UNLEASH THE GREATNESS IN YOU.

Changing through growth

I recently mourned the death of one of my PRECIOUS friend,and am reminded of my brother`S DEATH,after I attended his memorial service. As I listened to the wonderful comments made by so many as to the kind of person he was, I stopped for a moment to look inside myself to see who I am.I have always believed that my brother could have easily become the undisputed World Boxing Champion,even during the times of Iron Mike,Lewis,Ali,George Foreman,but something just didn`t click to get there,sad he died with those dreams not accomplished.I don`t wanna die with massive potential locked up within me,I must unleaSH the greatness in me. There was enormous room for growth in my life. Is there room for improvement in your life? Let us take a moment to learn how we can grow to become the person we hope to be.

We all want to be the best that we can be. We sometimes see others and admire certain characteristic traits about them. We have read volumes of self-help books in hopes of fine tuning ourselves. True many of these books help but self-growth goes way beyond reading books. It means we must stop wishing for change and becomes proactive in creating the change. Self-growth is about change and the change begins with us.

In order for change to take place within you, you must first define your goals. Know what changes you want to make. You are aware of the qualities you want to discard from your life. Write them down. Here are some ways to begin to do some introspective work to help you to define the changes you want to make in your life.
• Make a list of some habits you’ve often wanted to change.
• Do you know how you are perceived? Try to get a feel of how others think of you. Make a note of how you want to be perceived and how to can change your behavior to make that.
• Make mental notes of how you treat others. Do you walk away feeling good that you have treated that person you met . Do you feel good when you walk away?
• Think back to criticisms you have received in the past. Do you think there may have been some truth to them? Are you objective enough to see the true you?
• Speak to an objective friend or family member you trust to be fair and honest with you. Get some feedback on how you are perceived.
• Observe the behaviors of those you admire and make a note. Do you see those same characteristics in you?
• Make a note of behaviors you see in others that you dislike and look within to see if you share any of those traits. Try to be balanced. Make a list of the ones you want to change.

Take personal Introspection

True we have to love and accept ourselves unconditionally but we must always strive to be the best that we can be. That is how we grow. Self-acceptance should in no way interfere with your ability to be your best. As a matter of fact it should have the reverse effect. It should allow you to know the real you and to have an awareness of where you need to make changes. This awareness will decide how serious you are in growing beyond your current limits. Keep in mind that personal growth can be measured in physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, and emotional amplitude.
Take a moment now to check your life. Look inside to check the areas where you would like to improve on.
• Define your character. Who are you when no one is looking? remove all the window dressings, frills, and accessories, who are you?
• How is your health? Are you doing everything possible to take care of your body? Do you eat the right foods and take part in a regular exercise routine?
• How would your friends, coworkers, people who come in contact describe you? What would people say about you if they had to write your eulogy?
• How is your mind? Are you emotionally strong? Is your self-confidence and self-esteem at an all time high? If not would you like to find emotional balance?
• How is your spiritual health? Do you feed your spiritual need? How is your soul’s condition?
• How do you treat others? Are you kind or are you condescending to people? Do you give of your time to help others that are less fortunate or has self-centeredness consumed you?
• How is your ego? Is it intact?
• Are you humble or are you into flaunting it or showing off?
• Are you a good parent? Do your yell at your kids? Do you put in the time with them to raise emotionally balanced children? Do you help to build strong self-esteem so they can have higher levels of self-acceptance?

As you look inside it is important to understand that no single recipe that defines how each person can grow personally. It is not a single formula for each of us. It is through fervent introspection and an acceptance for change that it can begin. Even though it may be slow and difficult at first, you must have the willingness to keep at it no matter if it takes a lifetime. Remember you are not trying to do perfection – you are only striving to do your personal best

Humility a vital place to live.

In order for one to grow, one must be humble enough to recognize and accept the areas where improvement is needed. This sense of humility will create honest introspection that can make us more aware of the characteristics and behaviors we need to improve on. This kind of humility puts ego aside, creating open-mindedness to accept constructive criticism. When we can humble ourselves this way than tremendous personal growth can begin to take place in our lives.
With a spirit of humility you can:
• Lose self-centeredness
• Better understand yourself and why you do the things you do
• Better understand your behavior and accept the need for change
• Recognize your mistakes and accept responsibility for your actions.
• Recognize the goodness in you
• Become more understanding of others
• Be more forgiving

Humility is the beginning of knowledge. It is the start of that mindset to gain more wisdom and improve self. The know-it-all attitude is laid to rest, enabling honest introspection, which promotes growth.

