FORWARD

Some years ago, a researcher was

dedicated to find the secret. After months of

study and countless interviews; he finally

gave up. “ There is not a secret”, he said. “it

is all related to hard work. One must climb

the ladder to success, not just be lifted on an

elevator.”

The successful person is the one who will do

what the average person will not do.

Thinking wrong, behaving wrong, and

talking wrong always lead to an unhappy,

mediocre and unprofitable way of life.

To think success, to become better, to believe

big and to strive to be above average, you

must develop the right kind of mental

processes.

You may have been programmed to be

negative, to disbelief, and to be skeptical.

However, you can change those negative

experiences; they can be transformed positive

simply by changing your attitudes. Hence,

William James writes ; the greatest discovery

of my generation is that “men can change

their circumstances by changing their

attitude of mind”. Therefore, he who can

control his future and can predict success. In

other words, success is a decision. To be

Daniel 6:3 is a choice. Paul has convincingly

postulates that life is about relevance not

significance, about service not status and

about disposition not position. This book

pointedly tells us that what you have not

worked for does not add to your worth and

that money not earned cheapens life.

So be enthusiastic! You have a lot to be

excited about because you can predict your

prospective unlimited success coming with a

high accelerated speed propelled by the grace

of God and self perspiration.

CONTENTS

Forward
Chapter one: secrets of success

Secrets of success

What is success

Success is not possession

Success is not destination

Success is accomplishment stewardship

Chapter two:

Developing a true self image and worth

Chapter three:

Purpose is the key to fulfillment

Why are we here?

Chapter four: vision

What is your vision about life?

The right Vision

Write the vision down

Read the vision everyday before you sleep

Run the vision (walk the Talk)

Dream the vision

Chapter five: planning

Basics for planning

Step 1 decide what you want

Step 2 give deadline

Step 3 write down your goals

Step 4 develop a detailed plan for your goals

Step 5 decide what to give, to get what you need

Step 6 dream your goals everyday

Chapter six: commitment

Commitment is the natural polish for talent

Greatness is a function of commitment

Chapter seven: time

Everyday is a withdrawal from the bank of Time

The importance of Time

Why manage time

How to manage your Time

Chapter eight: mentor

Mentor

Get a good mentor

Are you one of the bootstrap people?

A good mentor is like a tour guide

Choose your mentors

Chapter nine: words have power to

transform
Talk success always

Words are vehicles

To alter your life, control your tongue

Words have power

Chapter ten: conclusion

 CHAPTER 1
Secrets of success

Your life will literally reflect the state of your

heart. It is first within and then without. –

Jim Rohn.

Secret of success

To do something you have never done before

you must become someone you have never

being before. Success actually begins from

the inside – out. It must start within you

before it manifests outwardly.

What causes frustration for most people is

that they try to get outward things they do

not have on the inside. They do not

understand how this world was designed to

run. Whatever will happen on this earth has

been designed to run. Whatever will happen

on this earth has been designed to happen

first in the heart of man. For as he thinks in

his heart, so is he¹. This is simply saying that

your life will literally reflect the state of your

heart. So I say, it’s all a matter of the heart,

it's first within and then without.

We are told in the book of proverbs, “keep

your heart with all diligence, for out of it

spring issues of life”². In other words, the

forces that control life come from the heart.

It is your heart, before it shows outside. Your

state on earth is a direct reflection of the state

of your heart.

People want to get an amount of money on

the outside that they do not have on the

inside. They want to raise to levels of life on

the outside that they have not risen to on the

inside. They are trying to break a law. You

need a force that is stronger than the force of

gravity to make something go up and not

come down. So when people try to succeed

while working against a law of nature, they

have to exert tremendous energy. Most times,

they do not get their desired results.

Success begins in your heart. You are

designed to grow from the inside- out, you

are not designed to become on the outside

what you have not yet become on the inside.

“The good man from his inner good treasure

flings forth good things and the evil man out

of his inner evil store house flings forth evil

things.”³ In other words, it is from your heart

that you fling success or failure.

Newton’s first law of motion says: “All

objects remain at a state of rest until a force

is applied.”⁴ When I combine that with the

principle which says, for as he thinks in his

heart, so is he, I come to this conclusion: All

progress remains at a state of rest until a mental

force is applied. You must move things in

your mind before you try to move things on

the ground.⁵

Your state in life will remain at a state of rest

until an internal force is applied to it.

Whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed

and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in

his heart, but believes that those things he

says will be done; he will have whatever he

says”⁶. Consequently, before you start

talking to the mountain, you must have seen

the mountain move in your heart. You must

have got to the point where it does not even

cross your mind that the mountain would not

move

I love the discussion of Jesus with

Nicodemus. I often Start here when I teach

on success. This man came to Jesus at night

and said, Rabbi, we know that you are a

teacher that comes from God no one can do

these signs that you do unless God is with

him. Jesus answered and said to him, “most

assuredly I say to you, unless one is born

again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God”.⁷

Nicodemus was just like most of us. He was

trying to find out the secret of the extra-

ordinary results that Christ achieved.

Nicodemus emphasized on the word “do”.

When we come across someone who has

better results than we have we tend to think

that the person is doing something we are not

doing. The truth however is sometimes, you

might be exactly what somebody else is doing,

without getting the same results. Nicodemus

was confused though Jesus used the word

born again (being born the second time). In

other word, if you want to win you must first

change your attitude to life. Winning is

mentality.

What is success

Success is the innate desire of every human

beings, everybody craves after it, everyone

celebrates it. Parents, grandparents, all

respectively desire success for their children

and grandchildren. A popular adage says:

“failure is an orphan as success has many

mothers”⁹ In other words, it is natural to

embrace success and shun failure.

Many people know what they are looking for,

but do not know what it looks like. This

explains why the search for success, for

many, has been an endless search. The

fundamental question is: what is success?

What does it look like?

Success is not possession

Contrary to popular opinion, success is not

possession or position. It is neither

accumulation of wealth nor is it synonymous

with occupying a top position in government

or an industry, or even in the parish or

school.

True success is the accomplishment of an

assignment, or the attainment of a desired

end. It is essentially the end product of

discovery, or the product of purpose.

Success is also the capacity to make

distinction out of vision. The tasks of success

is not an overnight game; it is an unending

and tireless time investment. It requires a

process and it is produced in stages.

Success is not a destination

Success is not a destination but an adventure.

It is not arriving at the peak overnight, it is

making continuous progress. So when

everyday is a plus on the previous, you can be

termed successful.

Success is a continuous and an on- going

attempt to build upon past achievements. It is

about constantly seeking new ways and

strategies of making things happen. It is

about not “resting in one’s oars”.

Success is accomplished stewardship

There was a strife among the disciples of

Jesus about which of then will be the greatest

and he came to them and gave an accurate

description of time success, true

accomplishment, true exploits. Then an

argument broke among them which of them

should be regarded as the greatest…. The

greatest among you should be as the….the

greater is the one who serves…..”¹⁰(LK

22:24-27). What Jesus was saying to them is I

am the most accomplished personality, on the

planet earth and this is the secret of my

exalted accomplishment: I am among you as

the one that serves; and we told therefore

God has highly exalted him and give a name

which is above every name”¹¹( Philippines

2:9).

