Category: Success Unplugged

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Positive Worldview: A Better Cognitive Orientation of Life.

physically challenged

Holding a positive worldview about life is the key to successful living. I remembered as a fresh student in the university, one of our senior lecturers then, an erudite scholar and a one-time national security adviser to a former military head of state taught us a course. I could remember vividly it was a course on epistemology, and he asked us, ‘What is weltanschauung?’ Initially, the question threw us off balance as the new concept was alien to us because we were limited in scope then. We went back and did research on the meaning and concept of the word and brought back our findings to him in the next class.

Weltanschauung is composed of two German words – welt meaning ‘world’ and Aushauung meaning  ‘view ‘ or ‘outlook’. It is a concept that is fundamental to German philosophy and epistemology. It is a wide world perception, the framework of ideas and beliefs, or a set of global descriptions. Through it, any individual or group, or culture watches and interprets the world and interacts with it. It is the prism through which we view the world for a unique experience and a better cognitive orientation of the world around us.

What is your Worldview about life?

Narrowing down to conquest or success in life, permit me to ask you. What is your weltanschauung? Or what is your worldview or outlook on life? What is your perception of life? What is your orientation about success? Or how do you interpret events as they unfold? One major challenge we face in life is our world outlook and our perception of challenges – the way we view challenges through the prism of life. It will either mar or make us. If our orientation about success is a negative one then every attempt we make at success will be futility. As much as possible we must change every negative world outlook and perception of adversity. Let us examine this scenario;

And they brought up an evil report of the land … saying, the land, through which we have gone to search, it is a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.
 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak which come of giants: and we were in our sights as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight, (Numbers 13:32, 33).

Maintain a Positive Worldview

In the face of challenges of adversity, you must develop a positive worldview or outlook. Developing a negative world outlook is calamitously dangerous and inimical to your conquest in adversity. All you can see is failure and impossibility. With such a negative worldview or outlook on life, it will be very difficult to succeed. They said, “In our own sight”, that is to say in their world outlook. The way they see adversity, they were not able. With this negative mindset, one becomes a victim of failure and defeat in life no matter the effort he or she puts in. A negative worldview breeds a negative mentality. In their own case, their negative worldview spiraled into the grasshopper mentality. They saw themselves as grasshopper before their opponents. In their own sight, they were like grasshoppers to the sons of Anak because they refused to awaken the giant in them. That was their orientation, their interpretation of the whole situation and it cost them their success in that particular mission. That is to say, your worldview whether positive or negative determines how you will fare in life.

A Choice Between Negative and Positive Worldview

 In every adversity, just like among the twelve spies, there are two dissenting voices that speak to our hearts based on our worldview. The voice of courage on one hand, and the voice of fear on the other hand. While Joshua and Caleb were saying “We are well able”, the other ten spies were singing” We are not able”. The voice of courage says you can do it, while the voice of fear says you are not able. The voice of fear exposes our stack inadequacies in the face of adversity. It tells us how helpless and deficient we are in adversity.  It is the voice of discouragement, the voice of impossibility.

But most, unfortunately, we tend to listen to the deafening voice of fear against the backdrop of the voice of courage because of the inclination of our worldview. Hence, in response to adversity, we always retort, ‘Oh am finished’, ‘am dead’,’ my whole life has come to an end’, and how did I find myself in this mess?’ ‘Or how can I come out of this trouble’. But to succeed in life we must hold a positive worldview about life. Holding a positive worldview lends credence to our pursuit of success. It is the ace we need to make our success a reality. Therefore you must change every negative outlook on life if you dream about success.

Be inspired, be determined, and dare to succeed.

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Success and the Attitude Question

the attitude question

In the school of success, the attitude question is very important. Attitude serves as a substructure upon which all other variables of success fit. Hence attitude plays a very vital role in the quest for success. Categorically, we can state here that what differentiates the successful person and the unsuccessful one is their attitude. Attitude is the thin line that separates the world of conquest from that of failure. There is an attitude toward success that anyone who is aspiring to succeed must subscribe to. It is clearly evident that success is an attitude, and when it comes to conquest attitude is everything. Hence whether you will succeed or not depends on your attitude.

Extraordinary people were once just ordinary people with an extraordinary attitude -Brian Souza.

Attitude simply means the opinion and feelings that you usually have about something -your worldview so to say. Can I ask you something? What is your opinion about success? Or how do you feel about the subject of success? Is it that of resentment, nonchalance, or lackadaisical? Or is it an attitude of excitement, passion, desire, and determination? The law of retribution is in full sway in the realm of success. Hence, you can hardly be successful if you are resentful, lackadaisical, or nonchalant about success. On the other hand, you will succeed if you are passionate, excited, and determined to succeed. It is a question of what you sow is what you reap.

The Attitude Question

Among all the variables of success, attitude is the most reliable. Not even your hard work can fetch you success as attitude would. Hard work without attitude amounts to mediocrity. So, attitude is a major determinant of success. It controls your behavior in the face of challenges and hence influences your chances to overcome. It doesn’t matter where you are on the ladder of success, you might even be in the very abyss of failure, but what matters most is whether you have the attitude to turn things around through conquest and be successful in life. Hence, for you to succeed in life then you must clearly answer the attitude question.

