Self Mastery As a Catalyst to Sucess by Bayo Ogunmupe

SELF mastery, also known as self control or self discipline, which comes from knowing and understanding oneself is the first step toward building wealth that lasts. It is the only foundation that can hold together whatever structure you are building in life. Anything can go wrong but once your self mastery remains intact, everything else will be restored in no time. But there is no quick fix.

Self mastery requires that you take control of your habits, thought, decisions and actions. And you must practice them consistently. These habits will determine and shape your destiny. Your habits to date, determine both how you feel and what you are going to become in the future. So it was with Steve Morris, who we came to know as Stevie Wonder. He never let his blindness stop him from reaching his dream of stardom as a singer. Self mastery requires you if you want to build a house to first sit down and find out what you will need to complete it, instead of realizing midway that you cannot complete the house you started.

Here is a popular story among soccer historians. It concerns Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints in the United States. Tom was disabled at birth. He was born with only half of the right foot and with only the stub of his right arm. In spite of his handicap, he had a strong desire to play football. His unbending quest to excel in soccer motivated his parents to support him in his dream. They provided for the design of a special shoe that encased an artificial foot, so that Tom could practise the sport he loved. Tom practiced kicking football day in day out. Fortunately, he was recruited by the New Orleans Saints Football Club. And during a memorable game, Tom kicked an amazing goal that gave victory to his team. Many said it was a matter of luck. But this is what we call an act of God. This is self mastery. Tom chose to adapt rather than give up his dream. His persistence and determination gave God an opportunity to show Himself strong on Tom’s behalf. Think over what you just read. What picture did you see of it. Here is my own view of an allegory, of a man blessed with farms and a vine yard that could make him prosperous. However, he allowed weeds to grow therefrom. Due to a lack of vision and through neglect, he abandoned his duties of pruning and repairing of his crops. Thus, he was doomed to a life of poverty and endless want. Therefore, this man’s penury was not as a result of deprivation, but owing to misuse. Then, self mastery is the chisel with which we carve out of whatever life or nature gives us, transforming it into a work of art that we want it to be. That means we must take charge of the following three areas of our lives: thinking, decision making and action. These areas affect the level of results we achieve in our daily lives.

You are what you think. Whatever you are today and whatever you will be in the future are decided by your thoughts. Change your thoughts and you would have changed your life, take control of your thoughts and you would have taken control of your destiny. As we know, “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of everyone that is hasty only to want,” Proverbs 21:5. And as we also know, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” Proverbs 23:7. If you want to change your circumstances, you must change the way you think: what you will achieve will amaze you.

Active thinking is a proactive process of identifying what is true and relevant to your goal. It is independent of your environment or circumstances. It is an alignment with your chosen destination. Active thinking allows you to think in line with your desired goal, regardless of your current circumstances. To become an effective thinker, you must do the following: Constantly distinguish between fact, fiction and rumours. You must divide your fact into relevant facts and irrelevant facts. Relevant facts are those useful for attaining your goal.

Never accept opinion as fact. Most opinions are based on bias, ignorance, intolerance, rumour or plain guesswork. Accept advice that is based on facts. Don’t allow anyone to do your thinking for you. Don’t let your society influence you. In seeking information from others, avoid letting them know in advance the type and purpose of the information. People often distort facts to please you. Your goal must be constantly watered through meditation as Joshua was commanded: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth… that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for that shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success,” Joshua 1:8.

In the attainment of your goal, you should indulge in creative visioning to provide a bridge to the unknown path that will take you to the realization of your dreams. Of the power of imagination, God said: “And the Lord said: Behold the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do, and nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do,” Genesis 11:6. Not until the Almighty had confused the language of the people was He able to stop them from completing the Tower of Babel they had envisioned.

Your imagination is the soil upon which your creativity blossoms. It is crucial to your building unlimited wealth. Thus, the ability to think creatively has been the characteristics of great leaders. Creative men aren’t able to tell the difference between new inventions and what is genuinely impossible. Inventiveness is like prayer: you first see the accomplishment of the thing you desire, so that when you pray, you believe you already have them in fulfillment of your request, and then you shall have them in the end.

Great men use their creative vision to chart courses that seemed impossible. They did not let current thinking or paradigms set the limit for their imagination. They allowed their creativity to expand borders beyond the known frontiers. And with tenacity and dedication to their vision, they changed the way we all live. You may wonder how mere thinking of an idea or creative vision manifest into reality. First we see with our minds, what we don’t think in words but in pictures, that our eyes only reflect them back to our brains. Secondly, that thoughts constantly focused send commands to our subconscious which in turn are made to manifest as physical supply. They then manifest as answered prayer.

Our champion for today is Baron Hugh Caswell Dowding, the British air chief marshal who was responsible for defeating the German Air Force, Luftwaffe, in its attempt to control the British skies for the German invasion of the U.K, during World War II. Dowding was born in April 1882 in Moffat, Scotland. He died in Kent, England in 1970. A squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Dowding remained in service in Britain and Asia to become chief of Fighter Command in 1936. He vigorously promoted radar, Spitfire and Hurricane fighters that were crucial to the defeat of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. Though his command was outnumbered two to one, Dowding’s strategic and tactical skills enabled him to thwart Germany’s strategy. He retired in 1942 and was created Baron Dowding in 1943. He was the greatest British airman to emerge during World War II.