Hence, true success is accomplished

stewardship to mankind, serving God’s

purpose and promoting mankind’s welfare.

Success speaks louder than words. It

commands greater attention than the greatest

oration anybody can make. It is self inviting,

it is self- attracting. It is magnetic in quality.

Friends, outstanding success is of God, go for

it.
 CHAPTER 2
Develop A True Self Image And Worth

“self image in the inner picture you have

about yourself”-Boniface Anusiem

Self Image is the inner picture you have of

yourself. From self image we have “self-

esteem” which is how you feel about yourself.

Then we have self respect which describes

how you treat yourself.

From self-esteem comes self worth, worth is

value. What do you think you are worth?.

That is a big question, and it derives from the

picture you have of yourself. Your self worth

brings you self- respect. There are people

who treat themselves with respect. Others

treat themselves without respect. They see

themselves as common people, a second class

or even third class because they do not

believe that they have any inherent value. It

shows in their appearance and the way they

talk. Your self image will always control your

behavior. I remember when a senior

colleague called me, demanding for 5 million

loan that he will pay back in two years time. I

told him to hold on that I have an in-coming

call that I will call him later. I stood before a

stand mirror to observe myself, as a multi-

millionaire who has such amount in his

account. I smiled to myself; and echoed

“Jarbar the man, you are a big boy”. That

request came because of my carriage. I was

pleased with myself.

Many of us use our achievements or non

achievements to define our level of success.

That is a big mistake. You wrote an

examination and failed, that is no reason to

conclude that you are failure. Natural

parameters are too conclude that you are

failure. Natural parameters are too poor to

measure who you are. Stop trying to identify

yourself by the things that have happened to

you or by what you have. It’s is wrong to

think that if you do not have money, your are

poor.

Do not build your self-esteem on material

things. Do not use lack of educational

qualification to determine your value. Do not

even use poor appearance, because we tend to

feel inferior in the presence of someone who

has better clothes than we do or who has

achieved something more than we have.

Self-esteem will affect your behavior. There

are shops and malls many of us have never

entered because we consider their prices as

being too expensive. But who else should go

to those shops if not you?. Something is

created for you. Do not act based on your

present outward circumstances, they are not

the true reflection of who you are. You must

believe before you become.

My friend, begin today to attract

opportunities you have never attracted in

your life. Begins to date things you have

never dared because you thought you were

not qualified. You have discovered now that

if any body was qualified on this earth for

those opportunities, you are. If you see any

good thing around you today, tell yourself

“it’s for me” square up your shoulders, walk

tall with some spring in your steps, because

any moment from now what you say about

yourself will happen to you as the new arrival

in town. You are a miracle going somewhere

to happen.

One way you can stamp the image of your

image on your self, make a big poster of it

and write on it. Coming soon.

All those who thought they knew you will

soon realize they never knew you at all. They

only saw you in the process of evolution.

They did not see your finished state.

Anybody who thinks that what they see on

the outsides today is who you are would

discover very soon that they made a big

mistake. Oh yes, you are in the process.

Whatever price you fix on your ware is what

sticks, low or high.² If you devalue yourself

people would not raise your price. You

deserve the best . Treat yourself good from

today. Walk into those shops you once

thought were beyond your reach, and record

into your mind your coming breakthrough.

Imagine yourself with those items you desire.

You may even try out some; nobody will

arrest you for it. It is lack of self-image that

makes people not to go to such places. They

are afraid. When you enter a shopping mall,

you will not be arrested for not buying

anything. As a customer, that is your

privilege. As it is said, the customer is the

king. For instance, you have always wished to

drive your dream car someday. Come on!

Get along with it, stop wishing. It is just

about to happen. Go to the car shop for some

rehearsal. Check out Venza 2017 model, ZDX

or even G Wagon. Then move over the Range

Rover Beast. Tell them to open the doors. Sit

down, start the car. When you have made up

your mind in the one you want, sit down to

negotiate with the dealer as if you have the

money. I remember the update of bullet

proof Mercedes Benz SUV I saw in Facebook,

I sent a mail. I negotiated and I was given a

fair deal. I told them they will hear from me

soon. Yes soon!

Let me share a secret with you: money does

not talk. So, when you walk into the car shop,

the car dealer would not know whether you

have the money or not. You are the only one

to give yourself away. You do not even have

to be on suit and tie because rich people

sometimes walk around in slacks and loafers.

You see when you have real wealth you do

Not have to try to prove anything to anybody,

so act as if it is there, because it is there really

in your heart! Negotiate with the car dealer.

And when you are through, tell the dealer,

I’m coming soon, because you are truly comic

back soon. You are acting as if you have they

money. You may not have it in your pocket

yet, but you have it in your heart, very soon it

will move from your heart to your pocket,

because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he

 CHAPTER 3

Purpose
A man without a purpose is like a ship

without a rudder (A purposeless life is not

worth living. Life’s heaviest burden is to have

nothing to carry)- Thomas Carlyle

Purpose is the key 🗝️to fulfillment

The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but

life without a purpose.¹ It’s dangerous to be

alive and not know why you were given life.

From the beginning of man history as we

know it, mankind has been grappling with

the age old question: why am I here? What is

the reason of my existence? What is the

meaning of my life? Is there a reason for the

universe, the creation and man? These

questions are universal. They lurk deep

within the secret chambers of every human

being in earth regardless of their race,

colour, ethnic heritage, socio-economic status

or nationality. Philosophers such as Socrates,

Plato, Aristotle and others through out the

ages have attempted to explore these

seemingly illusive questions. For the most

part, their efforts have ended in more

questions than answers. Hence the scandal of

philosophy.

The deepest craving of human spirit is to find

a sense of significance and relevance. The

search for relevance in life is the ultimate

pursuit of man. Conscious of unconscious,

admitted or unadmitted , this internal

passion is what motivates and drives every

human being either directly or indirectly. It

directs his decisions, controls his behavior

and dictates his response to his environment.

Purpose is the master of motivation and the

mother of commitment. It is the source of

enthusiasm and the womb of perseverance:

Purpose gives birth to hope and instill

passion to act.² It is the common denominator

that gives every creature an element of

distinction.³ Fulfilling purpose must be the

primary goal of every person. In line with

this, Myles Munroe writes “Everything in life

has a purpose; everyone on this planet was born

with and for a purpose. It is this purpose that is

the only source of meaning”.⁴ without purpose,

life is subjective, or it is a trail and error

game that is ruled by environmental

influences and the circumstances of the

moment. Likewise, in the absence of purpose,

time has no meaning, Energy has no reason,

and life has no precision. Therefore, it is

essential that we understand and discover

our purpose in life so that we can experience

an effective, full, and rewarding life. In line

with this, Seneca writes: “If a man knows not

what harbor he seeks any wind is the right

wind”⁵ So many people don’t know why they

are living. A large percentage of Christians

think they are only on earth to go to church,

die and go to heaven. They do not know the

purpose of their lives. But Martin Luther

king Jr says: If a man has no purpose for

living, he is not fit to live.⁶

A life of success begins with a sense of mission

and mission means nothing without purpose.