Grow inside and become yourself

Once you have humbled yourself, done the honest self-reflection, and gained the awareness, find the areas where you need to improve. You must believe that you can do the personal growth you want and let go of self-doubt.

• Make a list of the things you want to personally do. Prioritize the list and select the most urgent issue.
• Learn everything there is to know about it, whether it is losing weight, letting go of anger, or improving your spiritual life. The more information you have, the more motivation and determination you will develop.

• As you become more educated in your subject, decide if you can carry out these changes alone or if you need the help of a professional or expert in the field to help you. Getting help is positive step toward achieving personal growth so don’t feel inadequate if you need help. It is only we feel we don’t need help that growth ceases.

• Develop a plan for achieving your goal. It must be clearly organized starting from a long-term goal to daily tasks that move you closer each day toward your goal. So if it’s in the area of physical health, make a plan for doing so.

• When discomforts arise, don’t give up. Everyday is not going to be perfect. You are not going to wake up each morning enthusiastic about your plans for that day. When you do, don’t be too hard on yourself. It is during these times that a coach or a can help you in staying on target. They can help you to refocus on your plan and exercise the discipline to stick with it.

• Daily positive affirmations and self-talk are necessary to keep up the motivation to grow. This is not narcissism or egotistical. This is only you giving yourself reminders of your positive attributes.

• Have faith to believe that you will succeed. In anything we set out to do in life it takes a certain level of faith to keep going everyday. Sometimes we cannot see the instant rewards but with persistence and faith to believe things will work out, you can find the strength to stay the course.

It is an admirable quality to be able to find the areas you need to make changes in your life and even more commendable to take the steps forward to do so. Personal Growth is a catalyst for success in every aspect of your life. Many of you are making strides each day in your personal growth. For those of you who are, keep at it and savor each stage of your growth. For those of you recognizing the need for personal growth, hats off to you. Begin the journey today.

People Only Make You Feel Small If You Let Them

BY ED ROBINSON

[great article this is,thanks Edi.]-Herbert Mtowo.

We can’t control what other people say or do, but we can control how we respond to it. It’s important to always remember that no one can make you feel anything; you choose to feel that way. It’s amazing how a few unkind words or obvious negative body language can affect us. I’ve seen fairly successful and confident people wilt under the glare of another person’s disapproval. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes, so only take constructive feedback to the degree that it helps you improve/grow as a person. If the feedback being given isn’t constructive, then learn to simply block it out or ignore it.

I also believe it’s important to check the other person’s motivations. There are some people out there who have an agenda that is less than pure and they try to bring others down because of their own jealousy or insecurities. As a society we often do this to people who we initially crown as celebrities, once they shown their own flaws and/or human frailties. I’ve also heard it said that paradoxically we end up disliking those we hurt. It is a constant reminder of how we failed another fellow human being. Rather than seeking forgiveness, we choose to see only those things about them that justify our own bad/poor behavior in the first place.

It’s impossible to go through life and have every person you interact with like you. There are just some connections that aren’t meant to be. Sometimes we will even fall out with people we once held close, which is sad but not the end of the world. Don’t fret or worry too much about this reality. All you can do is be the best “you” that you can be. When you miss-step or do something wrong, own it, apologize and move on. When you need to seek forgiveness ask for it but also provide it in return. Always model the behavior you would like to see in others even when it is difficult.

We control our thoughts. Someone can only ever make you feel small if you let them. Don’t get mired in the negative energy put out by other people. It will only ever hold you back personally and/or professionally. Pursue your life’s journey with passion, honesty, integrity, dignity, empathy, valor and love and then let the chips fall where they may. When you stumble, pick yourself up and keep moving forward anyway. If someone else wants to be an obstacle in your path toward happiness and enlightenment, then step around them or avoid them altogether. If someone is not being kind or helpful, then they are either being hurtful or providing no value whatsoever. Why bother with them?

THE CRY OF: A LOVE THRIST SOUL

By Herbert Mtowo

So, many of us are thirsting for love – literally dying slowly each day for lack of it. And yet, the more desperate we are for it, the less likely we are to get it. Why is that? The reason is that we are blind. We think that love needs to come in a specific form and from specific people, but this is an illusion. Love is everywhere we look. The person who smiles at you on the street is offering you a gift of love. The person who holds the door for you as you enter or exit a building is offering you a gift of love. Anyone who offers to help you in any way is offering you love. Sometimes, people are offering you love just by looking at you, or thinking about you, or writing a comment to something you posted on the internet. It is all love.

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this?

Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these years, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant at hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do

us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return here, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father’s house this evening or never. If I die, I will wait for you, do you understand? No matter how long. I will watch from beyond to make sure you live every year you have to its fullest, and then we’ll have so much to talk about when I see you again… I’ve been fighting to be who I am all my life. What’s the point of being who I am, if I can’t have the person who was worth all the fighting for?” My heart only ever had one thought, one want. One need. Despite all, in spite of all…All my heart has ever wanted is you?”

Now I know what Melanie Griffith meant when she said.” There is a place you can touch a woman that will drive her crazy. And that place is,” Her heart.”

The reason we don’t see this is that we are blind to it. We refuse to see it because we are conditioned not to. We are told that we do not deserve. We are told that we are alone in the world and that everyone is out for themselves, but this is not true. The true nature of people is to love and to connect. We are a community whether we believe it or not. And we are there to help one another. Offering small gifts of love is one part of the pact we make when we come into form. It fosters that sense of belonging and connection that we have given up in spirit to come into the physical world. Without it, we are lost and lonely and feeling abandoned.

And so we continue to go thirsty – longing for that which we feel we cannot have – wishing for the partner who will take away this pain and quench our thirst forever. But that is too much pressure to put on a single person. It is more than they will ever be able to give us – because it was never meant to be that way. It takes village to love you. It takes every person every day to fill you and one person will never be able to be the fire hose of love that you need in the long run.

And when I say that it takes every person every day to fill you, this includes you. You must learn to become love if you hope to ever be truly full on a long-term basis. It is your willingness to love those around you – not give to them, not take care of them, not have sex with them, just to love them – no matter whom they are – that ultimately becomes your inner fire hose that keeps you full to overflowing.

DISCOVER YOUR INNER WISDOM

Salome Shoombe

by SALOME SHOOMBE

Get in touch with your intuitive self, tap into your inner wisdom. Listen to your inner “counselors” whose only job is to pass along insight, information and challenges that may lay buried in the mental static and busyness of our daily lives. We have all the answers inside us. Wisdom is within you. It is this wisdom which will make you find the balance between where you are and where you want to be. This wisdom will make you discover the strength & capabilities that are within you

Throughout history we have had remarkable teachers, each presenting extraordinary opportunities to remember Who We Really Are. Wise Men…. each of them came with a message. They have presented vivid, breathtaking examples of where the lot of us can go given our consciousness. Consciousness is everything & creates our experiences. Life takes us were we choose it to take us through the choices we make. Choose to become conscious of each choice you make.

Consciousness… how do we become conscious as many wise preach, how do we become conscious in our switched-on, turned-up world? Our ever-accelerating and sensation-addicted lives do not allow for rest, there are always things to do, things to think about, etc. Many battle with a constantly chattering mind. Learn to actively seek silence. Find quiet in a noisy world. Yet how do we find quiet in a noisy world because hearing, unlike sight, is not a sense we can switch off. “Your ears are always on. They work even when you sleep. The smallest sound you can perceive moves your eardrum just four atomic diameters. The loudest sound you can hear is a trillion times more powerful than that. We are surrounded by a constant hum of white noise – back ground noise like computers, phones, people chatting; we get so used to it that we never learn to switch off. We then feel anxious, overwhelmed, irritable, stressed or are unable to sleep but don’t know why. Find your inner calm, find your inner silence. Silence will allow you to become conscious. This will open up a new dimension in how you will perceive the world; it is like turning up the color on a black & white picture.

It is in silence that you will hear the voice of your intuition. In silence you will be able to clear mental clutter. In silence your mind will be able to explore your past milestones & plan for new ones. When you fall still, you go into a peaceful state that separates you from the noise of life, gives you breathing room & centers you, grounds you & prepares your perspective. It is in deep silence that you will be able to ponder, to question, to recognize. You are wise, you are capable… fall still & find out what it is that you can do.
Remember, the more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power of good. Calmness of mind is one of the greatest & beautiful Jewels of wisdom.

Always keep in mind that ‘When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. Your innermost sense of self, of who you are is inseparable from stillness. This is the ‘I am’ that is deeper than name & form.

Those who are religious will understand what I mean with the following: When thou art quiet & silent, then thou art as God was before nature & creature, thou art that which God then was. Thou art that whereof he made thy nature & creature. Then thou hearest & seest even with that where with God himself saw & heard in thee, before every thine own willing or thine own seeing began.

It is in silence that you will get hunches which is creativity trying to tell you something. It is in deep silence that inspiration will strike. It is in silence that your genius will come up with brilliant new ideas. So every now & then learn to actively seek out silence, learn to step back from the canvass of your life like an artist looking at his painting, to gain perspective. It is through this perspective that you will be able to make your life a work of art – an individual masterpiece.

INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK !!

BY SALOME SHOOMBE

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of many people achieving their goals is their attitude. Thomas Jefferson once said, nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal & nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Recognize & become conscious of the fact that success or failure throughout life i…s largely a matter of control over our thinking. Everything that happens to you happens because you attract it through your thinking. Learn to attract positive vibes & don’t let your background or environment (should it be a negative one) define who or what you can achieve or what you become. Don’t let your circumstances limit your dreams. Do not shy from chasing your dreams. Dare to dream further than your borders. Wherever your passion lies, nurture it, who knows, one day it will flourish into more than just a career. Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. Defy all the stereotypes & carve your own paths. Be daring, push boundaries, mostly don’t try to be like everyone else.

Be unique because when you are unique you are indestructible. Why fit in when you were born to stand out!!! Be confident in who you are and what you were made to be, rather than try to become someone else. You will most likely be more successful and certainly more content. Dance to the beat of your own drum & honor the whispers of your heart. Realize that we pick our seat in life; why not choose to sit on top of the world!!! Remember, you are the master of your own earthly destiny through the choices you make so choose to have a positive attitutde & positive outlook on life. That positivity will lead you to great things!!! (Now smile…. )

FIRED UP BY SETBACKS !!!!

BY HERBERT MTOWO

Life is not easy, and you and me – like all people – are bound to face many challenges. But it is the hardships in life that make us stronger, as long as we come out on the other side. If it happens that you are dealing with setebacks and hardships in your life, it’s hugely important that you learn to cope.Throughout a person’s life, they are faced with numerous obstacles, and challenges of different types. There are times, when you want to say to life I dont know about yu,but I have said this many a times: “Please give me a break. Just give me a chance to catch my breath.” But life doesn’t listen,life can be a very stubborn nut to crack. Sometimes, as soon as we raise our heads, it knocks us back down. Can you relate to a time in your life, perhaps even now…..,Does it seem like no matter what you do, things just don’t seem to be working in your favor?My life in particular, has not been an easy walk in the park!I have been knocked left right and center,struggled with poor health,deaths in the family,you name them. But through all, I find myself still moving on, though at times gasping for breath! (May be not at the exact pace I wanted… though).

A wise close friend once told me,some years back,“After you have been knocked down or pushed back by life, you should acknowledge the setback, understand why it happened, and then make a leap ahead of where you were when you were hit. That’s how to become the person you always wanted and dreamt to be.” The bible says,”Unless a grain of wheat falls into the gound and dies,it shall abide alone,”.[ food for thought this is.]

Most of us have experienced certain bad things that were quite simply put unfair. People can be cruel. Bad things do happen to good people. And you may find yourself in certain situations that are not your fault – but terrible all the same. Even worse, people will wrong us. And we sometimes do not act in accordance to our own values.When dealing with wrongs in life, you should learn to forgive. And that means forgiving others – as well as yourself. It’s important to know when to seek forgiveness from others as well.When facing setbacks, you will only get worse if you do not forgive. The anger and resentment will eat away at you and cloud your very existence. But the act of forgiveness can help you let go and move on.

One important thing to take note of is,the ability to focus on developing your spiritual life, as it will help you deal with all kinds of adversities. Key to facing hardships is faith and a sense that you really are not in control. Hold onto hope. Even if you have only a glimmer of hope, it can get you through some very tough times. Is there any person on this earth who has not faced adversity? Life can be good, but adversities are also part of life. How does one face them with equanimity? It is difficult if the extent of adversity is very high. But one has to live through difficulties and setbacks and come back in life to succeed again. A sudden accident can make one lose limbs. A man who makes his living with his hands, will surely feel very bad and devastated if he loses his working hand. How about the effect of the announcement by the doctor that your child has cancer? Can parents take this news calmly? They will most probably faint when they hear it first. Some adversities are such that they shatter lives forever. But strong will and faith can help one face and conquer many of life`s challenges.The break up of a marriage that one cherished and adored so much,the loss of children because of relational break-ups and not know wether one will ever see the children again.

I dont know who has not heard of Helen Keller? Her blindness and deafness could not shatter her indomitable spirit. There are many instances of such people. I read the testimony of Ben Tankard and was left wondering at the tenacity and resilence that is endowed in us human beings,which rises up from within during such times of pain and heartache. Ben lost the opportunity of playing basketball in the NBA,as a result of a knee injury,his wife walked out of his life,and many find ourselves in Ben Tankard`s situation.In 1984, while playing with a minor league basketball team in Canada, Ben was invited to a basketball camp where, he was told, NBA scouts would be present.“The scouts did see me play and were interested in me,” Ben said. “But I blew out my knee in the first workout and just like that it was over. There went my chance of being in the NBA.”Where Ben Tankard is today is a good place,but taught and schooled by pain.Acknowledged by many as “the Quincy Jones of gospel,” Ben is one of Christian music’s best-selling instrumentalists.