On The Path Of Winners BY BAYO OGUNMUPE How To Fortify Your Success

On The Path Of Winners

BY BAYO OGUNMUPE

How To Fortify Your Success

STOP wishing for miracles, start getting things done through concerted action. Great thoughts influence good decisions, but actions determine results. To achieve your dreams, you must complete whatever you start. Many lives have been changed by timely action. Immediate action is one of the most important traits of successful people. They develop such a sense of urgency and bias for action that nothing dissuades them otherwise. The ability to execute your decisions instantly is a key trait you need to cultivate to harness your success.

  Greatness is a moving target. To win therefore, you must take immediate action. Also, by taking immediate action, you gain instant feedback, which enables you to self-correct. Self correction will allow you to reset your goals and make a more accurate aim. By taking every necessary action on your new goal, you are able to accomplish it. Boldness propels you into the ranks of the highly successful.

  The ways to inculcate the habit of immediate action are as follow: One, develop a compulsion for the closure of everything you start by acting now. You should know that if you sow an action, you reap a habit; if you sow a habit, you reap a character; if you sow a character, you reap a destiny. Two, always be clear and specific about what you want. Action preceded by active thinking and thorough preparation, is the very basis of success in life. A great leap forward is always preceded by adequate preparation followed by action.

  Three, embark upon every action boldly. When you set out boldly to confront a challenge, all power in the universe aligns with you to conquer the problem. Four, expect success from whatever you do. Act as if it were impossible to fail. Five, Act now, never put till tomorrow, what you can do today. Whatsoever thou resolveth to do, do it immediately, reserve not till the evening what the morning can accomplish. By carefully following the steps outlined above, you cultivate the habit of winning. This is the habit of the three per cent who control the affairs of the remaining 97 per cent of the people living on planet Earth.

  Serving others is the key to greatness and wealth for wealth is a reward for service. As a corollary to action, freedom from want is the very basis for human progress. Thus, by our actions we deserve to gain financial freedom. So, building wealth that lasts involves service to our fellowmen. Remember the law of cause and effect. What you respect, you will always attract. Give more to others if you want more out of life. You cannot be truly rich without enriching the lives of others.

  God’s command has been interpreted thus: “If any would not serve others, neither would he expect any reward.” Unknown to many, the wealth they are seeking is dressed in service clothes. Building wealth as against working to earn a living is often the result of delayed gratification. You may currently be poor, in bondage to debt, with no friends and influence. But if you begin from today to serve others with your gifts, caring with love in time, you will amass greater wealth than you can imagine. Just promise yourself that you will not give up from serving others. The reason Nigerians don't have enduring wealth and legacy is that they use their power or businesses to defraud others. The banking consolidation of the past was a ploy to defraud the people of their money and of bankers their jobs. Even fraudsters are perpetrating havoc by changing the profiles of applicants in the current YouWin Women Empowerment Programme. The reason economic principles don't work in Nigeria is negative mindset. The Nigerian is too pessimistic and superstitious to be able to command instant success.

  Blessed is the man who has found his vocation. Which is why unending success awaits the one who has discovered an endeavour that can consume him without tiring. But if you are yet to discover your vocation because your job is ill suited for your talents, I would encourage you to find out what vocation is right for you. Here are targets you can use to gauge potential opportunities in which you can serve.

  One, your vocation must be self chosen. There’s nothing more disastrous than having an opportunity and not be prepared for it. Two, you must have passion for your vocation. It must be your magnificent obsession. Three, your vocation must offer opportunity to associate with those you can rub minds with. You cannot achieve excellence alone, it always involves cooperative efforts. Your vocation must enable you form a mastermind alliance. Four, your vocation must be beneficial to others. It must be a means to leave your footprints on the sands of time.

  Five, your vocation must provide opportunities for limitless growth. Six, it must permit the use of your creative abilities. Your unique creative power enables you to rise and shine. Seven, time must be your tool not as the basis of your compensation. Trading time for money is the lowest form of reward for any vocation. Reward must go to the value created rather than the time spent. Eight, migrate to a new vocation if you found that your present profession is facing extinction. Only foolish people end up being wiped out by the winds of change.

  Our champion this week is Rosa Mc Cauley Parks, the African American civil rights activist whom the US Congress called the First Lady of Civil Rights and mother of the Freedom movement. On 1^st December 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey a bus driver’s order to give up her seat in the coloured section to a white passenger after the white section was filled. Although Parks was not the first person to resist bus segregation, but the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) believed that Parks was the best candidate for seeing through a court challenge after her arrest for civil disobedience.

  Parks’ act of defiance became an important symbol in the Civil Rights Movement. She became an icon of resistance to racial segregation. She collaborated with the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. Parks was active in NAACP then and Dr. King was a NAACP executive which organized the boycott of city buses by blacks that constituted 70 per cent of the riders. The boycott continued till December 1956 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision declaring segregation unconstitutional. Parks attended Alabama State Teachers’ College and made her living as a seamstress. She was born in 1913.

  In 1957, Parks moved with her husband and mother to Detroit, Michigan where she worked from 1965 to 1988 as Secretary to John Conyers, an African American United States congressman. She remained active in the NAACP. In 1987, she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute of self-development. Rosa Parks received national recognition including NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1979; the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the Congressional Gold Medal and a posthumous statue in the United States Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. Upon her death in 2005, at 92, she was the first woman to “lie in honour” at the Capitol Rotunda, Washington DC, USA.