Cultivate the Uncommon Attitude

The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well – John D. Rockefeller Jr.

The answer to failure and defeat in life is to cultivate an extraordinary attitude. Many of the people who are successful today have once, or more than once in their lifetime tasted failure and defeat. They were once or severally bombarded by the catatonic missiles of failure and defeat. They once sailed on the troubled and turbulent water of life without making any shipwreck. Their ability to rise above their failure and defeat was necessitated by the cultivation of an extraordinary attitude, and through this extraordinary attitude they did not remain failures rather they were able to change their lot. What makes the ordinary man extraordinary is the extraordinary attitude. This extraordinary attitude reflects on the way we do things, even our fight against the challenges of life. It helps us to do common things even more exceptionally well in the spirit of success.

The Power of extraordinary Attitude

And God said; let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion… And God bless them, and God said unto them be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth, (Genesis 1:26,28). 

Mark these words, dominion, fruitful, multiply, replenish, and subdue as used by God. These are instructional words by God demanding man to conquer and succeed on earth. The plan of God for us is the plan of conquest and success in life. So by default, you have the wherewithal to conquer and succeed in life. Listen; if you are still struggling with failure and in defeat in life, chances are that you are yet to cultivate the attitude of success. Those you call successful today were once ordinary people until they imbibed an extraordinary attitude and overcome their challenges, and their situations were changed for good.

Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do – John Rohn. 

Understand that with this extraordinary attitude you can go the extra mile with regard to conquest. In addition, this attitude can emancipate you from the shackles of failure and defeat in life. This kind of attitude motivates and fires us to success.

Attitude Influences the Worldview

The attitude question affects our behavior towards tough situations. It affords us the opportunity to see life from a different perspective – a worldview. Hence, it is a wide world perception, the framework of ideas and beliefs, or a set of global descriptions through which an individual or group or culture watches and interprets the world and interacts with it. Our worldview is the prism through which we view the world for a unique world experience and better cognitive orientation of the world around us. So answering the attitude question enhances our worldview. It helps you to imbibe a new philosophy of life. With this attitude you will be able to understand that tough times do not last but tough people do. This attitude of success will make you see light at the end of every tunnel.

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm – Winston Churchill

Finally, this extraordinary attitude to a large extent influences our momentary response to failure and makes sure we are not failure designates. Once you answer the attitude question, it goes a long way to define your success. Imbibe this extraordinary attitude now.

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Consistency of Purpose: What is Pushing You in Life?

consistency of purpose

Consistency of purpose is an important key to unlock the realm of success. What is pushing you? This is the question one of my lecturers always asked us back then in school. Each time he enters the classroom he would jokingly asked us, what is pushing you? The question was so funny then and we made whole lots of fun out of it. Now, permit me to ask you what is pushing you? What is the driving force behind your pursuit in life? In that business what is your driving force? In your career what is actually the driving force? As a politician what is the driving force behind your political ambition?

Purpose is one of the driving forces of life. It is a determinant of whether you succeed or fail in life. And for you to make maximum impact in life all your efforts and pursuit in life must be purpose driven. It is the motive behind our actions. The purpose is what defines our actions in life. It consists of a high-level commitment to a course in life. Purpose is the motivation, the push, the impetus we need to succeed in life. This purpose or the driving force behind your pursuit in life must be consistent enough if you hope to have a landmark achievement in life i.e. consistency of purpose.

Consistency of Purpose is Phenomenal

The benefits of consistency of purpose are phenomenal. Consistency of purpose is a veritable strategy to overcome your challenges. It entails staying on without losing focus. It is doing something over and over again without deviation or distraction until a desired result is achieved. With consistency of purpose one is apprehensive of what he or she wants out of every circumstance of life. Consistency of purpose is the force that drives or propels men to keep their heads up when dealt with the fatal blows of adversity.

Consistency of Purpose Does Not Quit

After more than a thousand times of unsuccessful experiments to invent the electric bulb Thomas A Edison remain resolute and consistently tried until he was successful. Something was pushing him. The driving force behind his pursuit was success. Abraham Lincoln former president of America succeeded at long last. After eight horrible failed attempts he was elected president of the United States. He never gave up because something was pushing him. His ambition was purpose driven.

Some challenges of life may last longer, so it takes consistency of purpose as it were to survive the tough times of adversity. Moreover, it weakens the power base of any challenge. It is like breaking down a concrete wall with a hammer. With each strike of the hammer the wall is weakened until the last blow that will finally collapse the wall. No matter how strong any challenge might be with a steady and consistent blow it is weakened and is knocked off.

It Deals With The Frustration of Failure

Joshua and the Israelites by the instruction of God consistently marched around Jericho’s wall once every day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day. By implication each march around Jericho weakened the strength of the wall until the seventh day when it was weakened to the foundation, and with their shout the wall effortlessly caved in, (Joshua 6:1-16, 20).

