Education here is not restricted to “education” in conventional terms: going to school or getting a degree, rather any kind of education that fosters self and community development- the ability to seek and utilize [keyword: utilize] knowledge through every ethical means.
Education is not limited to the four-walls of any school. It is simply a process of acquiring relevant and useful knowledge be it under a mango tree or in the massive Amphitheatre in Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.) in Nigeria.
Yes you have a degree but are you educated though?
You can’t claim to be educated until you can truly add or create meaningful value with what you know. A lot of people went to school but cannot create or give meaningful value with what they learnt and that’s our problem!
My writing ability remains a miracle to behold: I basically had to pray my way into it. Fear of mediocrity (or yarning dust), perfectionism, over-reliance on self motivation that wasn’t forthcoming and so on held me back like a curse. I would include “write…” in my to-do list everyday and then end up with a blank slate- “nothing to write home about”.
All my adult life I have always had series of notebooks I carry around like a purse. There I write down random to deep thoughts that show up in my mind from time to time. I would question myself, criticize myself, and ginger myself in these notebooks.
However I noticed something… each time I went through such exercise, it was usually accompanied by some kind of serenity or fierce will that previously never existed. It elevated me from mediocrity and momentary bouts of indiscipline to excellence and diligence on several occasions most remarkably while in the university.
I would hold “motivational talks” with myself and sometimes imagine myself speaking to some imaginary audience with me seated in the front row but whenever I tried to articulate them in writing I failed.
English Language turned out to be much more difficult than I thought!
Have you ever wondered why you’re so good in mathematics? Highly artistic and intuitive? Or so curious and intelligent?
Have you ever wondered why you find it so easy to interact with people and influence them to take decisions meanwhile your close friend is pretty timid and can hardly initiate or hold a conversation?
Have you ever wondered why you detest disorderliness and would rather take the pain to get things organized and well done?
Have you ever wondered why coming up with (legal) money making ideas come so easily to you while your hardworking, intelligent friends struggle at it?
Have you ever wondered why your kidneys and lungs are still functioning properly while someone your age somewhere is on life support?
Have you ever wondered why you’re still alive and not on a sick bed or six feet under?
“There is something only you can give and without it, someone is being disallowed a healing, a laugh, an uplift to a better quality of life.”
When you think of the word “angel”, you imagine someone who’s extremely nice and would never say NO to your requests, he/she would do anything else in this world but say NO to you.
Sadly, there are no angels on earth, you’d have to get to heaven to find one.
There are many factors that determine whether we achieve success or fulfillment in life or not and while hard work, diligence and determination are required to achieve and maintain that, your ability to say NO when and where necessary can decide whether you make it eventually or not.
The reason why some people are not where they want to be is not because President Buhari of Nigeria is slow and vague in making economic decisions, it is not because of the global recession, neither is it because Donald Trump will become President of America in January, 2017, rather it is due to their inability to say NO when they need to: NO to meaningless engagements, NO to popular opinions that lack depth, NO to requests that tamper with their integrity and self-discipline…
I have said NO a gazillion times in the course of my life. However, I have discovered that on growing up and becoming an adult, it has become a lot more difficult especially when your really close friend, boss, colleague or family member is giving you that puppy eye or stern look that tells you subtly that your future relationship depends on it or when the rest of the world who’s said YES seem to be having all the fun in the world while at it.
Sometimes I think that I am not qualified to give personal development tips and advice, I mean I haven’t broken any world record neither have I fed 5 thousand people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
However, I have benefited greatly from my moments of self awareness and reflection. They have helped me ace exams, execute projects successfully and make better/ more rewarding decisions in life.
As such I have come to convince myself: Even if you do not become the richest or the most successful woman in the world, by sharing your stories and positive thoughts, you can support and encourage others in their own journey through life; You can help someone else achieve much more.
And from my experience in writing so far, I have come to discover the truth in this quote:
“Form the habit of encouraging others, and you will find it a wonderful tonic for both those encouraged and yourself, for you will get back encouraging and uplifting thoughts.”
– Theron Dumont (Author: The Power of Concentration)
It is with this uplifting thought that I write this post. I sincerely hope that you’re able to tap into the positive energy and then let it flow graciously to those around you.
There are so many ways by which we limit ourselves without knowing. Some of our thoughts, beliefs and lifestyle are the reasons why we are not where we truly want to be. They are the very reasons for our standstill or set back in life.
To get rid of every ounce of self limitation in you, you need to have a self awareness session with yourself: a moment of deep reflection and assessment of your character and personality, your beliefs and lifestyle.
How have you been holding yourself back from greatness? Have you been shooting yourself in the leg all this while? How have you been engaging in self-limitation? Let’s find out…
– You cherish your ego way too much
Opportunities for greatness can come from any source, at any point in time and in any situation. Having a personality that exhibits pride and arrogance can greatly hold you back from getting access to these opportunities.
What are the signs of an overblown ego?
You find it difficult to apologize even when you are wrong
You find it difficult to associate with others
You are too shy- yes, being overly shy can be as a result of being excessively self-aware and overly conscious of one’s self and ego- which is caused by the fear of making a fool of yourself.
Most people prefer to work and play with someone who is easy going and humble. Don’t limit yourself by choosing to satisfy your ego in all situations.
What would it take to apologize to someone you have wronged?
What would it take to make the first move to greet or say a friendly hello or hi to your neighbors and colleagues at work?
What would it take to start a meaningful conversation with a fellow attendee at an event or seminar?
What would it take to ask those who are more enlightened or knowledgeable than you for solutions to problems or answers to questions you have?
What would it take to cast your ego aside and make that move to live a richer and more rewarding life that appreciates the good in others and therefore, opens you up to the countless opportunities for greatness that abound in life?