For this purpose, the son of God was

manifested, that he might destroy the works if

the devil (1Jn. 3:8, Jn. 18:37).

Jesus knew his purpose; He came to destroy

the works of the devil. Everything He did

while on earth was in fulfillment of that

purpose. Even His anointing was to enable

Him fulfill His purpose.

At this point, this question is addressed here.

Why are you here?

Life has no meaning until you discover why

you are here. Unlimited success is a function

of your discovery of why you are here on

earth.
Purpose is defined as “an intension or plan, a

person’s reason for an action” it is also

defined as “ the steady determined following

of an aim”⁷.

From the definition above it implies that

first; purpose must be intentional or

conscious. You cannot be unaware of it

simply means you do not have a purpose.

Purpose is a product or reasoning or deep

thinking that leads to a specific action, in this

case, success-generating action. Purpose

inspires a determination to pursue one’s aim

or goal steadily until it is accomplished.

God’s purpose for creating man is clearly

expressed in the bible'

“ And God said, let us make man in our

image after our likeness and let them have

domination over the fish and the sea, and

over the birds of the air and over the cattle,

and over all the earth and over every

creeping thing that crept up on the

earth(Gen1:26)⁸.
Jesus reaffirmed this when he said to his

disciples: “ occupy till I come ⁹(Lk 19:13).

Abraham was living a purposeless life in Ur

when God called him. The bible says he was “

a Syrian ready to perish(Deut.26:5)¹⁰.

But God turned that wasting life unto a life of

unlimited success when he gave him a

purpose for living.¹¹(Gen.12:1-4)

The Lord said to Abram, leave your country,

your relatives and your father’s home and go to

a land I am going to show you. I will give you

many descendants, and they will become great

nation. I will bless you and make your name

famous, so that you will be a blessing. I will

bless those who bless you and curse those who

curse you. And through you I will bless all the

nations. When Abram was seventy five years

old, he started out from Haram, as the Lord had

told him to do; and Lot went with him.

Abraham would have died a nobody, but

purpose made him a celebrity, the father of

faith and the friend of God.

I believe it’s not too late for you to discover

your purpose today, as you read this book.

Abraham discovered his purpose at the age

of 75, so it is not too late for you.

Many people are struggling in life today, not

because of the devil, but because they are

functioning out of purpose.

In his book “In pursuit of purpose” Myles

Munroe declares that a man in his 70’s who

was very wealthy and successful, and was

admired by a much younger man who

desired to belike him. One day both men

were swimming and the older man began to

drown and the younger man wasted no time

in dragging this man he admired out if the

water and onto safety. But once ashore and

conscious, the older man began to query the

younger man and expressed his displeasure

for not allowing him drown. He told the

younger man that he wanted to die, because

he has spent his entire life fulfilling his

father’s purpose, not his own purpose for

living. He was a rich man ,all his children

were rich, yet he said he wasn’t fulfilled.

Because he only did what his father wanted

him to do. Many of us are doing the wrong

things, it’s time to come out. If you are doing

something just to please your parents or

other person, it’s time to come out.

When God purpose for your life is discovered

there are certain things you enjoy: It

enhances focus! A focused life is a life. Life

that is not easily swayed or distracted.

Undiscovered purpose is the reason why most

people wake up in the morning and are angry

that they have to go to work, because that

work is not their purpose. They are only

doing job, and are not fulfilling purpose.

When you meet a teacher whose purpose is

teaching, you will know, because such a

teacher loves the work and enjoys gathering

Children together. But there are many so

called teachers who have no flair for

teaching, but are only doing the job for the

pay cheque. Teachers like that are the types

who bully the children in their class and

shout at them.

Discover your purpose, because you don’t

have another life to live. This is the only life

you have, and if you don’t discover your

purpose you may end up living a life of

regret.

CHAPTER 4

Vision
Leadership is the capacity to translate

vision into reality-Warren Bennis

Vision is so closely related to purpose,

that sometimes it is easy to confuse one

for the other; but they are not the same.

Vision is a reflection of your in- born

creativity.¹ It is what allows you to be

your true person, a reflection of your

inner most convictions. With a vision you

are able to face the challenges of life. On

the other hand as earlier on seen, purpose

is a person’s reason for an action.

What is your vision about life?

You need a vision for success, if you must

success. Hence, the bible said: “ My

people perish because of lack of

knowledge.²

The word perish here does not mean to die

or expire but to be stripped off every

honour and dignity. It means to lose

worth or value. It means where there is

no vision dignity is eroded, honour is

removed, and people lose value. Life

becomes worthless when there is no

vision.

. To live without vision is to die in

frustration ³

. To be without vision is like a car fuelled

up, ready to go but has no key in the

ignition⁴
. To be without vision is like a torchlight

ready to give service but no batteries,

therefore no power ⁵

. Being without vision makes you like a

sheep loose for pasture/grazing without

direction⁶

. To be without vision is like a wedding, all

things are ready but there is no bride. The

whole essence of the day’s event is

missing.⁷.
Hence, vision is that ingredient of life

which gives you guidance and helps you

to move towards a fulfilled life ⁸.

Vision is a divine deposit, deep inside you

which makes your life to be distinguished

and unique. It is your fingerprint in a sea

of billions of people, which clearly makes

you out and identifies you. This, vision is

unique and a distinguisher . Vision is a

key to open the door of the maximization

of life. It is an unstoppable force which,

once you discover it and unleash it will

help you come into a life of fulfillment.

The right Vision

The subject of vision is very important in

breaking down all the barriers of life. It is

important for you to set out and achieve

your purpose in life by pursuing what is

the right Vision for you. Why talk about

the right Vision, one may ask?

I talk about it because the chances are

that one is caught in the trap of what I

will call copy cat, lock step vision and life

of mediocrity.

It is very easy to try to be like somebody

else by copying what they do. Lock step

mentality is when you compare your self

to your friends and you lock into them

and feel that because they have not left

you behind, then you are running with

the right Vision.

A vision could not be right if it is merely

copying other people, trying to catch up

with them or just being mediocre with

life. A vision is not right if you are merely

repeating what others have done. You

must distinguish yourself; vision is getting

to know what God has in store for you,

which really may exceed what people

whom you highly regard have ever done.

The right Vision authenticates your life. It

takes your life from being mere copy. It

stops you from synthetic living to the one

which is authentic and real .

The right Vision crates the pathway to

your purpose because once it is birthed in

your heart, even if there did not seem to

be a way, before, there will be enough

passion to bring you into your purpose.

Your future is in your vision. Your true

fulfillment, the expression of your person

is in your vision. The right Vision

provokes change, it demands a

perseverance, a staying on until the battle

is won, until there is achievement.

Write the vision down

If you think you know it, write it down.

