Think Outside the Box

The proverbial box is nothing but the limitations we place in our thinking. When we limit ourselves in our thinking, we limit our progress in life.

If you have concluded that you cannot go farther than certain level, you may never be able to advance beyond that level. If you say there is nothing else you can do concerning certain issue in your life, then, you are guilty of thinking “inside the box.”

Obviously, we live in a world of endless possibilities. Just when a person concludes that something is impossible, then you will find a positive-minded person that will get up and convince the doubting Thomas that it is possible.

In his book, The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale narrated a story which helped to encourage one to think outside the box all the time in order to achieve outstanding success.

In the story, a sky scrapper was built and they were considering installing elevator. But the engineers said this would mean extra cost as they have to pull down part of the building in order to install the elevator. They thought there was no other way they could go about it.

But a janitor, who heard the engineers discuss the issue, suggested that instead of incurring more expenses by destroying part of the building, it was better they installed the elevator outside the building. The idea struck the engineers!

Now, before then, no elevator had ever been installed outside buildings. The other engineers kicked against the idea of installing elevator outside the building. They said the idea went against the laws of engineering.

But after much deliberation and out of reluctance, they agreed to experiment with the janitor’s idea. They succeeded in doing that. That was the first time elevator was installed outside a building!

Dear reader, anytime any person or your mind tells you that something is impossible, don’t believe it. The fact that you cannot find a way of doing certain thing does not mean it is impossible. The fact that something has never been done in a particular way does not mean it cannot be done that way.

The problem with us most times is that we are too rigid in our thinking. When something has never been done in a particular way, we quickly conclude that it can never be done that way. Norman Vincent Peale called this type of thinking “grooved-in thinking.”

Noting is Impossible

We are living in a world of endless possibilities. Many things that people thought were impossible years ago have been made possible by those who thought outside the box and discovered ways of getting them done.

Travelling to the moon was thought to be impossible many years ago, but some people thought outside the box. They believed it was possible. They believed there must be ways of getting into the moon. After series of trials and errors, they discovered a way and eventually got into the moon.

WHEN YOU THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ALL THE TIME, YOU WILL CERTAINLY DISCOVER WAYS OF ACCOMPLISHING THE GOAL YOU SET FOR YOURSELF. Don’t limit yourself in your thinking. Always believe thing are possible. You only need to find a way of doing them.

THE BASIC STEP TO THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX IS ESTABLISHING IN YOUR MIND THE FACT THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. Then, think of ways of getting things done. It is when you start thinking of possible ways of doing a particular thing that you will start discovering the ways.

You Can Make It Possible

The fact that it has never been done anywhere does not mean it is impossible. Those things we say are “impossible” remain impossible because we fail to think outside the box.

Many years ago, Henry Ford told his team of engineers to produce a particular engine (V8) which had never been produced before. When the engineers saw the design, they quickly replied that it was impossible to produce it. Ford told them to go and produce it. They went and tried to produce it. After some time, they returned to Ford and told him they could not produce it.

Ford asked them to go back and keep working on it until they produced it. He gave them a deadline. They went back and worked to produce it. Surprisingly, within few weeks, the engine was successfully created!

Dear reader, those things you think are impossible are not really impossible. They may look impossible, but they are not. When you think outside the box by looking for ways of getting those things done, you will certainly find ways of doing them.

It may be that no one has ever done what you want to do. That does not mean it is impossible to do it. The fact that it has never been done does not mean that it cannot be done. Like Ford’s team of engineers, you have to force yourself to believe that it is possible.

WHEN YOU THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND GO BACK TO WORK, YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT THOSE THINGS YOU THOUGHT WERE IMPOSSIBLE ARE ACTUALLY POSSIBLE.

It Can Be Done

The fact that some have tried it and failed does not mean it cannot be done. We have seen or heard it many times, in the business world, of situations where some people failed and quit some businesses while others come into the same businesses and make them buoyant. What is the secret?

The secret is in the pattern of thinking of the operators of these businesses. While former operators thought there was no way they could take the businesses to greater height; the later thought they could achieve great success in the businesses. That thought gave them the staying power to remain in the businesses and turn them around for the better.

You can succeed where others have failed. You only need to change your way of thinking. Stop thinking inside the box. Stop limiting yourself in your thinking. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE WAYS OF GETTING THINGS DONE. REMEMBER: WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY.

For every goal you set for yourself, there is a way of achieving it. You only need to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Put on your thinking cap now and start thinking of ways of achieving the goal you have set for yourself.

Try Again

The fact that you have tried many times and did not succeed does not mean that you cannot succeed. More often than not, the problem we have is not with the method we adopt in achieving our goal. The method may be right. It is only our way of thinking that is wrong.