Book Review Title: Help From Above Publisher: Author House, UK Ltd, UK, 2011 Author: Kingsley Ologe, Reviewer: Bayo Ogunmupe

Book Review

Title: Help From Above

Publisher: Author House, UK Ltd, UK, 2011

Author: Kingsley Ologe,

Reviewer: Bayo Ogunmupe

HELP From Above, subtitled, The Travails and Triumph of a Child of God is a historical volume written by a professor being persecuted. It is dedicated to all those living or dead who as students or staff of the University of Abuja were victimized in the wake of the student crisis of 28 February, 1994. Help From Above has been written for three historical reasons:

  One, to provide a record of what transpired during a crisis and as a body of evidence against military rule in Nigeria which often enthrones mediocrity in authority and the culture of impunity. Two, this book has been published to demonstrate the faithfulness of God in the affairs of those who submit themselves to Him.

  And finally, this volume is to enlighten, comfort, encourage and strengthen people who may be passing through trials. This massive book has three parts and 400 pages.

  Part One is captioned – These Things Happened. It has been analysed as a Descent Into Anomie too. The significance of Help From Above is that it encompasses the history of Nigeria during military rule. More importantly this book chronicled the June 12, 1993 election, which General Ibrahim Babangida annulled. Perhaps it will be more coherent to paraphrase the chronological events as they happened.

  Nigeria was granted independence by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s government of Great Britain on 1 October, 1960. With Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as prime Minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe as President in a democratically elected government. Nigeria trudged on till January 15, 1966. On that day, a military coup overthrew Balewa’s government, ushering in a military dictatorship of mediocres.

  Realizing their own errors, the military voluntarily handed over power to democracy in 1979. But by December 31, 1983, the democratic government of President Shehu Shagari was overthrown by another military coup. Not long after that, in August 1985, a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida overthrew Muhammadu Buhari.

  At first, self styled President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) cut the image of a benign dictator. However, by the time his promoters, the Anglo American Armada forced him to step aside on 27 August, 1993, IBB had grown to become a pharaoh. But when on 17 November 1993, General Sani Abacha ovethrew the Interim National Government of Ernest Shonekan, his moves stunned many Nigerians. Abacha bought time with the appointment of Babagana Kingibe, Moshood Abiola’s running mate in the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election. Kingibe was Abacha’s Foreign Minister.

  However, within a week of the Abacha coup, at a news conference, Professor Wole Soyinka winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature and a human rights activist called for sanctions against the new regime. Subsequent events were to prove him right. Meanwhile, sections of the Nigerian media, notably, The Guardian, Vanguard and Newswatch condemned the Abacha coup.

  When it become clear Abacha had no plans to return Nigeria to democracy, a groundswell of opposition arose calling for the actualization of the mandate, which Nigeria had democratically given to Chief Moshood Abiola. The callers for democracy who oppose Abacha include the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). General Abacha took on these people in a massive clampdown.

  In defiance of Abacha, Abiola declared himself President on June 11, 1994. He was promptly arrested for treason. Consequently, some members of the opposition were murdered to clear the way for Abacha’s life-presidency. Those killed included, Abiola’s wife, Kudirat Abiola, the prominent Ibadan politician, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, Admiral Tunde Elegbede, director of the Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency, Akin Omotshola and Chief Alfred Rewane, believed to be a NADECO financier. Many, including Wole Soyinka had to flee into exile from where Radio Kudirat harangued the Abacha regime and mobilized Nigerians and the international community against him.

  The calamity of Nigeria’s military rule reached its nadir in 1995 when nine MOSOP members including the famous playwright Ken Saro Wiwa were arrested and hanged by a tribunal. That hanging provoked widespread outrage throughout the world. A day after the hanging, Nigeria was suspended from the membership of the Commonwealth, which was meeting in New Zealand at that time. Time Magazine branded Abacha: Thug of the year 1995. Nigeria had become a pariah nation. The state of the nation at that time is well captured by the title of a book written in 1997 by Wole Soyinka, The Open Sore of a Continent: a Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis. In a 1996 report titled, Clampdown on Opposition, Amnesty International branded Nigeria the Killing field of democracy.

  In time, it became clear Abacha was pursuing the agenda to transmute into a civilian president by 1998. For that purpose, the government registered five political parties. Each of these parties held a national convention at which Abacha was unanimously adopted as its presidential candidate, prompting the late Chief Bola Ige to describe them as the “five fingers of a leprous hand.”

  At about the same time, some people were arrested including Abacha’s deputy, General Oladipo Dipo, former head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy – General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. They were tried in camera by a special military tribunal, found guilty and sentenced to long years of imprisonment or to death. While in prison, General Yar’Adua died mysteriously in June 1998. Some alleged he was poisoned. Others say Obasanjo might have died the same way but for an alert from Bola Ige who was in prison simultaneously with him.

  The author, Kingsley Ologe wrote those things to provide the background for the events that prompted the writing of this book. Although Ologe wasn’t a human rights activist or social critic, trouble still located him at the University of Abuja, threatening to terminate his career as a university teacher.

  This enchanting book is a must read for those perplexed by the burden of maladministration and nausea of mediocrity and unbridled corruption in our universities. This book also mirrors the charlatanism in leadership in every segment of our society and the absence of a transparent justice system which often leads people to resort to taking the law into their own hands.

  On the surface, the sheer volume of the work is so intimidating, but one is compelled to read on because it is so captivating with the narrator’s thoroughness, palpable sincerity each time you peep into it that you just cannot put it down. Reading on also avails you with how not to give up hope in the face of adversity, the triumph of evil and the arrogance of the wicked. In the foreword to the book, the Anglican Bishop of Owerri, the Right Reverend Cyril Okorocha avers that Help from above may seem delayed, but it is never denied to a faithful child of God. This is the message of the book. But for the fact that geography is a physical science Ologe would have excelled better as a pastor than as an academic.