One of the greatest discovery of mankind

is the ability to document things. Someone

had said: a short pencil is better than a

long memory ¹² What you do not write

down you may not commit to.

When your vision is written it gives you

the ability to anticipate, prepare and

make provisions for the future. If it is not

written you have no commitment to it.

A written vision brings together all of the

various sights in you- hindsight, insight,

foresight, far sight and the ability to

imagine.

A man without a clearly written will be a

slave of other people’s opinions and

visions. Progress in life is made by the

picture you have painted, the picture you

have seen. Hence, your picture must be

clearly written so that it empowers you to

pursue a desired tomorrow.

A man who cannot see beyond his nose

has jeopardize the whole of his destiny

and that of the generation that will come

out of him because vision is the basis of

living.

How many people have set some visions

and goals but instead of committing it to

writing they have it at the back of their

mind? What you keep at the back of your

mind may never manifest before your

eyes. So, if the vision is major, write it

down because it will help you to paint a

mental portrait of your desired point.

Therefore, the habit of choosing a vision,

writing it down and sticking to it and

pursuing it changes everything. It is Like

placing the future before you before it

even becomes manifest.

Read the vision everyday before you sleep

My argument here is that it is not enough

to write your vision. How many people

have done that in the past and have left it

to the gather dust. How many people have

brought out their diary at the beginning

of the year and have written nice things

but ended up throwing them away and

never making them a reality. When you

write a vision and read it, you are keeping

it before you and reminding yourself of

where you are going so that you will

become an achiever .
When you read your vision, your eyes 👀

will be open to the things you ought to be

doing. Then when eyes are open, the

destiny you have will open to you too.

Until, you read the vision, the discovery

and fulfilment you seek becomes difficult,

your vision must be fed by the word of

God. Your vision must be fed by the

knowledge of your chosen field. Read

literature around your vision. Vision that

is not within the limit of knowledge will

result in frustration.

Oscar Wilde said, “ A dreamer is one who

can only find his way by moonlight and

his punishment is that the sees the dawn

before the rest of the world”¹⁶. When you

write your vision and read it, you see it

hen others haven’t yet woken up .

Run the vision (Walk and Talk)

To write and read your vision without

pursing it to reality is like having a good

idea but doing nothing, hoping that it will

just work like that.

Nothing works until somebody, makes it

work. Newton said, “all objects are at rest,

until force is applied”¹⁷

It is important that you run with your

vision. It is your vision and nobody else.

No one owes you. The responsibility of

making your decision happens. In the

words of Earl Nightingale, “ if it is going

to be, it is up to me.”¹⁸

Running with the vision means taking

action, not waiting for someone else to do

everything for you. When peter and John

accosted the man by the beautiful gate

and instructed him to rise and walk, until

he leaped and walked, nothing happened.

When Jesus met a man at the pool if

Bethesda, until the man obeyed the

instruction to walk, nothing happened.

For twelve years, the bible says a woman

hemoglobin non stop and nothing

happened until she took action and

touched the hem of Christ. Hence, until

you work out your vision nothing works.

Dreams only come true when you make

up to make it happen.

The mere thought of what life could be if

you really did run with your vision should

be enough impetus to make you run.

Failure to run with the vision will

frustrate every other ability that could

have been activated if you had put your

vision to action.

What is the use of power if it has no

direction? Vision can become a

nightmare and a bad dream if you do not

wake up and make it a reality. Nothing in

earth should be big enough to stop you

from running with your vision and

making it happen.
Delay is the death of dreams. “ Running”

may mean taking risks but that is

important in the carrying out of vision.

Little wonder the Chinese proverb says: “

the man who is afraid to throw the dice,

may never throw a six”¹⁹. So, do not

abandon visions that have grown with

you From childhood. Keep adjusting

them as you grow in age or make them

happen as your ability can. Make visions

happen to you as they come to you.

Stop the postponement because the

tomorrow you talk about may never

come. Very active vision like performance

and are also many great dreamers. You

may be able to live one dream at a time,

but at least live the dream.

One of the most painful things in life is

the knowledge that you had a vision but

you did not pursue it.

Running your vision may mean little

efforts but those little efforts carried out

everyday is what constitutes great success.

Run fast as your feet can take you and as

far as the light shines .

Dream the vision

Schuller said “Aim at nothing hit

nothing”²⁰ How exciting would you find a

football (soccer) match where the teams

are busy running about and kicking the

ball from one end to other with no

goalposts to score in? Such a game would

be completely uninteresting, because

goalposts drives one to hit the target.

Your life is doomed when you have no

dream.

If you have discovered what you would to

be, it’s time to see what you can be. Get

an expectation for your tomorrow. Your

dream the will set the pace for your

experience.
Many are not making it, because they

have no dreams for lives. Nothing can

stop a man who can dream.

It is your picture that determines your

future. What you dream is what you

become and what you don’t dream you

don’t get. What do you see in your

future?. Most people don’t have any

dream for their future other than to work

for an establishment for 40 years and

settle into retirement. Go to quarry,

become an okada rider, Early child

Motherhood, what you see is what you

get, If you see nothing, you get nothing.

Your vision tells you where you belong,

but your dreams determines its existence.

Vision shows you what you can become in

life, but your dream takes you to the point

where you begin to actualize that vision.

In the school of success, it is what you see

that you become. God will never take you

beyond what you see. The easiest way to

paralyze a vision is to dreamless, because

if you are dreamless the vision will be

useless. Dreams established an expected

end; there by confirming Gods word:

I Know the thoughts that I think

towards you said the Lord, thoughts of peace

and not of evil to give you an expected

end”( Her 29:11)

Dreams defy present circumstances and

focus on future realities thereby releasing

in the dreamer, the drive for

accomplishment. Dreams bring about the

dawn of a new day”.

Most successful men are dreamers. The

man Nelson Mandela became a president

not by prayers but by dreams. At the age

of 12 he saw himself in the church as the

president of south Africa. He sat in

church and said “ one day, I will be the

president of this nation”. And his dream

made him outlive all others who were put

in prison with him .

Despite the trauma and torture he went

through he refused to die, because he had

a dream that was propelling him. And he

became President at 76 years old. If he

was dreamless, he would have died. He

who has no dream is dead, because a man

without dreams has nothing propelling,

pushing urging him to stay alive. A dream

is the gateway to a life of boom .

 CHAPTER 5

Planning

The key to the millions you seek is

planning – Paul Lemechi chidiebere

Planning is organized thinking. It is the

key to success. Lack of planning is the

major reason for failure. Brain Tracy:

that most people fail, not because the plan to

fail but because they fail to plan. ¹.

When you have discovered the secret of

wealth building, you will realize that the

Major key to making money is planning. If

you want one million but no plan for getting

it, you are only wishing it and may not get it.

The key to the millions you seek is planning.

Why people do not plan

There are various reasons why people do

not plan. Some Christians think there is a

contradiction between faith and planning,

A second reason is that some do not plan

is because they see it as too much trouble.

