The Challenge to Be Good

One practice I observed in the political, public and private life of our country is that when it comes to election of leaders, appointment of government functionaries and employment of people, we always try to make sure that only those who have ‘clean record’ so to say, will get to those posts. 

We don’t want people who have proven record of corrupt practices to come to power because we believe that when corrupt people get to power, they will steal our money.

This is a very good practice and it is advisable we keep to it. As it is said, you cannot give what you don’t have. It is what you have that you can give.

Hmm, dear reader, it is gratifying to note that in a world where sin is glorified and righteousness is no longer fashionable, we still believe that only good people can provide good leadership. This goes to show the importance of choosing to be good.

Be Inspired to Be Good

I am really inspired by this revelation. Being good is still recognized in a world where iniquity is the order of the day.

The implication of this revelation is this: to enjoy peace, progress and prosperity, we need more good people. We need more good people to make the world a better place to live in.

No wonder, the Bible says: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to all people.” (Prov. 14:34)

Dear reader, IF, IN SPITE OF OUR DEPRAVED MIND, WE STILL REALIZE THAT IT IS GOOD TO BE GOOD, THEN, THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US IS THAT WE SHOULD STRIVE TO BE GOOD.

When the worse comes to the worst, it is only people of proven character, integrity and good reputation that will stand tall and high.

The challenge before us, therefore, is the challenge to be good. It is true we can never be perfect. We all have our weaknesses and shortcomings. We may even be worse than those we are criticizing. Nevertheless, we can be better than we are now. 

There is always room for improvement. We don’t have to remain in our sinful ways. If we make up our mind to change positively, we will actually turn over a new leaf.

WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY TRYING TO BE GOOD; RATHER WE HAVE A LOT TO GAIN FROM BEING GOOD. We have heard of the saying times without number: “HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.”

I tell you, nothing is truer than this. I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT IN OUR MOMENT OF CRISIS, IT IS ONLY HONEST MEN AND WOMEN THAT WE TURN TO.

Again, it is worthy of note that when it comes to choosing a person to man a position of trust, leadership or position to deliver great dividend, it is only a honest and trustworthy fellow that people will choose.

Dear reader, at all times, be inspired to be good. It is better to be good than to be bad.

One challenge you will face when striving to be good is that you will end up displeasing others. A man was criticized by his other colleague that he was always doing things to please their boss. The man replied that he was not only trying to please their boss, he was doing those things because he felt it was the right thing to do.

In trying to be good, you may offend others. Some people may not be happy seeing you do the right thing. Don’t let that stop you from striving to be good. It is good to be good. If you do good, you are doing it for yourself, not for anyone.

So, regardless of what anyone says or how anyone feels, it is better to be good than to be bad. There is a reward to every of our actions. There is a reward to every good act and every bad act.

Anything that is good is good and anything that is bad is bad. No matter how colourful or attractive we make a bad thing to look like, it can never be a good thing. And no matter how ugly or horrible we make a good thing to look like, it can never be a bad thing.

WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER WHEN WE MAKE UP OUR MIND TO BE BETTER. REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. LET THE BENEFIT OF BEING GOOD INSPIRE YOU TO BE BETTER.

The Bigger Challenge

The big challenge is not having a ‘clean record’ but maintaining the clean record. Our clean record may earn us enviable positions in life, but the big challenge is maintaining that clean record. It is really bad how a reputation that takes a person many years to build can be destroyed in a moment.

We have seen this happened to people many a time. These people were selected to positions of trust based on their record of proven character, integrity and reputation. They vowed to maintain their excellent records.

But no sooner had they manned these positions than they got their hands soiled. We are not condemning anybody here, it is not in our habit to do so. One reason we should not condemn anyone is because when one is coming into a system that is already corrupt, you must take heed lest you fall into the very corruption you are dealing with.

It is even more difficult to maintain clean record when you try to fight the same corrupt system that puts you into the position you are occupying. You don’t bite the finger that feeds you, or do you?

What we are saying is: you may not have to fight a corrupt system headlong. Only God can do that. On your part, you should try your best to maintain your clean record in the midst of others.