Title: The Trick of Financial Terrorists, Publisher: Charleston, SC, USA, 2011 Author: Raymond Akinfolarin Reviewer: Bayo Ogunmupe

Title: The Trick of Financial Terrorists,

Publisher:  Charleston, SC, USA, 2011

Author: Raymond Akinfolarin

Reviewer: Bayo Ogunmupe

The Book: The Tricks of Financial Terrorists, is an expose of the advance for fraud in Nigeria. It reveals local frauds and international scams from Nigeria. By exposing these tricks, the author Raymond Akinfolarin hopes to bring the perpetrators to book, thereby sanitizing the local business terrain.

  Emphasizing that Nigeria isn’t the only country where scams are practiced, Akinfolarin hopes Nigeria’s name will gradually disappear from the global list of fraudsters. In the last 20 years, many Nigerians have fallen victim to the scourge of fraudsters. This book provides a compedium of the intrigues employed by criminals to deprive victims of their finances or valuables.

  According to Akinfolarin, the scope of intrigues is quite elaborate, extending from card games, fake currency to palm reading, fortune telling and the sale of bogus products. Other areas of advance fee fraud include orders for sale or rent of real estate, use of other people’s property as loan security, employment, school and visa scams. The thrift fraud also known as wonder banks also constitute avenues of fraud. Sale of other people’s shares, internet fraud and other forms of obtaining preferment under false pretences are other ways of defrauding the public rampant in the Nigerian Federation.

  Thus, this book serves a dual purpose of providing knowledge and insight into the fraud image of Nigerians thereby alerting the people of wiles of fraudsters. However, this book also offers signals to fraudsters that their nefarious activities have been uncovered. This book has 27 chapters, two parts and 108 pages.

  A discourse on part of The Tricks explores reasons why Nigerians defraud others. The famous section four one nine (419) of the Nigerian Penal Code was designed to punish fraudsters. The law was revised under Decree 13 captioned, Advance Fee Fraud and other Offences Decree 1995. This was repealed in 2005 when we entered the era of democracy. The 2006 Act which amended the previous one took its inspiration from Britain. However, the frequency of frauds in Nigeria made this country notorious. Virtually every adult Nigerian knows what 419 means. Even children below the age of six use it as a derogatory remark, even though they do not really appreciate its true meaning.

  But why do Nigerians obtain things under false pretences? In today’s rat race, it is greed, the greed to build mountains of wealth. Our culture of celebrating wealth does not help matters, either, because it causes many to believe that the end justifies the means. Well known 419 kingpins are being honoured by chiefs and universities. They even enjoy opulence openly at the expense of their victims.

  It is a pity that the powers that be relegate genuine success to the background while celebrating thieves and vagabonds who make it to the top by fraudulent means. That is the cause of 419 and why it is increasing in leaps and bounds.

  Unfortunately, we can not rebrand Nigeria successfully without taming this monstrous 419 image we have so unconscionably acquired. Indeed, it is the collective attitudes of Nigerians not slogans, that correct the warped image of our country. Our 419 image isn’t only disturbing, it is eroding our economy, scaring away investors and rendering our economic policies ineffective. Which is why poverty h as driven some into the fold of Boko Haram insurgents.

  However, according to Akinfolarin, his aim of writing this book is to let the world know that the majority of Nigerians are good people. That a greedy few is causing the 419 havoc. Again the author reminds the Nigerian authorities of the need to urgently attack and destroy this cankerworm by exposing the fraudsters’ tricks, thereby reducing their patrons both at home and abroad. In this way, Akinfolarin believes, the perpetrators of advance fee fraud will change their line of business.

  Written in simple down to earth style, The Tricks is an incredibly readable book. It provides information of great benefit to youngsters usually prone to this trade. Parents wont regret introducing it to their wards, for holding the promise of saving their children from fraudsters. Also, I would recommend this book to the tertiary education curriculum for its use to curb advance fee fraud.

  Author Akinfolarin is a highly successful business man. He conducted research for this book posing as a professional scammer. I like to close this review as the author averred in the book. The purpose of scams is to drain the victim financially. Then the fraudsters will stop picking your calls, or throw away the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card used for the operation. Thus, whoever you are, if you are desirous of helping a Nigerian, you should make your nation’s embassy the go-between. Anything short of that will end in 419. Let me add that in the reprint of this book, the author should add greater information about himself and his publishers. It is one of the ways to undermine book pirates.

On The Path Of Winners BY BAYO OGUNMUPE How To Connect Divine Treasury

On The Path Of Winners

BY BAYO OGUNMUPE

How To Connect Divine Treasury

THE way you can connect with the universal treasury is undying faith in your victory. You must believe in your goal, and by continuously working on it, it will eventually manifest, if you refused to give up. Whenever you are setting a goal, always remember: “Nothing shall be impossible unto you,” Mathew 17:20.

  Clarify is the key to your success. Your goals and desires must be clear. Never be distracted by things that are not going to get you what you want. Practice writing down every thought or idea you generate that is in line with your goal. As you commit your thoughts on paper, that way, you will be amazed at how quickly you take action and move toward the realization of your dreams.

  As you think about your objectives, always list what you need to accomplish them. That mindset will force you to take action and keep you focused at all times. While your thoughts determine the course of your life, your decisions, that is, the outcome of your actions determine the direction you will move in life.

  Many people avoid responsibility for their lives, saying, “God is in control.” I would agree with this only to the extent that you live according to the will of Jehovah, which is in total conformity with the laws of nature. However, you still have to create your own world within this universe He created. Everything that happens in your life starts with a decision you make. Your destiny is shaped by your decisions. By making your choice, you are exercising the prerogative Jehovah gave you: “Choose for yourself this day,” Joshua 24:15.

