him as trustworthy and honest thus it makes it easy for the leader to get the loyalty of his followers.

5. We can make great friends that will lighten our world if we show genuine interest in people. The dog is man’s best pet. When you within ten feet of it, it will begin to wag his tail, when you stop to pat it, it will almost jump out of its skin to show you how much it likes you. When we have this type of affectation towards ourselves with no strings attached, we will make good friends. ”it is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to other. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.”

6. Purpose in itself is an expression of good thoughts. The greatest obstacle to a purposeful life is not the challenges we face in life, neither is it a function of the people that try to distract us, it is our thoughts. The thoughts of failure and the fear of trying have caused extraordinary men to live ordinary lives. Year is year out, I have seen heroes who continuously live a zero life because of the negative thoughts they have about their purpose. They always feel they are not qualified enough to achieve the extraordinary so they spend the rest of their lives achieving the ordinary.

These lessons have helped me to shape a lot of things about myself and helped me to see myself very much differently compared to how it used to be before starting out as an IIGL student. I have learnt to live a passionate life and also to start with what I have to change things around me. As a web developer, I discovered through my IIGL studies that I have to live more of a transformational life than a transactional life. Therefore in my business a web developer, I chose to also use this skill set of mine to create social enterprise projects online that I feel would help transform people’s lives especially in my country Nigeria. Between the start of my IIGL studies and now, I invested my time and personal resources into developing and managing three online social enterprise projects that have achieved different levels of success and positive feedbacks. The first I started was Get Inspired Nigeria – which was a website we use to share empowerment resources to thousands of Nigerians every week. Get Inspired Nigeria was built to be a empowerment resource portal where people can have access to a large collection of free motivational ebooks and also Free podcasts from some of Nigerian’s leading motivational speakers. The feedbacks from users of the website have been very fulfilling and have motivated us to do more. In our bid to do more, we started another social enterprise project in November 2012 called Prolance Nigeria, a project we set up to help skilled professionals link up with people that need their services. Around mid-September 2013, we launched our third online project called JobMe Nigeria, targeted at helping to deal with one of Nigeria’s biggest problems – Unemployment by making job search in Nigeria much easier.

Our major goal of creating JobMe Nigeria is to create a system that compiles links to latest jobs from as many sources as possible and present them to job seekers in need of jobs. We also help people with small and medium scale businesses to promote their businesses through the social media platforms.

I embarked on these projects because I believe it would empower people and the more empowered people we have in Nigeria, the greater our chances of building a great nation. Someone somewhere somehow has to take the responsibility for change and I strongly believe this is my own way of taking responsibility for changing my beloved country positively. Like the golden words of Gandhi – “Be the change you want to see in this world”. The change I want to see in my country is a country ranked among the world’s most desirable countries where everyone has a chance to explore their dreams and live a good life.

This has been a driving factor for me to invest my time and resources into social enterprise projects. I hope someday, people that have been empowered through some of our projects now and in future would take a stand to change this country for good.

In conclusion, I have learnt a long time ago never to underestimate the effect of one determined man. I strongly believe that IIGL has empowered thousands of people across the world and helped them to change to be a better person. Therefore, through IIGL I believe world changers are emerging that will change things in the global space in years to come. My IIGL studies have changed so much about me and helped me to be a better person, determined to make positive contributions to the make the world a better place. And I have used the skill set God has privileged me to have to make positive contribution to people’s lives and my society. I trust that few years from now, we will see the change we desire come true.

Dennis Korbla Amego Penu (Ghana)

How Have I Changed?

Introduction

The journey through the first two levels of the IIGL program has brought me in contact with various thinking angles and perspectives. The lessons I have learned in this program, I will summarize on a book by book basis. What I will try to do is to highlight the very lessons that have influenced my life since my participation, and that currently shape my thoughts. Therefore these are the lessons learned and the impacts I have had from reading and reflecting from the following books:

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Begin with the end in mind: I have improved in my quest to adopt planning and have foresight in all my activities. In my line of duty as programs coordinator, this phenomenon is always helpful and my work has improved because of this new urge. With so many activities that I am involved with both locally and internationally this has been a very helpful culture.

Seek first to understand; then to be understood: before reading this book, I was of the view that there was the ideal way of solving or dealing with issues. I am prone to use established facts and standards for determining who should be understood. My stance has been that, once there is an established norm and protocol by which an activity should be carried out, I expect that whoever is carrying it our must go by that and nothing else. 2 months ago I begun postgraduate studies in Peace and Development and it has become very important for me to start to accommodate issues from all angles. It has really made me a better student and friend in class.

Generally, the book has molded me into a more sensitive public speaker. I am able to understand the need of persons in my audience in order to be able to address the specific needs of the audience. It has also helped for me to be able to change my style and message of delivery, especially when I am able to better assess my students. My international engagements are also widening because I am getting involved with more social and online activities. So as someone who deals with people from different backgrounds, I think that the most critical aspect is to ensure that all those who communicate with me are understood and this aids them in also working to satisfy my needs and avoiding conflict in agenda.

As A Man Thinketh
All thoughts should be purpose-driven:I have been successful at branching from a purely natural science field to a social science field. If I had not had a strong purpose this wouldn’t have been possible. I read the biomedical sciences and thought that my focus had been disturbed. But my strong ambition to work for development and diplomacy has kept me on track and I still see myself doing the very things that will get me to my desired destination. I have learnt that fear is the bane of success and that “he who conquers fear and doubt has conquered failure”.

In this book I identified three major watch words that would be helpful for me to conceptualize positive thinking: self-control is strength; right thought is mastery and calmness is power. Self-control has not been difficult for me to follow, but sometimes my pessimistic thinking sets barriers for me. I am determined to break through the limitations. The book has motivated me to continue to nurture my ambitions and makes me realise the obligation of taking control of my thoughts if I aim at being a good leader. These lessons have rejuvenated my resolve to develop my potentials and help change my society.

Giants Steps
We can get things accomplished if we change our attitude and go the extra mile

Recently in my postgraduate class, we were required to work in groups, and there are times when because of laxity in the effort of some others, I have had to take great efforts at doing it all alone. Sometimes I am on the verge of letting go. There are times when I have felt that the energy in me to continue was exhausted. But I realized that no one understands the vision better than the vision bearer, so I urged on and we succeeded in a number of the group exercises we had to present. I was the leader of the group and I learned in this book that so at many times, it is the vision bearer who is first to go the extra mile of making the vision known. After this, it is another hurdle to take responsibility to motivate yourself and the team when the going gets tough. This has not really been a huge success for me. Especially in the organization I work with where there is there need for voluntary spirit; where many persons do not necessarily get financial benefit for what they do, it is mostly the zeal and sacrifice they see from the leader or vision bearer that is supposed to sustain them and keep them going.

How To Win Friends And Influence People

After reading this book, interpersonal relations have become a very important process for me. This book makes prominent my role in creating success through interpersonal relations. I think that my meetings with people easily bring out the faults and strengths that I have in my dealings with other people. I find the principle of inspired co-habitation and effective network very useful in the sense that it is likely to enhance my interaction with the people I meet. There have been so many opportunities and obstacles that I have surmounted because of my relationships with others. Here again in this book, I found some new concepts; such as ‘do not criticize or punish’ and ‘avoid arguments’. But I think that exploring these and trying to practice them may help me deduce or devise new or hybrid concepts that will be helpful to my relations with people.

The Law Of Attraction
This book teaches me that I am responsible for what I experience because of what I think. That I need to take hold of the things I think about and how to nurture my ideas to fruition.. The major lesson of taking control of my thoughts to set myself free from my limitations is very paramount. As a personality with pessimistic tendencies, I find this agenda very beneficial if I am able to cultivate positive thinking. I have a big ambition of becoming a health development expert and this requires that I stay positive about what the future holds for me.

Maximum Achievement
Attitude was very much emphasized in this book. For me I evaluate attitude in the context of all the propositions that

Non-Violent Communication
This book is where I learned most of my new lessons in my beginning lessons in this course. In fact, I decided to review this book as one of my assignments for my post-graduate class in conflict resolution. The contents were an interesting discussion topic for the class.

I feel that the principle of non-violent communication could easily have prevented a lot of interpersonal problems we have. Communication becomes very difficult especially because every listener has an experience or culture that is likely to influence their perception of issues and the interpretation of what the speaker is trying to put across. Especially since the book mentions the impact of cultural conditioning on communication between people, I am now very keen to understand the background of the people I interact. The issue of making clear my demands and request have also become crucial for me. I have been trying very hard to maintain the use of requests instead of demands because I now understand that people easily respond to a need expressed in request than in demand. I believe that what will work for me is to as much as possible adopt the request tone of putting across my needs.

When we fear punishment, we focus on consequences and not our own values: When I was a child, I was worried about why some kids seemed immune to punishment and were therefore always getting themselves in trouble. This book gave me a possible explanation. The “fear of corporal punishment obscures children’s’ awareness of the compassion that underlies parental or teachers demands”. I now hold the view that many people in their relationships, in their jobs, in their social interactions are doing things and obeying setting standards because going against them will attract backlash. What this means is that at a time when people no longer fear punishments, impudent actions become the other of the day

What bores the listener bores the speaker too: After this lesson, I am now beginning to order and structure my presentations in class and with my volunteering colleagues by making them more interactive and interesting. In my frequent presentations, I think that this will be able to help shape my presentations to yield the most effective result.

Analysis of others are actually our own expressions of our needs and values: Yes. I have tried very hard not to be judgmental about people and things. I don’t know how much progress I have made with this. But I am sure that it helps me to be at peace with people. It has been difficult though, because there was a recent action by a friend which I found to be selfishness. It has stalled our friendship, but I see a way to mend the relationship.

Psycho-Cybernetics

This book was a little complicated for me. I cannot really point the specific practical steps I have taken from this, but I am of the view that the practical steps I have taken on this are embedded in the ones I have taken in line with the other books in the series.

Real Magic
I particularly liked the books’ explanation that our world is a manifestation of the things people think about. I don’t have to be satisfied with just positive thoughts from me, I must promote it around me. Because, obviously if collective thoughts can make a society, then an individual thought can create a person and their individual environment. I believe this can help me create a crop of volunteers for our organisation that will have a progressive thinking or mind-set. If workers of an organisation have unified progressive mentality, then this is likely to foster a lot of progression for the organisation

New Dynamics of Winning
Network with winners in the field you are pursuing: My ambition to impact health and development is social and to live in isolation is not an option. I need opportunities, I need challenges; and these networks of like-minded people hold the key to this success. Because of my networks established in 2010 in Japan, I had another opportunity to partake in a great and spirited event this year (2013) in the same country

Unlimited Power
Money is not the only way to self-motivation: I have been in voluntary service over the past 8 years and they have been more socially and emotionally rewarding than I would have had if I got paid. One of my personal slogans today is that; it is more rewarding making a name than making money.

Adopting good eating habits:One of the striking statements in this book is: “the surest way to increase the lifespan of an animal was to cut down its food intake.” I have now cut down on my food intake, and it has benefitted me a lot.

Busani Sibindi (Zimbabwe)

How Have I Changed?

Studies in Level One and Two have been a great era of a deeper and more rewarding awareness of myself, my goals, my ambitions, ZIMBABWE-Sibindi. challenges and ultimately my life’s purpose. I particularly enjoyed the key lessons taken from Jonathan Livingston Seagull an introductory book I enjoyed and repeated so much. The most striking lessons in Jonathan Livingstone Seagull was the miracle of un-limitedness and the path to mastery. It gave me a particular interest to look further into the possibilities that lay deep within me, a potential awaiting to be unleashed and to be harvested by myself and those around me. The enrichment was further cemented by the book As a Man Thinketh. These two introductory scripts gave me an insight into what we could achieve once we understand ourselves, who we are and the inner resources we possess.

