Monday 29 August 2011

Positive Lifestyle for Victorious Living

Your victory or failure in any sphere of life is anchored on your lifestyle.
You are either living a positive lifestyle or a negative lifestyle.
The lifestyle that guarantees victory is the positive lifestyle. Negative lifestyle, on the other hand, denies us the victory that is ours by birth.
Negative lifestyle has to do with the harmful and destructive perspective we have about others, about present circumstances, and about ourselves. Negative lifestyle also has to do with the harmful and negative way we speak about everything and about ourselves.
Positive lifestyle, on the other hand, has to do with the fantastic perspective we have about others, about present circumstances, about life generally, and about ourselves. Positive lifestyle also has to do with the fantastic way we speak about everything and about ourselves.
Positive lifestyle entails living by faith. When you live by faith, you see things not from the way things are, but from the way you want things to be; when you live by faith, you are not pushed around by negative circumstances, you are in firm control of your life.
When you live by faith, you make yourself “blind” to the present unfavourable circumstances.
Unfortunately, many of us live by sight, rather than by faith. The problem with living by sight is that we tend to believe that the way things are is the way we are destined to live. And as we continue to hold unto that belief, we get stuck to that negative lifestyle, hence victory remains elusive.
But when you live a positive lifestyle or you live by faith, you live and speak the way you want your life to be, and not the way your life is at the moment.
Sometime ago, a preacher went about preaching prosperity as part of the Gospel of Christ. People refused to reckon with him, because they said he was preaching prosperity and he was poor. Though discouraged, he refused to see himself as poor. He kept on preaching and seeing himself as a prosperous preacher. Today, the preacher is one of the wealthiest people in the US. He has jets which he uses for his evangelical work.
Dear reader, your success in life is not dependent on the present circumstance. That a person does not have money today does not mean he will not have it tomorrow. The important thing to note, if you want to live a victorious life, is that the circumstances or difficult situation you are passing through now is not the determining factor for your success in life. The determining factor for your victory in life is the positive image you hold about yourself and about life generally.
Never allow the present unfavourable circumstances to affect your life negatively. Keep focusing on the way you want your life to be. Life is what you make of it, not what the circumstances dictate.
Also, the positive image you hold about yourself and about life is more important than the opinion of any “expert” or person. You can be victorious when nobody believes you can; but you can never be victorious if you don’t believe in yourself.
History is replete with individuals who emerged victorious after people have written them off and said they could never succeed.
Thomas Edison was written off as too stupid to learn as a school boy. Today, he is remembered for inventing the electric bulb; when an aeronautical engineer saw Bill Lear’s design for a Jet, he said: “It’s a huge risk, and it will never fly;” but jets are still flying till today; when Sorchio HONDA set out to manufacture motorcycle many years ago, he was told never to do so, as it would not work, but today, motorcycles are still being used worldwide.
Your victory in life is not determined by people’s perspective about you, but by the positive image you hold about yourself and your ability. That is why you should believe in yourself when no one does. When you triumph at last, people will have no choice than to believe in you.
You don’t argue with results. You know?
Rules for Victorious Living
In the game of life, you must play by the rules, if you want to be victorious. Below are the basic rules that any person wishing to be a victor must observe.
1. Affirm the Positive
You use your tongue to either bless or curse. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
We all want to be victorious, but indirectly we use our tongue to drive victory far away from us.
Negative confession brings negative results; while positive confession brings positive results. This is the number one principle for victorious living, and this principle has its foundation the Book of God, the Bible. The Bible says: ‘Let the weak say, “I am strong.”’ This implies that you are to affirm the positive and disregard the negative.
The positive way you want your life to be is what you should affirm; not the way you are the moment.
Winners in the game of life have an unflinching focus on victory and that is why they affirm and talk about victory all the time. If you are weak, affirm that you are strong; if you are sick, affirm that you are healed, affirm that you are healthy; if you are poor, affirm that you are rich, affirm that you are prosperous.