  Successful decisions have two allies: commitment and responsibility. Commitment sets a baseline standard of what is acceptable in your area of focus. Which is why you have to keep to your high standard and live by it no matter what happens. However, many people refuse to take responsibility for their decisions. They blame their weakness on the economy, failed matrimonial relationships or their poor health. They complain that obstacles placed in their way are the reasons for their failure to succeed.

  In your pursuit of success, letting the will of God prevail is crucial to your success. A case in point was Christopher Columbus. His failure to reach India led to the discovery of the Americas. Despite his failure to get to Asia, Columbus achieved a feat that changed the course of world history. So in making decisions, you need to clarify three things. One, focus on the will of the Almighty, two, focus on what is important to you, finally, focus on what to do to achieve your goal of becoming the greatest entrepreneur of your age.

  It isn’t what is happening to you now, or what has happened to you in the past that will shape your future. It is what you focus on now, it’s what you decide to do now that will determine what you become later in life. It was that decisiveness that made Bill Gates abandon a Harvard education to hitch a dream that made him the richest man in the world.

  At the time he left Harvard as an undergraduate, Gates wasn't focusing on becoming a millionaire like Narcissistic Nigerians often do, he merely wanted to build his dream. Here are some exercises in good decision-making. One, recognize the importance of your decision, a decision propels an initiative to act differently. Two, know that action follows decisions. There’s no decision without action. Three, never make decisions without adequate data supporting the premise for your action. Always think before you act.

  Four, be committed to your decisions. Failures usually change their minds many times over. But commitment allows for flexibility. Five, learn from the results of your decisions. The more decisions you make, the more proficient you become in decision-making. Six, present an attitude of expentancy in your decisions. Know that a decision can change your life forever.

  Seven, in order to make good decisions, exercise absolute control over your thoughts. Develop an action plan for achieving the desires of your heart. Be persistent in the pursuit of your goals. Eight, what do you want to do with your life? You should select a calling or occupation that makes the best use of your physical, mental and spiritual endowments. Nine, make a decision about those you will associate with in all areas of your life. To succeed at the highest level, you need the cooperation of people who are as focused as you are. Those with whom you interact influence your life. Associate with people who can get you to the next level. Being alone is better than associating with cynics.

  Ten, decide that you will practice your beliefs. Tap into the spiritual resources of your colleagues. Religion strips you of vanity, self-love, helps you live a life devoid of fear, hate and intimidation. A life of honesty and sincerity is more than a safe conduct into eternal life, it is also a passport to better life here and now. Eleven, the way you manage your time determines the ultimate direction of your life. How wise you manage your time will determine the amount of wealth you will achieve.

  Our champion for today is Philander Knox, the American lawyer, banker, senator and Cabinet officer in three Presidential administrations. Born in May 1853 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, USA, one of nine children of David and Rebecca Knox. He was called to the Bar in 1875. He became a successful corporate lawyer.

  He was appointed Attorney General by his friend, President William Mckinley in 1901. Knox retained that office under President Theodore Roosevelt, serving until 1904. At the behest of Roosevelt, he instituted many suits under the Sherman Anti Trust Act resulting in the dissolution of the Northern Securities Company that dominated U.S. steel market at the time.

  Then, Knox served as senator (1904-09), resigning to become the Secretary of State in the administration of President William Howard Taft. The foreign policy of Taft and Knox, called Dollar Diplomacy was espoused by Knox. Dollar Diplomacy sought to expand American influence overseas by increasing U.S. investments abroad. It sought to counter European influence in Central America or the Caribbean by encouraging those regions to borrow from U.S. rather than European banks. Though the policy was a success, it was roundly condemned. Knox was returned to the Senate in 1917, where he became the leading opponent of the League of Nations. He died in Washingt

On The Path Of Winners By Bayo Ogunmupe The Shortcut Route To Riches

On The Path Of Winners

By Bayo Ogunmupe

The Shortcut Route To Riches

THERE is a certain way to attain lasting riches. There is no known worthwhile accomplishment that has been achieved outside of this route. In walking this path to greatness, age, education, wealth or talent isn’t relevant. This shortcut route to riches recognizes that wealth is reward for diligent service to others.

  Conversely, this law teaches that it is futile to labour to be rich. The wealth you are after can only come as a reward for your labour of love, service to God and humanity. When you are following this route, in a little while, you will see your certain reward in an unending abundance.

  This path to success is certain, and it is non-discriminatory. All who have walked it since time immemorial have never failed to reach the desired end, regardless of their chosen field. The milestone on this shortest way to wealth isn’t my creation. Once you know the rules and you begin to obey them, you are on your way to outstanding accomplishments. If you take this short route to riches, already knowing your goal, you will steadfastly go towards your destiny regardless of temporary interruptions or the seemingly insurmountable challenges you may meet along the way.

  This achievers’ road to greatness is also known as the Power Pyramid of Achievement. This principle recognizes that power is given to man so that he can use it in serving others, and in return he is rewarded with the form of wealth he seeks. The seed of that power is in every man. But unless you apply this power, it isn’t functional on its own. For as long as you are alive this power will work for you as it did in the following story. There was a man called Milo Jones who operated a small farm in his town of Fort. Atkinson, in Wisconsin, United States. In spite of his good physical health, Jones seemed unable to make his farm yield more than his subsistence living. Late in his life, Jones suffered a stroke, which paralysed him into a hopeless invalid.