Often, when we try several times and don’t succeed we start thinking that it is all over, that we have failed; and then we quit. The story is told of a pike (a large FRESHWATER fish with very sharp teeth) that was kept in the aquarium. The aquarium had a glass partition which separated the pike from many other small fishes kept at the other side. The pike tried repeatedly to eat the small fishes, but each time it tried, it would be blocked by the glass partition.

Later, the glass partition was removed, but the pike never made any further effort at eating the fishes. More often, we suffer from this “pike syndrome.” The pain and frustration we experience from several futile efforts make us to stop putting in more efforts.

No wonder, someone said: “90% of those who failed didn’t fail; they quit.” Quitting should not be your portion. Don’t quickly pack off and quit when things are going wrong. IF YOU ARE SURE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, AND THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL AS YOU EXPECT, DON’T ALLOW FEELING OF FRUSTRATION TO GET YOU OFF THE TRACK.

Remain on the track. Keep trying. Give it more tries. You may be closer to success than you think. Why give up when only one more effort could be what you need make to achieve the goal you have set for yourself.

Finally, when you are in a fix, don’t conclude that it is impossible. No matter how difficult things may be, it is not impossible to achieve them. Believe you can achieve any goal you set for yourself. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX and begin to generate the ideas you need for achieving your set goal.

Until I come your way soon, go and live victoriously!         

Telescope of Faith: The Results are Coming (2)

Welcome to part 2 of this article. The fact of life is that results don’t come by worrying and fretting. Answers to prayers don’t come by getting discouraged and refusing to pray. Once in a while, every person may worry and fret. But real victors never continue to worry and fret.

This is the distinguishing factor between a victor and a victim. While a victim is perpetually despondent, a victor is perpetually focusing on the telescope of faith. For the victim, the consequence of his worries is that he becomes frustrated and despairs of life. For the victor, the consequence of using his telescope of faith is that he can see the results he is yearning for. He can see the answers to his prayers.

And because he can see everything he wants by faith, he is never bothered by the present unpleasant situation. The lifestyle of the victim is different. A victim sees things as they are. It is all the unpleasant things that his eyes can see that he focuses on and worries about. And because what he sees with his physical eyes is what he believes, he finds it difficult to see the great blessings God has packaged for him.

It is really pathetic meeting a victim of circumstances of life. The moment you meet a victim, you will quickly know. The bullets of negative confessions he shoots from his mouth will hit you, if you don’t dodge and escape.

The victim will tell you the sad story of how he has been under the oppression of witches and wizards over the years. He tells you the witches and wizards are responsible for his misfortunes. He tells you how some witch and wizard have told her that they would never allow him to prosper. Every time he opens his mouth, what you hear is negative confessions.

The person may claim to be a believer and would tell you that he prays and fasts regularly and goes to church regularly, yet the only beings he worships are witches and wizards, satan and his agents.

Then, you begin to ask yourself questions: is this person a true believer? Does he have faith in the creator of the heaven and earth? Does he know that he has power over those witches and wizards that he said are ruining his life? Does he know that he has authority over satan and his agents?

And this makes me to quickly draw some lessons from here. A man may claim to be a believer, he goes to church regularly, prays and fasts regularly, yet he does not have the faith that will make him an overcomer.

The Book of Success, the Bible says: “For what soever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

I have come to realize that there is no amount of religious practice you indulge in that will bring you victory, if you don’t have faith. I have come to realize that the fear of witches and wizards will not grant you victory over them, it is your faith that will earn you the victory.

I have come to realize that the fear of satan and his agents can never grant you victory over them, rather this fear will hold you in captivity. I have come to realize that God will not drive away the witches and wizards and satan and his agents that are troubling you, because He has already given you power over them. The Bible says, “Submit yourself therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Jesus, the centerpiece of our faith, has given us power over satan and his cohorts; “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

If you are a believer and you don’t know that you have power over satan and his cohorts, including the witches and wizards, you may remain at their mercy for a long time. It is your responsibility to resist the devil and his agents, including the witches and wizard. God may not do that for you since He has already given you the power to do so.

One big mistake some people used to make is that they think that by worrying, whining and complaining, God will rescue them. They think that by getting agitated about the results and answers to their prayers which are not forthcoming, the results and answers will come.

But they are wrong. God has laid down the principle for receiving from Him. The Master Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24).

You may ask: “Is it possible to pray without having faith since it is faith that prompts a person to pray in the first place?” yes, it is possible to pray without having faith. Granted, the act of prayer by a person actually demonstrates some faith, but the person may not take the second step that he must take before he can receive from God, which is BELIEVING.

Act of prayer alone is not enough to grant answers to your petition. You must also believe that your prayers have been answered even though you cannot see the answers presently. If you keep praying and you keep worrying, “Where are the answers to my prayers? When will my prayers be answered?” Then it is an indication that you do not have the faith that brings the answers to your prayers. If you actually have the faith, you would realize that you don’t have to see the answers before you believe that God has answered your prayers.