Here are some positive affirmations you can consider. Copy them on a card or paper. Repeat them 10 times in the morning and also in the evening. Keep repeating them and soon you will start believing in the truth they contain. And once your mind (conscious and subconscious) are saturated with them, you become indomitable.
The positive affirmations are –
a) It is well with my soul, it is well with my mind, it is well with my body, it is well with my finances and job/business;
b) I am more than a conqueror. I succeed in anything I lay my hands upon to do; and
c) I am blessed, I am healthy, I am prosperous.
2. Feed Your Mind With Champion’s Food
Just as you feed your body with food in order to stay alive, healthy, and active, you need to feed your mind with food. However the type of food you feed your mind with, determines the kind of life you live. An Igala proverb says: “It is what the bird eats that he uses to fly.”
This is the second rules for victorious living: Feed your mind constantly with champions’ food, and you will have the strength of a champion.
Champions’ food includes anything that motivates, inspires, builds, and empowers you to live a victorious life. Among champions’ food are books on motivation, success, personal development, and most importantly, the Book of God, the Bible which is the foundation for victorious living.
Reading makes the man. Readers are leaders. Read inspirational and motivational books. Soak your mind with them. I mean, read and digest the contents therein. And to do that, you read at a “slow-and-steady pace to enable you understand and digest thoroughly.
Also attend seminars and go to places where positive messages are delivered, and listen attentively to the messages.
Dear reader, this week, I am giving out a power-packed motivational eBook written by one of the greatest motivational writer of all times. You cannot afford to miss this eBook. To get a copy, just email or text me:
Email: conqueror.adaji30@gmail.com
Phone: +2347061016859

How to Reap the Benefit of Positive Thinking for Your Prosperity

Positive thinking offers no immunity from problems, frustration, and disappointment. That you are a positive thinker does not mean problems and discouragement will not come.
However, what positive thinking does for you is that it helps you to see opportunities in the midst of problems, frustration, and disappointments. People miss opportunities in life, not because of anything order than the fact that they fail to see opportunities inherent in the “ugly” situation they find themselves.
In his book, A Year of Growing Rich, Napoleon Hill, the author of the famous motivational book, Think and Grow Rich, narrated a story that really impacted my life positively. In the story, a man put up advert for the sale of his large plot of land. Only two persons bid for it. One of the bidders opted to pay low price for the land because the land was covered by bamboo, which he thought made the land practically worthless. The other bidder made an offer twice as high and bought the land. He cut the bamboo into fishing poles and sold them for enough money to pay the price of the land!
One of the benefits of positive thinking is that it places you in a position to see opportunities in any seemingly unpleasant situations. Where others see worthlessness, you see significance; where others see impossibilities, you see possibilities; where they see failure, you see victory; and where they see ugly situation, you see great opportunities.
Positive thinking also helps you to focus on the good, while ignoring the bad. Sometime ago, during my Chamber Attachment, I used to experience problem of getting back home late at night because of scarcity of vehicle plying Banex to Mpape- all in Abuja. Now, as close as Banex is to Mpape, you would not find a vehicle from there to Mpape, and most times, I would wait on the road from 6pm to 10pm or thereabout to find vehicle going to Mpape.
On one occasion, as I was discussing this “bitter” experience with another passenger waiting for Mpape vehicle, I struck an idea which I shared with the man. “Look”, I said: “One lucrative business I am going to invest in here is transport business. If I start with a mini bus, I would make a lot of money within a short time.”
Without giving thought to what I said, the man reacted on impulse: “You cannot make money from transport business. It is the driver that will be siphoning your income.” He then cited the case of a transporter in his neighbourhood who complained that his driver had not given him a kobo for the last two weeks and that it was after the two weeks had passed that he informed him that the vehicle had not been in order since that two weeks, and so did not use the vehicle since then.
