The Academy of HistoryMakers

WRONG PHILOSOPHIES YOU NEED TO CHANGE (RECREATE YOUR WORLD)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 09:46:00 +0000

WRONG PHILOSOPHIES YOU NEED TO CHANGE (RECREATE YOUR WORLD)

1. *"WHATEVER WILL BE, WILL BE"*

``Whatever will be will not be; you have to make it be. You have a part to play in what will be in your life, so don't leave it to chance.``

2. *"HALF BREAD IS BETTER THAN NONE!"*

``Why settle for half bread when you can get a full bread or even own a bakery. This is a limiting belief that positions you to settle for less and it is mediocre to philosophy.``

3. *"A FOOL AT FORTY IS A FOOL FOREVER"*

```A fool at any age can be a fool forever if he refuses to let go of his foolishness. It is never too late to become wise because the day you wake up and wise up is the day you CHANGE!```

4. *"ALL FINGERS ARE NOT EQUAL"*
```Yes! Physical fingers in your hands are not equal but that does not make any of them valueless. Lose one and you realize that they are all valuable. You are not even a finger, so why look down on yourself.```

5. *"LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY"*

```If you are below forty and believe this, I feel so sorry for you because it means you are not yet alive.```

6. *"WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN"*

```Is your age coming down? Are your wisdom and knowledge coming down? Is the price of goods coming down? Think my friend!```

7. *" HE WHO LAUGH LAST, LAUGHS BEST!"*

```Why laugh last when you can laugh always and why laugh best when laughter is not a competition. When we programmed ourselves with these strange philosophies, they limit and restrict us.```

```Change the way you think and talk.. You will change your world.

You have the opportunity to *RECREATE YOUR WORLD*

NB: Above write ups are not op's original compilations.

10 Tips for Successful Dating and Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 20:23:00 +0000

1. Before beginning a new relationship, make sure you have taken the time to heal from one that has ended. If you are still hurting, you will not be emotionally available to the new person, and the unresolved pain will cloud your decision-making process.

2. Prior to dating someone, have a conversation with them about your dating goals, and theirs. If there is a big difference—for example, one of you is looking to get married and the other is dating for fun--you are likely to save a lot of time and grief by not even getting started. Having similar long term dating goals will contribute significantly to the ultimate success of the relationship.

3. Take your time. Going slowly and creating the opportunity to really get to know the other person well will optimize your chances of making good decisions and creating the kind of relationship you want to have. It takes even the most educated and experienced experts on human behavior at least six months to determine another’s true character.

4. Communicate openly and honestly. Masking your feelings or who you really are will not result in a good relationship. Give up the need to be right. You can each have your points of view without making one right and the other wrong.

5. Take responsibility for your own happiness. Don’t expect your partner to take care of you.

6. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, financially, socially, and spiritually. Two people who are individually successful in these areas have the best chances of creating a good relationship.

7. Be flexible. Compromise is essential to a healthy relationship. Give up the need to be in control. Relationships flourish when you can “hold” each other with wide open arms.

8. Don’t expect your partner to change. Falling in love with someone’s potential is bound to disappoint you.

9. Don’t avoid disagreements. Conflict resolution is part of a healthy relationship. Listen to your partner, and ask them if they feel heard. Keep listening and asking until they do.

10. If you find yourself repeating the same relationship patterns over and over again with different people, individual counseling can help you to break that cycle and replace it with a new, healthier way of relating that will yield more of the results you are looking for.

Counseling can help:

➤ Create happier, healthier, more loving relationships.

➤ Increase self-awareness and understanding.

➤ Improve communication skills.

➤ Decrease stress; increase peace of mind.

➤ Develop healthy conflict resolution skills.

➤Improve parent/child relationships.

➤ Facilitate change in patterns of relating which are not working.

➤ Heal past hurts which are getting in the way of your present happiness.

➤ Resolve recurrent issues so your life is more of what you want it to be.

➤ Aid in the process of grieving a lost relationship.

➤ Conquer eating disorders and addictive behavior.

➤ Assist in personal and spiritual growth.

Linda K. Laffey, MA, MFT Marriage and Family Therapist License# MFC 37134

7 Beliefs that Foster Excellence

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:53:00 +0000

Belief is any guiding principle, dictum, faith or passion that can provide meaning and direction in life. Beliefs are prearranged filters to our perceptions of the world. One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only an interest. Beliefs are the compass and maps that guide us to our goals and give us surety that we know that we will get there. To change our behavior, we need to start with our own beliefs. Belief becomes reality (placebo experiments) Drugs are not always necessary, belief in recovery always is. Belief is nothing but a state, an IR that governs behavior.Change your belief, and change your IR, which will change your behavior. Belief is a choice.

READ ALSO: 7 Fundamental Character Traits You Need to Succeed

Sources of Belief

Environment – Success breeds success, failure breeds failure. Generally nb part of belief values.
Events, small or large can help foster beliefs.
Foster belief through knowledge
Belief based on our past results. If someone succeeds once or twice, they will succeed in the future.

7 beliefs that foster excellence

1. Everything happens for a reason and a purpose and it serves us.

2. There is no such thing as failure, there are only results. Once something doesn’t work, change it until it works.

3. Whatever happens, take responsibility. If you take responsibility, you can control the agenda. We generate our own experiences of life, and we learn from all of them. You need to feel that you create your world, else you are at the mercy of others.

4. You do not have to understand everything to use everything. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Understand the outcome, and what you need to get to the outcome, and have good people around you who are competent at each particular post. Exact the essence from the situation. You don’t need to know how a motor works to drive.

5. People are your greatest resource. The sense of team, purpose, and unity. Continually remain alert, adjust behaviors, and recalibrate actions to determine where we want to go.

6. Work is play. If you are going to succeed you need to enjoy what you are doing. Make your vocation your vacation.

7. There’s no abiding success without commitment

7 Fundamental Character Traits You Need to Succeed

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 May 2017 12:12:00 +0000

Fundamental Character Traits You Need to Succeed

We all have our own definition of success. For many of us it's measured primarily in terms of money and wealth, but there are clearly other important aspects of success. Some people value the freedom to spend their time as they want, others value the ability to help those in need. Yet, whatever the metric, there are a core set of personality traits that are common to all successful people. By the way my favorite is #7. When I think of the greatest success stories, from Disney, to Oprah, to Jobs it is this trait that most allowed them to overcome the past and build the future.

1. Passion

Consuming obsessive purpose to do what they do, to grow and to be more. Gives them the fuel that powers their success train and causes them to tap their true potential. Causes people to stay late and leave early; passion what people ant in relationships; passion gives life power, juice andd meaning; passion to be the best.

2. Belief

Huge power and effect of faith and belief on mankind. Our belief in what we are and what we can be will determine what we will be. If we believe in magic, we will live a magical life. If we believe our life is defined by limits, they will be defined by limits. What we believe is true and possible will become what is true and possible. People who succeed know what they want and believe that they can get it. Passion and belief provides the fuel and propulsion towards excellence!!

3. Strategy

Way of organizing resources to achieve goal. What one needs and what one needs to do to achieve the goal. One needs the resources and use it in an effective way. The best talents and ambitions need to find the right avenue.

4.Clarity of Values Fundamental, ethical and moral judgements we make about what’s important.

A belief system. Judgements on what makes life worth living. 1, 2 and 4 are interactive. If 1 and 2 do not conform with your values, the goal will not be fulfilled.

5. Energy Physical vitality to take action. Physical, intellectual and spiritual energy to take action to make the most of what we have. Need to maximize physical vibrancy.

6. Bonding Power

Ability to create and develop a rapport with different backgrounds and beliefs. Great successes are not on the world stage but in the recesses of your heart. Need to form lasting, loving relationships with others.

7. Mastery of Communication

The way we communicate with others and ourselves will determine the quality of our lives. (eg doing the washing – incidental activity as opposed to a bind). People who shape our lives have an ability to communicate a vision, quest, joy or mission in a way that creates a passion in you to share that vision. It is what makes a great parent, artist, politician or teacher.

7 year old boy runs a company and saves for college

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:59:00 +0000

Ryan Hickman, now 7, began his recycling business at age 3½.

By Shachar Peled, CNN

(CNN) - It's never too early to start a business.

When he was 3½ years old, Ryan Hickman visited the rePlanet recycling center in California, and found his life's mission.

The next day, as he greeted his dad, Damion, at their San Juan Capistrano driveway, he pointed down the street and made an announcement: "My new business! I'm going to pick up all the cans and bottles from everyone in the neighborhood."

Today, at the ripe old age of 7, he is the CEO, manager and employee of Ryan's Recycling Company. He has 50 customers and over 200,000 bottles and cans in his recycling credit.

Though Ryan says he doesn't remember what made it all start (It was over half his life ago!) he remains passionate about the reason. "It's because bottles get to the ocean and then animals get sick and die," he says.

According to Damion Hickman, Ryan has saved over $11,000, which was matched by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last January. The money is going toward a college account, though Ryan says he wants to buy a full-size trash truck and eventually become a garbage man. In a joint interview with CNN, his father says they've designated it for college for the time being and by 18 Ryan can make the decision himself. "Yeah, but I want to buy a truck," Ryan insists.