Twentyone gold and platinum albums line the walls of his 23-room mansion—the result of songs he wrote and produced and his association with other artists in the industry. He has also received more than 50 Grammy, Dove and Stellar awards and nominations over the past 20 years, yet these tell only part of the story of how God has brought him through rough and tragic times.The vacation home in Florida; a fleet of vehicles that includes a limousine, a Mercedes and two motorcycles; two private airplanes which Ben pilots himself; and an unshakable marriage that is founded on God’s Word are a testimony, Ben says, to what God will do when you truly trust Him.“It’s not because of anything I’ve done—it’s all about God’smercy.Ben says unashamedly. “It humbles me because I know where I came from and I know who is responsible for me being where I am today.Desperate people do desperate things. At 21, Ben Tankard had become desperate.And he made up his mind not to sink but swim to the other side of the sea.”My word to you is hold on even when the future looks so bleak and gloomy.

Looking back, Ben Tankard has learned a lot about sacrificial living.“The truth is, I never really lost out on anything,” he says. “It took me going through a lot of hard times in order to pass the test. I needed to wake up and realize God loves me, and that He anointed me for a purpose. Nothing was taken away from me, it was just delayed.”<[BEN TANKARD`S FROM TESTS TO TESTIMONY].

Let us look at the life as a moving vehicle. As we move, we pass many scenes. Some good and some dirty. But we sit though the journey peacefully and reach our destination. We mostly remain unmoved because – we are not directly pained by the scenes outside and our focus is more on reaching the destination. In any SETBACK, at least the second part can be applied. Come what may, our object should be to create a good life and live as an example for others. That should be our destination and that should be our motivation.

Does everyone experience SETBACKS AND DIFFICULTIES in life? The Bible says we do. It even tells us to expect it. Look at some of the synonyms for 'expect': wait for, anticipate, look forward to, look ahead to, imagine, suppose, guess. So do we really do all of that with difficult experiences? If we're honest, we'll answer a resounding, NO! (and don't forget the exclamation mark!) When's the last time you looked forward to the next adversity in your life? In this fragile life many or should I say, most, are experiencing some sort of difficulties on a regular basis.

I have a lawyer friend who always qoutes this statement in most of his conversations:"I earned my degree at the School of Hard Knox."? As a parody of higher education with respect to life, many have achieved inner wisdom and greatness by overcoming the perils of life through sheer willpower and determination to succeed. Whether we believe it or not, we grow stronger through difficulties. Instead of beating ourselves up over perceived difficulties, we need to find resolve and learn to use "setbacks" to our own advantage. More often than not, we encounter hurdles to reflect on what it is we are doing in life, where we're going, and what we need to be doing. Sometimes, we keep running into the same encounters because we have not yet comprehended the message we were supposed to learn the first time. That's not necessarily negative; though we may perceive it to be.

It is important to note, too, that while we may face difficulties on many levels and at different stages in our lives, we should never be partner to creating our own drama. We must rise above the setbacks that comes into our lives, and take a responsible view of what that event or person(s) is trying to convey to us.When we choose to learn from difficult situations, we are one step closer to becoming enlightened and one rung higher on the ladder of the strong character you'd like to portray and be.

Your earned qualification at the School of Hard Knox should be proudly displayed. The education and experience you receive in life is all part of the grand adventure of becoming part of the positive flow of Universal energy. You are what you create, and adversity is simply part of the equation to fulfilling personal and spiritual growth on all levels.look into the future with hope even when all hope seens to have left you,stay on and fight.BE REMINDED SETBACKS ARE PART OF LIFE,WE ALL, WILL HAVE <img

PERSUIT OF PASSION!!

BY HERBERT MTOWO

What do you want to be when you grow up? I’m sure you were asked this question at least once when you were a youngster. When asked the question, did you have an answer at the ready, or did you need a few minutes to think about it? We all had dreams of becoming something great, like a fireman, a teacher, or a rock star, just to name a few. Well, how did you do? Maybe you never aspired to be what you set out to be or said that you would become. But then again, things change. The older we get, our tastes change, our view of the world changes, even our goals change. Think of the very last thing you did that gave you real joy. Was it yesterday, walking in the mountains on a cool, crisp afternoon? Was it today, kneading dough and baking a loaf of bread? Maybe you got home from work, sat on the back step and watched your garden grow.