It is really sad that many people have so trained their mind to focus on the bad aspect of anything, idea, or situation, that they forget to see the good side of it. The effect of looking at the ugly side of any situation or idea is that by focusing on the negative aspects, you ignore the great opportunities embedded in the situation or idea.
If you must look at the bad side of anything, do so with the aim of finding concrete solution to it. But don’t let that makes you to ignore the good aspect.
Positive thinking helps you to succeed where others fail. Success will always be a mirage to those who fail to see opportunities in adversity.
Look for the Good
The surest way to prosperity is to look for the good in any situation you find yourself.
Are you unemployed or is your income so low that it cannot sustain you? Then, remember the advice of Richard Branson, the British Billionaire: “The best thing to happen to any young person is to be in the business of his own.”
I don’t know the situation you are in today, but I can assure you that right in the midst of that situation, there are great opportunities that will lift you up beyond your wildest imagination.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Yes, there is a silver lining behind that cloud of despair you are experiencing now. You need to look for it. Ask yourself: “what good can I find in this situation? How can I deal with this situation? What money making idea can I generate to overcome my present predicament? What opportunities are embedded in this situation I am in?
As you ask yourself these questions, endeavour to write down ideas that come to your mind. Write any ideas that occur to you. When you have gathered enough ideas, take time to examine them critically. Select one or more of these ideas to start with, taking cognizance of the one that holds greater prospect. Work hard at bringing these ideas into reality.
Think Positively
As you work hard at bringing these ideas into reality, things may not turn out the way you think. There may be obstacles, difficulties, or disappointments. But all these need not stop you on your way to prosperity. Remember, a positive thinker does not give up, because he can always positively think his way out of any situation. Keep fighting. Keep working hard until you succeed.
A positive thinker is one who uses obstacles, difficulties, and disappointments as steppingstones to greatness.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you must succeed at first attempt. At times, life may demand much more from you. In that case, you may have to try and keep trying until you succeed.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian nationalist and political leader said: “The glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time you fall.”

Service: Your Key to Prosperity

The problem of the society is not that there are no jobs or works to do. Rather, the problem is: the people to do these jobs or works are few.
Mankind is faced with the problem of satisfying its needs. These needs are insatiable. We all need food, clothing, and shelter. In addition, we need other items including luxuries, entertainment, education, etc
Now, the human resources required to meet these needs are inadequate. No nation is completely self-sufficient. Similarly, no person is self-sufficient. We all need each other’s services. Even if you can do everything for yourself, you will still need the services of others, because you cannot do everything for yourself at the same time. In addition, employing others to perform certain services relieves you the burden of doing it yourself; and this gives you ample opportunity to face other meaningful tasks.
The population explosion worldwide necessitates the need for more product and services to meet the demand of the populace.
Maximum success is anchored on your ability to produce or supply products or render service to meet the need of the people. In return for providing the products or service, the society rewards you all the time.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “It is one the most beautiful compensation of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
“Give first” is the prerequisite for receiving. Unfortunately, many people want to receive and keep receiving without thinking of giving something to the society.
I know a graduate who clings to this mentality of “receiving” and not giving. This graduate keeps telling people: “I like keeping friends that I can benefit from. What is the essence of friendship if I cannot gain anything from friends?” And you know what? The more he holds tenaciously to this philosophy, the more disappointed he becomes. People soon get tired of him and dump him.
Perhaps, this is one reason many people are complaining of unemployment. They expect the government or an employer to come and give them job.
Granted, there is problem of unemployment. But what we are saying here is that if you are willing to serve humanity, you will never lack what to do. You don’t need to be an employee before you can render service to humanity. And service to humanity is your key to prosperity.
Put others first. The “what- is- in- it- for- me” (WIIIFM) mentality should not be your priority. Your focus should be what others stand to benefit from you – your service or product.
Can you provide quality service or product? Can you sincerely say that people will benefit from your service or product? Just as you hate trash, so also others hate paying for poor quality service or product. Don’t expect to be highly rewarded for poor service or product you provide. People don’t pay for service or product, but for the quality.