They want the product but not the

process. It is unfortunate that some

people do not know that God thinks and

plans. He is the Master Planner .

There is no way you can live in this

world and do not know that it is planned

in detail. While some people do not plan

because it is too much trouble, some

others do not plan because they have

experienced frustration from unrealistic

goals they had set before. But rather than

give up on planning or goal setting,

change your style. Learn the principles. I

have made unrealistic plans before too

and I have learnt from my failures.

If you try and it does not work you have

at least discovered one way it does not

work .

A life without plan

A life without a plan contrary to all laws.

When you break laws, they break you. ²

When you work very hard without a plan,

you lose direction like a ship on the high

sea without a compass. A plan defines

your destination and direction in life .

Let me give one advice from a lesson from

Jesus: plan your life like a military

commander that is out to win a war, because

there is an enemy against you” it’s not

necessary the size of the army that wins a

war; it is usually the superiority of

strategy. Careful planning guarantees

victory, because wisdom is better than

might. This is how Jesus said it: for which

of you, intending to build a tower, does not

sit down first and count the cost … Or what

king , going to make war against another

king does not sit down first and consider

whether he is able with ten thousand to meet

him that comes against him with twenty

thousand?.
Basics for planning

Step one…

Decide on what you want. The starting

point for planning is decision. If you have

a revelation from God, that is the starting

point. Decide exactly what it is you want

to achieve. It may be getting a new job;

starting a business; taking a course;

getting married; or making your first

million… ., becoming a priest, a graduate,

a Ph.D. holder, whatever it is, decide on a

definite goal.

Step two… give it a deadline. Nothing

becomes dynamic until it becomes

specific. As long as you are vague,

unstable and unsure of exactly what it is

you want, or exactly you want to get, you

will not get it. Life seems to cooperate

with the person whose mind is made up.

So decide on what it is, and give it a

deadline.
Step Three

Write down your goals. Every week I

have goals written down, and the result is

visible; I live a fulfilled life. “Without

goals, success is impossible. Can you

imagine a football match where there are no

goalposts?. You may be the world’s best

player; if there are no goalposts. You

cannot score a goal. Your match will be

frustrating game. You can readily tell the

score before the match begins. There will

not be winner. Without well spelt out

goals, life will be frustrating, and you may

never discover the secrets of happiness.

Outside of goals and definite plans to

achieve them, you may not experience

fulfillment. Write down your short-term,

medium term and long- term goals.

Step four

Develop a detailed plan for the

achievement of your goals. You may not

hit them dead on target always;

sometimes you achieve more than you

have written down, and at other times you

achieve a little less. But the plain truth is,

once you have a detailed plan set out

ahead of time, there is a force that takes

you from where you are towards your set

goals.

Step five

Decide what to give to get what you want.

And if you do not have the required skill

to match your expected level of success,

decide how to acquire that skill. Attend a

course or become an apprentice

somewhere, have a good mentor etc.

Step six

Dream about your goals everyday. Keep

those pictures at the top of your mind. See

your dream as a miracle about to happen.

As he thinks in his heart, so is he.

 Chapter 6

Commitment

Commitment is a state of being bound to

a course of action. – David Ibiyeomie

It means to be completely sold out to a

particular thing ². Commitment is an

attitude that must be in place if success

must be accomplished. It is one thing to

be placed, and another to occupy your

place. It takes commitment to occupy

your place in life. Even if you have been

appointed to a place, it takes commitment

for you to remain in your appointment.

Unfortunately, most people are

committed to rewards; but it is your

commitment to a cause that commands

rewards. A man’s level of commitment-

variably determines his level of

attainment. So get committed and you

will end up distinguished.

Commitment is the natural polish for

talent

You cannot be committed and not be

creative. You cannot be creative and not

be productive. You cannot be productive

and not be successful. So commitment is

to first step to success. You cannot be

creative in any field you lack

commitment. Watch any fashion designer,

such a person is usually committed to

making clothes and that is why they are

very creative in that area. A creative

architect is often very committed to

architecture. Commitment is the

backbone of success.

You can be talented , but if you lack

commitment you will end up a failure.

Haven’t you know very talented person’s

who were very talented, but ended up as

failures because they lacked commitment

and discipline. Such examples abound all

over the world of sports and

entertainment. In my state, I’ve seen very

talented person’s who had star potentials,

but ended up unknown, because they

lacked commitment; and I’ve seen people

who were not as talented, but we’re very

committed, end up stars. Commitment is

the winning attitude. It has no substitute.

Be committed to every assignment you

are given. Every time you get committed

to your assignments or tasks, it brings

out the best in you

Greatness is a function of commitment

Lack of commitment is the major reason

government agencies in Nigeria are not

productive. But give the same agencies to

private individuals and they instantly

begin to produce profit. Why?

Commitment! Our telecommunications

sector was almost comatose when it was a

full- fledged government agency. With all

the money that went into the sector

yearly, NITEL( Nigeria

telecommunication) never declared any

profits, and delivered services less than

two percent of the Nigeria populace. A

past minister for Telecommunication had

the effrontery to tell Nigerians that,

telephone is not for everybody!. In 2001

the government decided to privatize the

telecommunications sector, and every

year since then more and more companies

have been joining the sector with

everyone of them declaring ever

increasing profits! What is the difference?

Commitment!

Sadly this lack of commitment is rubbing

off people of this generation. But if you

stand out where you work, by

commitment, you will discover that when

challenges arise and they need a Joseph,

you are the one they will come looking

for. Haven’t you noticed that whenever

any company is downsizing and

retrenching workers, that always go for

those who are not committed? It is a

crime to life and destiny to be

uncommitted. Greatness is birthed in the

crucibles of commitment.
 Chapter 7

Time

Time is a priceless commodity, Take steps

to protect it- Samuel Adenemi

The sooner you develop a mind set of

success, the more days you will have to

devote your gift of time. The more

efficiently you use time to get to know

yourself the greater your opportunity to

make the most of the day’s you are given

on earth. Appreciate the value of time by

focusing on what is in front of you, not by

lamenting what is behind you.

You have heard the expression “

Hindsight is twenty – twenty” at any stage

of life we can look back at who we were

and see the gifts or the potential we

overlooked in ourselves. We see missed

opportunities that we can’t go back and

reclaim. We see youthful vigor waned

over the years. Hindsight can fuel feelings

of regret when we fail to capitalize on the

value of time. Have you ever said “I wish

I Knew then what I know now?. That’s a

reflection made by a person who realizes

the Value of time.

Time is our most valuable resources

because it can not be reproduced or

replicated. Once it is gone, it is gone. You

can get more money, even if you

bankrupt. You can get another job after

you loose one. You can get another car if

yours is repossessed. You can get another

spouse or another house. You cannot get

more time if you lose it or waste it.

You don’t want to lament time wasted or

lost because you were not in tune with

your destiny. Be careful with the gift of

time. Don’t regret opportunities. Be wise

enough to know that right now, you are

smart enough, attractive enough, and

secure enough to walk the trail of success.

