Patron Saint of Hopeless Cases!

Growing up in an African family with strong christian values, I learned quickly about the need to pray because - prayer is the master key. Right? My christian values were further concretized when I enrolled in a Catholic secondary school and remained a student in the institution for 7 consecutive years. During these years, I learned a lot and grew mentally and spiritually stronger. I must confess some of the things I learned at school, were learned the hard way, but the bottom line is - I learned them. One of the numerous religious lessons (some "unholy" things were learned too) I learned at school was the fact that devotion to the holy apostles should be cherished. Do you know the apostle St. Jude Thaddeus? Do you know he's the patron saint of hopeless and desperate cases? I got to learn about this in an unlikely fashion. You might be interested to know.

Back in secondary school (Form 5), English Language lessons were one of those lessons I didn't look forward to; not because I didn't like the course. It's fair to say the teacher (may he rest in peace) was a little bit too challenging. He expected nothing but the best from all of us and usually, he didn't like to repeat his instructions. I always remember the word, "in fact" - many people negligently spell it as one word. I'd also never forget the word, "cannot". Back in the days, misspelling such words (among other things) would incur the "wrath" of my English language teacher and qualify you as a hopeless case - a "Saint Jude's case." I was not the best student, but I was never a hopeless case in English Language. Coming to think of it, maybe I was in Mathematics. Were you a hopeless case under any circumstance?

When we were preparing for the General Certificate Examination (G.C.E), English Language was one of the compulsory subjects. Every student wanted to validate it, but according to my teacher, there were some students in the class who'd not validate the subject - without the help of the patron Saint of hopeless and desperate cases.

However, when the G.C.E results were published, I was happy to learn that my classmates - the "St. Jude cases", validated English Language. I guess they took the teacher's advise and prayed tirelessly to St. Jude Thaddeus.

This is how I learned about St. Jude Thaddeus. His feast day is October 28 and since my secondary school days, I pray to St. Jude, when faced with a hopeless or grave circumstance.

Are you in a hopeless situation? Are you in desperate need of a grave necessity? I encourage you to pray to St. Jude Thaddeus - the Patron Saint of Hopeless and Desperate Cases. He'd intercede for you.

As usual, I look forward to reading your comments and please, let me know when St. Jude Thaddeus helps you out of that hopeless and desperate situation!

Here are some Prayers to Saint Jude.

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Working Hard on the Wrong Thing

In the quest for financial independence and subsistence, people work very hard! Many spend all waking hours working - with the hope that they would make a decent living and save some money for the "rainy" days (we all have them). Unfortunately, despite the hard work, a good number of people fail to meet their goals - after paying all the bills, they're left with little or nothing. Can you relate to this? You would agree that there're people who work 40 - 45 hours a week, but live a life of struggle. No doubt, these are genuinely hard working folks - they set out for work at dawn and return home at dust, exhausted and not looking forward to the next day. I have talked with many people - people with unimaginable work schedules. They literally do nothing but work, yet I can't help but ask myself why they're not doing better (financially) - despite all the donkey work. Is hard work overrated? Is it possible to be working hard on the wrong thing?

Make no mistake - it's absolutely important to work hard to achieve your goals. But finding the right thing to work hard on, is much more important than working hard. You might spend many years working hard on something which is not designed to yield the ambitious results you expect. No doubt, you'd stagnate until you figure out what is designed to take you where you want to go. To illustrate this, you might have a goal to make 70,000 EUR (approximately $95,000) this year. This is doable, but working EXTREMELY hard - 24 hours a day, on a job designed to pay, 20,000 EUR (approximately $27,000) a year, would not make your dream come true. Believe it or not! They say it's mathematically impossible!

What you want to do is, find something that is designed to take you where you want to go and embark on it. A passenger plane (let's say, a Boeing 747) can't take you to the moon, can it?

Are you surprised you're not making any progress, despite all the hard work? Well, you don't have to be, because I got news for you - you're working hard on the wrong thing! You won't make any progress until you figure out the right thing to work hard on. How do you find the right thing to work hard on?

Don't spend too much time working hard on the wrong thing. Afterall, there's evidence pointing to the fact that it's counterproductive! Set aside time, each day - to reflect on what you really want and perhaps, find yourself a Coach or a Mentor (who has been there, done that) and follow in his/her footsteps.