Other books in the two levels also made me understand a lot about the art of success and the way to go about achieving my goals and ambitions and ultimately what I can do to make the world a better place. Particularly striking where the lessons provided in Psycho-Cybernetics. I was able to understand and use the concept of servo mechanism which have made it easy for me to understand that the conscious, sub conscious and super conscious work to our benefit, if we tap deeper into their resource base. I have also been able to realize that the process is a sequence, beginning with understanding our present world consciously, embedding it into our sub conscious and triggering our super conscious to provide answers and solutions not available in the conscious and sub conscious. I have even in the process tried meditation exercises to learn to be at peace and in touch with my inner self. I have also realized that on days when I am at peace with my core self a lot of things seem to fall into place and yet on days I am not in sync with my inner self a lot of things do not seem to be working.

I have also been able to learn the art of non violence, how to relate to people and problems without necessarily triggering any possibilities of violent forms of resistance which would in turn fuel uncalled for conflicts. It has made it easy for me to understand the important aspect of dealing with problems in a peaceful and amicable manner and at the same time the art to use force when it is the only resort left. I have also learnt been able to relate better with the people I work with in all different kinds of projects, programs and activities.

I have learned that the key and secret to success is heavily premised on one’s ability to master oneself and our inner processes. I have learnt that if you do no go within you go without, this has helped me to gain freedom from external coercion, including cultural expectations, asserting in the process political and economic freedom, and the freedom from general worldly attachments and desires.

Expressly one of my most important lessons I have learned in Level One and Level Two is the fact that the deepest solutions to our problems lies in the ability to understand our core processes, our desires, our hopes and aspirations, our dreams and most importantly our weaknesses and strengths as well as our life purpose or mission. In relation to that I have learned to look at myself from a realistic outlook and evaluate my circumstances holistically to try to be as truthful to myself as possible by accepting whatever conditions as they are and this has given me power to self counsel and gain the needed confidence to deal with these circumstances. Other valuable lessons that I have learned as a result of the Level One and Two studies is art of goal setting, the fact that goals usually make our purpose wholesome, without set down goals and timeliness we more often than not fail to live to our purpose. Goal setting helps us to live with a compass that we progressively follow. Even if we are at times unconscious of it our lives are moved by our certain goals and ambitions and most importantly those goals are embedded in our core selves, in our third dimension realm. By at least knowing our goals we are able to help the creative process to move forward and assist ourselves in overcoming whatever circumstances we face.

I have also learned the art perseverance and patience. In my own assessment I now believe that there is dormant patience which at times does not translate to anything, this is mostly when one waits for something to happen without being involved much in any of the processes of making what they want and desire happen. In the second level there is progressive patience which makes it possible for us to participate in the result process by taking in bite sized chunks of tasks towards meeting our end goal. This kind of patience I have realized is built on the ability to persevere despite the circumstances and to allow the process to take shape and at the same time to add some bit of effort here and there change what works, review what does not and improve on our result points.

One of the most difficult tasks for any person to undertake is to evaluate oneself. More so if the task of self evaluation has an additional drudgery to undertake the hard assignment of self remodeling which in this case is changing one’s own negative and bad characteristics or habits for the better. In my life I have often been quick to evaluate circumstances in relation to my external environment.

I have often seen my life’s problems as a result of external circumstances and environs, outside my scope of understanding and comprehension. It has always been easy for me to look for white elephants and find self justifications as to why my present reality is the way it is. One of the most important things I have noted is that though my environment and circumstances are extremely challenging and difficult but most of the choices I have made myself and they have been mostly outside the influence of the external environment. It has made me realize that we either change our environment or we adapt to the environment and the moment we adapt to the environment then we have already allowed our circumstances to overcome us or rather we would have surrendered. In some instances I have modeled my behavior according to my circumstances and in times when I have adjusted myself to the circumstances I have often been on the receiving end, but every turn I challenge these circumstances I have been able at least understand what can be done or have knowingly changed my behavior for the better in relation to these circumstances. This is an important lesson which I intend to implement in various aspects of my everyday life. My line of work and my vocation is primary human rights activism and development work and I have realized that so many things are wrong in my country and in my community. Thus in the process as a human rights and advocate for development I realize that most of our line of thought is heavily premised on the tendency to complain about our external circumstances. We often fail to express ourselves on what we think is the solution and we often give a shallow answer to that effect. It is most prevalent in my field of work that we do not offer solutions but negative criticisms on other people or ourselves which is very destructive for any progressive work to take place.

But however my work would be more complete if I were to relate to the world what I think should be the solution to the most pressing problems in the world. This realization has created a paradigm shift in the way I tackle and look at my work. In the way I relate and communicate to my community where I desire to see more enhanced lifestyles a more developed and full economy and more improved social conditions.

One of the major transformations that have taken precedence in my life has been the ability to stop, think and evaluate myself realistically, evaluate the circumstances in my life, look at the alternative options available and make the most desirable decision. This has helped me to understand the basic and fundamental fact that the world gives us exactly what we perceive, want and envision for ourselves. I have grown to realize that I am personally also responsible for whatever happens to me and blaming it on anything that has or is happening on external circumstances and the surrounding environ will not help me in anything as circumstances are nothing but circumstances.

As a result of all this my life has taken a certain shift as now I have become more aware of what I wish to achieve and what my present limitations are. How I can change my circumstances overcome my weaknesses and turn them into strengths to make it possible for me to achieve the desired goals and objectives I have set myself to achieve on this earth. I have learnt the art of mastering myself and tapping into my kinetic will power which has drawn more resolve for myself to achieve whatever I set myself to do. I have again learned to accept my dreams as they are and forget about what other people expect of me, this has made me realize that the only way to be happy is to fulfill my own expectations first and then I would be able to assist others.

Self awareness and self confidence is one of the most important things I have managed to introduce in my character. It has assisted me in being in sync with my innermost being. In conclusion I have managed to understand and model myself according to my inner most being. Which I believe I will be able in the next few months or years to use to the greater benefit of the self, the community and the greater good of humanity.

Iziomoh Emmanuel (Nigeria).

How Have I Changed?

In order to know how I have changed, it is pertinent to know how I was and then how I am now. Being the fifth born in a family of six means that I have less responsibility and role in the family, so my activities were mostly with friends, who at every time are everywhere playing soccer, partying, drinking and smoking, gambling or playing lotto, hanging out with girls (I was too shy so I wasn’t really free with girls). I wasn’t a dullard, I had high hopes of studying but opportunities didn’t come even though I passed most of my exams. I diverted my focus to studying abroad when I knew that I could not because my family was not financially capable and I also had no other way but then I was hoping for a miracle to come perhaps from winning lotto, but it never came when I got admission in Germany, Ukraine and Finland. At a point, my life was at a standstill, then my brother introduced me to IIGL but then I was not so interested in reading, frustrated, hopeless, and even victimized by nature. I was in a state of helplessness. My family was the only consolation I had and that kept me going as there was always food to eat and water to drink, so I read IIGL books for the fun of reading and assessed because I was obligated. As events unfold itself, and my physiology develops so was my mind. Fortunately I got admitted to study Sociology in the University, although that was never in my plan but I only danced to the tune of circumstance. Sociology gave me a whole new meaning to life from the academic point of view to reality, understanding and questioning phenomenon, that I became conversant with social events and frown at ill-mannered actions especially when it has an adverse effect on people. At first it was partial concern perhaps via public debate or letter to the editor then it rose to vying for a political position to help curb some abnormalities in my immediate environment which was in the University. During my University days, I had suspended IIGL activities; I didn’t read any book neither was there any assessment from me. In my final year as a student, I visited a prison because I was writing my final thesis on Crime and Punishment, then I observed closely that inmates who were on awaiting trial were more than those convicted, and they have stayed longer than usual, then I realized what a lawless country we are in. I think this is the most annoying moment of my life then I asked myself a question in Hausa language “mai duniya?” which means “what’s life?”

Having being reintegrated as a student of the International Institute for Global leadership means that there were a lot of things I wanted to change within myself, to fully understand where I have been, where I am and where I want to be. I only had inkling about a purposeful life but then I wanted to know my true purpose then the quest began.

The fact that I am not a nihilist who doesn’t believe that I have no purpose made me believe that my life has a meaning and so does the life of everyone. This means that I have to be open to know my purpose in life and who I am. The story of Bruce Lee popped into my head, when a martial artist asked Bruce Lee to teach him everything Bruce knew about martial arts. Bruce held up two cups filled with water and said “the first cup represents all of your knowledge about martial arts and the second cup represents all of my knowledge about martial arts. If you want to fill your cup with my knowledge, you must first empty your cup of knowledge.” I thought then that I have to empty my mind in order to do away with conflict of idea, knowledge or methods. Sociology is a discipline that rose on the basis of criticism so in order for me not to criticize I had to put down my sociological knowledge like pulling off a shirt and wearing another, so I became open to the process.

Upon graduation from the University, I bought the book “ As a Man Thinketh” and I read it again, I equally asked my brother to send me the soft copy of “Jonathan Livinston Seagull” which I also read. Hence I noticed a huge change of energy and drive from the way I reasoned to the way I acted. Malaria pill has the tendency to cure malaria, but of what use is the pill if the sick person does not use it?

From the way I reason; circumstance does not make a man, it reveals him to himself and nothing in life happens by accident. Very long time ago, a girl had beaten one boy, I can’t really remember what he did but I knew he wasn’t at fault then I told her that she shouldn’t have beaten him but because she was far older than me too she wanted to beat me. While she chased me I ran for minutes she didn’t give up chasing me until she fell and fainted, I didn’t know she fainted but what I said was that “God catch you.” She was hospitalized for four days then I realized how serious it was so when she was discharged I went to her house to tell her how sorry I was and when I entered people in the room started murmuring “here he is.” Everything that happened was as a result of our actions which were our choices, to have acted right or wrong but the consequence that came was not our choice. It simply means that every man is an architect of his own fortune or calamity.

At an ICLDNG event, in one of the schools we nurtured, after I have explained to them what they needed to do on the project they identified and how they could raise their funds in order to get the project done. I encouraged them to choose a leader amongst themselves, they unanimously chose one of the male seniors, I was thrilled by their unanimous decision, then I told them that when the funds is collected they should be given to the leader, but then I noticed a change of atmosphere and a change of countenance then I asked what the problem was, one of the students stood up and said that they would give the money to the Head Girl, others nodded their head in affirmative manner except the supposed leader who smiled and shook his head negatively. So I said the male is the leader of the group while the female is the treasurer and they all screamed “yes, yes’ yes.” There and then, I learned that it is my responsibility to inspire the trust of people, I could be trusted for different things and what would make me stand out is my openness- it should be allowed to be guided by a force greater than myself.

I have also learned that whatever I believe and conceive I can achieve. Whether or not my family is financially buoyant or not, I went to the University, studied and graduated with a good grade and that can also be replicated in all areas of my life. All I need is to identify the right people, the right group and the right organization most importantly with an open mind. There is no such thing as failure; it only took me 6years to of trying times before I got admitted into the University, so everything that happened must have happened for a reason and a purpose that is beyond human comprehension. My belief is guiding principle, dictum, faith or passion that will provide meaning and direction in my life.

The most interesting aspect of IIGL studies is that the levels and books I have read enables me to trace back over my life and see how much development has occurred over a time period. Some days ago, I was elated because I had completed my level two assessments but not just because of the books I am also developed both mind and spirit. There progression from one level to another requires a greater amount of energy and determination regardless of the distractions from daily occurrence. Thus, I think as humans, we owe it to ourselves, the benefit to treat everyone equally with love and respect, I was shocked to know that it is in Constitution in India, article 15 (1) that people cannot be treated equally on the basis of sex, religion, race, place of birth and we are in the 21st century. If we are no longer driven by the motive of personal gratification but of lasting fulfillment, and when we do this we can then imagine what an incredible place we are. All this starts from the mind, from within then without.

In the words of Harriet Tubman, “I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”

Ethelbert Umeh (Nigeria).

How Have I Changed?

I have really learnt a lot since becoming a student of this noble institute (IIGL). I have no idea of what my life would have been if I had not come in contact with this school of thought. I am finding it difficult to perfectly analyze all I have learnt, because they are truly voluminous, but I will try my best to mention and explain some of them for the sake of this assessment.