  Unable to move but compelled by necessity, Jones moved forward on the principles of the Power Pyramid of Achievement. He called his family to plant every acre of their land with corn. Then, to start raising pigs with the corn. Convert the pigs to sausages while the pigs are young and tender. They called them Jones Pig Sausages, which they sold to stores all over the country. Soon, Jones Pig Sausages became a household name. then, Jones and his family became extremely wealthy from the proceeds of their farm that had once yielded him barely enough to live on. They succeeded by applying the principles you will learn in this essay.

  The Milo Jones success shows that his future was not determined by his circumstances but by his application of the power that is at work in the affairs of men, the power that can take you to the heights beyond your physique. This power principle is based on four eternal milestones. They are: self mastery, serving others, the support system and the protective edge. Collectively, these principles assert that no meaningful success can be attained in any area of life without the would-be achiever first applying the power of making wealth to shape his life and then, using it to serve others. Thus, abundance is created through serving others and this abundance may be preserved only through your continuously serving humanity.

  Each of the four principles of the Power Pyramid of Achievement will be explained in subsequent columns. For now we shall explore the five secrets of Contentment, One, love people, not money, or possessions. This admonition is born out of the Biblical teaching: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things,” Timothy 6:10. Here the Bible warns that a person who loves riches will never be content: “A mere lover of silver will not be satisfied with silver, neither any love of wealth with income,” wrote King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5:10. Your way out therefore, is to practise giving because, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving,” Acts 20:35. Contentment is the root of happiness.

  Two, don't compare yourself with others. Do your work well and you will be proud of yourself. See yourself as a unique being with a unique message to the world. All you need do is to exercise justice, and love your fellowmen and be modest in living out your life. Three, maintain an attitude of appreciation to God for your life and well-being. Four, choose your friends wisely. “He that walks with the wise will become wiser,” Proverbs 13:20. Good friends will add value to you, add to your contentment. Their attitudes and conversations will affect your outlook on life.

  Finally, satisfy your spiritual needs by being conscious of your relationship with God. “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need,” Matt 5:3. As a Christian worship God regularly as prescribed by the Bible. But as a Muslim know the difference between prayer and supplication. To pray is to seek favours from God, whereas solat is supplication.

  Our champion for today is Benjamin Bibi Betanyahu, the Israeli leader and current Prime Minister of Israel..

  Born in October 1949, in Tel Aviv, to Zila nee Segal and Professor of History Benzion Netanyahu. The middle of three children, Benjamin was raised in Jerusalem Israel. He serves as the Chairman of Likud Party, member of the Knesset, as Health Minister of Israel, Pension Affairs Minister of Israel and as Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.

  Netanyahu was the first Israeli prime minister to be born in Israel. He joined the Israeli Defence Forces during the 1967 Six Day War, becoming a team leader. He achieved the rank of Captain before being discharged. After his Army service, Netanyahu went to America where he studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He left school to serve in the Yom Kippur War for 40 days in 1973. He returned to the U.S. to complete his degree. He also did postgraduate M.S. in MIT Sloan School of Management in 1977.

  In 1976, Netanyahu lost his elder brother Yonathan Netanyahu when he was killed in action during a hostage rescue mission at Entebbe Airport, Uganda, Africa. In 1978, Bibi returned to Israel to run Jonathan Netanyahu Institute, an anti-terrorism foundation. Then he met Moshe Arens, who appointed him as his Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. This position he held between 1982 and 1984. Between 1984 and 1988, Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations.

  In 1988, Bibi joined the Likud Party, won membership of the Knesset and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Following the defeat of Likud in 1992, Bibi became party leader. After Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, his successor – Shimon Peres decided to call early elections. Netanyahu emerged Prime Minister in May 1996. In 1997, Netanyahu signed the Hebron Protocol with the Palestinian Authority turning Hebron to the Palestinians. In the following year, he signed the Wye River Memorandum with PLO chairman Yasser Arafat. As premier, Bibi emphasized a policy of three nos: No withdrawal from Golan Heights, no talks on Jerusalem and no negotiation under any preconditions.

  However, he was defeated by the Labour leader, Ehud Barak in the 1999 general election. Thereafter he worked with BATM consultants for two years. After the fall of Barak in 2002, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Bibi Foreign Minister. In 2003 he gave up Foreign Ministry to become Finance Minister. But after the 2009 election, Bibi returned to office as Prime Minister. The post he holds till today. New elections come up in January 2013. Bibi has two sons from Sara his third wife and a daughter from his first wife Miriam.

On The Path Of Winners By Bayo Ogunmupe The Nine Laws Of Supply

On The Path Of Winners

By Bayo Ogunmupe

The Nine Laws Of Supply

HUMAN life is guided by nine divine laws that predict the outcome of every action. So as to reap the benefits of these laws and avoid the penalties of disobedience, you must know what they are. Whether you acknowledge the laws or not, they are in operation. Right now they are either working for you or working against you, depending on which side of the equation you presently stand.

  Certainly, the condition you are now represents the outcome of the way in which you have applied those laws in your affairs to date. Moreover, your future depends on how you are applying these laws right now. These laws have been decreed by Jehovah and are eternal. Since you cannot alter them, your best option is to obey them. If you apply these laws judiciously, your life will be enriched and you will gain all of your heart’s desires. These laws are self-enforcing and you violate them at your own peril. As laws governing abundance, obeying them enables you to secure the plenitude of provisions from the Almighty.