Above all, watch your Associations - you've probably heard the adage, which states, "it's difficult to soar with the eagles when you're scratching with the turkeys." It's true! Associate with people who've been where you want to go or who're on the way to your "dreamland." In simple terms - if you want to get a menial job, hang out with people in the "industry". In the same vein, if you want to be a lawyer, doctor, teacher, entrepreneur - you know what to do. The bottomline is, hang out with the right people! It might take some time, but with a change in mindset, you'd eventually find the right thing to work hard on.

What's my point? Well, finding the right thing to work hard on is more important than working hard. I'd rather work smart!

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Millionaire at 14: From Poverty To Plenty

"My story, though unique is not unlike others who began with nothing more than a dream fueled by sheer determination. I believe my story will remind you of the kid in all of us who know no limits and believes anything - and everything - is possible."

- Farrah Gray.

Have you heard the name Farrah Gray? He is a dynamic young man who became a self-made millionare at 14 years old. He was born on September 9, 1984 (I'm older than him. Are you?). How exactly did he do it? Watch the video below:



It's an inspiring story, isn't it? I have not yet read his book - Reallionaire. But it's definitely on my to-read list. In the book, Farrah laid down 9 steps to becoming rich from the inside out. The above video highlights 3 key steps:

• Never fear rejection; everything you want is on the other side of fear. Farrah says, "it's amazing what you can achieve when you don't know what you can do." Imagine what would have happened if Bill Gates feared rejection. What would have happened if he feared that people would not buy his software?
  
• Seize every opportunity. Opportunities rarely come around. Hence you have to be at the right place at the right time. As a matter of fact, "you have to be everywhere all the time."
• Give back. It is in giving that we receive.
  

Farrah's story is lesson-packed, that's why I'll be reading his book in order to find out how he was able to do it so fast. I encourage you to read the book as well (if we share the same goal).

Jim Rohn said, "take a little time out to listen to someone else's experiences and see if it might cause for you a little moment of correction."

To Read: Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out.

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Coaching Beyond Sports: Who is Helping You Succeed?

I'm not a big fan of soccer but I've watched many soccer matches and have developed some interest in the sport. I sometimes tend to admire the role of the coach more than the role of the players. This might sound strange to many fans because most fans concentrate more on the action on the pitch and ignore the role of the "master planner" behind the scenes. Coaching plays a major role in the realisation of extraordinary results. This explains why every team gets a coach. It's worthy of note that the role of a coach is not limited to sports. More often than not, people mistakenly limit coaching to sports. In reality, it goes beyond sports. Football players, volleyball players, basketball players, you name it, all have coaches to help them succeed. The question is, who do you have to coach you to succeed in the greatest game of all - life?

Coaching is a professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their careers, businesses or organizations. Coaching deeps learning and improves performance. The coach is there to listen and contribute observations. He creates clarity and moves the client into effective action. The coach's efforts and the application of the coaching process produces amazing results.

We've seen the extraordinary role of coaching in soccer and other sports. We've seen how coaches galvanize teams and produce mind-blowing results. We've seen teams with great players suffer the effects of poor coaching. I vividly remember the day Chelsea Football Club lost a great coach - Jose Mourinho (see picture above). The world was stunned on 19 September, 2007 when Coach Mourinho dramatically left Stamford bridge. Needless to say, the effects of his absence were far-reaching. Great players became demoralized, the team suffered numerous defeats and was at the brink of "disaster." Luckily, the club was rescued by another coach.

Even the living tennis legend - Andre Agassi, understands the importance of coaching. He was at the bottom of his carrier when Tony Robbins subjected him to training. Coaching helped Agassi broke a losing spell within a very short period of time.

You're a player in the greatest game of all - life. Do you have a coach? Do you have a mentor? Who is helping you achieve your goals? From time to time, we give up on our dreams and forget what matters to us. That's where a coach comes in. The coach is there to help you overcome fear and doubt and support you to take the necessary steps towards what you want.

Some of us think we can do it alone. That's alright. Afterall, self-confidence is a good character trait. But with a coach, you'd be challenged, empowered and stretched to your limits. That's when you reach your full potential.



