The Psychology of Self Motivation

Photo Credit: pfv. via Compfight cc

“Purpose is the ultimate determinant of motivation. You are only as motivated as well as you understand the purpose of a thing (situation or life).”

One of my biggest problems in life has been lack of self motivation. That push I need to get things done when they ought to be done and not procrastinate. From my interactions with people, I find I’m not the only one who has the problem. I could also reel out stats to prove that many other people in the world also face this problem everyday but I won’t. Because it doesn’t matter. If you, like me, struggle with this problem of a lack of self motivation then let’s go on this journey together.

An Important Lesson About Risk Taking

I was having a conversation with a friend one day and she told me this wonderful story. It taught me a vital lesson about risk taking. We are both present-serving corps (NYSC) members and I was telling her about a wonderful idea I had but that could not execute because I was thinking about some things. I had to eventually tell her I had been over-thinking. It was this that prompted her to share her story with me in hopes that I could learn something from it. I did, and I hope you can do so too (the story is written in her words).
Click here to read full article as featured on Bella Naija.

How to Stay Motivated Through Tough Times

Image Source: Your Thought Partner

Recently, I went through a rough patch. I dare say it was a wilderness experience. I was on the brink of giving up on my dreams, goals and aspirations and in dire need of a jolt. All motivation to continue writing and helping people was being lost gradually. However, that’s passed now and I’ve been able to draw lessons from it. These lessons have spurred me on and have helped me remain motivated and not give up.

One thing I learned and understood (which is pretty much not a new thing) is that tough times, rough patches and wilderness experiences are inevitable. Just as you can’t avoid road bumps in Osun state or portholes on a normal Nigerian road, you can’t avoid tough times. Anyone who’s under the impression that only they are facing problems, challenges and tough times is simply deceiving himself or herself. These tough times are times when you feel no desire to go on, when it feels like God and the universe are against you and no one cares what happens to you. Some people face them more often than others. Tough times are unavoidable, but one thing is sure, like Robert Schuller’s book says, ‘Tough times never last…’. So, how does one maintain momentum during such times?

How to Worry Profitably

Image Source: Baby Boomer Concerns

I recently came to discover something: I worry too much. At times I try to convince myself that I'm not worrying too much, I'm just thinking too much. But I haven't been able to successfully deceive myself into accepting that notion. Two weeks ago, I was reading Richard Templar's The Rules of Life and I came across a chapter that says 'It's OK to worry, or to know how not to'. The chapter explains that since the future is uncertain (no one knows tomorrow), it's only normal as human beings to be worried about stuff. I mean, there so many things we have to deal with. Everyone has got something they're worried about. From their work, to their studies, to children, to parents, to partners, and most especially money.

Richard Templar says that we wouldn't be human if we didn't worry about things at times. And I totally agree with him on this. After coming to terms with the inevitability of worrying about things, I decided to finally find a way around it. I love turning negative stuff and making them positive so I made up my mind to learn how to worry profitably. And thank goodness, I was able to devise something. That 'something' is what I want to share with you.

5 Things I Did to Overcome Low Self Esteem

Image Source: Paul the Counsellor

While in secondary school, I battled with low self esteem. I struggled to make people like me. Hell! I was obsessed with making people like me. Also, I always let every insult or bad joke about me get to me. I was constantly looking for people's approval. Honestly, I didn't really know what I wanted from life. However, as I got ready to commence life in the university, I decided within me that things were going to change. From that little fella who suffered from low self esteem and the constant threat from others, I have been able to grow and become a better, more confident (sometimes nearly arrogant) young man and I want to share with you FIVE important things I did. I hope they can help you too:

The Burdens of Wealth and Talent

Image Source: Khalifat World

Many of the biggest failures in life have, sadly, been people who came from wealthy backgrounds or people who, at one point in their lives, were touted to become the ‘new Messi’, the ‘new Denzel Washington’, the new ‘Steve Jobs’, and so on. The essence of this article is not is deride anyone but rather to motivate the one who thinks he or she comes from an insignificant background and so has to remain insignificant or that he or she cannot amount to much in life because their talents don’t seem spectacular enough.

"I Want to Hit Strides that Very Few Have Hit Before" - Simi

Simi has the voice of an angel; gentle and melodious. She’s livened the Nigerian music scene with her hit single ‘Tiff’, and ‘E no go funny’. A graduate of Covenant University and a passionate Manchester United fan, here are some things she has to tell us about her music, her motivation and her life as a star:

10 Life-Influencing Quotes from Steve Jobs

Image Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

1. Innovation has nothing to do with how many R & D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R & D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.