Ordinarily they would have fainted or given up even on the sixth day when nothing happened, not even a crack on the wall, but they persevered and consistently marched around till the seventh day when the wall collapsed completely. Something was pushing them. Their driving force was the mandate of possession. That is consistency of purpose in action; it eliminates and deals with every frustration and depression in life. When you are driven by purpose you can never be frustrated in life no matter how many times you fail in that pursuit of yours.

Call to action

Once again what is pushing you? You must define your purpose in life today, and let it be the driving force behind your pursuit in life. Consistently pursue your purpose no matter the outcome until you get the desired result. With this kind of spirit I tell you, you will have a remarkable success in life.

Note: If this post has added value to your life kindly share with friends and colleagues. Do comment and send us feelers to enable us serve you better. 

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The Road to nowhere

Road to nowhere
The Road to Nowhere.

The greatest mistake any individual can make in life’s journey is to venture into the road that leads to nowhere. The road to nowhere seems very appealing but the dead end is calamitous. Many have met their waterloo, and become casualties of life while they transverse this road.

A young man set out on a very important journey and on his way he was caught up in heavy traffic along the major highway. And in a bid to maneuver the heavy traffic and avoid the boredom of sitting long in the traffic he diverted to a shortcut. On entering the shortcut and seeing the free vehicular movement he felt relieved that he had escaped the rigors and boredom of the heavy traffic. He had freely accelerated almost a kilometer when suddenly he noticed a ‘No Road’ sign. Alas, he can neither move any further nor reconnect to the main highway.

Definitely, he must turn back and face the intimidating traffic he was trying to avoid. He was sad to realize that he had wasted all his effort in vain trying to maneuver the traffic. More painful was the fact that all the vehicles that were behind him had long gone past the traffic. What a big disappointment! Such is the fate of everyone that cut corners. Shortcuts lead to nowhere but to regrets and disappointment.

There is a road that seems good.

On the highway of life, there is nothing like shortcuts. The road that leads to success is usually that of pain, hard work, courage, determination, commitment, endurance, and sacrifice. Any other road, (shortcut inclusive) apart from this leads to nowhere. On the road to conquest, there are no cutting corners. In fact, all the requirements and details of life must be duly fulfilled. Hence you must be willing to pay the price for success and your ability to pay the full price determines how far you will go in life. It also determines whether you will rise above adversity or not.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, (Hebrews 12:2).

For instance, Christ has set the antecedent for us. He understood that for a life of conquest one must pay the full price. Then he took responsibility for the salvation of mankind. He paid the full price by his death on the cross. And had to endure the cross because there was no other shortcut other than the way of the cross. He did not cut corners to make it in life, even when the devil tempted him in the wilderness promising to give him all the kingdom of the world, the power and the glory of it only if he would bow down and worship him, (Matthew 4:5-8). Christ did not oblige because he knew that it is not cutting corners but taking full responsibility that guarantees long-lasting conquest. And because he did he obtained eternal glory in his conquest over Satan.

Ordinarily, the natural man when faced with such options, like simply bow down, worship, and take the kingdom; or give his life through the hard and unnatural death on the cross, and take the same kingdom and its glory. Many would have opted for the former because it is simple and there is little or no responsibility in it.

Interestingly many in the pursuit of wealth do not want to take responsibility. They want to cut corners, and so they have devised shortcuts for themselves. Actually, they have forgotten completely that there are no shortcuts to success in life. They fail to understand that shortcuts lead to nowhere and that the hard way of responsibility leads to amazing great success in life.

Dignity of Labor

Nowadays it seems there is no more dignity in labor. A lot of people tend to have jettisoned the labor-reward system. It is common to see people who want to reap where they have not sown. This is pure greed and it is inimical to the law of success. It is very pertinent to understand that in life your output is directly proportional to your input under normal circumstances. In other words, what you put into life is what you get out of life. There is no doubt about that.

Today the craze for shortcuts is fast becoming a fad in this present-day world. Unfortunately, a lot of people want to make it in life but they don’t want to take responsibility for their success. Hence they have veered off the hard way of conquest into the cheap and easy way called a shortcut. They have therefore devised shortcuts to appease their gluttonous appetite.

Notable among these shortcuts is the cybercrime menace. This is a case where some cyber criminals or fraudsters are taking advantage of the gullibility of unsuspecting men and women within cyberspace. These criminals hack into computers to gain illegal access to vital information. They steal credit card information, online banking login details, and other personal information in order to defraud their victims. Yet, another dangerous dimension to cybercrime is identity theft. These shortcuts have now become a bane to our society. It is a threat to our security; hence our existence is threatened as well. It has destroyed lives, businesses, marriages, and trust among people.

Make a U-turn

Just like the young man mentioned above, we must all retrace our footsteps from these shortcuts if we desire conquest in life. Henceforth, we must begin to tread on the hard way of responsibility and challenges. That is the only road that leads to conquest, success, and glory. Treading on this road gives you mastery over challenges of adversity. Cutting corners is not good as it damages your self-esteem and confidence. Finally in the words of one of my former coursemates, ‘it will do you more harm than good.

Imagine, believe, and dare to succeed.

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