FACT: Every guru was once a student.

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The Poor and the Middle Class Povery Trap

I have often wondered why the poor remain poor and the middle class remain, socio-economically, between the poor and the wealthy.

Growing up in a middle class family, I watched my parents work very hard to break the glass ceiling. Despite their hard work, our standard of living never improved. Were they working hard to secure a place in the middle class? Is there a poverty trap for the poor and the middle class?

After a lot of reading and research, I realised that the poor and the middle class are trapped in poverty by the things they buy. On payday, the poor and the middle class spend their money on things that don't generate any income. Hence, they depend on one source of income - usually a job.

The poor spend money on inexpensive things that they don't need to survive. They buy "stuff" that don't add real value in their lives. Their income does not generate any income. Consequently, they're trapped in poverty by the things they buy. Simply put, they've not mastered the wealth creating formula.

People in the Middle class have the same delimma. These are people society mistakenly thinks are rich. They earn good money from their jobs. Some even earn up to 6 figure incomes and bring home a lot of money on payday. However, just like the poor, they're trapped in a life of struggle by the things they spend their money on. When the middle class go shopping, they buy things that don't generate any income (just like the poor). They spend their money on things like cars, boats, credit card debts, mortgage on the lovely large house. After all their expenses, they're left with no disposable income and MUST go back to work in order to maintain the lifestyle they have designed for themselves.

No doubt, the poor and the middle class are trapped in poverty and a life of struggle. All their income is dependent on their personal effort and they must exchange their time for money - money they spend buying things that don't generate any income. Worst of all, if the poor and the middle class don't go to work, they don't make any money. The things they buy trap them in the middle class.

The wealthy don't buy "stuff" and things that don't generate income. They're constantly looking for opportunities to invest and generate more money. They've mastered the wealth creating formula and fully understand the concepts of assets and liabilities. They know a job alone cannot make it happen. The wealthy spend money on assets - things that generate income. Consequently, they make more money and get richer. It's not a mystery.

In a nutshell, the poor and the middle class are trapped in poverty and a life of struggle by one thing - MINDSET. With a change in mindset, the glass ceiling would be broken and more and more people would become financially free and wealthy.

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Don't Try to Look Wealthy; Be Wealthy!

Nowadays, many people seem to have forgotten what it means to be wealthy and what living the good life is all about. More and more people tend to live a "lobster lifestyle on a tuner fish budget."

As a kid, I used to think the good life constitutes living in a big house, driving a Mercedes Benz (I love the brand - Mercedes Benz), being dropped off and picked up from school, having a personal driver, having a maid, you name it. Growing up in Africa, I never included things like a luxurious yacht, a summer cottage, a convertible BMW for the summer. But now, after all the traveling and exposure to different cultures and ways of life, all the above mentioned, are included in my definition of the "good life". What's your definition of the good life?

Many people want to be wealthy. This is goo! I'm an advocate for wealth because I believe it would set a people free. What I don't support is the quest to become wealthy for the wrong reason - to impress. Wanting to become rich to impress others has landed many people into trouble. Besides, it's one of the major causes of today's global economic meltdown.

I used to admire people living the "good life" and assumed they were successful. However, a closer look revealed that many are in debt of over 50% of their gross income and have plenty of credit cards and student loan payments. In most cases the car is leased. As a matter of fact, many people living the "good life" cannot write a check with their own money. They live a life of struggle and have borrowed money to look and feel rich. Is this the good life? Is the good life a myth or a reality?

There's an unbelievable amount of wealth in the world but the majority of people in the world are not wealthy. In the U.S., for example, nearly half of the wealth is owned by less than 5% of the population. Don't get me wrong, many people make good money. However, they still live paycheck to paycheck due to misplaced priorities. All the money they make is invested on looking wealthy. As if this is not enough, saving has become an illusive concept. Statistics show that in America, for every dollar earned, $1.22 is spent. Very few people invest money in building true wealth. Does this ring a bell?

The celebrity culture today has led many ordinary people to the wrong direction. We see the celebrities living the good life. What we don't see is the hard work and investments behind the scenes. The picture many of us see and copy is - EXTRAVAGANCE. This has distorted the view of what success is all about.