One of Ryan's favorite places is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, to which he donates all his brand's T-shirt proceedings -- over $3,700 thus far. "I like to go there and look at sea lions, and the money that we donate to them gives them medicine and food," he says.

Four years into the venture, neighbors have grown accustomed to the little boy who comes knocking for their recyclables, and the more enthusiastic ones call to ask for a pickup or even drop off bags at the Hickmans' door.

At school, Ryan's favorite activity is helping the janitor, Mr. Jose, separate the trash.

"My wife and I support him doing it and we told him that whenever he wants to stop he can," Hickman says. "I want to see him with friends but the recycling just makes him happy. He's actually recruited his friends now so it's Ryan and five of his friends helping Mr. Jose."

Hickman, a graphic designer and no more than an average recycler himself, emphasizes that it has all been "100% Ryan, though of course I'm the driver -- every three weeks or so we go to the recycling center -- and I also help him sort into glass, aluminum and plastic when it's a big pile."

Despite the outpouring of support and gratitude, Hickman remains slightly cautious. "I try to discourage direct donations, I don't want people to think we're trying to make money off the kid," he says. "We certainly appreciate it and I realize it makes people feel good; 99% of the comments say how inspiring it is. But a fraction of the comments say 'the kid is a marketing tool for a mom and dad business' and we just try not to read them. I started typing a response once and stopped. I feel it's not worth it."

Go to his website for more info!

Make Christmas Affordable

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 14:51:00 +0000

The most miserable walk in the world is the one many of use make in late January carrying the mail back to the house from the mailbox looking at all those bills. What makes it even worse: A lot of those gifts were for people we only halfway know, and who have either already returned the gifts we bought, or have given them to someone else! But there you are stuck having to make payments for the next year. Bad plan.

Many people spend more on gift buying than they can afford. There are probably several reasons for this: First, some folks, who don’t have written monthly budgets, simply don’t realize how much they’re spending for gifts. Second, there are lots of people who would rather spend themselves into the poor house than to let their “friends” know they have financial limits. Third, there are a lot of people who really don’t know how to give gifts without spending money.

It’s this third group that I want to direct some ideas to in this section. First, understand that we give gifts to people whom we love—and, who love us back. By definition, these people care more about the giver than the gift. They don’t care what you spend. They care about you. For people like this, it really is the thought that counts. Maybe you’ll find some good ideas below:

Give gifts that you make yourself. If you have a garden, why not give fruits, vegetables, or flowers? If you cook or bake, why not give something from your kitchen? Personalize your homemade wonders by dressing them up with pretty ribbons and bows. Make a homemade label and hang it from a string. Attach a poem. Give “designer jars” of cinnamon sugar mix, pasta samplers, or homemade candies. Make it special.

Give your time. Even if you don’t make a product or craft, time is one thing you can give to others. The most valuable commodity any of us have is our time. Each one of us has 86,400 seconds in our day. The question is, “Who will we share our time with?” One of the best gifts we can give is a gift that represents our time. Why not give a certificate to a young family that can be redeemed for an evening of babysitting?

Save money on gift-wrapping. One of the costliest parts of giving a gift can be the wrapping. Why not use the Sunday newspaper comic pages? It’s a colorful, fun, whimsical way to wrap a present.

Give personal gifts to family members. In our family, it’s not unusual to get a certificate entitling the recipient to a 30-minute back massage. You could give “chore certificates” where the giver promises to wash dishes, make beds, mow grass, etc., for the recipient.

Give “talent” gifts. My son Joshua is a fabulous artist. In the past, he has given his drawings as gifts. If you write poetry, why not a special verse for a friend? If you sing, why not present a special song for the guest of honor at the birthday party?

Romantic gifts for husbands and wives. The great thing about being married is that you can give your lover special gifts that are both personal and romantic. Why not candle light, beautiful music, and a review of your wedding album—just before bed? Have you ever surprised your spouse (isn’t that a wretched sounding word for someone you love?) with breakfast in bed? If eating out is too costly, why not a late night cup of coffee in a quiet restaurant? Oh well, you get the point. Be imaginative.

A Serious Plan for Holiday Savings

Now, I’m going to suggest something that not many of you will be willing to do. But, for that minority of you who try this—the savings may surprise you.

Why not celebrate holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day a few days late? Think about it. When do the really incredible Christmas sales usually begin? December 26, right? So, why not agree to have your family Christmas celebration on New Year’s Day? That way you could do your shopping and decorating starting the day after Christmas. The Christmas tree lot would probably give you a tree just to avoid having to throw it away. The decorations will be reduced. And gifts in the stores will be on sale. What a deal! Of course, if you can’t bear the thought of not celebrating Christmas on December 25, you might consider giving gift certificates that can be redeemed on merchandise after it’s on sale.

Now, if all of that seems a little too extreme for your taste, maybe you wouldn’t mind to celebrate a holiday like Valentine’ Day a day or two late. (Have you ever noticed how much a heart-shaped box of chocolates goes down in price right after Cupid leaves town?)

Here’s an Old Trick

Always buy a year ahead. Buy seasonal merchandise like gift wrapping, decorations, and ornaments immediately after a holiday is over. Frequently, stores offer huge discounts simply to avoid having to warehouse their stock for another year.

By Steve Diggs

The Importance Of Taking Time For Yourself To Try Something New

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 23:22:00 +0000

When you’re on the path to achieving your goals, it’s easy to become laser-focused on the end-result.

However, it’s important to remember to take mental and physical breaks as you progress towards success.Finding goal-life balance is equally, if not more important than finding work-life balance: you need to take some time to re-energize and reset in order to create your best self.

Regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Try to take a mini-vacation every few months, and during that time, refrain from doing any work. Instead, try something new.

Regardless of the goal you’re aiming to achieve, respite can do wonders for your motivation levels.

For example, are you on the path to improving your personal well-being? Perhaps to become more capable, confident, positive?

I’m having a Summer Sale on some of my best products until the end of the month to help you on your journey to success.

I have personally created 5 bundled packages for you to choose exactly what it is you need to succeed.

Here are previews of each package so you can choose what is right for you:

1) The Guru Package

Is personal success important to you?

Personal success is not a matter of background, intelligence, or native ability. It’s not our family, friends, or contacts who enable us to do extraordinary things.

Instead, personal success is our ability to get the very best out of ourselves under almost all conditions and circumstances. It is your ability to adapt and change your life.

2) The Parent Package

Maybe you’re a parent who just wants to best for your children while trying to balance all that life throws your way.

How great would it make you feel if you could get the most out of parenthood, relationships, or your career?

Would seeing your kids, your spouse, and other loved ones following in your footsteps of success make you happy?

How much better would your life be (and your family’s life) if you had an actual “instruction manual,” detailing the exact steps to follow for effectively handling the ups and downs of life balance – as well as the lives of those you hold dearest to you?

My Parent Package may be right for you…

3) The Entrepreneur Package

Perhaps you’ve decided to pursue one of the ultimate challenges: your own business venture. Your undertaking can feel overwhelming, considering you need to have a solid grasp on everything you’d need to start, grow, or save a sales career.

My Entrepreneur Package is the best of all things sales success. I designed it specifically for aspiring entrepreneurs.

4) The Manager Package

What is your vision for yourself and your business in the months and years ahead? Imagine there are no boundaries in what you can accomplish with your organization.

The Manager Package focuses on helping you be successful in any business situation.

5) The Professor Package

Have you ever wanted to be more productive or write a book?

The starting point of becoming excellent in time management is desire. Almost everyone feels that their time management skills could be better than they are.

People resolve, over and over again, to get serious about time management by focusing, setting better priorities and overcoming procrastination.

But often they fail…

Act now and don’t put it off any longer.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading. Regardless of what you do, don’t forget to take time for yourself and your own personal development.

Brian Tracy

Living Without Limits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 02:06:00 +0000

The starting point of great success and achievement has always been the same. It is for you to dream big dreams. There is nothing more important, and nothing that works faster than for you to cast off your own limitations than for you to begin dreaming and fantasizing about the wonderful things that you can become, have, and do.

As a wise man once said, “You must dream big dreams, for only big dreams have the power to move the minds of men.” When you begin to dream big dreams, your levels of self-esteem and self-confidence will go up immediately. You will feel more powerful about yourself and your ability to deal with what happens to you. The reason so many people accomplish so little is because they never allow themselves to lean back and imagine the kind of life that is possible for them.

A powerful principle that you can use to dream big dreams and live without limits is contained in what Elihu Goldratt calls the “Theory of Constraints.” This is one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern thinking. What Goldratt has found is that in every process, in accomplishing any goal, there is a bottleneck or choke cord that serves as a constraint on the process. This constraint then sets the speed at which you achieve any particular goal.

What Goldratt found is that if you concentrate all of your creative energies and attention on alleviating the constraint, you can speed up the process faster than by doing any other single thing.

Let me give you an example. Let us say that you want to double your income. What is the critical constraint or the limiting factor that holds you back? Well, you know that your income is a direct reward for the quality and quantity of the services you render to your world. Whatever field you are in, if you want to double your income, you simply have to double the quality and quantity of what you do for that income. Or you have to change activities and occupations so that what you are doing is worth twice as much. But you must always ask yourself, “What is the critical constraint that holds me back or sets the speed on how fast I double my income?”

A friend of mine is one of the highest-paid commission professionals in the United States. One of his goals was to double his income over the next three to five years.