Don’t allow unpleasant situation to influence you to be bad. Don’t allow the corrupt system of the world to influence you negatively.

It is easier said than done, you may say. O yes, I am quite aware of the fact that we can never be perfect no matter how hard we try. But I do know that if you are quite determined to live a positive life, and you ask God to help you, God will give you the grace to do so.

THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU TRIUMPH OVER EVIL IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU REMAIN IN TUNE WITH GOD. THERE IS NO WAY GOD WILL ALLOW EVIL TO TRIUMPH OVER GOOD. NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, GOOD WILL EVENTUALLY TRIUMPH OVER EVIL.

The only way we can triumph over evil is to strive to be good. This is the challenge before all of us. You should aspire to be good. Always strive to be better and you will be victorious now and always!

Think Big

Thinking is one of the greatest assets given to us by God. With our ability to think, we can change our fortune. We can think our way out of poverty and into prosperity. We can think our way from defeat to victory.

God gave us the brain so that we can use it to solve problems. Our brain is for creativity, success, achievement, happiness and fulfillment.

The major problem we have is not really the problems confronting us or the unpleasant condition we are in, but our reluctance to think our way out of those problems.

In their book, Success Through Positive Mental Attitude, William Clementstone and Napoleon Hill narrated the story of a man who was paralysed from the top to the bottom and was bedridden.

In this difficult condition that the man was, he called members of his family for an important discuss. He then explained to them that considering his condition, he could not walk or do anything anymore, but he could think. 

He told them that they should be his hands and legs while he would be the brain. He would be doing all the thinking while they would be implementing his plans and strategies. Right in his sick bed, he hatched a great business plan and started dishing out instructions to members of his family. They carried out the instructions to the letter and in a short while, they built a large business empire!

Think Prosperity Thoughts

Dear reader, as long as you have a sound mind and you are willing to sit down and think, there is no limit to what you can achieve in life. Research conducted some time ago reveals that successful people think about what they want to achieve all the time; while unsuccessful people always think about their problems and everything that is going wrong with their lives.

The Book of Success, the Bible says, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he (Prov 23:7).” Dear reader what thoughts are you thinking right now? As you think in your heart, so you are. You are what you think all day long. NOTE THAT THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS DETERMINES HOW FAR YOU CAN GO IN LIFE.

The paralysed man in the story above did not, in his sick bed, continue to dwell on the worse condition he was in, rather, he thought positively and thought prosperity thought. In his thought, he rose bigger and higher than his bedridden condition.

YOU ARE NOT YET A BREADWINNER UNTIL YOU BECOME A GREAT THINKER. THE STARTING POINT TO BEING A RESPECTABLE FAMILY MAN IS THE ABILITY TO GENERATE GREAT IDEAS NECESSARY FOR THE COMFORT AND WELL BEING OF MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY.

Plan Big

More often than not, we allow unpleasant situation to limit our thinking and planning. We need to learn from the paralysed man.  Although he was paralysed and could do nothing, yet he could think. As long as he could think, he was still productive. He thought big and planned big and as such, he became super successful.

Dear reader, NO MATTER THE CONDITION YOU ARE IN, IF YOU CAN THINK BIG AND PLAN BIG, YOU WILL NEVER REMAIN A BURDEN TO ANYONE. RATHER THAN BEING A BURDEN, YOU WILL BECOME JOB CREATOR ON WHOM A SIZABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILL DEPEND.

IF YOU WANT TO BE BIG, PLAN BIG. Don’t plan small. Don’t let unpleasant circumstances to paralyse your ability to plan big. Don’t let fear make you think small thoughts. Refuse to be overwhelmed by your emotion. Uncontrolled emotion is a destroyer of destiny. When negative feelings show up, don’t let them influence you to make small plans. Plan bigger, plan higher!

Like the paralysed man, SO FAR YOU ARE OF A SOUND MIND AND YOU ARE WILLING TO THINK BIG AND PLAN BIG, YOU WILL RISE ABOVE ALL UNFAVOURABLE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CONFRONT YOU.