German- born theologian and author

Joseph Wittig observed that a biography

should begin with the person’s death,

because none of us has control over how

we were born, but we all have a great to

do with the way our lives end. Whatever

circumstances we were born into, we can

choose how we use our time, make a

difference in our lives, and leave our

footprint on the annals of time.

Every day is a withdrawal from the bank

of Time

The older I get, I recognize that my most

precious commodity that needs protection

from the thieves and robbers isn’t the

material goods, one would normally

protect: clothes, cars, jewelry, houses,

money or investments are not my most

valuable assets. Time is what I have

learned to guard and hold precious. I can

buy a new watch or a coat or a car if mine

gets stolen. But I can’t get back my time.

It is irreplaceable; therefore, it’s

priceless.

Each of us has such a bank. It’s name is

Time. Each morning, you awaken with a

credit of 86,400 seconds. Every night,

what you failed to use is lost. Time

carriers over a balance from day to day.

Time allows no overdraft and you can’t

hold on to what you did not use the day

before. If you fail to use the day’s

deposits, “TIME” lost is yours. There is

no going back. There is no drawing

against the tomorrow. Live in the present

on today’s deposit.

The importance of Time

The poorest man on earth is not the man

without money but the one who places no

value on time.

Time is money. Time is a valuable asset

which we can transact and produce

money. The world is run on natural and

spiritual laws and principles. One of the

chief principles is the principle of time

and it’s management.

Once that is our of order, many other

things will be out of place.

Time is an equal commodity which comes

to both the rich and the poor. There is no

variation as to what amount of it is given

to a person every waking day. All men are

given equal shares of twenty- four hours

as long as they live on planet.

It is my conviction that when people pray

for financial harvest or harvest of favor,

what God gives them is the seed of time

with which they can go and produce their

own harvest.
Time is an unusual commodity which

cannot be frozen and cannot be carried

forward. You can only use it as it comes.

The second, minute or hour you have

dedicated to the reading of this book 📚📚

cannot be replicated, it can only be use

now.

Every second you lose is a second that is

gone for eternity. Time can never be

replied, returned or topped up. It is

always a thing you have to either use or

lose. It is more or less money with a time

span. If not spent, it expires.

Time is the key difference between the

successful and the failure. It is what

marks why two people start life together

and one ends up rich and the other poor.

The greatest currency In our world is not

the American dollar, the British pound,

the European euro, the Nigerian naira,

the Ghanaian cedi, the South Africa rand,

the Malaysian ringet. The greatest

currency is the currency of Time.

However once you begin to check how

you manage your time, you can make a

difference to your own life and can go

very far with what you do with every

twenty- four hour time frame.

The management of time is the putting of

value on the time on your hand and

making significant decisions, carrying out

significant assignments so that you have

something for each second to keep in

Store for you.

Of all the skills a man must acquire, the

management of time is paramount. Time

management is the recognition that a

person’s attitude to time will determine if

they are classified as strong or weak,

achievers or non achievers, poor or

wealthy, smart or foolish.

Why manage time?

As you woke up this morning 🌅🌅, twenty-

four hours were entrusted onto you. We

have already established that what you do

with your time determines the summary

of your life . Therefore, In answering the

question why, we must establish that time

can be a bad master or a great employee

sent to achieve specific assignments. It

can make you either end up rejoicing or

regretting.
The management of time is a good

indication of how your life will end up. So

many people live their life hoping and

wishing that one day, at the end of their

rainbow will be a pot full of gold

unknown to them that if it really will be,

it is up to them.

It is up to their management of time, it is

up to their respect and the value they

place on time. A student who refuses to

revise but spends most of his time with his

phone entering into different social media

network, parties and cafeterias, the

employee who refuses to keep training

himself, re-engineering and adding value

to himself will find him self marking time

in the same position. The employer who

does not keep abreast of time and

recognize that we live in a constantly

changing world and therefore keep re-

engineering his own business ay looking

at a new lines of business would very soon

find that what he sells is obsolete, old

stories during reflection.

So to keep at being successful one must

keep abreast of the times. The interesting

truth about life is that those who are

successful and who have made an impact

with their life never really complain about

lack of time. It is often time wasters, who

have not created a system for time

management who tend to complain that

they have not got enough time to carry

out the things they would want to do.

Longevity of life is good but it is not the

number of days you live, it’s the quality of

life you give and the joy you bring. Good

time management is an issue for all of life,

not a thing to do when you are pursing

success in a chosen area.. good time

management means investing time and

not spending it. Those who spend time

waste it and it means the wastage of life

Procrastinators defer things and assure

themselves that they will do it later .

Time is a precious resource given to you

to trade with on earth.

So if you loose control of your time you

loose control of your life. If you say I

cannot manage time, others will manage

it for you. You are probably dissatisfied

with your location in life and are desirous

to rise to a new level or do other things, or

live a better life. Your access way from

the present place to the future you desire

is the vehicle of time.

When everyday breaks, the quantity of

time available to you is always pre-

determined. Manage your time and life,

use the time you have on earth effectively.

Recognize that there is a time for

everything and you will be destined to be

outstanding. #Daniel 6:3

How to manage your Time

Spend your time on what will make you

achieve and maximize your life. Create a

firewall which reduces the eroding power

of distractions like newspapers,

WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter etc.

The beauty of the management of time

and life is that you must learn to plan

tomorrow today, next week this week,

next month this month, next year this

year. In this age of smart phone

technology. One of the missing elements

which is necessary for the management of

time and life is the importance of solitude.

Solitude and serenity are necessary for

the planning of life and time

management, you don’t have to answer

all phone calls neither should you have to

keep your phone on at all times. That cell

phone, tablet should serve you, not you

serving the phone .

If you must use it, you get in fast and get

off as fast as you got on . Furthermore, if

you must mange your time and life you

must develop new habits. One of them is

the ability to say no without feeling guilty,

it will save you from a thousand troubles.

That ability will cut you away from things

that are not your highest priority and will

help you in the use of your time.

Raise the standard of your magement of

time by learning to look ahead to

probably as far as five years and begin to

work back today. Never waste time. Use

every flying moment. If you drive in long

traffic jams, turn your car to an

educational center. Many books, sermons

and researches are now available on CDs

and audiotapes. Be smart and use the

traffic crawls as a time to educate

yourself.

Start each day by dedicating the first

hour to be the hour you engage yourself

in prayer and planning. I call the first

hour of my day, the power Hour. That

hour is spent 40 minutes in prayer, 15

minutes in Bible study and 5 minutes

writing out my vision and goals for the

day and “ insuring” these goals during

masses.

My goals are always three dimensional:

one , to resolve problems that arise, the

second segment to deal with matters that

will make my life progress for the rest of the

year and the last segment has to do with the

whole of my vision in life.