He applied the 80/20 rule to his client base. He found that 20 percent of his clients contributed 80 percent of his profits, and that the amount of time spent on a high-profit client was pretty much the same amount of time spent on a low-profit client. In other words, he was dividing his time equally over the number of tasks that he does while only 20 percent of those items contributes 80 percent of his results.

So he drew a line on his list of clients under those who represented the top 20 percent and then called in other professionals in his industry and very carefully, politely, and strategically handed off the 80 percent of his clients that only represented 20 percent of his business. He then put together a profile of his top clients and began looking in the marketplace exclusively for the type of client who fit the profile; in other words, one who could become a major profit contributor to his organization, and whom he in turn could serve with the level of excellence that his clients were accustomed to. And instead of doubling his income in three to five years, he doubled it in the first year!

So what is holding you back? Is it your level of education or skill? Is it your current occupation or job? Is it your current environment or level of health? Is it the situations that you are in today? What is setting the speed for you achieving your goal?

Remember, whatever you have learned, you can unlearn. Whatever situation you have gotten yourself into, you can probably get yourself out of. If your real goal is to dream big dreams and to live without limits, you can set this as your standard and compare everything that you do against it.

The three keys to living without limits have always been the same. They are clarity, competence, and concentration.

Clarity means that you are absolutely clear about who you are, what you want, and where you’re going. You write down your goals and you make plans to accomplish them. You set very careful priorities and you do something every day to move you toward your goals. And the more progress you make toward accomplishing things that are important to you, the greater self-confidence and self-belief you have, and the more convinced you become that there are no limits on what you can achieve.

Competence means that you begin to become very, very good in the key result areas of your chosen field. You apply the 80/20 rule to everything you do and you focus on becoming outstanding in the 20 percent of tasks that contribute to 80 percent of your results. You dedicate yourself to continuous learning. You never stop growing. You realize that excellence is a moving target. And you commit yourself to doing something every day that enables you to become better and better at doing the most important things in your field. Concentration is having the self-discipline to force yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and stay with it until it’s complete.

The two key words for success have always been focus and concentration. Focus is knowing exactly what you want to be, have, and do. Concentration is persevering, without diversion or distraction, in a straight line toward accomplishing the things that can make a real difference in your life.

When you allow yourself to begin to dream big dreams, creatively abandon the activities that are taking up too much of your time, and focus your inward energies on alleviating your main constraints, you start to feel an incredible sense of power and confidence. As you focus on doing what you love to do and becoming excellent in those few areas that can make a real difference in your life, you begin to think in terms of possibilities rather than impossibilities, and you move ever closer toward the realization of your full potential.

Brian Tracy

Think Like a Rat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 02:08:00 +0000

We talk about “being in the rat race,” but this is probably unfair. It’s actually demeaning to the rats. Rats won’t stay in a race when it’s obvious there’s no cheese. The popular little book Who Moved My Cheese showed how even smart rats quickly look for new routes to follow when the cheese is gone. Humans, on the other hand, seem to often get themselves into traps from which they never escape. Some research shows that up to 70 percent of white-collar workers are unhappy with their jobs – ironically, they are also spending more and more time working.

Jan Halper, a Palo Alto psychologist, has spent ten years exploring the careers and emotions of over 4,000 male executives. He found that 58 percent of those in middle management felt they had wasted many years of their lives struggling to achieve their goals. They were bitter about the many sacrifices they had made during those years.

Just recently I had an attorney tell me she feels like a prostitute. She said that in exchange for every nice paycheck, she had given up her soul and her life. Each week I talk to individuals who feel trapped in their current work. They talk about being demeaned, belittled, and emotionally abused. And yet they stay, hoping against all odds that things will magically improve. Some seem to take a martyr’s attitude that God is working something out or that Satan is mercilessly attacking them.

Rats, however, move on once they realize the cheese is gone or perhaps was never there. Rats would probably be embarrassed to be labeled “being in the human race” for doing ridiculous things like continuing to go to a job that they hated every day. Take action to move toward whatever is pure, good, and honorable – in your life and in your work.

Source: Dan Miller

The Reason Why Teamwork Matters in Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 01:40:00 +0000

Two of the most important parts of a healthy marriage are teamwork and communication.

Without those two areas being a priority, it’s very difficult for a marriage to survive. That’s why money fights and money problems are the leading cause of divorce in America today.

When you both got married, the pastor said, “You are one.” And you know what? He meant it! You are one. Together, you are a team that sets the tone for your family and your future.

When it comes to money, that means one bank account. It means making a budget — together. It means getting and staying on the same page in everything related to your money.

If you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye regarding money, you are just inviting tension and stress and disagreement into your marriage.

For example, if one spouse is sitting down every month and coming up with a budget, and, without notice, the other spouse goes out and spends $500 on a new television, then you have problems.

And that’s a realistic scenario. Around 1 in 5 Americans admit to spending $500 or more without their partner’s knowledge. We call it “financial infidelity,” and it’s a growing problem today.

When you both sit down at the table and come up with a budget that you both agree on, then issues like that won’t happen. Each month, before the month begins, you sit down and spend every dollar on paper, on purpose.

It’s okay if one of you takes the lead, but you both have to buy in to the budget and understand what’s going on. You both need to have a grasp of your whole financial situation.

That’s why it’s vital to have one primary bank account that you both use. When you have separate accounts, it’s too easy to start thinking, This is my money and that is his money — when, really, it’s your money together.

Once you have that single account, you can set a limit on a single purchase that you both make without talking. For instance, if your limit is $100, then neither of you would purchase anything over $100 without talking to your spouse first.

That specific number will depend on your income. It might be more, and it might be less. But it’s important that you both know what’s coming in and going out of your bank account. The left hand needs to know what the right hand is up to!

Are You Driven or Called?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 May 2016 01:27:00 +0000

Overscheduled. Overworked. Overcommitted. Overwhelmed. Sound familiar? Many of us find ourselves running from one activity to another, feeling stressed and at the mercy of a schedule of our own making. Busyness can make us feel like we are doing something, but we may be hard pressed to explain exactly what it is we are doing that really matters. If that sounds like your life, we invite you to take a brief “time out” to look at whether you are acting like a driven or a called person.

Driven vs. Called

In his book, Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald describes the characteristics of stressed, driven people (who often are doing very good things). They are all around us. In fact, often they are us! Do you see yourself or someone close to you in some of these symptoms?

A driven person is:

“Usually abnormally busy.They are usually too busy for the pursuit of ordinary relationships in marriage, family, or friendship, or even to carry on a relationship with themselves—not to speak of one with God ... They operate on the precept that a reputation for busyness is a sign of success and personal importance. Thus they attempt to impress people with the fullness of their schedule.”

Most often only gratified by accomplishment. They have little patience for or appreciation of the process leading to accomplishing something. The only worthwhile things are those that produce visible results.

Preoccupied with attaining the things that symbolize accomplishment. Their goal is the ongoing acquisition of those things that represent power and status.

Usually pursuing something that is “bigger” and “more successful” than their last endeavor. Tends to have a limited regard for integrity. “Shortcuts to success become a way of life. Because the goal is so important, they drift into ethical shabbiness.”

Often characterized by limited or undeveloped people skills. “Because their eyes are upon goals and objectives, they rarely take note of the people about them, unless they can be used for the fulfillment of one of the goals.”

Usually highly competitive. They see everything in life as a win-or-lose game. “Winning provides the evidence the driven person desperately needs that he is right, valuable, and important.”

Often typified by “a volcanic force of anger,” which can erupt any time he senses opposition or disloyalty. This anger can be triggered when people disagree, offer an alternative solution to a problem, or even hint at just a bit of criticism.”

Driven people are controlled by their compulsions. When we live as driven people, we are listening to our culture and our fears, not to God. Drivenness comes so readily to us. “I look inside my private world,” MacDonald confesses, “and discover that almost every day I have to wrestle with whether I will be a [driven or a called person]. Living in a competitive world where achievement is almost everything, it would be easy to…be driven, to hold on, to protect, to dominate. And I might even find myself doing those sorts of things while telling myself that I was doing God’s work.”

But can the driven person be changed? “Most certainly,” says MacDonald. “It begins when such a person faces up to the fact that he is operating according to drives and not calls. That discovery is usually made in the blinding, searching light of an encounter with Christ.” God loves us! He doesn’t want us to be at the mercy of our fears and compulsions. He wants to free us so that we can become the people he created us to be and do the things he created us to do.

In those moments when we glimpse what it means to live as a called person, we can echo MacDonald’s words:

Having listened to God’s call, I can know my mission. It may demand courage and discipline, of course, but now the results are in the hands of the Caller. Whether I increase or decrease is His concern, not mine. To order my life according to the expectations of myself and others; and to values myself according to the opinions of others; these can play havoc with my inner world. But to operate on the basis of God’s call is to enjoy a great deal of order within (MacDonald, p. 65).

God’s love, grace and truth enables us to exchange our frenetic life of achievement, acquisition and activity for a life centered on pleasing our Audience of One.

Strategies for Living as Called, not Driven People

The following are some strategies that can help us in the quest to invest our time in the things that matter:

1. Scrutinize your schedule. Take a large sheet of paper and divide it into five columns. In the first column, list all of your activities and commitments in a typical month. (If you have a spouse and/or children, make this a family activity with each family member adding to the list).