Think Bigger Than the Present Condition

No condition can limit you in this world unless you permit it to limit you. It is not circumstances that limit people mostly; the main thing that is holding people down in defeat is their unwillingness to think beyond their present condition. All they think and worry about is the unpleasant condition they are undergoing.

But you know what? You can never rise above any unpleasant condition by continuing to worry about it. Don’t drown yourself in self-pity. IF YOUR CONDITION DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO THINK AND YOU ARE READY TO THINK POSITIVELY, YOU WILL GENERATE BIG IDEAS NECESSARY FOR YOUR VICTORY OVER THE UNFAVOURABLE CON DITION.

So, what you need do to rise above unfavourable condition is to THINK. Think big. Think great thoughts. The greater your thought, the higher you go in life. IF YOU WANT TO BE BIG, THINK BIG THOUGHT.

Also think victory all the time and as you do so, you will generate ideas that will make you live a victorious life all your life!

Discover Your Weapon of Victory

It is an incontrovertible fact that we may not be able to exercise absolute control over certain circumstances that life brings to us. But it is gratifying to note that when life presents certain circumstances or challenges, it also presents to you what you can use to overcome those challenges. 

In times of trouble, what you need do is not succumbing to the trouble in despair, but finding the weapon you can use to triumph over the trouble.

You Have the Weapon

Your weapon of victory is not far from you this moment as you are reading this article. You need to discover it and use it to do great exploits.

In times of trouble, don’t sit down to whine and complain. What you need do in times of trouble is to look for solution. There are no unfavourable circumstances that have no solutions. Where there are problems, there are solutions as well.

Whenever there is a problem, the solution to that problem lies very close to the problem. Whenever there is war to be fought, the weapon you need to win the war is not far-fetched.

Most often, the weapon or the solution we need to overcome the challenges we are facing is already with us. The sad fact is that in times of trouble, we sometime fail to realize that the very thing we have to deploy to obtain our victory is already with us.

You need to realize that the weapon of victory you are looking for is already close by. The moment you realize that the weapon of victory you are looking for is already with you, you will stop running from pillar to post. You will no longer be restless. Rather, you will start deploying the weapon to win the war.

Regardless of the unfavourable circumstances around you, you already have what it takes to deal with them. For Moses, it was the rod in his hands. For Samson, it was the jawbone of an ass. For Elijah and Elisha, it was the mantle, which symbolized the double portion of Elijah’s spirit. For the widow woman of Zarephath, it was a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse.

Treasure the Weapon

The rod was an insignificant tool in the hand of Moses. Moses never saw anything spectacular about the rod. The rod was nothing but an ordinary stick in the hand of Moses. But God did not see it that way. The way we see things is not the way God sees them.

WHAT YOU THINK IS WORTHLESS TO YOU COULD BE THE VERY WEAPON GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HAND TO WIN THE BATTLES OF LIFE CONFRONTING YOU.

Dear reader, what is that thing in your hand? What is it you can point to, which though insignificant in your eyes, is in your possession? That thing in your hand may be insignificant in your eyes, but it could be the very thing God wants you to use as your weapon of victory.

That is why you must cherish what you have. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. IN GOD’S SCHEME OF THINGS, IT IS WHAT IS IN YOUR HANDS OR WHAT YOU POSSESS THAT GOD CONSIDERS AND EXPECTS YOU TO USE AS YOUR WEAPON OF POSITIVE CHANGE.

To discover your weapon of victory, you must value what you have because it is what you have that God will use to earn you the victory you desire. WHEN GOD WANTS TO TURN AROUND YOUR SITUATION, HE USES ANYTHING IN YOUR POSSESSION, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE IT MAY BE, TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE.

This is not difficult for God. Remember, God created the world out of nothing. He used His Word to create the world. He said: “Let there be…,” and there was. WHEN YOU TREASURE WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE DISCOVERED YOUR WEAPON OF VICTORY. IT IS OUR FAILURE TO TREASURE WHAT WE HAVE THAT IS ROBBING US OF THE VICTORY THAT IS OURS BY BIRTH.