Why Perfection is an Enemy of Progress

Image Courtesy of JamesWoodward

If you have ever read about God’s creation of the earth, you will find that after each element or creature was created, save for the firmaments (or skies), He would always say it was good. He never said any of it was perfect. It’s not that God couldn’t make these things perfect (because I know he could have) but He made them ‘good’ for reasons. He made them ‘good’ so that the man He created wouldn’t be idle. If everything was perfect upon creation, man would have no chance to invent and create things and improve life. He would have just been roaming the Garden of Eden eating and talking to animals with nothing particularly exciting to face as a challenge or so.

You must have heard this said many times that ‘no one is perfect’ or that ‘no one can be perfect’. This is true and I do not dispute it. Nevertheless, we must realize that this is so because if God had created us perfect we would have no need to improve ourselves (taking into account the sin of Adam through his freewill). There would be no room for us to become better people. Different people view man’s imperfection in their own different ways. Some see it as a disease which needs to be cured. Some see it as a defect which they can do nothing about and so just walk around with the ‘no one is perfect so don’t judge me’ mentality. There are also people who see our imperfection as a default defect that constitutes a vital part of who we are, and in essence they just try to live with it and manage it. They are not particularly committed to improving themselves. They are the ones with the ‘that’s just how I am, I can’t change who I am’ mentality.

Why Time Management is Difficult for You

Source: Freelancingandmore.com

Everyone knows that the level of your success and productivity in life and in all your endeavors is directly, and greatly influenced by your ability to manage time. It’s not just important to learn to manage your own time, but that of your coworkers, colleagues, friends and fellow students. However, you must know that time is a wild beast that can never be tamed. What I am saying therefore, is that it is impossible to ‘manage time’.

The Inevitability of Fear

Source: Isabelle Allende http://lovequotes.symphonyoflove.net/

All intelligent people are afraid of something. Remember, we have defined intelligence as “acting in a way that is consistent with set goals”. Thus, an intelligent person is one who constantly acts in ways that is consistent with achieving his or her set goals. There is no human being that is devoid of fear. As humans, it is only natural and normal for us to be concerned about things pertaining to our survival or subsequent breakthrough; that’s how we’re wired. A courageous person isn’t usually the one who isn’t afraid. In fact, Mark Twain, the US writer and humorist expressed that “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear.

Intelligence Has Little to Do with IQ

Source: www.chacha.com

I am currently reading a book, ‘Goals!’ by Brian Tracy and over the next few weeks, the articles I will be uploading with be based on and adapted from the book. It is one book I recommend to everybody that cares to make progress in life and career. Whilst reading this book, I came across a new definition of intelligence that first intrigued me, then encouraged me. It intrigued me initially because I was always under the impression that intelligent people were the ones who had been proven to know more and be smarter than others and it encouraged me because, after looking at this definition of intelligence, I realized that I am actually more intelligent that I gave myself credit for. Thus, after reading this excerpt, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to become more intelligent or you want to remain as you are.

10 Leadership Lessons from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (The Movie)

Source: oyster.ignimgs.com

1. The greatest leaders in the world did not just lead people. They led movements, revolutions and ideologies.
2. Madiba was a selfless leader.
3. Madiba was courageous. He was courageous enough to stand by his vision for South Africa. He was courageous enough to stand for peace when the people demanded war.
4. Madiba was confident in the ideology he stood for: the ideology of freedom for his people.
5. The road to greatness is never ending and always lonely.

Now That I'm a Graduate...

Source: www.busigence.com

I'm glad. I'm happy. I'm elated. By God's grace and mercy, I have bagged my first degree. I can't forget the feeling of satisfaction that pervaded my heart the moment our University Chancellor uttered the sentence "I accept you into your first degree" and our Registrar said "You may turn your tassels." Two days after my graduation (convocation), reality has slowly began to dawn on me. From this time henceforth, I am on my own. It's every man for himself now.

From what I've observed and what I have been told, this life I am about to commence is made up of countless people running a rat race. However, if there's anything I have come to learn from school in the last four years, it is that people who are walking in the center of God's plan for their lives do not run a rat race; albeit, they are running the marathon race of life. The night before we were released as 'Eagles' (as the graduates from my school, Covenant University, are always referred to), our Chancellor gave us 5 Perspectives for an Ever-Winning Life. I'd like to share these perspectives with you guys, hoping that you learn from and imbibe them as part of your life. Whether you are just graduating, you have just graduated, you graduated long ago or you're still an undergraduate, these five perspectives will be important to you if you must live a fulfilled life, and make heaven. They are:

How Our DSTV Dish Taught Me Vital Life Lessons

Since June 12, when the World Cup started, I’ve only watched 2 matches because our DSTV was not connected and we hadn’t subscribed. Several attempts to get the Satellite Technicians to come help us connect it proved futile. Each time we called, they’d give one excuse or the other. I even missed the Netherlands versus Spain (5pa1n) match because of this. Subsequently, I started becoming irritated with the situation. Partly because all we had to watch at the moment were religious channels (of which I’m not a big fan), and because my parents were seemingly not as determined as I was to watch the World Cup (a lie I succeeded in telling myself repeatedly). My irritation started guiding my behavior and my parents were obviously not happy with the situation. So, in order to quell the annoyance in the air, I decided to engage in a DIY. I spent several minutes outside my house, figuring a way to fix the dish and connect it. I finally had a Eureka moment.