In the 2nd column, write down the amount of time it requires each week (include driving time, preparation time, etc.). In the 3rd column, write down why you (or another family member) are doing the activity. In the 4th column list the “pros” of doing this activity; in the 5th column the “cons.” (The pros and cons should take into account the impact on both the individual and the family.)

2. Evaluate your activities with at least one other person. We often are too close to our lifestyle choices to see them clearly. Your partner, or small group, can provide helpful insight and feedback. Together, address questions such as: Are there any activities that you (or your family) should remove from your schedule? And, are there any activities you should add? For example, does your schedule have sufficient time built in for building relationships with your family and friends? Is there time for growing your relationship with God, and worshipping him? Is there time for providing spiritual training for your children? Is there time for serving others in your church, neighborhood and community? Is there adequate time for renewal and relaxation?

3. Re-create your schedule based on God’s priorities for your life. God gives each of us enough time to do all the things he wants us to do. Ask the Lord to help you (and your family) create a schedule that reflects the life he intends you to live. God may very well be calling you to do less, not more! This is not an easy process; you may feel like you are in uncharted territory.

In the book, When I Relax, I Feel Guilty, Tim Hansel describes our condition of suffering “from a nagging sense of guilt that no matter how much [we] do, it is never quite enough….Words like wonder, joy, rest, and freedom have become faded replicas of what Christ taught. Time becomes a tyrant instead of a friend.”

4. Commit your schedule and intended activities for the day to God each morning.Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in making wise use of your time that day. Review your mission statements and Action Plan. Ask God to enable you to live your calling “24/7” each day.

The Great Count Down

The way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives. Let us join with the psalmist in praying, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom…. And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:12, 17 NASU). God gifts us “24/7” with a new day; 24 invaluable, irreplaceable hours of time to manage. We need guidance from the Creator of time so that we use the hours of the day to live our callings, and not run by or away from them.

If you would like professional assistance with discovering your vocational calling or making a career transition, we invite you to look into our career coaching services. After reading about our services, you can schedule a free consultation session to discuss which career services would best meet your needs. We would consider it a privilege to help you discover who God has created you to be and what He has designed you to do!

Excerpts from Live Your Calling (2005) by Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck. Used by permission of Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint.

© Article copyright by Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com. All rights reserved. The above information is intended for personal use only. No commercial use of this information is authorized without written permission.

Source: CBN

Teaching Your Children About Money

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 May 2016 00:29:00 +0000

One of the best ways to teach young children about finances is through an allowance. While some parents believe kids should work for spending money, giving an allowance to younger children can prove to be beneficial. Once they are in high school, you can give them more, but with the additional income comes additional responsibility. The child can begin to make her own decisions regarding the allocation of her funds. That helps them learn they can't do everything. It also keeps us as parents from being the bad guy and saying, "No, we can't afford that."

You shouldn't tie their income to work. (Though they should be able to earn "extra" money by performing special tasks). You should your children to "pitch in" around the house as part of their family duty. This teaches them that clothes do not "magically" find their dressers and/or closets after being miraculously washed. Children do need some money of their own to manage. How else will they learn to handle it?

A biblical principle you must stress is tithing. That comes off the top. After the tithe comes saving, though you can't expect children to save a whole lot if you don't pay them much. However, starting them on a savings plan early will do much for them in the future when they are making real money.

I know a teenager that keeps a ledger of his money that he receives. This ledger keeps track of all his expenditures and income (including those that owe him money for his services). Fortunately, for those that owe him money, he has no mob ties. He's actually quite a nice kid. But, if you don't pay him, he becomes like the paper boy in the late 80's movie "Better off Dead." Remember that kid? He rode around his bike telling the star of the movie "two dollars. I want my two dollars."

His ledger has taught him a few things:

1. He can't simply spend money when he feels like.

2. He has become quite adept at basic accounting principles.

Back to the tithing issue. The Bible is clear. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." One of the greatest things you can do for your children is teach them about the importance of the tithe. More importantly, teach them about cheerful giving. Help them get beyond the percentage. It's important not to simply tell them this, but to live it yourself. When we give generously to God's work, it's like telling God (and our children), "You know, Lord, there are a lot of ways I could spend this money. But I'm putting You first, ahead of my own desires."

I think this is the attitude that pleases our Creator, not the amount or the percentage. Giving opens the gateway to communication, whether to God, our mate or our children. It is one of the cornerstones for a better life.

By Steven G Scalici

To Defeat Your Enemy, You Must Know Him

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 23:04:00 +0000

Do you know that you have an enemy? It's true. In fact, we all have an enemy — the devil — and it's very important for us to understand who he is, or we will be defeated in life.

I went to church for years and didn't know the devil was real; I thought he was just a cartoon character in a red outfit with a pitchfork. I never heard a message about the devil and how we can have authority over him. I did get a good foundation of what salvation is, and I'm very thankful for that. But I wasn't living a victorious life in Christ because I didn't understand who the enemy is, that he is the author of my problems, and that I need to aggressively resist him.

If you're thinking, "Joyce, I don't want to talk about the devil," I understand. But the devil has strategies and plans to come against you, so the worst thing you can do is ignore him. That's why I want to help you get informed about who he is so you can know how to recognize when he's at work in your life and how to defeat him.

Because the good news is, through Christ, you can be more than a conqueror and overcome the attacks of the enemy (Romans 8:37).

We're in a Spiritual War

In 2 Corinthians 10:4 (AMPC), the Bible says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds."

This verse makes it clear that our battle is not against flesh and blood.

In other words, people are not the source of our problems. People can create problems, but we need to realize that the enemy works through people, and if we just deal with them, we're not getting to the root cause of the issues in our lives.

Now, there are several reasons why we have trouble: We live in a fallen world and experience the effects of sin; we disobey God and make poor choices; and we are directly attacked by the devil. I want to focus on the ways and reasons why the enemy brings trouble into our lives.

It's His Nature

The Bible teaches that Satan (another name for the devil), was formerly called Lucifer. He was created by God as an angel with a free will. He was an archangel and had great power and responsibility. Some biblical scholars believe he was the angel in charge of worship.

Ezekiel 28:13-15 says he was covered with precious stones, he was the anointed cherub and he was blameless in his ways from the day he was created until he turned against God (AMPC).

Isaiah 14:12-15 explains that he is fallen from heaven because he said in his heart: "I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High" (AMPC).

He used his free will to try and be like God, yet he was brought down by Him.

When Satan fell from heaven, he took a third of the angels with him; therefore, the devil and his demonic hosts are alive in the earth today. They are the evil in this world, and we can't be lazy Christians and expect to overcome them.

Keys to Defeating Your Enemy

The devil has power, but Jesus came to put him in his place and deliver us from the power of the enemy.

First John 3:8 (NKJV) says, "… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

When we accept Christ as our Savior and come into a personal relationship with Him, we gain access to the authority and power of God in our lives.

John 10:10 says that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to give us life — abundant life! And John 8:32 says God's truth sets us free. See, when we know the Word and who we are in Christ, then we can recognize the lies of the enemy and how he is trying to work in our lives. We can stand our ground by faith in God, submit ourselves to Him completely and resist the devil, and the enemy must flee! (See James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9.)

There are so many scriptures that help us know how to overcome evil in the world and live victoriously over sin and the enemy.

For example, Romans 12:21 says we overcome evil with good; 1 John 4:4 reminds us that Christ, who lives in us, is greater than the enemy in the world; and Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV) says God "has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

Here's some more truth for you: God loves you and He has plans for your life that are good … that will prosper you and give you hope. Make a determined decision to aggressively pursue your relationship with God in prayer and through studying His Word. By God's grace, you can defeat the attacks of the enemy and have the victorious, more-than-a-conqueror life Jesus died to give you!

About The Author

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 90 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Do Yourself a Favor…Forgive (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.

Source: CP

NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHAT’S UP ON YOUR MIND, YOU’LL BE CELEBRATED FOR THE ACTION YOU TOOK. (Free PDF Download)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 21:24:00 +0000

I know you have this dream of becoming great, living like the world-class, having a best-selling book, becoming a celebrity, producing a piece of music, becoming a model, etc. What would you have done if you had all the resources needed to fulfill your dreams? By resources, I mean the money, connections, and the support. ‘What next?’ I hear you say, ‘if I have all the money it’ll take, I’ll get it done.’

Over the years, the masses have been forced to believe that the main reason for their failure to fulfill their dreams is lack of money; lack of sponsors or lack of support. The idea is this: ‘if you have nobody you’ll be nobody’, or, ‘you need money to start working on your dreams’. Students in tertiary institutions seem to equate studentship with overall dependency on their sponsors. The concept is this: as a student all you have should be all you’re given; you don’t need to try anything on your own. However, when the sponsor fails to give the necessary financial support on time, such a sponsor should be crucified.

The fact is: you have everything you need to fulfill your dream on your inside. Every resource you need is buried within you. The money, connection and support you need are deposited in you. Stop waiting on people. Take responsibility.

PASSION OR ACTION

How are dreams converted to reality? Do you really need passion or you need to take action? Everyone has passion for success. But I believe passion disintegrate with time. Take ACTION! Immediately! You want to write a book? Stop thinking, start writing. Isn’t it amazing that you can get anything you want when you want it? Why wait for tomorrow when you can start it now. You have dreamed enough; you have prayed enough!