  The first of these laws is the law of creation. This law of creativity and of thought states that visible things are made out of the unseen. It is encapsulated in “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.” This law shows that everything needed by man has been created. Thus, all you need was belief and desire for your needs to materialize for your use. This law propelled Henry Ford to create the family car; Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb and Sir Timothy Berners-Lee to create the World Wide Web.

  The law of harvest is the second law of supply. This is the law of sowing and reaping. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For every effect, there is a specific cause. Conversely, for every cause, there is an effect. For every harvest you desire, you must sow a seed. Since only the seed we have control over, we must ensure we sow the seed in keeping with the harvest we desire. “Where there is no vision the people perish,” Proverbs 29:18. If you want a secure and just country, elect visionary leaders. Until a cause is changed, this law works in perpetuity, in a never ending cycle. That means if causes of Boko Haram are not removed, insecurity will continue for ever, like the war between Palestine and Israel.

  Third law of Supply is the law of Reproduction. It is also known as the law of multiplication. This law states that every seed has within it, the capacity to multiply once planted. Thus, every seed produces a multiplicity of itself. A seed can produce thirty-fold, sixty-fold, a thousand fold, depending on the faith of the sower. Whatever we sow, good or bad, the harvest will come back to us in abundance. Also embedded in this law is the masculine and feminine gender and their interdependence thereof.

  Thus you need others in order for you to accomplish your goals. This law also states that every seed has a gestation period, that in time it will be harvested. Every seed – thoughts, goals, ideas and other invisible forces of emotion and desire, has an incubation period before manifesting physically or materially. That creates the basis for perseverance while working on the achievement of a goal.

  Four, this law of Opposites states that everything has an opposite, that there are always two sides to a thing. As Apostle Paul put it, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” No matter how bad a situation is, there is always a seed of goodness attached to it. Whenever a bad thing happens, look for the good in it. That is how you can ride out of it. By constantly looking for the good you desire in a situation, you profit from it.

  Five, this is the law of Reciprocity, this means you should “do unto others, as you would want others to do unto you.” The good you do to others you will gain in return. That may not come from the same source or be immediate, but certainly you will receive good in return. But the evil you do will surely return to you as well. Wrongdoers will always have their reward.

  Six, the law of seasons, it expresses that for everything there is a season. It implies that while things may go wrong, it is your reaction to them that determines their impact on your life. The law of Attraction is the seventh law of Supply. It says we attract into our lives the people and situations that are in harmony with our own thoughts and feelings. It is also known as: “birds of a feather flock together.”

  Humans are thought – magnets, as we send our thoughts as vibrations into the universe. In the same way, the thoughts of others are being constantly sent back to us. We perceive these exchange of thoughts as feelings. It is your obligation to replace negative thought forms with positive ones so as to stop them from spiraling into bad events. Eight, the law of Comparison is the eighth law of Supply. This law states that nothing is big or small, fast or slow unless it can be compared with another thing. This law shows everything is relative. It means everyone you meet is either better off than you are, or worse off, in any given variable. The proper response is to be grateful to God for whatever situation you are in, and decide to improve your life based on your own desires rather than on pressures from others. Find motivation and success from others rather than competing with them.

  Finally, the law of Harmony is the ninth law of supply. This law guides the consistency of the other eight laws. It states that all the laws work in unison with one another. If you use these laws collectively, you will notice significant changes in your situation, causing a quantum leap in your circumstances. Thus, if you are changing from your current situation or condition and moving into a new one, unless there is a continuous and rapid movement in the new direction, there is an automatic tendency for the former state or condition to be restored. Which is why a short-term application of these laws may produce only short-term benefits. Therefore, success may only be attained by a continuous, unbroken application of these laws.

  The practice of those laws will give you the winning edge in all situations. And your mastery of them will become your arsenal in the march towards the accomplishing of your life goals. When you organize your life and business according to these laws, you begin to gain advantage over all your competitors.

  Our champion for today is Cornelius Vanderbilt, the American shipping and railway magnate who acquired a personal fortune of more than one billion dollars in the 18^th century. Born in May, 1794 in New York State, U.S., Cornelius was the son of an impoverished farmer and boatman. Cornelius quit school at age 11 to work on the water front. In 1810, he bought his first boat with borrowed money, using the boat to ferry passengers from Stalen Island to New York City.

  Vanderbilt expanded his ferry services following the U.S. war in 1812. In 1818, he sold his boats to work for Thomas Gibbons as steamship captain. In 1829, he started his own steamship company. By cutting fares and offering unprecedented luxury on his ships, he gained ascendancy and control of the traffic, becoming a millionaire by 1846.

  The following year he formed a company to transport passengers and goods from New York to San Francisco via Nicaragua. With enormous demands owing to the gold rush of 1849, Vanderbilt’s firm proved a huge success. By the 1850s, he had turned his attention to railways. By 1873, he was able to offer the first rail service from New York to Chicago. Although never interested in philanthropy, he gave one million dollars to the Central University in Nashville which was later renamed Vanderbilt University.

  In his will, he left $90 million to his son William Henry Vanderbilt, $7.5 million to each of William’s four sons and a paltry sum to his second wife and his eight daughters. He succeeded in building one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the United States. He died in January 1877, in New York City, United States.

On the path of winners By Bayo Ogunmupe Exert the force of strategic thinking

On the path of winners

By Bayo Ogunmupe

Exert the force of strategic thinking

IN your pursuit of success in life through personal happiness, financial freedom and gaining the desires of your heart, you need to concentrate on winning. To achieve your aims, you have to go and actually accomplish your wishes in the open market. That is why the skills of simulating, relaxing and visualizing are so important. Thus, you have to concentrate and do what you want, monitor your performance with feedback before you reset your goals again. Perhaps, the best lesson to learn about concentrated action is to focus all your attention on the desired goal, and dismiss the penalties of failure. In order to retain your concentration you have to adopt strategic thinking for success.