IIGL has lifted me, brought me out of darkness into a wonderful light, giving me the opportunity of seeing the leadership potentials in me more clearly, and in others. I will be happy to serve in some leadership positions, but I don’t have the necessary leadership qualities that will help me in actualizing my dream. IIGL has shown me the way.

As a student, I have benefitted a lot, I feel like am on top of the world, even though I am still at the preliminary level three. I keep wondering where I will be when am in levels four, five, six and seven. I am happy my intellect keeps expanding beyond my imagination. Yes, I can now say that I am living the real life, the life expected of a global leader.

Though I have said few things I learnt in the levels two and three, but I believe this is an opportunity not just to refresh what I have said earlier, but to add more color or value to it. I am deeply happy that I am studying in this institute.

I love this institute also for the free tuition they offer to students across the world, to be honest, if this institute were to be an ordinary academic institution where people pay exorbitantly in order to receive lectures, probably I wouldn’t be here at this time with my current level of income. Unless I pass their scholarship scheme, if any.

I have also checked some of the institutes that offer leadership and entrepreneurship in my country, Nigeria. Surely, I can’t afford to go there, but I am not regretting it, because I am getting more than I should get there from IIGL. IIGL curriculum of studies is by far greater than those institutes. Yes, I have taken time to peruse them.

IIGL has transformed my being, from head to toe. I am also confident that I will still have more to learn as long as I remain a student of this noble institute. Marshall B. Rosenberg has taught me to learn how to be a non-violent communicator. Just like I was taught in the university when I was studying Mass Communication to appreciate non-violent communication. This is one of the most useful books I have set my eyes on since I was born. Anyone who has not read this book is depriving himself a lot.

In the same vein, Michael J. Losier in his “Law of Attraction” maintains that we should learn the science of attracting more of what we want, and less of what we don’t. He spent time analyzing the importance of discovering the powerful force in our lives, which he called the law of attraction, inspiring us to learn how to use it deliberately, and making it work for us. I can now attract things easily, and even make people to love me or be eager to believe in my dreams more than they have done in the past.

The other day I was browsing the internet, and was awe on the amazing reviews / ratings, people have given about this book. I didn’t waste time in recommending it to any one that cares to listen to me, especially upcoming and aspiring young leaders. As a speaker, I have also recommended it to my friends, fans, and audience. Most of them that have bought it kept on thanking me for such kind gesture.

This book has taught me how to communicate with my friends, family, and audience. When I climb the rostrum to talk, people see me differently from the way they perceive other speakers. Currently, some of my friends keep saying that I have changed from the way I view life generally, and I relate. Even my wife has said so several times. It is not as if I had been a bad friend or husband, but that I have become better than I used to be. To me, this is excellent news, and I thanked IIGL for that.

Furthermore, earlier before now, I believe in setting goals, I even preach to people the benefits of setting goals, but I do not know that I am a novice in this field until I come into contact with Gary Ryan Blair’s “Goal Setting 101” this “goals guy” took time in telling its readers the fundamentals of success, how to plan your way to success, executing your way to success, managing your way to success, etc. How I wish I have read this book many years ago, I would have been in a better position to direct people more than I have done, but I am happy I am in IIGL. Now, I can set goals for myself, and even achieve them before deadline.

The book ‘Leadership for Dummies’ is another excellent literary piece. This is a book; I have read more than ten times- the author took time in explaining the leadership concepts, styles, and skills with many practical examples, telling us people that have succeeded in this game of leadership, narrating to us how they started, the challenges they met on the way, how most of them failed, learned from their failures and moved on, the risks they underwent before reaching their final destination of excellence.

I am always inspired whenever I read such stories, it gives me the courage to keep on moving on, no matter the present circumstances or problems am facing on the way now. All these people are human like me, I was even privileged than many of them, I have more qualities than many of them, and if they succeeded, there is no reason I shouldn’t be a success.

In fact all the books I have read so far have impacted my life differently. I can’t detail all I have learnt here, because I have already done that in my previous assessments. The first two books that marveled me where the introductory books “As A Man Thinketh” and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” each of these books shaped my thinking.

I am a trained philosopher, and journalist, and well-groomed online freelance writer. I believe with my experience and association with people, I intend to think differently, but the principles in these books have enhanced my thinking. My overall ideas about life and events have changed drastically, and it has made me to be a better philosopher, journalist, speaker, and writer.

As an online writer / content developer, many people keep congratulating me, writing on my profile how amazed they were to have hired me. I am simply happy because the ideas I got from IIGL is working and paying me. What else can I say to the director and mentors of the institute than keep on raising the bar of excellence.

Finally, let me quickly comment on Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’ s book “Real Magic” when I first saw the book, I was uncomfortable with the caption because I don’t believe in magic, it is against my philosophical beliefs but on the other hand, I believe in miracles- I am a consummate Christian.

I picked up the book to satisfy my curiosity, and I enjoyed every bit of it. It was great, and spoke directly to my heart and soul. The book is spiritually uplifting; I now know the main difference between my soul, mind, and body. The author was such a great man, and spiritual hero.

I believe I have articulated some points on what I have learned. Let me stop here, and share the remaining experiences with others. The Level One and Two books were great and they will remain indelible in my heart and soul as long as memory last. I am ever willing to share everything I have learnt from IIGL to all that come around me especially aspiring young leaders. Youths deserve to be empowered so as to be visionary, and to make towering exploits in this existential terrain called life.

Learning never ends. Knowledge is power says a Francis Bacon, a philosopher of the modern renaissance. I will keep reading the books presented by IIGL, and doing the assessments. There is one thing I love about the assessments; it is a comprehensive analysis of everything in the book. To the contributors, director, mentors and students, I express my deep sentiments of gratitude for inspiring my life in an amazing way. I am indeed happy.

Happiness says some philosophers remain the ultimate goal of man, anything you are doing, and you are not happy in it should be abhorred. But anything that brings about happiness should be encouraged. I am happy that I am finding fulfillment in IIGL. If I am given the opportunity to serve the society in future, I will apply all the wonderful principles I have learnt here, but before then, I will be putting all I have learnt in any way I am called upon to serve today. Long live IIGL!

Aishatu Ibrahim (Nigeria)

amehlive@gmail.com

What Have You Learned? How Have You Changed?

It is with great pleasure I write my first Level Three assignment. I have learned a whole lot, I have changed for the better in so many ways as explained below. I have been able to list few of the points and each explanation that follows show how much I have really changed. Thank You IIGL!

Understanding the significance of my words: I realized that man cannot do without words. Even while asleep, we use words, we see, write, think and use them even in our head. I learnt from this book that some of the words we use might have different vibes at the time of usage. Our words affect our thoughts and hence our feeling. I learnt to use the best words, ascribing these beautiful to good experience. I learned of the words that are causing me to attract what I do not want in my life. These include the Don’t, I’m not, etc. using these words only bring the things I try to avoid. My words have changed, so have my vibes (from partial negative to fully positive). I am not giving my attention to any negative things but to all positive things I want.

Three step formula for deliberate attraction: these include identifying my desire, giving my desire attention and allowing my desire come into reality. Identifying my desire involve thinking and writing down all the things I want, giving each and every one of them attention and allowing them to come to reality.

Being a commander rather than a leader: Being a commander rather a leader is never an acceptable way to lead. It is almost never effective substitute for leading. Apart from guidance which a leader provides, people also expect motivation. It is not possible to be a dictator and a motivator at the same time. A leader should motivate his or her people rather than give room for insubordination. It is clear to me that commanding is not the same thing as leading. This is not suited in a democratic society. I have learned to work on my cooperation and communication skills rather than on my commanding voice and presence. Am also working on my ability to get people to say Yes willingly and joyfully to what I want them to do. I am learning how to be patient and explain things in simple, clear, persuasive manner, presenting the benefits of cooperation.

Listening: Listening is a very skill in the life of every good leader. I am patient enough to listen to what people tell me. I don not talk I listen at the same time –it is very wrong-. Developing one’s listening skill is a key to good leadership. People need to be hear and it gladdens their heart when they know you listen .This means getting to know what the people are saying. It is important to listen to people especially those you are in charge of. I listened patiently to my students and I was able to know their needs and areas they needed more clarification. I took my time to ask them question and gave them room to also ask me. I took time listen to them. They know they could always come to me with question aside computer studies and I would give a listening ear and a help hand.

(Nigeria)

What I Have Learned?

I have learned enormously at my study on Global Leadership, at the International Institute For Global Leadership (IIGL). Whereby, students are empowered and developed to first discover the true identity of who they are.

Sequel to the information and the lessons that I’ve received through the life changing, educational opportunity presented by the IIGL founders. Though, the program is known as a tuition free, internet-based education program. But I regard it as been given a scholarship offer in order to become a degree (BSc) holder in an International University, located at Asheville, in USA.

I have learned how to attain perfection and freedom, through the study of the book “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.” In the study which I’ve been educated on living beyond one’s limit and the limit set for the human race, and thus locating a new level of performance and excellence which positive thinking and right usage of the human mind can make possible. Knowing that, when one can believe with strong conviction that he can become or achieve something. The door to that experience opens automatically; this experience is known as what will reveal one’s real-self to him, which is also known as “Know Thyself” IIGL slogan.

By reading, “As a Man Thinketh,” I was made to realize that every human being is actually a product of their thought(s). And as a result of this lesson and information, I’ve given more attention to my thought-pattern than ever before now. Human beings are designed by the thoughts he or she harbors in his or her heart, because the human faculty has higher tendencies to get inclined towards the direction of his thought, while his or her life-experiences will follow suit.

“Giant Steps”. I have learned and inculcated the habit of ‘taking action’ towards my aims and objectives in life, and also towards my goals. Being empowered and energized to often take consistent, little by little steps or small actions towards the actualization of my intended result. Before time, little did I know that I’m responsible for becoming successful or for becoming a failure in one area of my life or another.

“Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude” have exposed me to a life changing principles in a practical way, both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world; first, for myself, then for the people within my sphere of contact. I have really changed from being negative-centered in my thoughts pattern, to being positively oriented and programmed, through consciously conceiving a definite desire and changing my situations for the better. I have really experienced a mind programming for success (the good-life), as a result of the lessons gotten from the book.

“Real Magic” is a life-changing book, wherein I have learned greatly and still presently making use of a realm of my human existence that is supernatural in nature.

A book titled, “Keys to Success” is one of my study materials for level one; which presented a tool that helped in my mental reaction. This comes to me with the discovery that, I can control my habit and my reaction through my mental conditioning.

“Psycho Cybernetics 2000” is a study material that presented me with a vivid knowledge on how the human mind functions. These two works in harmony, and they can effect changes and commune with power of God (Supernatural).

“The New Dynamics of Winning,” is a study material that points at the secret of getting success out of life which is in Never Giving Up.

“How To Win Friends And Influence People,” has really helped me to learn more on developing a good human relationship with the people around me.

“The Law Of Attraction,” is a given study material that reveals the big power of connection in between, energy, thoughts and the world of matter around us (human). This shows the power of words; our confession.

“Goal Setting 101” is a study material that has inculcated in me the ability and habit of setting goals towards my expectations in every areas of life. And as a result, I am attaining success on a daily basis.

“Nonviolent Communication” is a good character based study material, in which I’ve learned what I see as factors that are helping me to improve in my communication manner.

“Leadership For Dummies” is a book that gives adequate lesson on people’s centered and oriented skills that’s critical in almost every situation in which two or more people come together in pursuit of a common goal.

“Unlimited Power”, gives proved information on human possessed ability to create and maintain their desired state of life, by the means of Communication.

“Goals!” is a vivid tool in achieving success in every areas of life, with a desired specified period of time.

“The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People” is a study material that stretches points on becoming an effective human beings in good habit, which habit makes us to be considerate in our interaction and disposition towards our fellow human beings.

Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria).

Paulyoung4real@yahoo.com

What I Have Learned?

My joining IIGL in 2011 was one of the best things that have happened in my life since I was born. It seemed like a coincidence, but I believe it is as stated in Real Magic (When the student is ready, the teacher will appear). Before joining IIGL, I was actually hungry for wisdom. The day I read an email of being accepted as a full student of IIGL was my most exciting day in life, I screamed on the bus where I was and some of my friends were shocked, as they did not understood how I was really feeling.