Every year you must evaluate who belongs

in your journey. Ask yourself who qualifies

for your time and what amount of it. You

must constantly update and ask yourself, if

you had to make the choice again, who

really has to be the person you spend time

with? Is it Mr. X,Miss Y or Madam Z, father

A or Father B among them?. If they are not,

you gradually begin to phrase them out of

your journey. Once you learn to do this, you

will “ Be The Best In Your Management

Of Time”

Chapter 8

Mentor
The best way a mentor can prepare

another leader is to expose him or her to

other great people – Justine Ekennaya

Get a good mentor

A good mentor will encourage you to have

patience in the process because that

person already knows that success takes

time. A mentor knows the pitfalls of the

journey. A good advisor knows how to get

back up after a tumble and can help you

in the painful process of standing after

life knocks you down. The wisdom of a

successful person you admire can build

your confidence and encourage you to try

new things and take calculated risks. An

effective mentor also will be honest with

you and advice you when you are not

ready for the next step as well as

challenge you to stop being afraid to take

the next step and move forward.

Mentors help you learn the ropes, put you

in apprenticeship programs, and lend

insight into the direction that will

maximize your time and opportunities.

“They help humble you in a positive way

because they remind you that you still

have more to learn”. Mentors guide you

to new prospects and encourage you to

take risks. They let you know you have

more growing to do and keep you

humble. A seasoned advisor can help you

navigate the strategy of your life.

Heeding the sage advice of an

accomplishment professional helps pave

for you a smother, less circuitous route

than he or she had to tread. Mentorship

decreases your learning curve, when the

words of a good teacher are heeded, you

lessen the possibility of mistakes, which

can save you time, money, and

relationships. A strong bond with a

trusted advisor can help you gain ground

in your chosen field much more quickly.

Are you one of the bootstrap people?

You have heard the stories of people who

claimed, no one helped me. I made it all

on my own. The bootstrap people who

have made great strides often are not

good candidates for mentorship because

they are by nature independent. But even

those who seek to make it on their own

will eventually experience decreased

momentum along the journey because

they will have exhausted their internal

resources.

Reading and research are important tools

to equip you with knowledge, but

mentoring has the added benefit of

stocking your decisions with wisdom that

someone else has paid for. Imagine the

mistakes a plumber would make without

apprenticeship! Who would want a

physician who had never been an intern?

Would you want a surgeon who had never

participated in the procedure alongside

someone with greater experience? I was

in a restaurant one day and two waiters

walked up to the table. It seemed odd to

have two waiters. The lead waiter said,

good morning! My name is Obioma and

my associate behind me is Naza. Naza is

information, so she mostly observes and

learns. Books can tell you what to do but

mentoring will show you how to do it!

There is nothing like having a hands on

experience.

I love to use a four step approach to a

teacher- learner relationship. First, watch

me do it. Second, do it with me. Third, I

will do it with you. Fourth, I will watch

you do it. An advisory relationship using

this approach can build your confidence.

You work better when you have certainty

about your level of knowledge, and being

validated by mentorship creates

confidence and raises the comfort level

for all involved.

A good mentor is like a tour guide

A good mentor is like a tour guide who

shows you the sights you have maybe

heard about but have never seen before.

You can take yourself to the common,

well traveled places. You want someone to

take you where most others never get to

go. I like to say that mentor should be

spelled m-e-n-t-o-u-r, because it is an

unbelievable blessing to have someone

open doors and tour you around what’s

next. A group of us secured a tour guide

who enhanced our travel experience by

showing us far more than most tourists

get to see. Real tour guide take you

beyond the tourist sites that are designed

to impress you and look good. The best

ones lead you through an immersive

experience into the culture and cuisine of

the locals. Finding the right guide gives

you an opportunity to partake of the

organic experience and not the synthetic

experience that most foreigners mistake

for the culture of the country!

Your mentor should know the way of the

land you are seeking. For example, A

person who has never held a job cannot

tell you how to make your way up the

corporate ranks. When you want sound

advice on financial investments, you

probably don’t want to consult someone

who has always survived on public

assistance.

Finally, recognize that someone to whom

you will not be accountable cannot

mentor you. Imagine the impossibility of

a mentor relationship with someone

whom you will not share the full realities

of your success and struggles. That would

be a frustrating experience for both the

mentor and the men – tee. Accountability

requires transparency; therefore, you

have to establish a level of trust with your

mentor that will allow you the

vulnerability of exposing your deficiencies

and insecurities. Most people wear their

accomplishments as a camouflage to hide

their inadequacies. Mentors get to look

behind the façade to help you fill in the

blanks that are masked from Public view.

They need to know how the job is

affecting you emotionally. They need

access to information about the areas at

home that are in crises because of your

accomplishments. If you keep up a wall

with your mentor, he or she will never be

able to penetrate your mind to address

the real challenges you face. You will

probably gain a few helpful tips, but you

won’t reap the full benefit of someone

walking alongside you on your success

journey.

Most of us can Excel in one or two areas

of life with little assistance. Mentors will

help you develop a 360-degree range of

success. That doesn’t mean every area of

your life will run smoothly at all times.

Most of us are dealing with some level of

trouble or challenge at any point in our

lives. We all need someone we trust to

serve as a check and balance to help us

live the full live we desire. Mentors ask

you the hard questions. When you’re

soaring high from career advancement,

your mentor will inquire about the other

plates you are juggling.

Choose your mentor

If your life is as complex as mine, you

may realize that mentors don’t always

come at one-step shopping. It is possible

to have different people from whom you

receive mentoring. You can have one

person who mentors you spiritually while

another mentors you financially. The

most happily married couple you know

may be living on minimum wage salaries

while your Investment banker may be on

the brink of divorce.

You may be seeking a mentor who

affirms everything you do, but God may

send you someone who is more critical of

your actions and decisions. If you’re

middle-aged , your mentor may be

someone younger. Don’t close your mind

to the possibilities of who can offer you

guidance. You may need a younger

mentor to help your business

opportunities grow through social media.

Perhaps the thirty-something self-made

millionaire can coach you in developing

your retirement portfolio for a more

comfortable life when you stop working.

Mentoring may be the booster shot you

need if you feel your life is lagging in

certain critical areas. A strong

relationship will cause you to redeem the

time you may have lost trying to find your

own way. A mentor can make the

difference between SUCCESS and

FAILURE .

A younger mentor may energize and

remind you of what you still have to

offer. An older mentor can serve as living

proof that what you desire can happen for

you, too. Yes, there is someone willing to

mentor you no matter what your age.

Success is a journey made of a series of

stops, rather than a single destination. As

you engage in your lift calling, you evolve,

grow, and make turns and shifts. Your

destiny journey includes legacy. God calls

you to a task to make life better, and the

work you do should have an impact long

after you have stepped away. So make

your connection with a fellow traveler

who is successfully maneuvering the

heavy, fast-moving traffic and allow them

to guide you to places you have never

been and reveal sights you have never

seen. Life is exciting, so enjoy the journey.

You are not on the road alone. Whether

you are moving too fast and feel like you

are about to crash, chugging along slowly

while everyone zooms by, or parked in the

rest station because you are out of gas,

there is someone willing to help you. Let

God use your mentor to help guide you to

outstanding success.
 Chapter 9
Words Have Power To Transform

Words are seeds. The realities of our lives

today are to a large extent harvests from

the seeds we sowed with our mouths

yesterday – Romanus Ozuomba

Talk success Always

One of the most powerful resources with

which we create success is the Spoken

word. There is creative power in words.