I for one struggled to find out who I am not that I had no idea of who I am but loads of suggestions’, people talk and advices from people, kind of side tracked me along the way and I ended up doing so many things that though have built me to become who I am today, but they were really what I was meant to be. Finding your passion and pursuing it is one noble thing to do in life such that you will only have peace and joy when you set your eyes to do and be who you have been wire d and designed to be come. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my career path is to do something you love to do. Why is this important? I feel that if you enjoy what you make a living at, you end up being happy in more ways than one. Life itself becomes much more interesting and fun. You find yourself speaking passionately to others about your work. The experiences you have along the way become much more rewarding, and enrich your life in many ways. You meet fascinating people. I know people who have turned favorite hobbies into small businesses, and have succeeded. Sure, they may have had to sacrifice a steady paycheck for their happiness, but not one of them either turned back or gave up. Their passion carried them through to success.

Listen to your heart. Remember what those gifts are. Think about the fire you have inside when you use those gifts. Connect to that small glowing ember inside you flickering into life? You may not be working in a job you really enjoy, or spend as much time as you’d like doing things that make you happy. You have bills to pay and groceries to buy, you have to go to work, the car won’t start and you haven’t taken a holiday since you can’t remember when. Just remind yourself to coax that ember into flame more often. Feed it. The more often that flame gets going the longer it will sustain you when things get tough.

But in life, it doesn’t matter how small that last special moment was; the important thing is that you connected with that deep part of yourself that reminded you how wonderful it is to be alive. Think about it for a minute. Don’t you wish in your heart that you could transfer that exquisite joy of life into the work that you do? Do you know that you have gifts and passions that mark you out for a special place on earth, and that you have a true calling to be the best you can at what you really want to be?

While no job or business is perfect, the important thing is to enjoy it, even learn from it. If you are unhappy in your current situation, why not take steps now to change it? Somewhere out there is a job or business that is perfect for you. If you are already there, I applaud you. If not, realize that it may take some time to figure out what you really want to do, and even more time to actually get there. That’s all right! I can tell you from experience that finding and doing what you love are absolutely worth it, every step of the way. All of the research, training, and hands-on experience have made me a stronger, happier person. Feeling in charge of my own destiny…well, there just is no greater feeling.

And because that flame is getting a hold, you can give yourself space to re-evaluate how you spend every day of your life. Once you start looking to the far horizon, fanning the flames and dreaming dreams, pretty soon the most extraordinary things start to happen. Life doesn’t seem so difficult. Possibilities you never dreamed of come right by because your heart and imagination are ready to accept them, and you’ll connect to an inner energy that you’d forgotten you had.And when you share that experience with other people, they will also be joyous and happy. They’ll notice a change in you. You smile more often. They’ll be drawn to your warmth. They, in turn, will want to share that with others. Doing what you love is like a natural drug. You will be high on energy.

You deserve to experience joy and pleasure. Do what you love, and love what you do, whatever that may be. You’ll be happier for it, trust me. I promise you will never look back.

Keep on keeping on!

By Herbert Mtowo

Ever feel like throwing in the towel?
Most folks feel that way at times. Maybe you’ve worked, fretted, and given yourself to a relationship, a job, or a cause that doesn’t go your way. You are caught between conflicting desires; you feel like giving up on the good things, the right things, even as you hold onto the wrong things. Feeling like giving up is a universal human experience, even for Christians! In Romans 7:21, the apostle Paul shares his own experience as he struggles to do good even as evil lurks close at hand. Where there is belief, there is doubt. Where there is trust, there is distrust. Where there is obedience, there is disobedience.
Giving up is not in my vocabulary and neither should it be in yours, if you want to live a productive and fulfilling life. Many of us tend to throw our hands up in despair, when we feel we cannot do something or feel it is beyond our control to find a solution to.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Our greatest glory is not in ever failing, but in rising up every time we fail”.
You can always give up. John 6 finds Jesus telling his disciples the truth about God. In verse 66, some “walked no more with him.” They gave up. They threw in the towel. They quit on Jesus. I can’t help but imagine all kinds of things as Jesus turns to the Twelve, his core group, and asks, “Will you also go away?” And then Simon Peter gives an answer that rings true for all followers of Jesus. He replies, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” There is no one else, there is no place else, if you want eternal life; it’s Jesus or no one. (Acts 4:12)

Still, it’s just so tempting to give up isn’t it? We really feel like giving up on God … on other people, and even on ourselves — giving up the song in our soul, our hopes and dreams, both big and small. I would go so far as to say that there is no failure at all. It is all learning and just provides us with feedback that we have not yet found the solution. We can try something different and believe that we can solve things, instead of giving up.