If you actually have faith, you would realise that you don’t have to know when the answers to your prayers will come into manifestation. The job of the believer is to believe and keep believing that his prayers have been answered and then the answers will become a reality.

It is that “sustained faith” that is real faith. Everyone can pray, but it is those that have sustained faith that will obtain answers to their prayers. You should not stop praying and believing until you obtain answers to your prayers.

If you have been praying, endeavour to keep believing until you obtain answers to your prayers. If you are getting discouraged and you ask: “Where are the answers to my prayers” Supply the answer by yourself: “My prayers have been answered the first time I prayed. They are coming.”

Faith for Victorious Living

Faith is also the basis for our victory. We are not going to overcome our enemies if we keep pitying ourselves, worrying and confessing what they are doing to us. In fact, if your enemies know that you are pitying yourself and confessing negatively, they would be happy and even try to make you believe the lie that your destiny is in their hands.

The fact is, satan will keep you in despondency and defeat as long as he succeeds in making you to keep focusing on the negative things that are happening around you and in your life. If you are a believer and you think your destiny is in the hands of witches and wizards, then you need to examine yourself again.

If you are a believer and you are always preoccupied with what your enemies are doing to you rather than what God is doing for you, you may never be able to overcome your enemies.

If you cannot see and thank God for what He is doing for you and all you keep seeing and talking about is what your enemies are doing to you, I tell you: you may never be able to come out of despondency and defeat.

Be an Overcomer

The Book of Success, the Bible says: “For what soever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). If you are a believer, you are an overcomer and your faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

One problem I find with victims is that they get so immersed in negativity that even when you try and try to pull them out of the dungeon of negativity, they keep justifying themselves that what they are saying and passing through are real. But as miracle preacher, Benny Hinn said, “Faith doesn’t deny fact, it changes it.”

Granted, the powers of darkness are oppressing you and ruining your life. the fact is, you cannot overcome them by confessing and focusing on what they are doing to you. You don’t become an overcomer by confessing defeat, you become an overcomer by confessing VICTORY. The Bible says, “Let the weak say I am strong” (Joel 3:10).

If you are under the fire of affliction and you are confessing negatively, you may never be able to come out of that affliction. The way to come out of any affliction is to keep confessing victory all the time. This is the method the Bible prescribes for achieving victory. The Bible says “Let the weak say I am strong.”

You should not confess the negative things that are happening around you and in your life; you should always confess the positive things that you want to happen experience in your life.

Exercise Your Authority

When you muse: “Where are the results? My enemies have ruined me.” Then, you need to ask yourself: “Have I done my part in dealing with the powers of darkness? Have I exercised my authority over the witches and wizards?”

When it comes to power tussle, you need to understand that the battle goes beyond whining and complaining. You don’t win by whining, you win by wielding your authority over satan and his agents. You just have to give up the idea that you won’t fight to be victorious. It is not possible!

Think of it! Can you find a soldier sing victory song when there are no battles to fight and win? Or can a man say he has overcome when there is no battle that has been fought and won by him or on his behalf?

Dear reader, if you are a soldier of Christ, you need to know or remind yourself that there are battles to fight and win. We should rejoice in the fact that all we need to overcome has been given unto us. The Bible says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4).

God has given you the weapons of the name of Jesus, blood of Jesus, the shield of faith, etc to pull down the stronghold of satan and his cohorts. If powers of darkness are afflicting you, instead of whining and complaining, get up and fight. You just need to do two things to remain victorious:

a.   Submit yourself to God; and

b.   Resist the devil.

The reason we can resist the devil and he will flee is that Jesus has given us power over satan and his cohorts: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

Will you believe the words of Jesus or will you believe the lies and negativity of satan? Believe the promise of Jesus today and start exercising your power by continuing to resist the devil and his cohorts. They will keep fleeing and you will remain victorious now and ever!

PS: Please watch out for part 3 of this article which shall be coming your way soon. Don’t miss it!

Money and Relationship (3)

Welcome to part 3 of this article. In the previous part (part 2), we deliberated on the need to bring in money to play its role in a relationship. We stressed that we should not undermine the role of money in a relationship. 

Here in this final part of the article, we are going to discuss the issue of exaggerating the role of money in a relationship. Life is not all about money. The Master Jesus warns: “For a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). 

A man who goes out making money for months and years without coming home to be with his wife and children may starve his wife and children of love and affection. The man may be sending home surplus funds for the upkeep of the family, but because he is not at home to give love and affection, the wife may feel the absence of her husband. The children may also grow up without getting to know much about their father. 