When you don’t value what you have, you will not attach significance to it. And as long as those things you have are worthless in your eyes, you will not see any need to deploy them for your greatness.

It is really bad the depth which some people can go in despair. When confronted with series of challenges, they throw in the towel despite the fact that the weapon they will use to overcome the challenges of life, is already in their possession.

Dear reader, never allow the feeling of helplessness, hopelessness and depression to make you conclude that you don’t have what it takes to be an overcomer. Don’t allow any negative situation to make you overlook the weapon of victory God has placed in your hands.

The Bible says: “We are more than conquerors.” IF WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, THEN, IT MEANS ALL THE WEAPONS WE NEED TO BE MORE THAN CONQUERORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN UNTO US. Now, we have no excuse to give for not being overcomers.

You only need to constantly treasure everything you have at the moment, for they are the weapons you must deploy to be victorious in life.       

Deploy the Weapon

When you treasure what you have, what follows is to deploy those things for great accomplishment. Do you desire success, prosperity and victory? “Why sit there until you die?” God has deposited unlimited potentials within you which you can use to achieve whatever you want to achieve. The time to deploy those potentials of yours is NOW.

Moses used his rod to bring deliverance to Israel. Elijah and Elisha used the mantle to do great exploits. What is that thing in your hand? What is it that is in your possession? Can you identify your potentialities? Do you value them? Are you willing to use them as weapon of victory?

You can live the glorious and dignified lifestyle that God wants you to live by deploying them to win the battles of life. Are you in the midst of battle? Then remember these:

• The weapon you will use to be victorious is already with you.

• Wherever there are challenges, there are also weapons for overcoming the challenges.

• When life presents certain circumstances, it also presents certain breakthroughs.

•  Whenever there is war to be fought, the weapon you need to win the war is not far-fetched. It is within your reach.

• What is worthless in your eyes could be the very weapon God has placed in your hand to win the battles of life confronting you.

• It is what is in your hand or what you possess that God will use to earn you victory.

• To discover your weapon of victory, you must value what you have. What you have is what God expects you to deploy to overcome life’s challenges.

• We are more than conquerors because God has already given us all the weapons we need have to be more than conquerors.

• Constantly treasure everything you have for they are what you must deploy to be victorious in life.

• God has deposited in you unlimited potentials that you can use to achieve whatever you want to achieve.

Discover your weapon of victory today. Go and deploy your weapon and accomplish all-round victory every day of your life!

How to Profit from Your Fears (3)

Welcome to part 3 of this article. Celebrated motivational speaker and writer, Anthony Robbins said: “One of the greatest limitations for most people is their fear of failure.”

Nothing restricts people’s progress in life more than fear. In most cases, what distinguishes super achievers from under achievers is the extent to which super achievers manage their fears.

Super achievers don’t allow their fears to rule them, rather, they manage their fears, knowing full well that the only way to be ahead of the pack is to minimize their fears and maximize their faith.

The lifestyle of the under achievers is in contradistinction to that of the super achiever. The under achievers seem to have programmed their lives to be ruled by fear. They never aspire to do anything without thinking of the possibility of failure, defeat, danger or risk.

This negative type of thinking is so intense that they hardly see opportunities placed before them. Instead of focusing on the opportunities before them, what they are most concerned about is how things will not work out well. They can quickly figure out a thousand and one reasons things will not work out well, but they can’t look the other way to find at least one reason things will work well.

Many have got their mind so focused on the possibility of failure and defeat that they never consider the positive outcome of what they want to embark upon. All they are concerned about is the negative outcome. Their fears, their apprehensions outweigh their faith.

And whenever fears outweigh or dominate people’s lives, such people hardly achieve meaningful success in life, because those fears continue to hold them back from stepping out to achieve their heart’s desires.

If your fears have grown so wild that you cannot step out to pursue your heart’s desires, then you are not likely going to profit from your fears.

Fearful people achieve little in life because they allow fear to hold them back from achieving what they set out to achieve.

If your fears have gripped you to the extent that you cannot step out to do any meaningful thing in life, then you are not likely goig to profit from your fears.

The one and only Book of success, the Bible, says: “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4).   