According to the biblical account of

creation, God literally spoke this world

into existence. Given that man was

created in the image of God, we also have

the capacity to create our individual

worlds with words. In fact, Solomon, the

wise king in the bible, said; death and life

are in the power of the tongue; and those

who love it will eat it’s fruit.

Word are seeds. The realities of our lives

today are to large extent harvests from

the seeds sowed with out mouths

yesterday. And the realities of our lives

tomorrow will be harvests from seeds we

are sowing with our mouths today. You

only need to listen to people speak to their

spouses or children, or about their

situation; you will understand the root of

their good or bad circumstances.

I hear rich people talk in terms of

abundance and I hear poor people talk

in terms of scarcity. We can literally

change our lives by changing the kind

of words we speak. I know that may

not be easy sometimes.

When people hear me say that I cannot

be broke again the rest of my life, They

think I must have loads of cash stacked

up somewhere, but I am only

operating a principle. What you say is

what you see. It is unfortunate that

many turn this principle on its head;

what they see us what they say. They

talk too much about their challenges.

We must set new standards for the

words that we speak.

It was tough at a time for us to pay our

teachers and it became common for us

to remind our staff that there was no

money. When I realized that we that

we were breaking a law of success, I

put a ban on that statement. In a short

time we were out of that predicament.

Words are vehicles

Words are also vehicles that convey

resources from the intangible world to

our material world. Words establish

the contact points between our dreams

and reality. We cannot afford to speak

words carelessly. The invisible and

visible worlds are controlled by words.

To alter your life, control your tongue

Human language has been terribly

corrupted. We easily speak words of

doubt, defeat, lack, difficulty, pain and

failure, and we mix them with negative

emotions. The result is almost certain

to be negative. To change the direction

of a ship we must take control of the

rudder. To alter the direction of our

lives we must take control of our

tongues. Jesus said: for assuredly I say

to you, whoever says to this mountain,

be removed and be cast into the sea,

and does not doubt in his heart, but

believes that those things he says will

be done, he will have whatever he says.

We must speak words with authority

to get meaningful results. You are your

own prophet and whatever you say is

coming to pass.

Words have power

To illustrate the ever powerful nature

of words, Anthony de Mello S.J. in one

of his works one minute nonsense

wrote thus:
 “Once when the master spoke of the

hypnotic power of words someone from

the back of the room shouted, “ you are

talking nonsense! If I say God, God, God

will that make me divine? And if I say

sin, sin will it make me evil?

“Sit down, you bastard, said the master.

The man became so livid with rage it

took him some time to recover his

speech. Then he screamed a torrent of

abuse at the master.

The master, looking contrite, said,

“pardon me, sir, I was carried away.

I truly apologize for my unpardonable

lapse” The man calmed down

immediately “ well, there you have your

answer; and it took was a word to give

you a fit and another to sedate you” said

the master”.
Words have power. Words are very

powerful. They are powerful

instruments in life. Though intangible

words are very powerful in controlling

the affairs of men. Words have

hypnotic power over man. Words

hypnotise and remote – control man

and his feelings, moods, thoughts,

words and actions. With words one

can elicit tears in the eyes of another;

with words one can also clean those

tears. Words can make another angry

and belligerent, words can also make

another happy and friendly. Words

can stir the most dormant and

lethargic into frenzy of activity, words

can also turn the most active person to

be redundant, dormant, dull and

unproductive.
With words strong and intimate bonds

and relationships can be forged and

sustained among peoples, cultures and

nations. With words intimate

relationships and bonds can be broken

and severed. Words can turn an enemy

into a friend and also words can turn a

friend into a dreaded enemy. Words

can turn a brother into a stranger and

even an enemy. Words can also turn a

stranger into a friend and a brother.

With words wars, quarrels, mob

actions, riots, mass unrests, revolutions

and crusades have been inspired and

provoked among men. With words

also the most irrational mass and mob

actions, wars, revolutions, enmities

and upheavals among men have been

calmed and settled. Words can

generate disagreements and enmity.

Words can also bring peace and

reconciliation. Words can bring love,

they can also generate hate. With

words great learning, traditions and

values have been formed, taught and

transmitted from generation to

generation. With words many of these

learning, traditions, cultures and

values can be distorted, destroyed, and

made irrelevant. Words can lead to

repentance, conversion,

remorsefulness, guilt feeling, tender

heartedness, generosity and openness,

words can bring discomfort, loneliness,

fearfulness, unloveliness. Words can

also lead to comfort, communion,

boldness, loveliness and affiliation.

The most timid and fearful hearts can

be turned into daring and bold hearts

while the most daring and bold ones

can be made timid and fearful by

words.

Summarily we note the power of

words thus-

. Words can make and words can mar.

. Words can build and words can destroy.

. Words can bind together and words can

separate.
. Words can upload and words can pull

down.

. Words can gather and words can scatter.

. Words can hurt and words can injure.

. Words can heal and words can sooth .

. Words can break and words can bend.

. Words can comfort and words can

discomfort.

. Words can lead aright and words can

lead astray .
. Words can bring tears and words can

bring laughter.

. Words can bring tears and words can

dry tears.

. Words can provoke to anger and words

can elicit joy and happiness.

. Words can bring conversion and words

can bring hardness of heart.

Words rules moderate feelings, emotions,

moods and thought patterns of people.

. Words even rule and moderate people’s

view and apprehension of reality.

. Words can give colour to reality

according to the thought pattern and

decision of the speaker.

. Words can present an angel into a devil

and devil into an angel.

. Words can present a saint as if a sinner

and vice versa.

. Words can present sweetness into

bitterness.

Adolf Hitler opined long time ago “ be

clever persevering use of propaganda

even heaven can be represented as hell

to the people and conversely the most

wretched life as paradise”. The above

lines have underscored the potent

nature of word – to control and

moderate the affairs of men. The

power of speech is a powerful means to

activate energies, constructive as well

as destructive. It is indispensables in

every sphere of life- social, culture,

religious and political. It has aroused

armies to march to battle; it has also

inspired divine peace and silenced the

roaring guns. It has elevated

individuals to the heights of heroism

and self- sacrifice. Taking lift from the

above, it becomes a categorical

imperative that there should be

caution in the use of words. This is

because words are dynamite; they can

destroy people. They should be

carefully weighed before they are

spoken. Even truthful words can

damage. Yet they can save a Friend

from going wrong. Another author

exhorts thus the word is powerful. It

can create; it can also destroy.

Therefore it has to be used with great

care and skill.

An ancient king once commanded his

wise court jester to prepare him the

finest dish in the world. He was served

a dish of tongue.

Then the king demanded the worst

dish in the world and again was served

a dish of tongue
The king asked the reason and the wise

man: the tongue is the greatest of

blessings when wisely and lovingly

used. But becomes the greatest curse

when it is unkindly and dishonesty

used.