You’ve got to believe the fact that if you don’t do it today, you may not do it again. Because, the passion you needed to have done it may be cut down. Can anybody really achieve a dream without a strong passion? If passion disintegrates with time, why not take action now?

THOUGHTS TO RESULTS

People don’t care about what you are thinking; all they care is result. Champions move from ‘thoughts to results’. Action on thoughts yields result. Microsoft would have remained a very good idea up till now if nobody took action. So also with Apple, Coca Cola, and this write-up you’re reading.

No one cares about what’s up on your mind, you’ll be celebrated for the action you took, not for what you thought about over the years. There is something in you. Get up and take action!

Download Pdf

Ekemini Thompson
Co-Founder The Academy Of HistoryMakers

HOW ‘GOING TO SCHOOL’ IS DIFFERENT FROM BEING ‘EDUCATED’

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 21:55:00 +0000

Hundreds of Millions of high school graduates seek admission into higher institutions yearly. In Nigeria, everyone wants to go to school, get a degree so they can get a good job. The advantage of going to school is advertised more than the advantages of being educated. When most schools place advert, all they need is students to pay fees so they can be enriched; only few schools wants students to be educated.

THE DEFINITION

You can go to school without being educated; YET you can be educated without going to school. What actually is going to school? What does being educated mean? You know the difference? If you go to school, chances are you’ll get a degree. No one goes to school without being awarded a certificate. To get a degree in school is simple: follow the school’s rules properly.

“There is no value in degree but in deliveries” Bishop Oyedepo

While you don’t get a paper for being educated, education makes you unique, provides you with the ability to develop your potential and gives you opportunities to release your greatness. Education affects your mind. It presents you with challenges which pull out the best in you.

THE IRONY

Educated people talk less of their degree; people that ‘go to school’ talk more, because that is the only thing they have in the world. Their success is tied down to their certificates. That is why they keep moving from first degree to seventh degree to protect their job and get high pay-checks. If you want to harm them, hide their certificate; if you want to kill them, burn it.

Educated people know they can do without their certificate. Rarely will they talk about the paper they got, that is, if they even have it. Their success does not rely on the paper; loss of certificate does not render them useless. They know that what they have in them is bigger that what the certificate can do to them.

REAL LIFE

Life does not respect people that ‘go to school’. As a matter of fact, you can have a Ph.D in physics and still work for the educated. Life does not question your degree; it doesn’t test your certificate.

At every point, a graduate will always want to make sure the certificate obtained was not a waste of time and resources. They always want to work, or, as they put it, get a good job. This will always make them work for people, get employed and help others build their dreams, instead of building theirs.

People that ‘go to school’ fear to face real life. They take solace often. They are afraid to fail and are scared of the next risk. While the lived under the succour of their parent or guardian and under the coverage of ‘the fresh graduate phenomenon’, all they need at that point is a saviour. Get them a job, they will never forget you; tell them to break out and start their life, they’ll hate you for life.

Educated people do not only think differently from people that ‘go to school’; they have this self-believe, self-concept and self-worth generated within them. They are sure of themselves and can distinguish exactly what they can do and what they can’t. While facing reality, their muscles are strengthened in the challenges; they are happy trying and failing and trying again. Educated people are courageous and optimistic. Other than waiting for a saviour, a miracle worker or a saviour, they become one.

To educated people, they are the ‘saviour’ the people are praying for. Taking responsibility for their fate becomes normal; nobody takes the blame for them. They know they are responsible for their failures or successes, after all no one is ready to take the blame for them.

THE COMPARISON

These two people may be students. However, what they study differs. While one may spend 3 years or more studying the ‘effect’, the other studies the ‘cause’. Educated people understand that: to every law of motion, there is always an ‘Isaac Newton and his beliefs’ behind it. Instead of just memorizing the laws, educated people study Isaac Newton, his beliefs and what led to the cause of the establishment of his principles (otherwise called laws).

This in-depth research of causes of actions makes them work on the causes or initiate a ‘cause’ themselves. They don’t just talk about changes but desire to make things change. Educated people always want to cause the change they so desire. The others are happy about how things are, the changes in nature, life, technology and in the environment, but never a time will they ask about the ‘why and how’, the cause of the happenings, all they are happy about is the ‘wonder’, the effect.

THE DIFFERENCE

The major difference is how they think! Our thoughts affect our beliefs, our beliefs affect our actions, our actions affect our results. People that ‘go to school’ want to be like the educated, but they don’t want to pay the price. They are scared of losing their comfort in the process.

Education makes you discover yourself. Immediately this happens, you are ready to walk out of what is keeping you in bondage, be it school or job. For instance, an educated man can quit his job or school to start something he is ready to die for –pursuing his dreams. People that ‘go to school’ don’t have this gut; the paper and pay-check are far more important than fulfilling destiny.

However, not everyone that quit school or job really ‘succeeds’ almost immediately, but they enjoy happiness fighting the course the put in for. They are comfortable in the midst of uncertainties. In fact, what gives them comfort is their zeal and self-believe. They have the passion to get it done and not relax. To the educated, taking risk is not only what they ‘know about’, it is what they do. This people believe in breaking the limit set by others, moving past what people called ‘comfort zone’.

In school, they may not be the ‘nerds’, with a first class at the end of their college stay. People that ‘go to school’ are concerned about this. Though educated people know that their CGPA is important, they know that a good CGPA is a result of a ‘cause’ set in motion. They understand that a good CGPA does not guarantee real-life success.

School teaches you how to remember stuff; the system works more on your memory. In fact, to ascertain whether you’re a good student, school test your ability to remember what you were taught. The educated know that life is not to be lived in the past; they work more on the present, hence recreating a future. They let go of the past, because, on the whole, the rules may change. The educated may not remember the past, but can change today to create a new tomorrow – this is what most schools don’t care about.

THE ACTION

Change your thinking, change your life! It is far better to be ‘educated’ than to ‘go to school’. Choose...

Ekemini Thompson

5 Powerful POSITIVE TRAITS Of An Eagle!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 21:54:00 +0000

Earlier in our previous article on eagles that was tagged Eagles: what we should learn from them! Link) We talked about types of eagles, their characteristics, etc you can read more by clicking on that link above. Today I have tabled down 5 powerful POSITIVE TRAITS Of An Eagle that we should learn and also apply in our lives. These will aid us in our pursuit for success. Bear this in mind friends that eagles don’t always have a soft and easy life, nor will we. But just as eagles illustrate, God our creator is calling us to wait on Him and learn to soar higher, above the cares, trials, and trivial pursuits of life: Here are the POWERFUL TRAITS:

Before you start reading here is a little piece of advice from my colleague and Co - Founder Enoch Okon:

"Please I urge each and every one of us to take these traits seriously and see your lives changing for good. Don’t say I have read it countless times, yes you might have done that but your life is still stagnate or has not reached the zenith yet. You can choose to be different this time around and stand to make a difference in your world."

1 -They Have Powerful Vision!

Eagles have strong and powerful vision, with an ability to focus on objects up to three miles away. When an eagle sights his prey, he will not move his focus from the prey until he successfully captures it. Even if its flying close by, you can observe how keen its eyes are looking for its prey. Their eyes are specially designed for long distance focus and clarity. They can spot another eagle soaring from 50 miles away. In order to succeed, you must have a clear vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacles may be. There might be many obstacles blocking your view (vision) but choose to be like an eagle who crushes every obstacles.

2 -They are Fearless!

An eagle will never surrender to the size or strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to win its prey or regain its territory. Be like that, don’t give in to problems and negative pressures around you, all you have to do is to face them head on and attack them without thought or regard for yourself. Again remember that an eagle will never surrender to the size or strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to win its prey or regain its territory. Be like that, stand strong, believe in yourself, and be bold!

3 - They are Very Tenacious!

When storm clouds gather, other birds do what we all know as ‘Take Cover!’ because they are all scared for what is coming next. Meanwhile the excitement in the air is great for eagles. You might be wondering why eagles get excited when storm comes, what An eagle does is that he uses the storm’s wind to lift himself higher, far above the clouds. And I must say that is crazy! What we should learn from this is that we can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights without running away from it. Successful people thrive on challenges and use them profitably. Use the storm wind of life to lift yourself higher far above fear, failure, pain, unforgiveness, hatred etc! TO YOUR SUCCESS!!

4 - They are High Flyers!

Eagles can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet, but they are able to swiftly land on the ground. At 10, 000 feet, you will never find another bird. If you find another bird, it has to be an eagle, an eagle doesn't mingle around with the pigeons.

“Pigeons scavenge on the ground and grumble and complain all day long. Eagles are not. They fly and make less noise waiting for opportunties to strike their next prey or glide with the current of the storm.” -- Myles Munroe

If you want to be successful in life, you need to be a High Flyer and not only flying high but fly high with other eagles and stay away from sparrows and ravens. What I mean in essence is that, you should not mingle around with people you know are not adding anything to your life in the pursuit of your destiny. Only hang around with people who will boost you up, lead you, help you, and support you in every way possible to achieve what you must achieve. BE A HIGH FLYER TODAY!

5 – They Nurture Their Younger Ones!