Then my lessons started, it was a series of eye opening, of self-awareness and realization. Almost from every one of the books I read in level one and two has its unique lesson for me. The lessons started from the period I was reading “As a Man Thinketh,” one of the introductory books. This book made me change my thinking pattern. First it made me stop the habit of casting blames on people, since I was meant to understand that my life was as a result of my own thoughts; meaning I was responsible for my life. Somehow I notice a change in my thinking pattern, and then I made it a duty of having others around me read this book. I remembered making about 7 copies and giving them to interested readers at no cost.

Then I stumbled into another lesson from the book I enjoyed most in life. Jonathan Livingston Seagull and this lesson told me that there are no limit to what I can do; and that where I come from does not really matter, as to where and what I want to be in life. So often times when I put into consideration where I come from, upon some little challenges; quitting use to be an option, after all none in my area have gone this far before; but after reading this story of Seagull, I now know that I can reach the stars, if only I want to do so, and from then, the temptation of quitting was dealt with, even when I encounter a major challenge with my studies, I had already made up my mind that I must get the my University Certificate, no matter what happens.

Now, based on where I come from, I had a very poor self-esteem, I suffered from inferiority complex so much when I was in year one and two in the University that I had so few friends; of my type, people I fell we are of the same level. I avoided some company and some groups just because I thought I was not qualified to be among such people.

But in spite of the fact that I was looking down myself because I come from such humble background, some of these fellows I was scared of, were respecting me. Somehow, I made some friends; one of such is the guy who introduced me to IIGL.

Then I stumbled into Psycho-Cybernetics. This was the book that revealed myself to me, letting me to know why I was doing the things I was doing, and the way I was doing them. Psycho-Cybernetics really raised my self-esteem, made me realize who I was and from then, my boldness improved so drastically, but by then, I have suffered some fatal failures and pains as a result of fear of failure. I was, and I am happy about the self-realization I received.

Hakizimana Aloys (Rwanda)

What I have learned

The first experiences with IIGL were very tricky. Due to a poor knowledge in English, I met many difficulties in reading the two first books. However, after reading and commenting on the two books, I started feeling some changes in my mind. As says an adage read from the “Goal Mapping” written by Brian Mayne quoting Oliver Wendell Holmes, “A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimension”. I was very excited to continue but I had a war to win first. The first battle was against the fact of thinking that I was not able to read and draft good assignments in English. But the answer to the problem was found in James Allen’s book “As a Man Thinketh.” I consider the author as the first one to have changed the way I was facing difficulties in my life. After reading that book I understood well what Mahatma Gandhi wanted to say when he pronounced this sentence: “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.” All the content of the book was very interesting, but some ideas impressed me more than others. I understood, as said by the author how “Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace” and that “A gate leads to a path, and the path leads to some particular destination; so a beginning leads to results, and results lead to a completion” as said by James Allen.

The second challenge was to remove negative beliefs out of my mind. The solution to this problem closely linked to the first one, was given by Richard Bach in his book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” Despite the beliefs well rooted in the community of seagulls about the “cant’s” and discouragements from the members of the family met by Jonathan Seagull, he overcame many difficulties and achieved goals ever imagined in the life of a seagull. The lessons learnt from the book helped me to believe that my French-speaking background was not a barrier to learn English and study in it.

IIGL studies helped me to shape the lifestyle I wanted for the future. The most important achievement was the decision to become who I wanted to be self-employed. The IIGL studies were helpful in the management of the liberal profession as an advocate I was engaged in. This carrier obliges me to interact with clients, judges and “learned brothers” (a term used to designate the members of the Bar Association) and IIGL lessons are needed more than ever.

When I started my studies in IIGL, I was working as a legal advisor in a bank. From that time, testimonies read from different books sent by the IIGL shaped my dream of becoming my self-employer. Those studies helped me a lot to take the decision. First of all, what was required was the burning desire to become an advocate. With Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success I learned the seventeen principles of personal achievement. This book begins with a very interesting saying from W. Clement Stone “What a mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill enumerates and explains the benefit of a purpose and a plan when someone aims at achieving a goal. Another principle I was also interested in is the positive mental attitude I lacked more in the past. These two principles coupled with the 15 remaining ones helped me a lot to start thinking to open my own business, to maintain a sound health, to name but a few. One of the most important domains I was failing was the attitude towards the goal I was intending to achieve. Fortunately one of the books, “Positive Mental Attitude” written by W. Clement Stone was specifically orientated to the way a person should develop a positive attitude despite the obstacles on your road toward success.

After reading the book “The Power of Intention” my decision became irreversible. I remember one part of Rumi’s poem where he says: “If you are born with wings, you are not meant for crawling, so don’t”. Since that time, I decided to resign from my job with the view to open my law firm. I continue running the business and it is well functioning so far.

Success through a Positive Mental Attitude helped me not only to start my business, but also in preparing submissions when introducing a case to the court and presenting a defense for clients. The positive mental attitude is mostly needed when pleading before the judge. The Rwandan civil procedure is oral and written. In addition to written submissions, it is necessary to defend the client orally. To succeed in my pleadings, I used also the lessons taught from James Allen where he states that the result of any human being’s activity is the blossom of his/her thoughts.

As it has been said by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer in his book “Real Magic: Creating Miracles,” all persons with a positive mind have the capacity to make miracles. He tells us that we have not only to watch others making miracles, because we can do it ourselves. The only condition is to believe that it is possible. As it is written in the Bible, “all things are possible to him who believes”. I did not only perform well in learning IIGL studies and pleading in court, but I performed well also in preparing and lecturing law courses in a local university where I am lecturing. I got also very good results in Master’s studies followed in English. All these achievements became possible due the belief of possibility to achieve them. As I said above, when Rwanda shifted from French to English, many French-speaking persons gave up and said they could never attain a good level in English. I did not share the same opinion and tried to study by myself the elementary English but I did not believe I could ever teach in English or could get a high level degree in that language. It is only due to fruitful lessons from IIGL that I started to believe that I can “displace mountains” and find a way toward my goal. These lessons helped me to facing any difficulty without despair.

Despite my determination to continue reading and drafting assignments, I still recognize that nothing should have been well achieved without Michael Lightweaver’s encouragements. I understood the role played by the former IIGL Director when I read the “Pygmalion effect” in the Giant Steps written by Anthony Robbins. I can affirm that I could perform better because I felt I was expected to do so. After reading my assignments, Michael used to send me a word informing me the improvements I was doing in English. I did not want to deceive him in the future. My mentor Judith Royer participated also a lot to boost me and to give me many other lessons about how keeping a good life.

People do not believe I will attain the age of sixty in two years. Another thing for keeping my sound health is the variety of food which includes the vegetables and fruits. I read and I keep reading very often the book “Unlimited power” written by Anthony Robbins, mostly its chapter X titled “Energy: The Fuel of Excellence.” This chapter operated a total revolution in the theories of eating I have always taken as maxims.

I could have extended my testimonies, but it is also necessary to put an end to any work. After reading the Level One and Two studies, it would be ungrateful to put an end to this work without thanking whole-heartedly the Management of the International Institute for Global Leadership and all students. I will never forget efforts made by the institute to send me all the books for free. I invite all people who want to change the face of this world to subscribe for the IIGL studies.

Ola Makinde (Nigeria)

My Voyage to a Wonder Maker

I have been a knowledge-tourist for years, but the few months I have
invested in the studies of International Institute for Global Leadership
dwarfs those years. The sets of books for Level One and Two are what every
human living should make their study pack. IIGL brings the wonders of the
world (in print) to students, thereby turning the students into
wonders to themselves and to the world. I am a living testimony to that
wonder!

All of the study books gave an everlasting impression on me. Here are is how the IIGL books have contributed to a new me.

Life is best defined by Contribution, not Consumption: This idea is what I derived from Jonathan Seagull. When I was reading the book, I felt like stopping all the activities of people I saw on the streets in exchange for the book, for them to study. I almost dropped
tears from my eyes while reading the book. My thoughts have now been channeled to
those things I can learn that will bring a change to my world and that can
also be learned and adopted by others, leading to their own positive change
of stories.

The Power of Silence: This is an idea in “Leadership for Dummies.” Silence is described as a weapon that, if harnessed effectively can be productive. I’m now convinced
that when silence is well utilized, it can bring about a loud victory.
Earlier before I came across this idea, I always have something to say when
I engage someone on a particular issue, which I would bombard the person
with either facts or fantasy just to keep me on top of the speaking spree (I
knew I would always have something to say, since I don’t talk much about
what I do not have plenty of knowledge about).

The Light of Enlightenment: The book Real Magic ranks top-three of the books I read. . The idea about enlightenment gotten there-in has become a lifetime encounter. My
premonition idea on enlightenment is about the knowledge I have in a
particular scheme of study or work. The new meaning of enlightenment as “no
judgment, no anger or bitterness, no hostility or remorse.” This idea consolidates my mantra, which is, “I will never be embittered for a personal gain or favor that people deny me.”

My Rights and Responsibilities: It was in Goal Setting 101 that I understood this idea very well. I have learned in clear terms that our rights are the platforms the
world cannot hide from us, which thereby lead to our progress and
development. Whereas, our responsibilities are the platforms we must provide
the world to benefit by it. My greatest aspiration is to be a contributor to my
society with resources that speaks of excellence on the streets and in the
homes of those around me (and perhaps beyond). My “right to be successful,
happy and prosperous” will also necessitate transferring such to those
around me. And this is the strong reason I decided to run a local NGO where
all that I came across could be shared with others.

Non-Violent Communication: With my clear aspirations, I always look to aim higher at the completion of a particular goal. Without even taking cognizance of
appreciating what has been achieved. I have learned that even when our
aspirations are not in present actualization, showing appreciation for what
contributes to our wellness is important. Since no aspiration can survive
can survive where there is no well-being. And no matter how wanting our
ambition is, there is always a need has already been fulfilled. It is clear
that our today’s achievement happened to be our yesterday’s dreams. Hence,
there is a reason to show appreciation.

To be bounded by Principles: From Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I have learned that a principled life is an effective one. Before I came across this idea,
I always thought a principled person is just a strict one. The definition I
derived from this book which emphasize truth is a new one. There have been
ideas that I have wrongly taken-up as principles. For instance, I used to
hold that I cannot give money to someone I once lend money to but defaulted
in paying up. This new definition about principles that is now beauty
inclusive will not accommodate my earlier definition, all because it lacks
the beauty of generosity. If prosperity is truly my concern, then I should
not be bothered about giving out money, so long I have plenty to share from.
That a borrower pays back should be the last thing that should bother me.

From Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I have learned that a principled life is an effective one. Before I came across this idea, I always thought a principled person is just a strict one. The definition I derived from this book which emphasize truth is a new one. There have been ideas that I have wrongly taken-up as principles. For instance, I used to hold that I cannot give money to someone I once lend money to but defaulted in paying up. This new definition about principles that is now beauty inclusive will not accommodate my earlier definition, all because it lacks the beauty of generosity. If prosperity is truly my concern, then I should not be bothered about giving out money, so long I have plenty to share from. That a borrower pays back should be the last thing that should bother me. My principle of giving now knows no face, be it to the borrower of first timer or nth timer

My exposure to IIGL equals a lifetime encounter, and I would continue to
preach to people to be part of this great idea, especially for those that
are seeking for the way to a life of purpose. My experience as a student of
IIGL is synonymous to a voyage that leads to a wonder maker.

Okpe Emmaunuel (Nigeria)

Emmaokpe2003@yahoo.co.uk

How IIGL Changed my Life

The impact of this leadership training program in my life has been tremendous. Since the start of the program, I can pin point some visible changes in my life. I can only share a fraction of the impact of the books here. These range from my perception about progress, promotion and prosperity, my belief system, health, family, and interpersonal relationships.