Assumptions! Assumptions! Ridiculous Assumptions!

Image Source: www.kathyennis.co.uk

Making assumptions about people, an event or a situation often proves to leave you with embarrassing results. In fact, the results can be tragic or comical at times. Take for example this story I came across in the John Maxwell book- Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. It’s a comical story of a traveler between flights at an airport.

She went to a lounge and bought a small pack of cookies and then sat down to read a newspaper. She became aware of a rustling noise and looked to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to the cookies. She didn’t want to make a scene, so she leaned over and took a cookie herself, hoping that he would get the message. As time passed, she thought she had been successful. But then she heard more rustling. She couldn’t believe it. He was helping himself to another cookie.

7 Things You Need to Know that Enhance your Productivity

1. Learn how to wake up early. People who wake up early have the capacity to be more productive than those who wake up late. The thing about waking up early is that it gives you the opportunity to plan your day before it starts. Furthermore, waking up early allows you to create a good pace for your day. Whatever your day will be like is defined by the actions you perform in the first few hours.
2. Learn how to read a lot. The more relevant stuff you read, the more knowledgeable you become. Reading a lot is no guarantee that you’ll be better but it is the foundation for getting better at what you do. The more you know, the better you get and the more productive you become. Reading someone’s book or work gives you access to all the knowledge the person has about what you’re reading. Imagine reading a book that took a man thousands of other books and many years to write, you’re able to gain access to that person’s knowledge simply through the book.

A Tale of Two Sick Men #BeInspired

I saw this short story on Facebook and I thought I'd be nice to share it with you. Be inspired:

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on
vacation.

MY STRUGGLES WITH FAITH (PART 1)

I came into the university hating God. I didn’t disbelieve His existence. I didn’t argue with His works but I just did not like Him. There was no relationship between us- at least none that I was willing to create. I knew that coming to a Christian university would change that in some way but I wasn’t ready to let it, not yet, I wasn’t. My father is a preacher. Almost every day prior to my resumption, I heard about God. Almost every day for the next four years, I would hear about God. I knew I was going to be bombarded but I wasn’t ready to be committed to any faith. The idea of being in faith was too restrictive. I’d rather I remained a ‘free’ man.

Like I said, my father was a preacher so I had mastered the act of pretending I cared about God and His things. Frankly, I didn’t mind pretending for the next four years, as long as no one was going to bother me to ‘give my life to Christ’. I wasn’t bothered that they’d call for people to come out for the sinner’s prayer, I would simply take my off ‘things’ at that moment. I had the ‘perfect’ plan to escape God. I wasn’t about to let anybody tie me down. But the thing I was most ignorant about was that God’s Love allows Him to be patient…to wait for the right moment to swoop in and sweep you off your feet.

It was late in the evening on October 8^th, 2010. I can’t remember what brought me to the university chapel. I think, I vaguely remember. I was hanging out with a female friend. I liked her. She asked us to go see someone. Her mentor, she called him. So I followed, blindly. By the end of the night, I met Pastor Iren Emmanuel, then he was still a student. We had a little chat and before I knew it that which I feared most had befallen me. I gave in and accepted Christ. I went back to the hostel mixed emotions, asking myself if I was ready for this. I wasn’t.

…To be continued.

LIFE LESSONS IV: HOW HANDICAPPED ARE YOU? (by Austin Queensly @AustinQueensly)

Imagine not being able to see the world around you, the beauty of nature, and the faces of your loved ones. Terrible, right?  Now throw in the inability to listen to good music, or the voices of those around you.

Well, that was the case of Helen Keller who was born with good sight and the ability to hear but lost both senses when she was 19 months old which made her situation feel even worse. Some of us may have heard the story of Helen Keller but not about the person behind her story.

It is hard enough teaching people who have their 5 senses intact and harder to teach someone with a disability. Anne Sullivan definitely had her work cut out for her with the responsibility of tutoring Helen Keller who was both blind and deaf; these two senses are unarguably the most necessary for smooth learning to take place.