During the time of training her young ones to fly, a mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again. Next, the mother eagle pushes the eaglets off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for some time until they learn to start using their wings to fly. You might think that the mother eagle is wicked and even the baby eagle might also think the same but what some of us and the baby eagle might not know is that the mother eagle is showing love by showing discomfort on seeing the eaglets relaxing and enjoying in the nest instead of learning how to fly. The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly harsh actions, they have good intentions for us—and these steps are necessary to teach us to fly. What I like about this step is that, If the young eagle is slow to learn or cowardly, the mother returns it to the nest, and begins to tear it apart, until there is nothing left for the eaglet to cling to. Then she nudges him off the cliff. Don’t wait to be nudged off the cliff or your nest torn apart. Learn and learn faster in other to succeed.

Elijah Okon

Co-Founder Tahm

Citation: inspiration.org

CAN ANYBODY BE A HISTORY MAKER?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 21:18:00 +0000

This is the million-dollar question that some curious person would be asking on visiting this site. It is a question I have asked myself repeatedly before arriving at this answer. This question is in the same category as the question “can anybody be rich and famous?” Now I guess you can attempt the answer yourself.

In my opinion everybody and anybody can be successful and can be a history maker. Surprised? Though it is hard to believe this but that is the truth. Everybody can be a history maker in their respective calling because God made us differently and uniquely but with abilities and talents that if properly utilized can catapult us into this level of uncommon success and fame.

It is the truth that God never made one person to fail in life and the other succeed, all of us have equal potentials to succeed and be significant. Our success or failure is solely our decision. Though the potentials, abilities and talents that we have may be unique and in different amount, but if we apply some ageless principles to our lives then we can effectively harness this potentials in us and the fruit this will yield will be the success we so want.

I believe that if everyone and anyone on planet Earth get to know these ageless tested and proven principles that govern success and significance, then proceed to tenaciously align themselves to these principles then success will be attained. History is made from the day you decide to align yourself to these principles, when you decide to pay the ultimate price for success, then no matter your background and the obstacles you may face now you can breakthrough and shine.

Elijah Okon

PROCRASTINATION IS A WASTER AVIOD IT!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 15:41:00 +0000

“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that in itself is a choice.”

William James

According to Steve Pavlina “Procrastination, is the habit of putting tasks off to the last possible minute.” It can be a major problem in both your career and your personal life. According to this Scottish Proverbs which I like so much it says “what may be done at any time will be done at no time.” We all experience this issue (problem) in different aspects of our lives, in our careers, academics; businesses etc and I must say it has really done us more harm than good. Personally I have experience it and also known people who experience it too, the painful thing is that it produces a large block of REGRETS because when it’s done on you, you see things clearly. In this short article I will show you why I call it a ‘WASTER’ and why it must be avoided.

Procrastination stops you from doing what you were meant to do at that particular time or moment. That particular thing you have set apart to do and you know how important it is to you but due to one reason or the other you find yourself procrastinating. The Side effects include missed opportunities, frenzied work hours, stress, overwhelm, resentment, guilt and regret. Procrastination tells you: ‘Hard work pays off after a while, but laziness pays off now.’ Putting things off wastes not only your time, but also your physical and mental energy, that’s why it must be avoided. When you procrastinate, time is wasted thinking and worrying about the things you need to do. Sometimes you'll procrastinate because you're overwhelmed with too much on your plate, and procrastination gives you an escape for that. Other times you'll feel tired and lazy, and you just can't get going so you say the easiest way is to procrastinate.

Let me tell you a little of my experience with procrastination, there was a time I needed to prepare for something very important, when I mean important I mean it but as time went by I saw myself postponing it. As the time draw closer for me to present what I was meant to prepare for I now saw myself rushing to meet up with time to deliver what I was meant to deliver and I must say it was not cool at all. I had to patch things up to meet up with time, remember this is something I could have done ever since with no stress or rush. “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”- Eva young, see! That’s my story, procrastination is a thing we all must come together and stop or else it will stop us from accomplishing so many things and leave us in pains, tears, regret and guilt.

In summary, Martin Luther once wrote: “How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never’,” he was talking about taking action as possible instead of falling into the trap of procrastination. Make up your mind this moment to deal with the waster we called: PROSCRASTINATION! Know that your future depends on what you do in the present, so do what you must do NOW! “In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt, Don’t let it get the best of you avoid it NOW! And you will see the things you can achieve, remember also that it also slows down the speed of achieving certain goals and dreams (‘what I call snail speed’). Be vigilant, Be alert! Stay safe!!

Enoch 'DB'
Tahm Crew

In my next article, am going to give you tips on how to overcome procrastination. But for now please share your experiences with procrastination with us below!

5 SECRET THINGS THE WORLD-CLASS CITIZENS DO …a step-by-step guide to the rank of the World class

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 May 2015 15:44:00 +0000

Common men don’t know the differences between action and reaction. Tough people act like ordinary men but react extraordinarily. The difference that exists between them is not in their action, it is in their REACTION.

A young man went to submit his application letter in Julius Berger Plc. He was applying for the post of a Computer Operator. When he arrived, it was 7.30am whereas the time slated for the submission of the letters was 8.00am. When the Personnel Manager saw him, he asked “Young man, why so early?” The young man thought in his mind “this may be one of the criteria to getting this job” and answered the Personnel Manager (PM) “I believe in punctuality”. The PM went through the man’s credentials and told him “You should be creating jobs!” The young man looked at the PM and told him “It’s true, but no money. I’ll wait till 8.00am, may be this is my turn to get employed.” The Personnel Manager left him.

When he moved away from the 1^st man, he met with another young man named Thompson. “Good morning Sir” Thompson greeted the PM. The PM answered and asked “Young man, I know you want to submit your application letter. Why so early?” “I believe in punctuality” Thompson replied.
The PM went through his credentials and told him “You should be creating jobs!” Thompson looked at the PM and told him “It’s true. What do I do?” The Personnel Manager told him “Go home with your brown envelope, come back tomorrow and I will tell you what to do so that people will come to you with an application letter” and left him.

Looking at these two people, their action remains the same but their reactions were different.

The 5 sizzling secrets that can take you the throne of the World-Class are for tough people. Want to get tough and step in your throne? Let’s go

Leave your seat; get up: Firstly, you’ve got to depart from the place you are. The quality of your life today depends on what you did or refuse to do yesterday. Leave that habit of thinking like a low-class citizen. Leave that mentality of becoming a village Champion. This is your time; it’s time to get up. Move from where you are.

Recognize your star: Your star is your leading-light. You’ve got one. It’s just that darkness has over-shadowed it. You’ve got to break out and let it shine. How? Theirs is that talent in you; you have extraordinary abilities within you. The world is waiting to see what you do to help them out. Fetch out your talent now and write them down.

Choose your game: Tough people don’t play safe game, they take risk. You choose whether your talent will land you in United Kingdom, USA, and South Africa or in your village. What you do with your talent determines how far you go. If you choose to value it, make use of it and let it shine, you will be surprise to see yourself ruling the world. But if you play with it, you will end up losing your name. Think about this.

Take charge: When circumstances control you, you become a victim; when you control circumstances you become a victor. World-class people don’t allow external forces (their background, the weather and the environment) to control them, they are always in charge. They choose what they do and determine what happens to them. Never allow negative thoughts and people to weigh you down. Go with God and you will conquer them.

Set the goal and go for it: Fantasies fade, desires die away, thoughts evaporates but ideas can stand a test of time. What’s your idea? What do you want to be in 5 years? What inspires you more? What can you do without getting tired easily? What gives you joy daily? Set your goals and go ahead to accomplish it. There’s power within you. Use it for action.

These are what the world-class do and remain at the top.

You are not a common man, don’t die a commoner.

Ekemini Thompson
Tahm Crew

17 Things Women Want From Men In A Relationship (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 May 2015 21:45:00 +0000

A man who is Independent:

A Guest writer

Women want to know that a man can take care of himself. They want a guy who is capable and independent, able to make his own decisions, pay his rent, and cook himself dinner.. A guy who is in constant need of reassurance, companionship, help, motivation, and advice is a turnoff.

A man with good Looks:

It is truly one of their great virtues that women are willing to spend so much time in our company despite our undeniably simian appearance. Still, despite their good nature, women care about looks too (if not quite as much as men do). Women aren’t asking for much. Try to keep yourself well-groomed. Wear clothes that fit, and at least make an effort to keep yourself in shape.

A man who has a Positive Spirit:

Cynicism and sarcasm have their place, but nobody wants to be with someone who is sarcastic and cynical all of the time. It’s exhausting. By contrast, being in the presence of someone with a positive outlook on life can actually be energizing. An optimistic person makes others feel good; his optimism can be contagious, even inspiring.

Communication skills:

We often tease women about their capacity for conversation. However, men ignore the female inclination to talk at their peril. Women place a priority on guys they can talk to, who can express themselves and who are at least willing to listen to them when they talk about their concerns, hopes and desires. You should also know that the communication skill that trumps all others is the ability to be attentive. Sometimes, all a woman needs you to do is listen. This is hard for us guys, because we’re very “action-oriented.” We think of every conversation as a prelude to some necessary action (otherwise, why talk?), but that’s not always the case. If you can show a woman you have the capacity to pay attention to her, it will radically improve your chances.