One of the introductory books, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach Kick started the transformation work in my life. The starting point to any good success is self discovery. This book helps me discover the short comings in my life and also enables me to take steps in addressing them. The book opened a fresh chapter in my quest to soar to the peak of my career. I wish I had read that book and most other ones in this series just after my secondary education. Seagull, a sea creature limited, constrained and impaired by nature wave all the inhibition away and fly to the unimaginable height and conquered that natural set back. This book opened my thinking and reasoning faculties again to make me belief that no goal is impossible to achieve in life irrespective of background. To be very candid, I have tried my hands on some task I have thought impossible since I read this book. The book made me to be consistent, persistent and importunate in whatever I lay my hands on until I gain the desire results. It completely changed my world view and helps me to leap to height beyond me without fear.

Through Napoleon Hill’s Success through Positive Mental Attitude, I understand that anything my mind can conceive, I can achieve. Due to delay in achieving some set goals, I was almost coming to the conclusion that progress, promotion and prosperity can only be attained through diabolical means. I had thought that until one belong to one cult group or some evil society; he cannot make appreciable progress in life. After reading this book, it is made clear to me that I can get to the top echelon of my career if only my mental attitude is change. I become more positive about life now than when I had not read this book. Through this positive mental attitude I imbibed after reading the book, I now understand that mind set, hard work and proper planning play a very pivotal role in attaining progress in life. Since my PMA changed, I have not only find satisfaction in the little job I am managing but have been able to stabilize my income through the OPM.

The is a common adage in my place that if you want to list animals that have good tamest you will end up listing all animals. That is exactly what will happen if I want to name the books that affected my life positively in this program,. Another of Napoleon Hill book, Key to success where he listed the 17 principles of personal achievement is a classic to me. Hill’s argued that there is no scarcity of opportunity. There is only a shortage of imagination. After reading this and some other thought in his work, I came to the realization that the heart of success in my life cannot be blamed on any invisible forces or anyone but my self. He said our most precious natural resources is not our mineral deposit or our beautiful forest. It is the mental attitude of the people of every generation who have mixed experience with education to deliver goods and services to improve the lives of citizens. I had to digest this statement and wake myself out of my slumber. Since then I become more definite in my action and have learn better how to work with other team to achieve a set objective. In essence I am now more positive about life than when I had not read this book.

Most of the books emphasized the need for proper planning and goal setting. This is one problematic areas in my life. I may have plans and goals but they are hardly written down before now. The implication of this is that before three to six months I may have forgotten about them. My plans since they are not written down are scarcely followed up to the latter before I started this program. After having read how essential it is to write my plan and goals down and how to follow up on them, I have been able to write down some specific plans and goals which I have meticulously followed up. Fir instance, I have set goal to publish three articles in both local and international journals quarterly. True to my dream, I have been able to publish four and attended one international conference where I also presented a paper and chair a session. All these are immediate goals which I hope will mature into my ultimate goal.

My communication skills have improved so much since I started this program. I now understand through nonviolent communication the important role communication plays in human relation. I was amazed at the effect of the book in my communication. I now understand how human feelings and how to empathized. I also observe without evaluating having known the effect of this on communication. I give from my heart unlike before where I give hoping to be noticed and applauded.

The understanding that whatever one belief he can achieve have transformed my life such that I am not just practicing it but teaching it in the church where I worship. Things I thought were practically impossible before now have been made possible after I applied the lessons I learned from this program. Many of the youths I lead today in the church have been coming to appreciate the impact I have had in the academic and spiritual lives.

One thing I have learned from the books in this program that is working for me and my organization is the strategies to win people. The Non-governmental Organization where I work have been having challenges in the area of partnership and collaboration in their program. Since I step in the founder has been very pleased with my effort at winning partners to the organization. Currently, we are collaborating with an Indian NGO and a host of other local NOGs all these were made possible through my efforts. This could not have been possible if not for the application of the knowledge I gained from this programme. The book-How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie play a significant role in achieving all these. I remember Carnigie said “A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” Base on that no matter what our client say or do, I must have to smile at him and this has been a mystery to my madam and the people I come in contact with. I recall a particular incident where my Madam had a meeting with a Chief Executive of a local NGO in my absence and some agreement was reached that would have been detrimental to our organization. The next time I attended the meeting the CEO and her staff where very bitter that I came because all they thought have been said in their favor was turned around. My listening skill is sharpened such that I listen more keenly to people’s complaints than before I started this program.

In all honesty, I found my self assuming Leadership roles naturally since the commencement of the program. A friend invited me to his graduation from a local leadership training program here in Nigeria. During the exercise the participants were divided into groups and before I knew what was happening my group members unanimously nominated me as the group leader. One thing I can attribute this to this display of the skills garnered from this program. I understand through this program that leaders are never so big that they can’t bend down to help someone else. They are never so wise that they won’t remember who taught them. They are never too gifted that they don’t share their skills with others. They are never so fearless that they don’t play by the rules and live by the law. These have been my guiding principles in my relationship with people wherever I assume position of leadership. I have practice this and it works for me.

One thing I cannot forget easily is the influence of this program on my friends through me. After reading some of the books and felt the impact in my life, especially on my health, I met a friend who had high BP. I introduced him to one of the books Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins and he immediately requested for a copy. Since I started reading this book, I have not taken medication in whatever form it comes. I enjoyed sound health, smooth family relation and cordial relationship with friends and associates. I am now very independent minded, responsible and ready to assume position of leadership than before. I feel more challenged, motivated and ready to take on any task that comes my way now.

As I said in the introductory part, this is just an infinitesimal impact of the program in my life. Inshore, what I feel within me is beyond comprehension and I lack the know how to pen it down. I have started introducing friends to the program already.

Ocheja Linus Lawrence (Nigeria)

Ochejalinus@gmail.com

What have you Learned?

“There is no such place as heaven. Heaven is not a place and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect.” To fly as far as thought, to anywhere that is you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived.. You’ve got to understand that a seagull is an unlimited idea of freedom an image of the Great gull, and your whole body from wing tip to wing tip, is nothing more than your thought itself.” (Jonathan Livingston Seagull).

The book by Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the first book I read in 2012 when I first started studying with IIGL. The moment I read that book the fountain of impossibility was open for me. From that day forth I knew there were no limits. It sank into me that I can do, be and have just anything I want without limitations. This new thought produced in me a surge of power that helped me in lifting my life from the dunghill of fear, mediocrity, low self-esteem and poor health into a life full of health, a sound mind, faith and a quest for more.

Virtually every area of my life was given a face lift the moment I started IIGL. I have met with the best tutors the world has had, I have learnt from their sayings and I have practiced their exercises and I have equally found in the page s of their books truths that has shaped my life to what it is now. Virtually every area of my life has changed. Just recently I was involved in a conversation with a high school mate of mine and shortly after she exclaimed, “you have change over time, everything about you.” I did not notice when it happened but after I thought about what she said for some minutes and I agree with her there I have really have changed. The gap between me and my past is so big that it surprises me; seeing what a difference 3 years can make. Just read on what IIGL has wrought and see.

Beliefs: I came to know and understand that the entire life of a man is governed by beliefs, what he holds as true and that actually defines his reality. As a child who grew up in a regular Nigeria Army cantonment there was this general belief that pervades our atmosphere and it was that we can never live to be productive compare to those in the senior officers’ quarter. We were made believe that we could not ever be better like the Nazareth of Jesus it was said that nothing good can ever cone out of it. However when I started reading IIGL books all these self-limiting beliefs changed. I now know that people are not the product of that poor word ‘environment’ that in every man there is that deathless soul that can hew it way to any goal. To crown it all up, I knew that there is no deity that takes pleasure in the failure of man and that when the spirit in a man rises the gods of the earth are always ready to obey. The most fascinating aspect of it all is that with the knowledge from the books I read, l now believe in all that is good and that all things work together for my good.

Ideas: Great minds they say discuss ideas. One area of my life that has changed is my idea about life. Knowing that there is always a way, that every problem has a solution so I resort to not analyzing problems to looking for solutions. I now always look for a better way to get things done. I now take an absolute control of my world as I govern it with my ideas. Step by step through conscious effort I have stopped discussing problems I only prefer solutions to then, and gradually I am taking my rank among the great sharing the spoils. The only people I respect a lot are those teachers who have discovered better ways of doing things and have found a way to share these ideas with others. All the books I have read have inspired me to take my life to where I am and I am eternally grateful.

Communication: Before I joined IIGL it usually used to be a challenge for me addressing people, meeting people and winning friends. I read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and that was it, I now know how to speaker fluently and meaningfully. I just can speak on any platform when called upon. With the friend making skills I just know what to do to win just anyone to my side. I equally know that there is a non-violent way of communication and with that I can empathize. With people the more and help them.

Relationships: Since I began studies with IIGL there has been a remarkable improvement in my relationship with both God and men. I now understand that life is not all about what you receive but give. I have also learnt how to love passionately. My impact in my family is now being felt like never before. With all manner of certainty I just know who to stick with and what to focus on at every point in time.

Health: Before I joined IIGL my health was a mess. I fell sick easily and resort to taking pills. Since I joined IIGL I have learned some principles that has kept me living a healthy life I know exactly what to do to look younger than my age and I look it. I am glad to share this testimony; by God’s grace coupled with the health principles I have learnt so far I have not been sick for four years now. Knew again that it is not all about what you eat but why and when you eat what.

Travels: Before now I have never thought I would make it to visit major cities in Nigeria, I had always lived within the bounds of my limited resources and so I never dare to think that I can travel as I ought to. When i joined IIGL I started applying the power of my mind in visualizing where I want to be and as I did time unfolded these locations as important event took me there and I’m just getting ready to go beyond.

Spiritual Life: I am a Christian with a desire to know God the more. The books I read have offered me motivations and things I must do to know God the more. St. Pio once said that In study of Scripture you know about God but in meditation you find him. Books from IIGL have exposed me to meditation and has helped me to use it as a daily practice. Meeting Masters like Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey and James Allen my spiritual life has really been enhanced by their teachings. If I have a need I know what to do, I just ask and God brings it my way to the glory of his name.

Managing Hard Times: To broaden our understanding and knowledge it is important that hardship forms part of our experience. Life is never a bed of roses we all have our drought and hard times. I learnt how to manage hard times when I realized that it is all part of the experience that will bring me to my destiny. So when it all becomes tough and the paths rough I just stay calm and learn the knowledge that comes with the experience.

Leadership and Human Capacity Development: I did not just read books and keep them. I apply the principles they contain. By charisma I am a born leader and where ever I go I find myself leading a group of people. The books I read in IIGL exposed me to some truths about leadership that really helped me in taking responsibility. I now lead people and also teach people how to lead. With the help I got from books and tapes since I join the institute I now serve my generation as guest speaker in various leadership and human capacity development seminar and workshops.

Contribution to Life: IIGL taught me that only one life that soon shall past and only what is done with love will last. From Anthony Robbins I equally learned the act of giving without expectations. That singular virtue has brought my life to a state of blessedness. I won’t parade my act of charity here but some how in some way I am contributing my own quota to making life worth living for others.

Time Management: We all have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. Our results depend on just two factors: an understanding of ourselves and the application of time management techniques in all we find ourselves doing. With the aid of time management skills which teachers and authors in IIGL taught me, I live a result oriented life. I just design how it will all go, I discipline myself to stick to time and this has enhanced my life a lot. I now attend events at least 30 minutes before it commence. It just pays to be there right on time.

Let me use this medium to say thank you to all my friends especially Paul Young who introduced IIGL to me. A big thank you equally goes to my country director Felix Iziomoh who knows my frame and yet stood patiently to watch me grow. I will remain perpetually grateful to the entire staff and management of IIGL as you have been the masters working to see me excel. It has actually been a life changing task you have embarked on, may you all find in life love, joy and happiness.

Dakou Kofi Agbesi ( dkfmatthieu@gmail.com)

How Have You Changed?