Life will throw us challenges, unexpected situations and crises. The way forward is to make a firm commitment, that no matter what is happening, giving up is not an option. With that commitment you can solve anything in life, no matter how seemingly unsolvable it appears.

As Winston Churchill reminded us “If you are going through hell, keep going”!
1. Life is not easy but, giving up is only for those who are dying and need to let go to pass over.
Life is about moving forward blossoming and flourishing in the face of adversity.
How do we learn and grow if we are not given things to solve that will stretch us beyond what we believe we are capable of?
There are many times when I feel like giving up. Everything seems to come at once, with so many things to juggle that I do not know where to begin and feel like pulling my hair out. When I get to that point, what I do is sit still!
As Franklin D. Roosevelt said “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on”.
2. Hanging on is the answer. If you will just sit down when things are getting on top of you with a hot drink and just take some time out, you will calm down, be able to think more clearly and find new ways forward.
3. Sometimes, the way forward is to write everything down that is worrying you or that you cannot solve and simply put the piece of paper in a box and hand it over to God. Solutions will come about at the right time.
4. At other times the way forward is to do nothing because there is nothing to do other than get quiet and deal with your own self; the voice that keeps telling you that solutions are needed now or that everything has to be fixed now! Everything will need to wait until you feel better able to deal with it.

The most important thing is not giving up on you. There is always a hand waiting to take yours, if you will only ask. You are important and without you, the world would be a sadder place. One more light would be extinguished and who would be there to motivate someone else to keep going

Let me tell you a story. I have had a lifelong fascination and deep abiding interest in public speaking and writing. One of my dreams was to be a world renowned writer and public speaker. I especially wanted to be a script writer, motivational speaker, but my educational background had nothing to do with any of these, professionally I had studied something totally different all together. To be a public speaker, author and communications guru isn’t an easy thing to become, the right skills, and a lot of patience plays a major role. As a kid, writing poems and reading were so much in me then, but it took me a whole of coming out of the shell as I grew up because I was the kind of a shy kid. After trying, it seemed impossible, so I contemplated giving up.

I was about to give up for good when something indescribable happened.
Years later in High School I stumbled on the confidence in me and began to believe in the writing/poetry skills in me and with my English teacher Mrs. Kathradah cheering me all the way I began to see my star shine and my flower blossom beyond my wildest imaginations. My old public speaking and writing dreams came back in an instant. Dreams can do that sometimes. Writing can be so frustrating and time consuming, I kept waiting for my breaking moment, and it wasn’t something people would envy, public speaking and writing, ain`t that glamorous at all, but I kept my cool and kept on writing and with nobody pushing me through I was almost giving up and wondering is it really who I am meant to be or want to be.

But I made up my mind to keep trying and to stay put and hold on, I tried again and again. And nothing seemed to be opening up. The longer it took, the madder I got, the harder I tried. Years later, my head loaded, my eyes were blinded by years of sleepless nights, and my body was bloody from a misplaced efforts so I thought, I was about to give up for good when something indescribable happened. I stumbled over, picked it up and with deep primitive joy began making the first of many several writing materials, articles, and motivational manuals, and my books are set to be published lots of them I have. Soon I will be letting go the consultancy filed and lifestyle, I had become so accustomed to doing and do my long cherished dream of being a public speaker, motivational speaker, author and inspire millions of people all over the world, I hear and see the world beckoning me to come the stage is set and ready. Now it’s easy, now it’s fun. Now there’s nothin’ to it. I know beyond the shadow any doubt that there is a massive audience out there waiting for me, so hear it form pursue your dreams and until they beg for mercy be relentless.

Don’t give up!

Don’t give up on the God who seems so distant. He has not given up on you. Don’t give up on people even though you’ve had some bad experiences. Don’t give up on the song in your soul just because the chaos of your life or the hurt in your heart temporarily drowns out its melody. Jesus has, and IS, the Word of Life.
Your breaking point waits … just keep striking the stone … and don’t give up.

SAFEGUARD YOUR DREAMS !!!

Once you find the dream you want to accomplish, keep it to yourself. Keep it to yourself, unless….we’ll get to the unless part in just a second. At the point where you’ve decided what dream you’re going to pursue, your dream is analogous to a seed that has just been planted. It’s in a delicate state. If you try telling people your dream at this infant stage, 9/10 times the people you tell will inadvertently or maliciously crush your dreams and you will find that it’s from the people you’re closest to.