Intelligence:

For some of us, this can be frustrating, because, let’s face it, we’d all like to be smarter, and

at one time or another we’ve all felt like the dumbest guy in the room. Avoid running your mouth on subjects you know nothing about. Better to be suspected a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Sense of Humor:

Girls love a guy with a sense of humor. You don’t have to be a clown to impress your girl, but you do need to look at the happy side of everything now and then. A serious boyfriend may be great for family planning in the future but a fun guy is perfect all year around. A good sense of humour just means you know how to tell and take a joke.

Confidence:

Confidence is the one thing women consistently say they want in a man. Confidence is king. That means even if you can’t categorise yourself as “the total package,” as long as you feel good about what you have to offer, and as long as you’re comfortable with yourself, you have a shot.

Women love a guy who can get naughty:

Look for ways to make her laugh now and then. It doesn’t matter if it’s a naughty bedroom trick or a witty humorous prank. Women love seeing a fun side in a serious guy. It keeps the child in you alive, and it’ll definitely make her more excited to be with you.

Citation: www.howtolive.com, www.lifehack.org

Abigail Etim

GUEST WRITER

About the Writer

Hi, my name is Abigail Etim I am 23 years old a Microbiologists, a guest writer for The Academy of HistoryMakers, I love writing, reading, chatting , cooking and inspiring young ladies to be what they want to be in life. You can contact me through this Email address: abigailokon@hotmail.co.uk or Click Here

Back to Part 1

EAGLES! What we should Learn from them!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 May 2015 19:55:00 +0000

Hello Historymakers! Today I will be discussing about eagles, their characteristics, their lives and what we should learn from them. Eagles are the most fierce bird if not animal I have ever known, there have been used as symbols that signifies success, power, strength, courage, etc. "When they walk, they stumble. They are not what one would call graceful. They were not designed to walk. They fly. And when they fly, oh, how they fly, so free, so graceful. They see from the sky what we never see.” -- Similar Quotes. Now less talking, lets get down to the real thing.

They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.

Eagles are large, powerfully built birds of prey, with a heavy head and beak. Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata) (which is comparable in size to a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) or Red-tailed Hawk (B. jamaicensis)), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight – despite the reduced size of aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from some vultures. The smallest species of eagle is the South Nicobar Serpent Eagle(Spilornis klossi), at 450 g (1 lb) and 40 cm (16 in). The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong muscular legs, and powerful talons. The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful, having up to 3.6 times human acuity for the martial eagle, which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. The female of all known species of eagle is larger than the male. Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The dominant chick tends to be the female, as they are bigger than the male. The parents take no action to stop the killing.

Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies from genus to genus. The Haliaeetus and Ichthyophaga eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera Circaetus, Terathopius and Spilornis predominantly prey on the great diversity of snakes that are found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus Aquila are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized vertebrate they can catch. Where Aquila eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the buteonine Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich Spizaetus genus, live predominantly in woodlands and forest.

These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart. The Bald Eagle is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with a 6.8 kg (15 lb) mule deer fawn. However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with and thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest.

Golden and Crowned Eagles have killed ungulates weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb) and a Martial Eagle even killed a 37 kg (82 lb) duiker, 7–8 times heavier than the predating eagle. Authors on birds David Allen Sibley, Pete Dunne and Clay Sutton, described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the Bald and Golden Eagles as compared to other North American raptors): Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger.

It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large Harpy and Philippine Eagles, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through dense forested habitats. On the other hand, eagles in the genus Aquila are found almost strictly in open country, are superlative soarers, and have relatively long wings for their size.“Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes." -- E. F. Schumacher.

In my next articles, I will be writing on the things we all should learn from this amazing bird so stick around and don't miss out on this! Till then! Cheers!

Elijah Okon.

Citation: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/eagles/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle

20 VERY MOTIVATING STORIES YOU MUST READ BEFORE GIVING UP ON YOUR BIG DREAM

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 May 2015 20:17:00 +0000

I have been trying to figure out what kind of stuff can inspire a person more. It looks as though people throw in the towel easily this days, most people are simply too afraid to pursue their BIG DREAM, often harboring the fear that it may never be achieved due to what they’ve heard, seen, read or experienced. Many people with BIG DREAMS loose motivation to reach their destiny and resign their fate to whatever life brings them. That way, many BIG DREAMS die with the dreamers and is buried, an unwritten novel, unproduced song, uninvented device etc. My observation is that most people like stories and the stories of successful people, their failures, disappointments, resilience and final success motivates many. It is wise to surround oneself with these stories especially in times of despair and darkness. This will revive your motivation and determination to succeed . I have compiled the best 20, they will be treated one by one. The series begins.

#1 WALT DISNEY (1901 -1966)

“I can’t believe there are many heights that can’t be scaled by

(anyone) who knows the secret of making dreams come true”

Walt Disney

At the age of fifteen while he was in Kansas City discovered his talent in cartooning. He began drawing for advertising firms and catalog, the advent of early animated cartoon movies during that period captured his imagination, so he delved into any book he could find on animation. He borrowed a motion picture camera and turning his father’s garage into a workshop he continued his experiments with lighting, camera and different kind of drawing.

He saw a Problem

He discovered that existing animated cartoons 1) were mere tricks and visual gimmicks 2) that characters lacked personality.

Decided to Solve the Problem

He focused squarely on creating characters with clears and easily recognized personalities. This was an exercise in precise dream definition.

Moment of Pains and Success

Can you imagine?
Walt formed his first animation company in Kansas City in 1921. Things got hard and he was forced to dissolve his company and at one point could not pay his rent and was surviving by eating dog food.

Walt created a mildly successful cartoon character in 1926 called Oswald the Rabbit. When he tried to negotiate with his distributor, Universal Studios, for better rates for each cartoon, he was informed that Universal had obtained ownership of the Oswald character and they had hired Disney's artists out from under him.

Moments of Resilience and Vindication

Disheartened by the events Walt in a train back to LA set about creating a new characters and his wife helped him name it Mickey. When Walt tried to get MGM studios to distribute Mickey Mouse in 1927 he was told that the idea would never work-- a giant mouse on the screen would terrify women. The Three Little Pigs was rejected by distributors in 1933 because it only had four characters, It later became very successful and played at one theater so long that the poster outside featured the pigs with long white beards. Later Snow White and the seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937. The film became the most successful motion picture of 1938 and earned over $8 million on its initial release, the equivalent of $130,477,540 today. Then another dream in 1955 Walt Disney created the world’s first them park called Disneyland in Florida.

This Man,

1) Created the first sound, color and feature-length cartoon

2) Created the world’s first theme park

3) Built a successful organization that is still alive and kicking

4) His name is synonymous with quality entertainment round the world.

5) LEFT AN ENDURING LEGACY

Elijah Okon

9 Simply But Strong Strategies in Ending Procrastination

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:49:00 +0000

Pause a little guys, before we get into this today- just take a look at this: Procrastination Is A Waster Avoid It!

1. Write down your goal and give yourself a deadline. A goal without a deadline can be put off indefinitely. Having just one deadline for your work is like an invitation to procrastinate. That’s because we get the impression that we have time and keep pushing everything back, until it’s too late. Break down your project, then create an overall timeline with specific deadlines for each small task. This way, you know you have to finish each task by a certain date. Your timelines must be robust, too – i.e. if you don’t finish this by today, it’s going to jeopardize everything else you have planned after that. This way it creates the urgency to act.

2. Partition your goal into small pieces: The bigger your goal or the change you want to make, the more quickly it can send you into overwhelm. So if your goal feels daunting, break it into manageable, bite-sized steps. Remember, you don’t have to know every step of the way; just the next few steps immediately ahead.  Your next steps will become obvious as you move along. Hear Dale Carnegie: “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”

3. Change of Environment: Different environments have different impact on our productivity. Look at your work desk and your room. Do they make you want to work or do they make you want to snuggle and sleep? If it’s the latter, you should look into changing your workspace. One thing to note is that an environment that makes us feel inspired before may lose its effect after a period of time. If that’s the case, then it’s time to change things around.

4. Hang out with people who will inspire you to take action: Identify the people, friends, colleagues who trigger you – most likely the go-getters and hard workers – and hang out with them more often. Soon you will inculcate their drive and spirit too. Learn to study them and pick the positive things out of them.

5. Harness fear: Theodore Roosevelt once said “In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Fear is a powerful emotion that can keep us mired in excuses. Yet, by focusing on what you don’t want, you can harness it in your favor. So write down how you will feel a year from now if you do nothing. According to Denis Waitley “Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”
Be brave and really honest with yourself about the cost of continued inaction. After all, if nothing changes, nothing changes!

6. Have a close friend: Because having a close companion makes the whole process much more fun. Ideally, your companion should be someone who has his/her own set of goals. Both of you will hold each other accountable to your goals and plans. While it’s not necessary for both of you to have the same goals, it’ll be even better if that’s the case, so you can learn from each other.

7. Seek out someone who has already achieved the outcome: What is it you want to accomplish here, and who are the people who have accomplished this already? Go seek them out and connect with them. Read the biographies of historymakers, people who made it past and present. Seeing living proof that your goals are very well achievable if you take action is one of the best triggers for action.

8. Reward Placement: Set up a reward system to ensure you celebrate progress and small successes as you go along. Whether a fun activity with friends, or a treat for yourself, make it something that acknowledges your progress and effort.