You need to examine the product or service you are rendering. Can you also say that you value or derive any benefit from it? Compare your service or product with similar ones provided by other persons. Is yours better? Does it measure up? Or is it below standard?
What can you do to add value to your product or service? What improvement can you bring to bear on your service or product?
Service is the key to Jesus’ success in his ministry. All his life, Jesus did not live for himself, but for others. Everything he did was not for the benefit of himself, but for the benefit of others. He taught his disciples that their greatness in life is anchored on service they render to humanity.
You cannot achieve greatness if you are not willing to serve humanity, because true greatness lies in service to humanity.
Many people lived and died with their knowledge, skill, experience and talents (gifts) buried with them. It is either they never valued these gifts of theirs to the point of sharing or blessing mankind with them or they are being selfish, or they think there are not many people yearning to know or acquire what they have got.
The road to prosperity begins with what you have and what you do with what you have. It does not matter whether what you have is big or little. It is what you do with what you have that matters. Prosperity begins from the moment you start to think of what you can do with the little that you have to benefit the life of others.
Your knowledge, skill, experience, and talents are money spinning diadem. They can launch you into prosperity if you are willing to serve humanity with them.
You need to value what you have. There are thousands of people, if not millions, who are yearning to have what you have and are ready to pay to get them. That is why you must value what you have. Until you do, you may never see any need to share it with others or serve others with it.
There are many people who may not be as smart as you are, but are making millions from their gift. I have bought and read some booklets written by people who, I may say, cannot be called authorities in their fields, yet, they are making money selling their little knowledge and skills which they put down in the booklets.
Are people not buying the booklets? They are, because they want to acquire the knowledge and skill embedded in the booklets. These authors are making money from their booklets because they do not conceal their gifts. They use them to serve humanity.
Life is “give and take”. You give first before you take. And this is the major distinguishing characteristic of a successful person. A successful person is one who sees the need of the masses and devotes his entire life providing this need.
If the likes of Gates, Dell, Dangote, Ibrahim, Adenuga, etc, decide to keep their products and service for their own use, they would be as poor as the church rat.
We should take a cue from them. Your focus should be how you can serve the masses starting with what you have.
Your gift is like a seed. While the seed is with you, it remains of little significance; when you till the land and plant it, it germinates, grow and produce fruits in hundred folds.
The same thing applies to your knowledge, skill, experience, and talents. While they remain with you, they serve little purpose; but when you share or use them to serve humanity, you will be richly rewarded. There is no service to humanity that will go unrewarded.
Below are steps you can take to serve humanity with what you have –
1. Examine yourself. Identify the knowledge, skill, and experience you have acquired over the years. Identify the talents you have.
2. Think of people who desire what you have or who can be assisted with your gifts. Think of how you can use your talents to serve mankind. Can you sing, write, speak in public effectively, and entertain audience like the actors/actresses do? What about sports? Can you run, play football, lawn tennis, table tennis, hockey, handball, etc? What are those things you are passionate about? Are you passionate about politics, leadership, impacting lives, or entrepreneurship?
3. Pick up a pen and paper and start jotting down the knowledge, skill, and talents that you have. Also jot down those things you are passionate about. Jot down as many as come to your mind.
4. Select one or more from your jottings, especially the knowledge, skill, experience and talents that you have mastered so well; that you are most passionate about; and that you feel the masses need most.
5. After making your selection, place them in the order of priorities. Then, take the first one first. Polish the knowledge, skill, or talent. If it means going for training or attending seminar in order to polish it, don’t hesitate to do so. Your knowledge, skill, or talent cannot be delivered to the masses raw. They have to be processed, diligently packaged, and presented to the masses at an affordable price.
6. You can package your knowledge, skill, and experience as a product, book, eBook, audio or video in CD/DVD; you can also package them for seminar or for practical training class; you can also make yourself available where your talent is needed or use your talent to meet the need the masses.