Someone has explained instances where a man travelled to foreign land in search of greener pastures. He left his wife and children behind. He remained there working for several years and kept sending huge money home for his wife and children. 

The wife, starved of affection and love, turned to their “maigad” (security man guarding their house) to establish extra marital relationship with him. The husband, on the other hand, keeps himself relaxed with foreign ladies abroad. 

Where a man or woman is starved of love and affection, there is no amount of money that can satisfy him or her. There is a saying: “For every action, there is a reaction.” When you pursue money at the expense of other factors, you put the relationship in a collapsed or near-collapsed situation.

As a breadwinner, you should strive to bring in the money to take care of the members of your family. You should do that with all your might, for you can never be happy if you fail to play your role as a breadwinner.

But there is no justification for abandoning your family for years in search of money. If couples are not separated or divorced by an order of court and they both live apart for years, it won’t augur well for the entire family. 

 Do you know that under Nigerian law, one of the circumstances in which the court will conclude that a marriage has broken down irretrievably is when couples live apart for two years? The partner that finds the absence of the other partner intolerable for those two years can file a petition for divorce on this ground of living apart for two years.

If the petitioner (the partner filing divorce suit) finds it intolerable to continue in the marriage on the ground that they have lived apart for two years, and our courts would grant divorce on that same ground that couple have lived apart for two years, it means there is more to living together on the part of the couple than money. 

Love and affection can make the relationship to continue even when there is not much money to live large. But money cannot strengthen a relationship in the absence of love and affection.

 

I am a living witness to an occasion where parents forced their daughter to marry a very rich man in their community. The girl never bought into the idea her parents were drumming into her ears about marrying the rich man. I know the parents of this girl and I know they really had good intention for their daughter. They wanted their daughter to marry the rich man so that she would not suffer hardship. 

But the girl seemed to know what her parents did not know. The girl seemed to perceive that the rich man and her were never compatible and never in love. But her parents used their power of persuasion to get their daughter to marry the rich man. 

But no sooner had they got married than trouble started. They never agreed on anything. They were always at loggerheads. She bore two children for the rich man and after just few years, the girl called it quit with him. It was not that the money was not there. 

The money was there. The money was there for the girl to buy anything she wanted, but the love that was necessary for the relationship to thrive was not there. The relationship degenerated to the extent that the girl started insulting her husband (a man that is older than her father).

It has always been like that. Any time money is seen as the ultimate in a relationship, that relationship will suffer and eventually hit the rock.

Some things are more important than money. Love and affection are more important than money. Money should not be the first thing to look for in a relationship. If you focus on money and fail to consider other things that will make the relationship to thrive, you may be taking a wrong step. 

To make a relationship thrive, you must not only consider money, you must also consider other factors like love. Do you really love your partner or is it the partner’s money you are after? Love is not supposed to be one-sided, it must be mutual. 

Affection should also follow naturally. And where there is love and affection, you can proceed to talk about money. Money will be a wonderful combination when other factors in a relationship are put in their rightful places.        

In the absence of other factors in a relationship, money is worthless. An Igala proverb says: “If you live in a comfortable home and you have no peace, a thatched house is better.” Money can’t buy happiness. Money can’t buy love and affection. In fact, money remains a bad substitute for love and affection.

 

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WILL THRIVE IF YOU MAKE LOVE AND AFFECTION A PRIORITY. THIS IS BECAUSE MONEY HAS NEVER AND CAN NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF LOVE AND AFFECTION. 

If money can take the place of love and affection, there would be little marital problems and divorce will be a rarity. From what is happening in the world, it is as though too much money in a relationship causes a lot of problems in the relationship. 

 A marriage was contracted and celebrated some time ago in a foreign country by one of the richest men in the world. Shortly after the grand celebration, the couple decided to divorce because they realized that they were not compatible! In some cultures, this is really shocking! You just got married and some hours later you divorced because you discovered both of you are not compatible!

Be that as it may, there is an eye-opener here: as important as money is, money can play only its role in a relationship. Money cannot play the role of compatibility, love and affection. If the rich man’s money could not sustain his marriage for just one day, then, this should ring a bell in our ears that we should stop seeing money as the ultimate in a relationship.

 

To be happy in your relationship, you should focus on those factors that can sustain your relationship for a life time. Love and affection will help sustain a relationship. Respect for each other will also strengthen a relationship. So also is tolerance.

Money or no money, where these factors are in place, relationship will thrive. It is the mistake of making money the ultimate in a relationship that is ruining relationships. 

In the mathematics of relationship, you should learn to balance the equation. If the equation is not balanced, you would get it wrong. As far as relationship is concerned, you are a mathematician and as a mathematician, you should allow each factor to play its role so that the relationship can thrive. 

Till I come your way soon, go and balance the equation so that the relationship can thrive! Go and live victoriously!