9. Just do it: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King, Jr. At the end, it boils down to taking action. Don’t just sit there and relaxed, get to work! You can do all the strategizing, planning and hypothesizing, but if you don’t take action, nothing’s going to happen. Building momentum is crucial as you start out. “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” --David Allen, so commit to stepping out of your comfort zone at least once per day. Beginning today – before your fear-laden excuses, disguised as sheer laziness, kick in again. It can be something really small. After all, it doesn’t matter how fast you are going, so long as you are stepping forward in a direction that inspires you. So take that first step, then another, then another… after all – life rewards action! Finish it “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task” --William James
YOU CAN MAKE IT! JUST GO FOR IT GUYS!

Enoch 'DB'

17 Strong Tips For Having A Good Relationship (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 21:40:00 +0000

The high rate of broken relationships in the world is alarming, more divorce, heartbreaks and the rest is becoming more rampant and I ask myself “what have we done to stop this? Or are we just going to sit and watch and do nothing?” One thing we must know is that a loving long-term romantic relationship is one of the surest routes to long term happiness, peace and security. But this doesn’t just happen naturally, certain skills are needed. So I compiled these skills for your reading pleasure,
please take these tips/skills very seriously and applied them in your relationships. Note: sex mentioned here is only meant for the married couples!

Here they are:

Love:

Without love, time turns couples into enemies or strangers. I usually hear people say things like “I am in this relationship because I want this and that” and in many occasion Love is not included and it marvels me a lot. love makes anything possible. When there is love between two people, the tug-of-war disappears, and compromise and sacrifice become meaningless concepts because what’s best for one is best for the other. When you love one another as much as yourself, you won’t do anything bad that will harm your partner, instead you will celebrate the opportunity to help your partner’s inner radiance shine more brightly.

Know God:

Allow God to play a leading role in that relationship, there is a popular song I use to listen to when I was a kid, the lyrics goes like this: “When Jesus is in the family, happy happy happy ooooo. When the devil is in the family, trouble trouble trouble ooo”. (paraphrased: it can be any relationship) And that’s so true, invite God into that relationship of yours and you will see the dramatic change in your relationships.

Expectations:

Discuss what you each expect out of the relationship, what you’re committing to, and what your respective roles will be. Expect ups and downs in even the best relationship, and realize that love isn’t an absolute that you’re either in or out of but something that ebbs and flows over time.

Show Appreciation For Your Partner:

Let your partner know on a regular basis what it is that you like most about them – what you admire, what makes you proud, what their strengths are in your eyes. Building a romantic relationship isn’t just about the initial bonding – it’s about encouraging and supporting each other’s growth over the course of your lives. Help your partner achieve his or her potential by constantly building them up.

Intimacy:

Work at strengthening your closeness, because there is no stasis; if you aren’t getting closer together, you’re drifting further apart. Foster intimacy though honesty, acceptance, and trust. Spend time together, stare into each other’s eyes. Also Show some affection by engaging in Small acts of physical intimacy – the hand on the small of the back as you brush by in the hallway, your arm around their shoulder on the sofa, your hand on their thigh when seated side-by-side, holding hands while walking down the street – give your partner a warm feeling and convey the love and affection you feel for them. The littlest touch can be as important, or even more important, than the longest night of sexual intimacy.

Openness:

Open communication is necessary to genuinely know your partner and let them know you. You can’t help your partner utilize their strengths, move in the direction of their passions, and realize their dreams if you don’t know their strengths, passions, and dreams. You also need to discuss attitudes toward the topics that cause nearly all relationship problems: gender roles, money, relatives, sex, and children (for the married).

Caring (Giving Gift and By Being there for your Partner):

Be as concerned for their well-being as for your own, and look for opportunities to make their life better. Help them to succeed, and celebrate their successes with them. Lets break it down:

(a). Give Gifts: Take advantages of opportunities to give material tokens of your love. Just the right book picked up at the bookstore, a flower, a special dessert, a piece of the latest jewelry or clothing you noticed at the store – anything small or large that tells them you were thinking of them. You might also leave a love note for them, or send them an SMS at work to saying “I love you” – again, the little reminder that they’re always on your mind will help your partner feel better about themselves and secured in the relationship. Hmmm… very interesting!

(b). Be there for your partner: It’s obvious what you need to do when your partner faces a major life challenge like the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. But it’s just as important to be supportive when your partner faces life’s little challenges, too – an argument at work, a rough commute, a misplaced check. Don’t let yourself be a doormat, and definitely don’t stand for physical or verbal abuse, but thicken your skin a little and be the voice of calm and reason when chaos strikes. Listen to what’s bothering them and offer whatever help – even if it’s just sympathy – you can.

Respect:

Respect your partner, and act in a way that earns their respect, both inside and outside the relationship. Respect them even when you’re disagreeing. Listen without judgment. Accept them as they are, and don’t try to change them, but help them to change in ways they want to change. Focus on your partner’s strengths and cultivate a high opinion of them.

Citation: www.howtolive.com, www.lifehack.org

Please if you have any suggestions or comments on this topic, we do welcome it share it below or contact us for more tips/skills on improving your relationship to a greater height.

Enoch Okon

Go To Part 2

Maintaining Marital Relationship Till Death Do Us Part ! (Christian Living)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 21:19:00 +0000

Relationship Maintenance

Let's be honest. No one wants to experience the pain and embarrassment of a broken relationship. You would much rather have things go well between yourselves and others. But good associations are not easy to maintain. In fact, it requires a diligent effort from the two people involved. As you take the necessary steps am going to share, it will help to promote the health and stability of the relationships that you have with your partner.

Talk Openly: It's very important that you freely and regularly share your thoughts and feelings with one another. When you do, it helps you to be more understanding. It gives you the ability to know each other better and to respond in the ways that you should. Don't keep things especially things that hurt you inside, you know its killing you, you know you have a partner, yet you are keep it away from him/her. Be open, talk to each other as if there is no other person to talk to (except God), with that you build a very strong relationship with your partner/spouse.

Communicate Honestly: You should be honest in everything you do and say. This makes it possible for you to trust one another, and it binds the both of you closer together. The Bible instructs us to get rid of all deceit and hypocrisy (1 Peter 2:1). And it also says that we should not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9).

Respect Each Other: Having the esteem of others is fundamental to your personal well-being. We don't feel good about ourselves unless other think that we are important. That's why friends and loved ones who care about you are so vital. They affirm your worth. When personal regard is mutually expressed, it causes the both parties to respond to one another with a warmhearted acceptance. And this acceptance is maintained as you continue to honour one another (Romans 12:10). So learn to respect each other!

Resolve Your Anger: The Bible says, “Do not Iet the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26). Our anger should be dealt with as quickly as possible. Before the day is over, you should go to the one who has offended you and clear it up. Not only will you sleep better, but problems will be handled before they have time to grow. Listen, I know this is difficult to do on your own, without God’s help it is impossible to achieve it so ask for His help and He will help you.

Be Patient: You need to overlook one another's imperfections. According to the Bible, we have to be patient, making allowances for one another's faults (Colossians 3:13). No one is excluded; all of us have flaws in our character. Instead of judging others and being critical, we should be humble and tolerant. If we are, it will help to maintain our ties with
others.

Share One Another's Problems: Let's face it. We need each other - especially when we have problems, just as I said earlier in the first tip above. It's true that each of us has the responsibility to handle his own troubles, but there comes a time when we all need the help of a friend. In fact, the Bible tells us that we should share each other's burdens and in this way we obey the Lord's command (Galatians 6:2). When we share each other's problems, we show that we care - making our relationships much more secure.

“He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” -- George Herbert

Give Constructive Criticism: The Bible says that open rebuke is better than secret love (Proverbs 27:5). We may be reluctant to confront someone about a particular fault, but it is more loving to say something to him than to keep quiet and allow him to continue on as he/she is. Remember, when criticizing know why you are doing so first, it is to change that person, secondly, it is to show love for that person and thirdly, it is to send a message to that person that he/she should for the benefit of the relationship. So the way you criticize matters a lot that why it is important to give constructive criticism and not a destructive criticism that will destroy your relationship. Truthful and loving criticism has as its goal the best interests of the other person.

“A smile in giving honest criticism can make the difference between resentment and reform.” -- Philip Steinmetz

Although this kind of criticism hurts, it is the pain of friendship. By helping one another this way, we show that we really care. Through constructive criticism we become better people. And as a result, our relationships are improved. I will end this tip with this popular proverb in my Country, it says: "when your mouth smells, your enemy or even acquaintance will not tell, IT IS ONLY YOUR CLOSED FRIENDS THAT WILL! (closed friends might be your spouse, partner, some family members)"

Serve One Another: Rather than asking what we can get, we should be asking what we can give to each other. Instead of seeking to please ourselves, we should be seeking to please each other (Romans 15:2). This attitude recognizes that selfishness only ruins a relationship, but self-sacrifice builds it up. When we serve one another, our relationship is maintained
and everyone involved benefits.

Yes, these maintenance procedures are very important. If we faithfully follow them, they will help keep your marital relationship strong.

Please if you are married, tell us what you know or think can keep a marriage long till death.
We do appreciate your thoughts and questions! You can do that below!

Enoch Okon
Citation: Radio Bible Class (RBC)