– You have little or no faith in God’s ability to move you forward (not atheist)
Faith in God keeps us going in trying times, it gives us hope that all things will work for our good in the long run. Faith in God helps us to stay on track and remain optimistic even when the situation around us is greatly demoralizing.
For some, however, faith only exists when things are rosy and greatly promising. Send a little storm their way and alas, their faith will disappear into thin air. Their once optimistic personality becomes a thing of the past, their daily routine becomes whining and complaining about how the world has turned against them, how God has deserted them with no ray of hope of a breakthrough.
Well, how worse can it get? What or who else represents hope and greatness if not God? God is the origin, the beginning and the end of hope, of positivity and of all things good. If God doesn’t move you forward, who will? The Devil?
– You don’t engage in personal development
Personal development is a never ending journey. You can never have enough of it.
No matter how high your level of education is, how great your financial status is or how influential your network of friends and associates are, without actively engaging in personal development, all these might just fizzle out before you know it.
Personal development helps you to upgrade the good you already have to greatness and also helps you to get rid of negative attitude, beliefs or character that can hinder your path to great achievements.
Someone who doesn’t engage in personal development has more or less set a limit for his or her own growth and development. It’s like saying “I have it all, I don’t need any more than I already have”. Let’s be realistic, can you ever have it all? Can you ever know it all? Is it possible to never be in need of anything?
School might be over but you should never stop learning. Read books, watch videos, listen to relevant audio tapes, attend seminars and events with great messages to help you grow and be better physically, financially, socially, spiritually and in all areas of your life.
Form the habit of finding out the lessons in your experiences. What have you learnt so far in life? How much more are you willing to learn?
– You don’t seek and keep good network of highly impactful people
The popular saying goes: “Show me your friend and I’d tell you who you are.”
But with the present age of internet and social media, I’d say: “show me your contacts (or social media connections) and I’d tell you who you’re likely to become.”
Your experiences and associations have a very high probability of influencing you, whether you like it or not. When you go online, the kind of sites you visit, the things you read, watch and hear on these websites can greatly influence your character, beliefs and overall lifestyle.
When you follow or associate with people who don’t add value to you, people who post negatively influential information online, you are not only limiting yourself, you are also opening your mind up to destruction and ruin.
Seek actively for association with people who can potentially move you forward through an exemplary lifestyle and inspirational personality. Whether online or offline, let the personality of your friends and associates reveal whom you truly want to be in life. Choose positivity over negativity any time.
– You have low self esteem and no self confidence
You need self confidence if you truly want to explore the opportunities for greatness that abound in life. You need to have a moderate level of self esteem to start with if you really want to go for gold and not stones.
Signs you have a low self esteem are:
When you constantly give reasons why you are not good enough for one thing or the other
When you constantly shy away from responsibilities and commitments
When you think you need to lower your standards or under-rate yourself just to fit in or gain acceptance of friends, colleagues or associates.
When you constantly compare yourself with others in a way that makes you feel they are better than you (even when that’s not the case).
Having a low self esteem is greatly self-limiting as you are never really able to make good use of opportunities that come to you not to talk of going out there to grab one for yourself.
If you do not believe in your own ability or potential to thrive and be successful, who will?
– You live in fear
Many have surrendered to a life of sadness and despair caused by unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. While many claim to want success and financial breakthrough, only a few have taken up the challenge to conquer their fears and go for it.
When you allow your fears to thrive, you are engaging in self limitation.
Fear is what tells you that you will fail even before you have begun. Fear is that negative energy that sucks you dry of all elements of positivity and motivation to embark on your journey to greatness.
It is okay to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and be realistic about them. However, you should remember that your personality is not permanentand positive changes can be made where necessary in order to move your life forward.
Don’t let the fear of the known or unknown to hold you back from setting great goals and working towards their achievement.
Make a commitment today to get rid of all self limiting thoughts, attitude/character and beliefs that have kept you from achieving success in all areas of your life.
Your opinion of yourself matters a lot. If there’s anything in this world that can limit you, just make sure that it’s not You!
One might wonder; how can I run away from my life when it follows me everywhere? Is it possible to be apart from one’s own life?
For the deep thinkers, some might think of suicide. What a way to escape from an overwhelming life that seems to have become too difficult to live!
However, consciously or unconsciously, a lot of us run from our own lives on a daily basis that we even find ourselves asking the question: “when will I start living?” because we seem to have been merely in existence all this while.
When you excessively engagein any activity that takes you away from the reality of your life i.e. your challenges, your responsibilities, your career, your personality/character/beliefs, your background or relationships- the real things that make up your life- that makes you mentally or physically unavailable to do what needs to be done to move your life forward, you can be said to be “running” from your life.
“Only a little of the challenges of life are as a result of ignorance. Many know what to do yet lack the basic discipline and will to do it. We are potentially our own best friend or our greatest enemy.”
– Mind Convos
There are more than 13 million books and articles on success and personal development (source: brandongaille.com) that tell us just how to go about becoming successful in various areas of life.
Some even go as far as interviewing or researching those who have been there or are currently there on the success lane, telling us their mistakes and success stories, giving us the necessary lessons to be learnt from them, and basically spoon-feeding us with the ingredients for success yet only a few have been able to climb the ladder of success and all round excellence.
In the quest for success, many fail even before they begin…
Life presents us with unlimited possibilities all thanks to the Almighty God but many of us humans hold ourselves back from exploring this abundance that we have been blessed with. We are in the midst of so much “wealth and abundance”, yet we starve.Continue reading “A RIGID LIFE: WHERE ART THOU IMAGINATION?!”→
Mind Convos 