This is the time for me to express my special thanks to the founder Michael Lightweaver for having the great idea to set up the prestigious International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL). I do not forget all the contributors for their support in making this program a success. Without you all there will be no IIGL. I owe you all a great big all-encompassing thank for all that I have been able to become after completing the level one and two. It was a good adventure that I began with IIGL in 2011. I remember, I was telling my former classmate Kossi S. DAVUI (National Coordinator-Togo) that I was seeking something new to learn and he let me discover IIGL. At the beginning I was hesitating. But today I regret a little bit for not having discovered IIGL much earlier. IIGL transformed my mindset about what life and living is all about. IIGL made me become a positive person, even in the face of difficult times and helped me to look at the positive side. This began with the first two introductory books I read. Jonathan Livingston and As a Man Thinketh really opened my eyes to new ideas. “As A Man Thinketh” brought out the positive person in me and made me understand. I was my own limitation. In the book “Jonathan Livingston,” most of the gulls believed that the purpose for flying is to put food in their stomach. Before taking my studies with IIGL, I used to think this way, too! I used to have the mentality that the purpose of life was to acquire formal education, get a job, make money, marry, make babies, live a life of acquiring and die some day! But at the time a Seagull has just broke his fear to fly higher and lived a meaningful life, IIGL taught me how to break my fear too. I am happy I now live a purpose-driven life and do not hesitate to teach my younger brothers and other youths to live with a purpose in life. The 14 books of Levels One and Two studies really empowered me. They provided me with ideas, tools and techniques for personal and professional success. I became a transformed person: before talking the IIGL course, I usually find it difficult to get along with people because I used to be a temperamental person. It was when I started reading books like: “The law of attraction”, “Non-violent communication”, “How to win friends and influence peoples” that my life takes a drastic turn. These concepts are powerful, useful and certainly fruitful…That is why I believe that IIGL is certainly one of the best things that has happened to me. I’m going through transformation and serving my community: I organized two church talks about these concepts. I shared especially the success of S B Füller with church women: from zero, Füller has become the general manager of a soap factory by braking fear and using Other Person Money. I’m happy to see these women putting in practice these lessons and are undertaking economic activities with OPM strategy. I’m thoroughly enjoying, not just the reading, but the “practicals or actions” as well. I personally put in action ideas and have positive results: I used OPM (other persons money) to build a small house of mine. This was not possible for me before because of fear. Now this fear is broken within me. I’ve adopted the CRAFT technique’ from psycho-cybernetics, and am quite conscious there are mental cobwebs, and that I need always to replace my negative mental attitude with (NMA) with a positive mental attitude (PMA). The International Institute for Global Leadership has made me to believe in myself. There are things in life I never thought could be possible for me but with IIGL studies they are possible with the right books like Positive Mental Attitude, keys to success, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the rest of them. So, I started up recently an educational initiative called “Dream,” dedicated to giving back to Togolese youth all these success strategies the IIGL’s studies provided me with, help them living with purpose in life. This initiative aims not only to helping togolese youth to start setting goals, achieving them and become positive, proactive adult but also let people know IIGL. The initiative includes: Leadership fundamentals, communication skills, goal setting, time management, decision making, positive thinking. My first presentation was centered on « Success/ we do not succeed because we do not dream» and I illustrated this presentation with the example of S.

B Füller in Positive Mental Attitude. The participant students mostly appreciated a lot. Some one of them already have download the IIGL application form and are filling it to get enrolled. This initiative aims to empower young university students to becoming a new generation of consciously aware, high–integrity and heart-centered individuals like IIGL does. I feel the program because it was really established for one’s life-changing. Besides, the other change that IIGL brought in my life is that I became able to exchange with people from English speaking countries. For me personally, IIGL is an opportunity to practice and improve English language. In any case, I’m really proud of my English level today. Also IIGL made me keep in touch with a big and great circle of leaders worldwide with who I discuss. I exchanged some times ago with Felix Iziomoh, the director of International Centre for Leadership Development (ICLD), Nigeria. His young brother, Emmanuel Iziomoh (Board member of IIGL) visited me in Lome (Togo).

Also I’ve just got a new contact with Damien Mouzon, a real talented young leader from Benin, coach in Kigali (CEO & Philanthropist). Togheter we’ll plan something for the development of our communities. I owe sincerely all this to IIGL. I’m really happy to enter this world of new generation of leaders and hope move forward trough transformation to transformation.

Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)

What have I learned and How have I have you changed?

At the beginning of the course, I was looking for courses that are different from the daily courses featuring on many websites. Also, I wanted a course that will personally develop and empower me. I found International Institute for Global Leadership recommended by one website. I thought it must be helpful for making me a leader. Those were the reasons for taking the course. With completing the second level in the constructed self-course of International Institute For Global Leadership, I was able to benefit from a variety of new things from the course, as well as refresh my memory on things that I already knew, just needed a reminder about. The course has made me realize that whenever I encounter problems I should first seek answers from my own self, I need to realize that I have the capacity to control my life and influence my habits. It’s all in my character and the way I see the problem is the problem.

The course has helped me on knowing how to get everything I want faster than I ever thought possible by developing the habit of taking action on my plans, goals, ideas and insights. I have developed a positive mental attitude regarding my abilities and my opportunities. Whatever I’m doing I’m aiming higher than I have done in the past. Reading had always been one of my strengths, but it was challenging to take that initial step past the fictional reading which constricted my ideas for so long. Moving past this reading, however, has greatly opened my mind. My thoughts are now able to be more complex because I have learned new inspirational life ideals. The course in particular contains the distilled essence of success, achievement and goal attainment. To be honest I’m now responding to vibration around me and attracting what I desire for my life. Currently I’m taking the impossibilities in my life and help in building a goal oriented life with strong beliefs on how to continue endeavoring life challenges and purpose. I’m practicing the seven habits of highly effective people and benefiting through application of the seventeen success principles.

I have learned a lot about how to succeed in life, both from getting ideas from the course as well as practicing those ideas. I feel confident at this point that I am capable of successfully taking life in a positive manner. I have acquired many useful skills, many of which came directly from the IIGL course. In working to develop my mental attitude, I have learned much about how to communicate, good and bad ways to motivate others, and techniques to help combat common personal challenges to name a few. This testimonial exercise is helping me verbalize and summarize what I have gotten out of this journey. The most surprising thing I learnt is that that I can achieve anything I want in life. I will continue flexing my power of thought to uncover and discover my untapped talents and potentials and actualize them to realize my full potential. I will continue to direct my energies and fashion my thoughts to fruitful issues.

Currently taking the course has had a positive learning experience. By experience, I really mean experience. The course does not teach long equations and theories. Rather, one have to be dedicated and be a hardliner. These seem not as important as the hard core principles and practices. However, I strongly believe that these skills are absolutely necessary to differentiate myself from the rest well or less educated. Through the course I have learnt strategies and skills that will unlock my hidden powers to succeed. I now know same principles and practices that have been tested and proven by millions of men and women, and all great success is based on them. I’m integrating these ideas and methods into my daily life, I’m feeling happier, healthier and more self-confident. I’m already experiencing a greater sense of power, purpose and self-direction. Everyday becoming more positive, more focused and more able to achieve my goals. I will not stop propelling my whole life onto this high road of success, achievement and greater happiness.

The biggest hurdle for me was time management. I am a procrastinator and always have been, so completing assessment of books on time was and still is a challenge for me. I have not come to a full solution to this problem yet, but I’m making changes in my life as to how I can manage time management. With hurdles came hidden strengths I discovered about myself, I’ve never thought of myself as a leader, but because the course has revealed we are often a leader in our everyday life, even though we don’t realize it – as we continue offering leadership in our homes, places of work and in the community. Personally this is an eye opener on how I have previously embraced leadership in family and societal set-ups without realizing. I’m truly becoming influential, currently being leveled by others as becoming heart-centered, conscious and a person of integrity in my community. Effective management and leadership begins with being self-aware. This simply means that I need to work hard to intimately understand my strengths and weaknesses, model ways in which my values are congruent with my behavior, and develop a culture of respect for myself and for others. Recently, a new employee said to me: “Although I already had a strong sense of my core values before joining this organization, working with you has pushed me to practice a higher level of professionalism.” Explicit and implicit in this employee’s observation is the way in which my team practices shared management and leadership with awareness and authenticity.

Throughout this course, I have learned many invaluable communications skills which I think would help me in my future endeavors. I hope the other levels following level three will extend and solidify my communication skills. This course has given me an opportunity to refine my communication skills with everyone. I have learnt how to avoid misunderstanding or arguments by conveying information accurately, and enabling a two-way communication. Learning how to listen actively and to express proper non-verbal cues also allows me to interact with people better. I will continue to build on these interpersonal skills to establish long-lasting relationships.

I have gained a lot of knowledge in the skills that will be important in the workplace and I will keep re-reading these great books. I have learnt better presentation skills and in fact I have applied it on my daily life presentation. I have received positive feedbacks and I’m thankful that I took this course! I believe the reason to why I have learnt so much is as we have been practicing the skills in almost every level. I need to interact and work with people of different styles and characters. These experiences are steps to more effective communication with different people for me!

I don’t think of myself as egotistical, but honestly I am pretty happy with the way I am and find it hard to think of strengths I don’t already possess. The highlights of the course for me would probably be the creative portion of the life exploration journey. I’m currently enjoying expressing myself through listening to others emphatically and communicating my innermost feelings to connect with everyone in a more compassionate manner than before. I now know that every day is a learning day and comes with persistence, challenges, criticisms, denial and discouragement in all manners by others. Self-perfection is the only art of mastering the game. Mastering the game requires dedication, energy, spirit, skills, passion, knowledge, tactics and strategy; the only way to uncover our talents and potentials requires going an extra mile. As for other highlights and insights, I can’t really think of any. To be honest, this course has given me many new revelations about many things. Like I mentioned before it seems to me there is something I have to do which no one will do it for me because I was born to be a champion and no matter what obstacles and difficulties lie in my way, they are not one tenth so great as the ones that I have already overcome at the moment. Victory shall be mine.

I really like the fact that I will receive feedback from my mentors in later levels of this course. I believe the feedback will satisfy me because I would never know what was wrong with my assessments. The stimulating thinking process involved in this course is really enjoyable. I want to thank Deb Rosen for giving me relaxing, relevant and insightful feedback and support. I appreciate that you have encouraged me to pursue my idea for the course when I thought some of my book assessments were not realistic. I am thankful for having fun and competent course mates. You guys have given me many constructive criticisms, encouragement, and something to look up to. I learned plenty from your strength and weaknesses. Without you Deb and my course mates, I think I could not enjoy the whole course that much.

Juliette Engole (Uganda)

What have I learned and How have I have you changed?

Prior to joining IIGL in 2014, I was uncertain about what my life was really about. I had heard about the program from a very close friend of mine Noeline Kirabo who was then the Board president of IIGL. She had shared with me how much she had changed and improved as a result of the program. I did not sign up immediately because there was so much going on in my life at the time and I thought I would not have the time I needed to follow through. I was at a time in my life where nothing was making sense. I felt like I did not fully belong. I was searching for the true meaning of my life. it was at this time that I took time to search for my life purpose. I had heard the audio teaching of Stephen Covey on the 8th habit. He mentioned something that caught my attention. He said, “when you find your voice, you will help others find theirs too.” This statement struck me so hard. I meditated on it for a long time until I came up with my own saying, “when you find yourself, you will be significant.” I realized at that time that what I lacked was a purpose. I was living a purposeless life. Life was dull and boring.

When I finally signed up for IIGL, I was on the path for self-discovery. The first book I read was Jonathan Seagull. To say that this book woke me up would be an understatement. It did more than that. It aroused a hunger and thirst for more. I realized that I was made for more. I had settled for less. I was scratching for food instead of soaring. In many ways I was like Jonathan, I felt like there was something out there for me yet I felt unable to reach it. Many times I felt the dissatisfaction brewing on the inside of me. As I continued to read the book, I could clearly see myself and all the limitations I had put for myself. The second book I read was “As a Man Thinketh.” This time there was no denying that I had made the right decision in joining IIGL. I came face to face with my thinking. I realized that I had the power to change my life from boring to exciting.