They don’t mean you any harm; it’s just that they will automatically inject fear and doubt into your plans, rendering them inept. Call it human nature, call it fear, call it worry, call it whatever you want, it happens. For example, let’s say you announce to your friends over dinner that you want to open up a landscaping business. I guarantee you that you will get at least one of the following responses. “Opening your own business is a lot of work. Did you know 90% of businesses fail?” “How are you going to compete with the other companies?” “Where are you going to get the capital? Borrowing is risky, because if you can’t pay it back, you’re liable and you’re going to have to file for bankruptcy and that will ruin your credit.” “Be careful, you’re going to have to keep track of everything.” “I know a guy who started his own business and then he lost everything.”

Notice how quickly they are to poke holes in your dreams. This can be due to either two reasons. 1) They don’t want you to succeed. 2) They genuinely care about you and don’t want to see you get hurt. You know why the vast majority of people don’t want you to succeed? It’s because they see in you what they fear to do. The sight of you going for your dreams reminds them of their lack of courage to do so. They secretly want you to fail. You will find that 99.9% of the people in this world want you to fail. Even though they may seem like they want you to succeed, they secretly want you to fail. They want to see you defeated in order to justify their own cowardice. However, some of your friends may have good intentions. They truly don’t want to see you get hurt, so they advise you of the ill consequences, but that just causes more harm than good, because it makes you second guess your dreams when they are in the infant stage. Here’s the unless part. If you do decide to tell a person your dream, be very picky. Choose someone who will light up at the sound of your plan, get excited, and encourage you to go for it. However, these types of people are very lacking nowadays. But seek them out anyways and habitually associate with them.

The reason why I wrote this post is because I’ve had experiences in which I disclosed my dreams to those around me. I listened to them talk me out of my dreams and I let some of them slip by because of it. Then one day, I decided to pursue one of my dreams anyway, despite all the negativity surrounding me. That dream was to BECOME A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER AND AUTHOR, I made the mistake of telling people this dream early on and as a result, got a lot of negative feedback on how I didn’t have the TRAINING, THE EXPEREINCE, or the extracurricular activities to get in. This feedback was given to me by FRIENDS and EXPEREINCED SPEAKERS. But you know what? I still made it happen and I can tell you its one of the best feelings in the world to be able to do something that people have said you cannot do. I’ll be honest, there were times when I doubted myself because of all the negative feedback I was getting, but I managed to keep going, BARELY. Listening to all that negative feedback can really take a toll on you. Had I kept that dream to myself early on, I’m sure it would’ve been much easier on me and I would not have doubted myself as much.

 So keep things to yourself for now, until you have made significant progress and can toss away any fear or doubt that’s directed toward you and your dreams when you disclose them. If you have already told people your dreams and have been met with negative feedback and have become discouraged, I leave you with a final tale to encourage you to move on. Many years ago, a famous race was held on an extremely high and steep mountain. Men from all over the world came to compete to climb to a specific marker on the mountain within a time limit of 15 minutes. Since the marker on the mountain was so high and the terrain so steep, nobody in the crowd thought that it was possible to reach the maker in 15 minutes. The starting gun fired and the men quickly started up the mountain. One by one, they started to quit out of exhaustion. The crowd, seeing this, shouted: “It’s too high.” “Nobody will make it.” “The terrain is too steep.” “There’s not enough time. See how everybody’s quitting!” Upon hearing these jeers from the crowd, other men began to quit as well. But one man didn’t. He kept on going. The crowd took note of this and looked at the countdown on the clock and yelled even louder that it was impossible, that there was no way he could do it with the time remaining. He reached the marker in under 15 minutes and became victorious. When he came back down the mountain, the crowd swarmed him urging him to tell his secret. What was his secret? No special secret. Turned out he was deaf.

Unless you have somebody you trust that will encourage you to go for your dreams, keep it to yourself. However, if you do decide to tell people (I recommend you don’t early on), remember not to listen to their negativity. It serves no useful purpose. Just keep at it and prove them wrong.

MY LOVE FOR YOU !!!!

MY LOVE FOR YOU !!!!

 

Don’t you know that I’m the one

Can’t you see who I’ve become

I’ve grown to be the man for you

Though not for once, I had a clue

 

The moment I heard your voice again

I was transformed to a state of Zen

I felt the joy running down my spine

Like both our worlds were combined

 

It was such an unexpected feeling

Now I find myself always smiling

And every time you cross my mind

You sprinkle Love that’s sweet & kind

 

I asked Why Now and not before,

Had these feelings knocked on my door

But I guess I’ll never really know

Cause Love’s a mystery, like the rainbow.