THE THING ABOUT FLYING, GROWTH & SUCCESS

According to Martin Luther King Jr., “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Over the past few decades, flying has revolutionized the way we travel. So, it bests other kinds of moving from one place to another because it is the fastest and saves the most time. However, it is easier to get lost when you are in the air compared to when you are on the ground. The reason for this is that no matter how difficult the terrain is, there are always some form of pointers that you can use to find where you want to go, even if you have to do some guesswork in the process. On the contrary, there is no chance for guesswork when travelling by air!

While in flight, there are no clues that you can use to know where you currently are or which direction you should take – just the vast open space around you. So, without constant connection to navigational aids like Satellites, Air Traffic Control Centres, Radars and Specialized applications, it is likely to get lost mid-air, something that also often plays out in real life.

Like someone said, “life is in phases, men are in sizes.” As we apply ourselves to our surroundings, we tend to take quantum leaps both forward and upward, causing us to change our current “size” to a bigger one with each leap. In the process, we attract: Authority, Dignity, Fame, Honour, Influence, Knowledge, Position, Power, Prowess, Respect, Skill, Strong Network, Wealth and, in some cases, Satisfaction. As it stands, the height is where the real might lies!

However, we should know that it is quite lonely up there. This is because “Lift” (The force that causes something to be raised upward) requires tremendous energy, which a lot of people are not prepared to give, owing to laziness, a misplaced sense of entitlement or pride. As such, they don’t reach enviable heights of achievements in life. So they blame their landlords, teachers, bosses, the bad economy, government and even their own family for their condition. Some people, who take certain actions, reach lower levels of attainment than they are naturally capable of and just plateau there. Very few people keep gaining the altitudes that really matter. Now, should this set of people, who are taking giant strides and making our lives count, stop making such required efforts? N-E-V-E-R!

Interestingly, the thing about flying, growth and success is that as we reach great heights of accomplishments in our personal and professional lives, it is easy to get lost in the process. Unconsciously, we start to enjoy the cruise until we become too full of ourselves and lose our focus altogether. This ought NOT to be. In fact, it is at this point in time when the interplay of forces that can help us to maintain our course and even soar higher, should become more and more relevant to us. In the words of Sydney J. Harris, “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” Like it or not, the higher you go in life, the more you will need help. It is dangerous to think that you can be self-sustaining and self-reliant up there in the air.

So, in order to reach our intended destination in life in one piece and remain globally relevant at the same time, we must maintain constant connection to the navigational aids of: Vision, Self-Discipline, Accountability, Openness to Learn, Tenacity, Innovation, Collaboration, Gratitude and Kindness.

And, hopefully, we will get there!

Peter C. Uwadone

© 2019

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR GREATNESS

Introduction

"Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity"

(Henry Hartman)

To prepare is: to make provision for, be ready, make ready, set aright.

It means to make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, e.t.c. It also means to arrange by systematic planning and united effort (WordWeb 6.0).

Among other things, at the root of many unrealized desires are procrastination, laziness e.t.c. on the part of man. There are certain things that only we can do by ourselves. For these, no one else can or should take our place. Achieving greatness for ourselves is one of them. This is where “preparation” comes in handy.

THE 5 VITAL PREPARATORY KEYS FOR GREATNESS

1.      Write Out Your Goals

Success is impossible without a plan to work with. Our plans in life are made of our aspiring goals.

The journey to accomplishing your heart desires become closer and easier when pen meets paper. So kick-start the process of becoming great by taking notes of your desires. What are your desires, to start with?

Do you know that pilots are required by the ethics of their profession to present flight plans before flying airplanes? Unfortunately, many people launch into a new year without writing down clear goals of what they want to achieve. No doubt, little results show up for this at the end of the year.