I started thinking about my thoughts. I looked back and understood that it was my thoughts that had created my world. I had allowed fear and negativity to shape my life. the book “Psycho-Cybernetics” was my best in level 1. It gave me answers to many questions I had. My reasoning started changing at this point. I took the reins of my life back. I was now in control. I could no longer blame the outcome of my life on any one or anything. I had the power to change and better my life.

The books I was exposed to all spoke about empowering my mind. It was the first time I was hearing some of these things. “Success through a Positive Mental Attitude” helped me further realize that it all starts in the mind. In order for me to achieve success, I have to deal with the failures I had set in my mind. The term ‘inspirational dissatisfaction’ has stuck with me since I read it. I had to get to the place where I was dissatisfied with the status quo and change it by changing me. I could no longer wait for the change to happen.

The onus is now on me. The change in me started manifesting outward when I moved to level 2. The books now dealt much more on personal development. I started learning more about goals and how they can improve my life. in the past I never really set goals. All I had were resolutions which I never followed through. I have seen the power of clearly written down goals in my own life.

One vivid example of the power of written down goals happen to me very recently. I needed to move from the house I was living in to another one which was more affordable and yet comfortable. I told a few friends what I was going through and the best they could tell me was that the kind of house I needed was more costly than I was willing to pay. One thing I did was to write down exactly what I wanted. I called a few house brokers with the full description of what I wanted. I had a deadline by which to move out. Most of the feedback I got was quite discouraging. I almost gave in as the days approached. Finally a week to the deadline, I make the last attempt when all hope had faded. I got in touch with a house broker who had exactly what I was looking for. My joy was beyond comprehension. One of the first things I said to my friends was I got exactly what I had envisioned. I set it as a goal and I did not waver even when it seemed like it would not happen. This brought so much satisfaction in my life.

The “Law of Attraction” is one of the books I will never forget. My eyes were opened for the first time to the fact that I not only attract what I say but what I thought. Negative and positive vibes are sent out in the atmosphere which attract these events. Nothing happens by coincidence. It is all orchestrated by the vibes we send out. Since then I pay close attention to my thoughts. I know that what I am is mainly attributed to what I have allowed my thoughts to dwell on. I am now more aware of this law at work in my life. As a result of it, I have noticed really great things happening to me. For instance, a few weeks ago, I started thinking seriously about setting up a place that serves fruits, vegetables and fresh juice. The more I thought about it, the clearer it got. I noticed that information concerning the same started coming my way effortlessly. I deliberately take time off to think positive thoughts. I call it my attraction moment. I do not just sit and wish for things to happen to me. I plan my thoughts. When a negative thought comes, I am now more aware of it and I take action against it immediately. This is also scriptural. The bible encourages us in Philippians 4:8 to think about things that are good and excellent and praise worthy. Not thoughts that are destructive.

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” has totally changed my life. I have adopted the habits in my life and its evident. My friends always quote me when talking to people. They say things like “as Juliette would say, seek to understand before you are understood.” I have always admired public speakers. I would often listen to good speakers and wish I could speak so eloquently and confidently. My esteem has highly improved since I started reading the program. I used to suffer from inferiority complex. I thought I was not good enough because of what had happened to me in the past which affected my schooling. I was not able to go through university and graduate like I had always desired. This made me feel less than my peers who I had studied with. I thought I would never measure up. I lived and functioned below my ability and potential. Though I always knew I am good at speaking, I never took the initiative to do it.

Now, through the lessons I have learned in these books I have gained so much confidence. I have a renewed sense of purpose. I am able to stand and talk without any fear. I have always had a good command of the English language, however, my reasoning and speaking were shallow. My speaking was plain and ordinary. Now when I speak, I command attention. My talks are laced with quotes from authors and other prominent people. My writings too have improved remarkably.

The book “Nonviolent Communication” was the last I read in level 2. I had never heard of such a thing as non-violent communication. The book answered so many questions I had. I understood why many times people misunderstand something that should be so clear. Why animosity grows and so on. I learned that communication requires patience. And that it is not just about talking but listening with your whole being. My faults were brought to surface as I thought about the countless times I failed to express myself because I did not say exactly what I felt and expected the other person to figure it out.

My communication is getting better as a result. I am especially learning to be an empathic listener and to be able to see the need that is being expressed. As a counselor this is particularly helpful for me as I will be a better listener than I have ever been before. In fact as a result of this book, my passion for counseling has been fanned. I had given up the practice because I found it very tiring and draining. Now I look forward to being able to just listen and say as little as I can yet with so much power.

My life has changed so much for the better. The biggest change for me is in the area of my self-esteem. I carried a low esteem for so many years. It affected all areas of my life. I had no self-worth. I felt like a no body. I now walk with my head high. My esteem levels grow by the day. I am more confident than I have ever been before. I have taken the reins of my life back and I am in charge. I have goals that I never ever thought I could ever achieve. I have set financial goals and as I write this, I am well on my way to financial freedom. My life is so much better now that I have discovered myself and I am significant to others as well.

Aremu Oluwaseun Nariwoh (Nigeria)

Adunmi2007@yahoo.com

Level Three – Assignment 1

What have you learned? How have you changed?

Over the years I have learned that in every man, there is slumbering powers that dwells within and if properly activated; it will help galvanized and revolutionize his or her dreams in life. I could remember vividly when I was growing up precisely twelve years old and actively involved in table tennis. I tried to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across my mind from within in becoming an outstanding personality and a force to reckon within the field of Sports Administration and Management in Nigeria merely observing secretaries of Sports Associations delivering their schedule of duties.

In retrospect, I had that dream but it never really occurred to me that I will have to study Human Kinetics and Health Education to actually build a career along that line. All these were more than the luster of the firmaments of bards and sages but they were not really clear for me to pursue rigorously until I came across IIGL and begin to harness my potentials haven realized my dreams. I began to outline my goals and ensured that focus was on them without giving room to any form of interruption in order to have an excellent and a fulfilled life because possession of more knowledge will help me impact in the upcoming ones positively.

In Level One and Level Two books, I became educated to Awaken the Giant in Me because As a Man Thinketh so is he. As I said earlier that it never occurred to me how I will realize my dream, because all along I was bent on studying Law and not Human Kinetics but I wanted to be a seasoned Sports Administrator. Please how can that be possible? Do they correlate? Of course there was a disconnect and the answer obviously is NO. I was able to really discover and pursue my dream when I joined International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL). It became clearer to me that I cannot study Law and want to be a Sports Administrator and a Manager even when I was given admission to study Human Kinetics and Health Education, I became very disgruntled but as faith may have it I came across Felix Iziomoh that introduced me to the program, IIGL which changed my life for good.

Level One and Level Two studies has helped me a great deal in reshaping my life in order of preference and I am very glad I subjected myself to learning. However, during my stay in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education in University of Lagos and my admission into IIGL, I became very tough minded in achieving my dreams in Life. At a point, I was faced with challenges that ordinarily would have warranted my dropping out of the degree programmed but I thank God I was able to overcome the storm, thanks to Level One and Two studies.

After graduation, so many things came up that left me flabbergasted, dumbfounded and discouraged with the way to go in life when everything I was trying proved abortive at different times. I decided to stay focused with my community development programmed which led me into joining a political party in Lagos Nigeria and was advised to contest for the position of councillorship. At the same time, I was working towards getting enrolled for masters in another field related to politics because of the experience I had with the lecturers during my undergraduate days.

I eventually went for the Masters Programmed in Public and International Affairs under faculty of Social Sciences and did the programmed for two years but still in politics cum community development services. I contested for the councillorship position but did not win not because I was not qualified nor popular but because it was not my time to occupy the position because I know God is the Alpha and the Omega and He is a God of time and season. I felt very bittered though, but was compensated with another position. Still from the experience gathered from the studies, I looked at it that from the beginning I had a vision of being a seasoned Sports Administrator and an outstanding one for that matter but I was not pursuing the career any longer. Thanks to the book, Unlimited Power, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, As a Man Thinketh so is he; The Poower of Intension and Awakening the Giant Within amongst others and I took immediate control of my perception about the department where I had my first degree and headed for an admission in Masters in Sports Administration and Management without thinking of how wicked and inhuman some of the lecturers were during my first degree.

It was sturdy all the way through the completion of the programmed but it was worth the pain after all. I give God the ultimate glory for giving me the opportunity to be the only master’s student in sports administration and management to graduate with a distinction which qualifies one for a PhD direct in the same specialization. It was just like a dream but I thank almighty God for charting my path towards having rare privilege to have acquired knowledge full of wisdom from the level one and level two studies.

In between the Master’s programmed I was offered a job with the Lagos State Government as Education Officer 2 which I spent eight months because I knew I do not belong there and I focused on my inner man that eventually attracted divine favor to me. Exactly eight month on the teaching job, I got a fresh appointment as Sports Officer 1 with the Lagos State government having my parent Ministry as Lagos State Sports Commission.

On the new job as Sports Officer 1 in 2014, I was opportune to be put in vantage positions, thanks to what have learnt in my level one and level two studies that made me have an edge through the grace of God. The books have really widened my horizon in the management of me and people which really is the key to the realization of organizational goals and objectives. Also, as I am been molded gradually into a respected personality with quality content and capacity for positivity; I now realize that thinking and intellectual powers cannot be equated with success and achievements. In many ways however, it is an emotional quality that separates those who master a field from the many who simply work at a job.

Our levels of desire, patience, persistence and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers and all of these I have being able to fathom in the course of my level one and two studies. In feeling motivated and energized , one can surmount almost anything but feeling bored and restless our minds shut off and we would become increasingly passive because research has it that, millions of people who were not part of the right social class, gender and ethnic group were rigidly excluded from the possibility of pursuing their calling. Looking at it differently, it is extremely possible to achieve your dreams in life with getting the right knowledge that will motivate you in the pursuit of your thoughts leading to the will power to build capacity, hence, the freedom to move toward the inclination that all of us possess been part of our genetic uniqueness.

It is indeed high point that the word genius becomes demystified and de-rarefied because I know I am closer to such intelligence, all I need to do is to be highly motivated which I am getting on IIGL platform. I am so delighted that I am part of the global leadership family, if not; my dreams would have become so shrouded in the frustrations and routines of daily life that one would not even have the desire to pursue and accomplish anything positive in life.

I was also able to apply most of the things I learnt on level one and two studies during the one year Advanced Sports Management Course under International Olympic Committee/Nigeria Olympic Committee as I am still pursuing the completion of my PhD programmed also in Sports Administration and Management. I could remember vividly in 2014 when I presented my thesis proposal and the lecturers had nothing to contribute positively other than to ask me that does that mean I will finish PhD in 3 months if they pass the proposal and as a result of that the paper that took me a year to write was stepped down.

I started weeping from the presentation stage because I knew it was just mere wickedness and I said to myself that, I will leave the programmed but after some days, my instinct told me that I don’t have to give up because quitters never win and I continued to press further and as I write this; I have written another proposal entirely. Presently, I am faced with a very difficult colleague in the office that believes that the whole world revolves around her, she almost made me to be demotivated on the job only because she is my superior as far as the service is concerned but thanks to all I have learnt to be very focused and do away with every form of distraction because what distraction does is to prevent one from reaching the goal. It is my expectation that as I progress in the journey of my life, God in His infinite mercy will continue to direct my path and let me do the right thing at the right time.

Japheth Erenven Aizebeoje (Nigeria)

What I think is what I become, what I do is what will be done. From As a Man Thinketh: This was a light to me. This insight also avail to me that my feeling per time, influences my thought pattern. As such I should feed my feelings well with positive and healthy inputs. To this end, I practically listen to music that help me control my feelings and thinking per time whenever I notice a deviation of thought from my set goals and feelings. The benefits to me now is that I now know that how I think is very crucial to my success in life and for me to think well I have to feel well and in feeling well, I have to feed myself mind with positive information as well alien with people and things that will boost my inner man per time. I now think positively and also try to do things positively in dealing with others.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear: this is a light. When this revelation heats me, I immediately reconfigure myself to get myself ready for whatever I want to learn in life. After all it was my readiness to horn my leadership skill and develop myself that got me searching and linked me up to IIGL. Since the eye opening sequel to this revelation I ensure that I first define what I want to learn, where and who can offer me the knowledge and get my mind fix that I am already learning it. Honestly the outcome so far is that, in no distance time when I make up my mind, different posts from whatsapp and telegram from various groups that I belong will start pouring in ideas related to that which I have made up my mind to learn. In line with this insight, I came across a platform where I can download books for free to read whenever I want to which I will like to share for my readers to enjoy from too. (www.pdfdrive.net). I the quest of also trying to practice this revelation, my teacher also appear from one of the telegram group I am part of, “that whenever I want free training in my area to attend, I should just search for free training from www.eventrite.com in my location.” Truly when the student is ready, his or her teacher will appear. Mine really came forth for me and I am still ripping from them and still coveting more teachers.