Life is About Investment

You cannot really achieve great success in life without stepping out to invest your time, money, energy, intellect, etc in a worthwhile venture. Fear stops people from taking steps that will lead them to greater heights.

The Preacher (writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes) rightly noted that people who focus on risks that may likely occur are not going to develop the courage and faith to invest.

It is true that risk is associated with any meaningful project you intend to invest in. it is also true that you cannot really achieve great success without overcoming difficulties, trials and obstacles.

The important thing therefore is not the absence of risk, difficulties, trials and obstacles. There will always be many of them. but it is only those who can develop the faith and courage to overcome that will actually achieve great success in life.

One reason we are not achieving our goals is that we focus too much on the present situation on ground. Observing the wind creates and increases fear of sowing. So it is with the cloud. When you keep focusing on the cloud, you will not be able to step out and reap what you have sown. Observer of wind and cloud cannot step out to reap and sow. That is what the Bible tells us.

The fact is, the global economic climate will always be stormy and cloudy. If you must invest, the best time to do so is NOW! Don’t wait for things to get better before you launch out. Things may not get better the way you are thinking, because there may never be a better time.

It is a big mistake to think that things must get better before you invest. Over the years, we have been complaining: “The economy is bad, the economy is bad.” Even now, we still continue to complain about the unfavourable economic climate.

But the question is: when will the economic situation be better? There may never be a better time. The better time is NOW. The economic climate has always been stormy and cloudy, yet some people are investing and prospering. 

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE THOSE WHO KNOW THAT THERE CAN NEVER BE A PERFECT TIME FOR INVESTMENT. THEY KNOW THAT THE BEST TIME TO INVEST IS NOW. THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THE EARLIER THEY INVEST THE BETTER.

Dear reader, you can profit from your fear if only you stop focusing on the unfavourable economic climate. WIND OR CLOUD, YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD AND KEEP INVESTING OR PURSUING YOUR DESIRE. The wind will always blow. The cloud will always form. But that should not discourage you from launching out.

Successful people are not intimidated by the same wind and cloud that are  restricting others from being the best that God wants them to be. You will always know successful people by the way they handle their fears. Many of them have so mastered their fears that they often take “dangerous steps that frighten the devil out of their way to success.”

There is a level of boldness you will reach that will make you to do things others are afraid of doing. I used to think that boldness supersedes talent. Talent is common. Everybody is endowed with one talent or the two. Prolific author, Stephen King noted, “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

Indeed, talent is cheap because it is common. But what is not cheap is boldness (courage). And because boldness is not cheap, it is uncommon. It takes boldness to step unto the path of hard work.

Boldness or courage is not the absence of fear. For there to be real courage, there must be fear. Courage is being able to manage your fears in such a way that they don’t freeze you and hold you back from achieving outstanding success in life. Courage is associated with successful people. That is what puts them ahead of the pack.

When you have the courage to take “dangerous steps that will intimidate the devil out of your way,” you will not have a rival, competitor or opposition. Courageous people have no rival. They always stand out of the crowd.

To profit from your fears, you must have the courage to move past your fears and doubts and press your way on to success. One may be highly talented but if one cannot summon up the courage to develop and deploy one’s talent, one may not be able to achieve great success in life.

You may be planning and strategizing over the years on how you can bring your goals into reality, but these would not avail you if you cannot ginger yourself up to BOLDLY step out and work out your plan strategically.

ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO STEP OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE TO PURSUE THEIR SET GOALS CAN REALLY ACHIEVE GREAT SUCCESS IN LIFE.  Courage is superior to talent. A man of great courage with little talent will achieve far greater success than a man of great talent who has little or no courage.

To be ahead of others, you must summon up the courage to do the things others are afraid of doing. When you do what others are afraid of doing, you will get to the height they cannot get to.

Victors are men and women of courage who have refused to be held down by fear and have moved forward to achieve outstanding success. You can actually make fortunes from your fears by undermining them to the level that they cannot hold you down from walking into fortune.

Just summon up the courage to pursue your goal with the agility of a cat after a rat and you will run into fortune VICTORIOUSLY!