Tips to Developing Your Goals:

·  Categorize your goals into different areas – Spiritual, Physical, Business, Ministry, Educational, Career, Mental, Financial, Health and Social

·        Apply deadlines to each of your goals

·        Decide what to do to realize each goal

·        Review your goals quarterly

·        Adjust the goals where necessary

·        Pray/Read your goals to yourself regularly

Write and work out your goals for the year starting today.

Refs: Hab.2:1-3

2.     Start With What You Have

Every individual is blessed with something unique – what I like to call “tradable assets”. There is at least one thing you have within you to beautify your life on the earth. Find and use it. Don’t common-ize what you carry. It is worth much more than you think.

Those of us who run from place to place looking for help from other people in order to realize our potential are simply shaming both the treasures we carry within and the one who put them there, in the first place.

Please don’t get me wrong. I agree that there is a place for networking. Yet, you need to start with what you have first. The idea here is to start with what we have; not what we don’t have.

Before other people would agree to come onboard with whatever it is you have going on, they would definitely like to see the results you have to show for it (however small). And trust me; you wouldn’t have to hang in there for long before they will volitionally bring their own resources to support your efforts. What can beat that?

Let’s not stifle the opportunities God grants us to let our own genius to arise and shine. Other people’s gifts won’t work for you. You are okay with just the way you are. If you don’t want trouble with your internal configuration, use your own set of gifts.

Start with what you have today.

Refs: Exo.4:1-4

3.      Launch Out In Faith

What project, desire or idea fascinates you? Have you been slack in embarking on it? If so, why?

For many people, the initial fear to start something new could be overwhelming. So they prefer to maintain the status quo i.e. Do nothing. Well, according to Elbert Hubbard, "the path of least resistance is what makes rivers run crooked". If you need to do something, fight your fears and launch out in faith.

A favourite quote of mine by William Shakespeare reads: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once...”

Fight your fears and launch out in faith. Unseen forces will come to back you up. God seems to come through for only people who are bold enough to take the plunge.

If, for instance, you desire to have a car, perhaps it’s time for you to visit a car dealer’s shop to check some cars out. You never know, you may get great deals that would benefit you in the long run. More so, your internal problem solving mechanism will automatically be triggered to look for ways in which you can raise the money to pay for it.

Apply yourself towards your cause. Be bold. Be confident. Be faith-full.

Launch out in faith today.

Refs: Jms.2:14,17; 2 Tim.1:7

4.     Discipline Yourself

Discipline yourself to focus on the achievement of your goals. Indiscipline is what makes a lot of people tolerate unwarranted people and circumstances around them and ultimately lead mediocre lives.

3 distracters that we should quickly find ways to manage include:

·        Television

According to Brian Tracy, many people spend between 5 to 8 hours watching TV on daily basis. Wow! That’s about one-third of a day! Let’s become moderate here - In fact, where we can, we should go ahead and switch off that box!

·        Rut relationships

We should care to evaluate our enhancement status with those with whom we spend the most productive period of our day. If we discover that little is coming out to fuel and fulfill our life purpose, then we should start considering moving on.

·        Debts

Yea! This one hit me like a thunderbolt, I tell you.

Living a life of debt is bad habit. Unfortunately, many people owe more than they own. How sad!

We must discipline ourselves to spend less than we earn. And if we feel that we are not earning quite enough to pay for our bills, then I suggest that we start looking for ways to increase our means (income). True, no excuse is good enough to stay in debt.

You are a walking wonder, with the ability to deliver profound results on whatever you set your mind on. But this ability can grossly and easily be hindered by a consciousness of debts to pay. How so? People in debt are constantly under pressure and with pressure comes the inability to think through and come up with results. You can ask around to confirm this.

Discipline yourself in the areas that matter today.

Refs: 1 Cor.9:24; Phil.3:13-14

5.      Honour God With Your Substance

The disparity between the “Rich” and the “Poor” has always been there and I seriously doubt if this situation can easily vanish. So, its time we decided which of the classes we want to belong and start/consolidate efforts to make it happen so. Now, this does not mean that the rich should not make efforts to assist the poor or that the poor should not work hard to break out of the mould of poverty.