Self-discovery and goal setting. This point by and large has shifted my mind set in diverse ways. IIGL books has made my to better understand myself and still availing that opportunities to me on daily basis and more importantly is the spirit and habit of setting goals. Prior before now I give less attention to my goals. But after the baptismal I got, I now have I comprehension write up in a file about what I want to achieve in life and how to impact my word. I can also attest to the fact that most time when I am down emotionally and otherwise, reading my written goals and life desires tend to get me going. This has happen countless times and as such I am indeed happy with myself that I have something that I am looking forward to achieve in life. Honestly it is inspiring to me.

[

IIGL work has thought me also that everything I see today in life was a seed from somebody, as such anything I ever want to do and become is a seed lying dormant inside me. I learnt here that the solutions I will ever need and want in life are all inside me. To this end, I now look inward, think deeply and ask myself meaningful questions that will birth forth creative ideas instead of running heater skitter.

When I read “Non Violent Communication.” One striking moral I learned among others is that “don’t judge by condemnation but by passion.” Something happened in my place of work, a colleague of mine heard an issue with me. The prowess I displayed in handling the issue was a product of this insight I got from the book. This idea has helped me not to pre-judge people before judging. Passion for others has really made me a different person.

I call it the “P/CP concept.” This idea shifted my thinking and I am so loving it, reasoning being that my ignorance of it made me learn in a hard way. Since then I have taken upon myself to always take care of myself and things/equipment. The P stands for Production, while the CP stands for Capacity of Production. Meaning for production or productivity to increase, I must develop the capacity of production. i.e build people, acquire machine and maintain for regulatory etc. when these are absent production or productivity will suffer. I heard issue with my laptop, I have being wanting to fix and buy a new battery. This laptop is key to me considering what I use it to do but I kept postdating and doing injustice to time. I was still reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People when this happened. Long story cut short, my laptop packed up. A week later or less I came across this concept, I wet. My moral is that “what you don’t take of, will certainly not take care of you.”

Mission statement development concept. Mission statement development was not really new to me per say, but the idea of doing it with family members when designing one for the family and that of the organizations and various departments within an organization was indeed novel to me. The message I got from this lesson is that when I involve my family members in developing our family mission statement and spell out the consequences clearly by all has a way of making everybody have a sense of belonging and as such boost their commitments. Same is applicable in an organization. This knowledge immediately made me to invite my younger sister to both develop our family mission statement and for the first time write down what we are going to be doing to fix things in the family.

Determination: this message was indeed a central idea so far from all the books I have read so far from IIGL. In line with the determination insight, I recently started telling myself that “If I do not contest for an elective position to serve my people in a novel and soul lifting way, I have not yet come to life.” This I am doing, when it presently don’t look so. But because of my resolve to leader and serve people in an impactful way, in spite the odds, I am also determined that it will come to pass soon. While I am preparing myself for future leadership position both elective and other wise. My determination to become that leader, trainer, coach, consult, people developer and community reformer is really not negotiable.

Service and Value. IIGL has thought the value of service and the value of value which leadership in all its entirety entails. Yes prior before now I have heard the opportunity to lead. But the idea of services and value the way IIGL has made me understand in all the books I have read and the fellow students I have mingled with so far is indeed intense. Service to the people I am serving is my core key sacrifice as a leader. Value I don’t promote and stand for I should not expect it from my followers.

Knowledge sharing with others. IIGL no doubt has promoted and boosted my quest for knowledge beyond by expectations and I am humble, still willing and ready to learn and build my capacity. I have indeed benefited from this idea as a person that after learning or reading a book, I should always try as much as I can to share my knowledge with other people. By the grace of God, I am a teacher. I consciously and unconsciously see myself teaching people on daily basis each time I am with my students. The result of this is bringing new members into IIGL. I notice that each time I share knowledge with others I tend to understand better and imbibe its moral(s) more. It has being great sharing knowledge.

Integrity and honesty. One other central message that most of the books preached that I benefited immensely is integrity and honesty. IIGL platform has really shifted my mindset in this direction. That everything revolves around integrity and honesty. Bulk of the problem most nations especially African nations is integrity and honesty. Base on this exposition, something to me in a meeting of a multilevel marketing platform that I belong. On this faithful day of our seminar, while trying to set our equipment particularly the projector, I mistakenly broke the projector stand without others knowing. But I was tempted to keep it to myself by not telling anybody. But I choose not to owing to my knowledge of integrity and honesty as well as its importance. Prior before this time, I lost my peace but immediately after I reported myself, I gain my peace back. My moral and benefits here is that lack of integrity sore leadership virtue. As such integrity and honesty are must have values and characters that everybody should imbibe at all times.

By way of concluding, I will want to say that IIGL has shifted my paradigm for the better, considering the quantum of information that I have being exposed to. From self-discovery to vision, goal setting and self-development in the place of reading and research, integrity and honesty, to service and value to mankind, passion and appeal ways of dealing with people, determination, the P/CP concept, knowledge sharing, positive thinking, mission statement crafting and many more have indeed push me from where I used to be to where I am presently. The program has aided me to have a clearer perceptive of where I am going to in life with core believe in myself and passionate support for other people around at all times. I have also heard the privilege of aligning with other great leaders of m like mind from IIGL and what they have all expose me to are massive. To me IIGL is a human refinery, where ordinary people are groomed into better leaders and solution providers in their society.

Roger Hakizimana Tuyishime (Rwanda)

When I think of my journey with IIGL, I think back in middle of 2014 when I came back from India, I had came to graduate but still I knew that there were results that I was waiting for, the results which could turn out to be anyhow, positive or negative though I knew that I had to settle down, when I was still in India we would talk about life back home, we would ask information about other students who had graduated but they had no jobs which always scared us, the only sentence we used to use was that life back in Rwanda was hard, that scared me and I used to regret the fact I spent that hard time in India, when I came back people around me would tell me that everything was going to be just fine that it was a matter of time, I wished to believe them which was the reason I fought hard though deep down I was scared, it was after two months that I got to know about a volunteer opportunity and I applied all I needed was to get out there and do something and I was selected, during that time I met with other graduates who had spent years looking for a job but still we were together volunteering just to find some occupation, I knew that I had to think right, as I had one of my father’s book from IIGL it was the time I started thinking of joining IIGL, I had read the book and I thought it was interesting and mind strengthening, during that volunteer opportunity I applied for another job at a medical center and after that program ended I joined that job and few days later I officially joined IIGL.

I thought I had found a place I was going to spend at least a year building my experience, I used to read IIGL books on my way to work in bus, in the first month I thought it was because I was new that the job was giving me a hard time but it was not, I kept on my IIGL studies but the job was somehow impossible, I wanted to resign but also I was scared to lose it, that I was never going to find another job, but because IIGL lessons had started to change me, I knew that there was nothing to be scared of, I knew that I couldn’t knock to the doors of opportunity unless I close the other doors behind, the other doors that seem impossible to me, the doors that are taking me nowhere but just wasting my energy and time, I knew well that another opportunity will show eventually and I took a hard decision to resign, I felt like It was the only way I had to get rude of the stress I was living with, and I knew well that it was a matter of time I was going to be fired anyway.

It was not easy but I also knew that there was no future working there, I believed that something will come to me, during the few months I spent without a job, without an occupation it was hard, sometimes I would regret why I did resigned but i have seen that coming, after three months I got another job even though it was the most low paid job I knew that I was in a right path, all I needed then was experience and IIGL helped me to understand that I will achieve what I want, with the help of IIGL I started to set goals and mostly to write them down, with the help of IIGL I was able to be patient without losing faith, the other job as well was a nightmare to me but I knew that great timber does not grow on ease, the more the wind the stronger the tree, six month after I joined that job I was disqualified, for my side I thought I was doing fine but my boss and I we did not get along, she only told me that I don’t talk much that was the reason, and I cannot just change who I am I said, at least I tried.

But I did not get scared that I was about to lose that job, I knew that It was a good thing to wake up every morning with somewhere to go but I knew that if it was not meant to be mine then beat it, but I was wrong they did not let me go they changed my post instead, and when she asked me how I was feeling about that, I told her that it was fine and I remember her asking me the reason I always see everything as a solution never a problem, for her she never believed I was going to accept that, they had took me in a country side, but what was I going to be doing in city anyway without an occupation, I knew that to take another road on my career there was a reason to that. Meanwhile there was an exam that I had failed at my college in India I had to go back and write it, there was no other way, with my salary there was no way I was going to pay for that, it was a big challenge and thinking about it every time was scaring, and that was the time my father started suffering with illness that cost a lot of money to them, it was hard and I knew that it would not be easy to get support from them, I would not find a solution of it at all, though I had to set a big goal and It was terrifying. I started reading for that paper even though I was not sure that I was going to be able to fly to that exam, but I believed and I was looking forward to succeed and as it was after a longtime I had to set a goal to pass that paper by reading too much, in 2015 before I joined IIGL I never thought how I was going to do it, there was darkness in front of me I couldn’t be able to look forward, but after IIGL I started putting into my mind that journey, I started preparing telling my subconscious mind that it was possible, I was thinking to go in 2016 but due to financial limits it was not possible it happened in this year 2017 in the mouth of May, when the time arrived everything seemed to be on my side, everything was going just as I wanted, from visa application, loan application and till the time I was sitting in the exam hall in Bangalore city. That exam had been a burden to me all those years, writing it was a born again to me, and also succeeding it with high grades was something that made me happy, sincerely saying if I was not an IIGL student I don’t think I would have fought much to go back there and write that paper because ever since I joined IIGL I want to put their ideas into practice. In all books that I read the book of Jonathan Seagull changed many thinks about me, my thinking changed since the day I started reading this book, so I knew that I had to push my limits, there are some of my friends who also have papers back there who couldn’t see the point to spend all that money to just go and write a paper you are not sure to pass, for some I know they can easily afford all the costs but they are just scared to fail, well for me I was sure that I was going to pass it because I was prepared, I knew well that if I needed to succeed I just had to say so, I prepared my subconscious mind that I was ready because I couldn’t just imagine spending more than 2000USD just to fail, I had to succeed and yes it happened. There is a book that I wrote called 50 Cartoon Leaders which will be shared with IIGL family as well, it contains different important ideas from IIGL books with their cartoon characters, this show different ideas that one can take into consideration and because they have their cartoon characters it is easy to remember them, this book can define much of how I have changed after I joined IIGL.

I think in brief my change was from someone who would worry about any think to someone who knows that worrying won’t resolve any problem in fact it only makes you weaker, before the word “fail” used to make me scared to the point I used not to try just because I was scared of failure but now I know that failing is just a result. Before I was pessimist I would always be worried by my future and I spend much time worrying instead of preparing it but after 2015 I am no longer that person. Though it is somehow hard to say my changes yet I haven’t changed to that point I want to be physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially I can rate it as 40% which means I still have a lot of job to do about it, but also coming to the point of worrying and setting goals that I have changed for sure, now I know that my success should not be based on other people’s success, I know that everything come on its right timing, if there are things that I wish to have now but I don’t it is because it is not time yet, one way or another as long as I put all my mind on those projects, I will accomplish them one day, Before I used to put pressure in everything when I would set goal I would want to accomplish them in one day and the second day I would be having the other goal to pursuit, that made me confused and I finally realized that I had no idea of what I wanted, but now I know what I want and I will focus my mind on that thing no matter what, because the great deal in living is to do things you love the most.