  When you hear of strategic thinking, what comes to mind is war. In fact the word strategy means: the science of planning and directing large scale military operations, especially in maneuvering armies into the most advantageous position prior to actual engagement – with the enemy. What differentiates tacts from strategy is that tactics are actions taken in battle, while strategies are plans prior to it. However, strategy isn’t restricted to neither military actions nor business. Strategic thinking can make a positive impact on any area of life. When failure isn’t an option, nothing serves you better than strategic thinking. This is achieved by planning your life and then living your plan. At least, you should plan your life once a week. Then, review your calendar for the week, check your appointments, review your goals and then get to work. This way, you will generally out achieve most of your daily planning colleagues.

  Strategic thinking helps me to plan to become more efficient, to maximize my strengths and to find the most direct path towards the attainment of my objectives. Here are some of the reasons why you should adopt strategic thinking methods to achieve your goals in life. One, strategic thinking simplifies problems. It is planning ahead of problems. Strategic thinking takes complex issues and long-term objectives and breaks them down into manageable sizes. Everything becomes simple when it has a plan.

 Two, strategic thinking enables you to ask the right questions. Three, premeditated strategy prompts you to customize your plans. World War II U.S. General George Patton observed: “successful commanders make plans to fit circumstances but they do not try to create circumstances to fit plans.” All strategists are precise in their thinking. They match strategy with the problem. Sloppy thinking is an enemy of achievement. Customizing your thinking with the problem forces you to go beyond vague ideas. Strategy sharpens your mind to engage the problem in specific ways.

  Four, strategic thinking prepares you today for an uncertain future, strategic thinking is the bridge that links where you are to where you want to be. It gives direction and credibility to your success measures. It enables you to saddle your dreams before you ride them.

  Five, strategic thinking reduces the margin of error in your plans. It lines up your actions with your objectives. The better aligned you are with your target, the better the odds that you will succeed.

  Six, strategic thinking gives you influence with others. One company executive confided in another: “Our company has a short range plan and a long range plan. Our short range plan is to stay afloat long enough to make it to our long range plan.” But that’s no strategy. That’s the position most leaders put themselves, put their business or the nation. There are more than one problem with neglecting strategy in that way. Not only does it fail to build the business, state or nation, it also loses the respect of strategic thinkers.

  Another salient example of muddled thinking is the result of the just concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election. One party thinks of regional integration, that’s strategic thinking. Those without strategy won. Of course, the victors cannot lead the people anywhere. They can only lead them to their Golgotha, for the Bible says “for lack of knowledge my people are destroyed” Hosea 4:6. The one with strategy is the one with the power.

  Seven, in order to become a better strategic thinker, to be able to formulate and implement plans that achieve desired objectives, you must break down the issue, “yard by yard, life is hard, but inch by inch it is a cinch,” so says Robert Schuller, author of Tough Times never last Tough People do. The first step in strategic thinking is to break down an issue into smaller, more manageable units so that you can focus on them more effectively. You might break an issue by function. Just as automobile innovator Henry Ford did when he created the assembly line. That was why he said:” Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” You can also break things down according to time.

  Eight, ask why before how the great American engineer Eugene Grace says: “Thousands of engineers can design bridges, calculate strains and stresses and draw up specifications, but the great engineer is the man who can tell whether the bridge should be built at all, where it should be built and when.” Asking why helps you fathom the right decision. It helps you to open your mind to possibilities and opportunities. If you jump to how so quickly, you might miss the reasons behind your decision. Nine, identify the real issues and objectives. Before a problem can be solved, it has to be clearly defined. We often rush to solutions, at the end we end up solving the wrong problem. Begin by asking what else could be the real issue? Discovering your real situation and objectives is the essence of the battle.

  Ten, review your resources. A strategy that does not take into account resources is doomed to failure. Take an inventory of your time and the money you have. Eleven, develop your plan. When planning, start with the obvious. Put the right people in the right places, which makes placing your team a part of the strategy an important issue. Moreover, keep reviewing the process to avoid errors. Your will to win is worthless if you do not have the will for thorough preparation. Spend time with people whose wisdom and discernment you admire, who have a history of successful problem solving.

  Our champion for today is Edward Prescott, the co recipient of the 2004 Nobel prize for Economics with Finn Kydland. Prescott was born in New York, United States to Mathilda Helwig Prescott and William Clyde Prescott. He received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics form Swarthmore College in 1962, his master’s from Case Western Reserve University in Operations research in 1963 and his PhD in Economics at Carnegie Mellon University in 1967.

  Form 1966 to 1871, Prescott taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Then, he returned to Carnegie Mellon until 1980, when he moved to the University of Minnesota where he taught till 2003. Since then, he has been teaching at Arizona State University. The Research papers in Economics ranked him the 18^th most influential economist in the world as of August 2012, based on his academic contributions.

  Currently working as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and as a professor at Arizona State University’s Carey school of Business, he is an authority in macroeconomics, especially in business cycles and general equilibrium. In their Nobel winning papers, published in 1977, Prescott analysed whether Central Banks should have strict numerical targets or be allowed to use their discretion in setting monetary policy. He is also well known for his work on the Prescott Filter, used to smooth fluctuations in a time series. Prescott has also expressed skepticism towards fractional central banking. His writings more recently have focused on the negative effect of taxes on the economy in Europe.