God entrusts true wealth to people if they would honour Him with it and use it wisely. He blesses people He can truly trust.

Anytime you give to God, see it as an act of worship which comes with rewards. Guess what the reward is - it is the rain of breakthrough ideas that you can easily implement to get all the wealth you need.

Honour God with your substance today.

Refs: Pro.3:9-10; Mal.3:10-11

Conclusion

As tiny as they might be, ants have a lot to teach about being prepared. Let us take a cue from them.

T.D jakes says: “Nobody succeeds by accident. Success is intentional. It will work if you work it”. Hmm! correct words!

Practise the 5 keys described above and you will definitely become great.

I rest my case.

Thank you.

Peter Uwadone

ablepita@gmail.com

THESE PROBLEMS...

Our environment is full of problems and I think it would be out of place to confine this assertion to any particular country. Its like almost everywhere one turns to, there are problems waiting to be solved.

According to Wikipedia, a problem is, “…an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal.”

There are problems in education, aviation, security, transport, telecommunications, and energy, to mention just a few. They manifest in different forms - financial meltdown, food and water scarcity, hunger & starvation, poverty, diseases, climate change, wars, armed robbery, ethnic and religious tensions, corruption, class struggles, poor infrastructures, electricity outages/shortages, transport accidents, resource control issues, piracy, counterfeit products, inefficient services and so on. These can be very embarrassing and frustrating, to say the least.

Perhaps the only good thing to note about problems is that they bring along something good - they bring money along with them. Yes, another way to spell P-R-O-B-L-E-M-S is M-O-N-E-Y. This is because problems give people the opportunities to offer solutions and solutions are valuable to people who experience them. So they (the beneficiaries) become willing to pay for them (the solutions). There is nothing wrong about this. It is something that is natural with humans. They like to pay for problems solved because value has been created.

People go to work because of problems; businesses are setup because of problems; Non-profit/governmental organizations exist because of problems; and governments assume authority because of problems. So, yes, problems mean money - if only we would stop running away from them. According to Richard Bach, "Avoid problems, and you'll never be the one who overcame them." Robert Frost said, “The best way out is always through.”

Now, the kind and quality of solutions we offer, determine the amount of money we can ultimately make. This must be the reason why, for instance, demand for bus tickets will always trump demand for motor cycle tickets to the same destination. The solutions presented here are just worlds apart.

Our solutions need to be “specific-problem-targeted”. This means that they must clearly fit and totally solve the specific problem(s) for which they are created. For instance, there is no need to use, even the cheapest, aeroplane to chatter people on roads. Sophisticated, Yes! “Specific-problem-targeted”, No!

You see, no matter how sophisticated a solution might be, if it is not the most fitted and suited one that can precisely hit a specific problem and neutralize its challenges and frustrations, all the resources deployed towards developing it can be safely declared as mere waste and an abuse. Little wonder failed projects abound everywhere. According to Roger Sessions, just “global IT failure costs the world economy a staggering $6.2 trillion per year”. Try and compute the cost of project failures across all the sectors of the global economy. What waste!

Problems are meant to be solved, but the person who wishes to confront them must first see himself or herself as “the solution” that can then proceed to proffer and implement solutions. “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were” (John F. Kennedy).

The problem here is that problems don't care about protocol and due process. They just want to be resolved quickly; else they will grow into very burdensome sizes. I am sure that the current European financial crisis that plural continents are coming together to address, must have been screaming for the attention of just one or two nations for many years. This means that what we DO or DON'T DO can eventually affect everyone else. Hmm!

So, let us not insist that we must receive a purchase order or a go-ahead from someone else before we can start solving our problems. Let us roll up our sleeves, put on our thinking caps and galvanize ourselves into an unstoppable force that is linked together for result because, people, it is time to work and there is work to do.

These problems… (Sighs!)

Thank you.

Peter Uwadone

ablepita@gmail.com