Most (if not all) wealthy people are investors. They invest in income generating opportunities. An investor may never realise a hugh salary, but make no mistake, the cash flow is very significant and that's what wealth is all about. There're many routes to wealth. You won't find them unless you're open to hearing about them. Once you find them, make sure you read the map before you venture out. The bottom line is, financial independence is more important than displaying high social status. Forget looking wealthy; be wealthy!

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Tiger Woods: Are Some People Born to Succeed?

Today, a friend of mine on Facebook shared an article entitled, "What it takes to be great". On the article, there was a photo of Tiger Woods, the world's greatest golfer, at 3 years old - holding a golf club. The moment I looked at the photo, one question lingered in my mind - are some people born to succeed? 

Evidently, Tiger Woods understood early enough that nobody becomes great without hard work. Unfortunately, most people see the fruits of success, but fail to realise how much hardwork and commitment was put in to achieve it.

After I looked at the photo of the Tiger Woods at 3 years old, I went further to read about him and came across the following video of the man - Tiger Woods at 2 years old:



You would agree that since Tiger was introduced to golf by his father at 18 months old, he has never stopped trying to be the best he can be.

He didn't only wish to become the best; he made it happen - by working hard to perfect his swing. Whether you understand golf or not, I'm sure you understand that practice makes perfect. Positive thinking alone could not make Tiger Woods the best. Positive thinking alone can NEVER make you successful.

As Benjamin Franklin rightly pointed out, "vision without implementation is hallucination." Can you cook an amelet without breaking an egg? If the anwer is NO, then it goes without saying that you can't become successful, arguably in anything you do, without long hours or years of pain-inducing hard work.

Not only Tiger Woods' story shows the role of many years of hard work and perseverance in the quest for greatness.

Permit me to mention the greatest entertainer the world has ever known (my opinion) - Michael Jackson. Together with his brothers, Michael consistently worked hard before he could be crowned "King of Pop". He didn't wake up one morning and became successful; he didn't wave the magic wand and became great. He showed up for reheasals every single day - while the other kids went playing around. If you have not done so yet, I encourage you to watch a mini-series entitled, "The Jacksons: An American Dream". The series reveals that there's truly a price for success! If success was "free", don't you think everyone would be successful today?

You are encouraged to read about successful people. If you do, you'll realise that they didn't become successful by settling in with the common things. They did what others would not do. They even did what they didn't want to do. Successful folks set clear goals and consistently worked hard to achieve their goals. No one is born to succeed; everyone is born with the potential to succeed - but it takes hard work to realise this potential. Success occurs over time and there's no short road to success. True success only comes from years of hard work, dedication and concentrated effort. Simply put - success does not happen overnight!.

Unfortunately, many people set a goal, "give it a try" for a few weeks or months, fail once and QUIT. What if Tiger Woods had quit after hitting a few golf balls off target? What if Michael Jackson had quit because rehearsing everyday was over-demanding? Or, what if Barack Obama - the political phenomenon - had quit because he lost a few primaries, and was told a black man would never be President of the United States?

Make no mistake - you might work hard and still fail. In this case, chances are you're working hard on the wrong thing. Keep in mind that hardwork does not guarantee anything, but without it, you don't stand a chance.

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Freedom is not Free!

Freedom is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as the quality or state of being free. It is the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. Freedom also refers to liberation from slavery or restraint, or from the power of another. It means independence. It is worth mentioning that the word "freedom has a broad range of application and it's a very strong word.

All across the world, people want to be free. People want to be free from financial, economic, political or social restraint. Needless to say, freedom has a price and not everybody is willing to pay the price. If you want to be free, you must be willing and ready to pay the price for freedom. The question that arises here is, what do you want to be free from?

If you ask me the same question, I would tell you I want to be free from financial restraint. I want to be free from the restraints of having to work for money (that's why I do what I do). I understand I'm not free until I'm able to do what I want to do, when we want to do it and with whom we want to do it. Unfortunately, many of us are constrained by jobs and we don't really have a choice. We're not free! Whether you understand this or not, you have to realise that in order to be free you must be able to make money work for you or set up a system that generates income for you so that you'd have the time and freedom to do what you really want to do. You sincerely don't want to go to work, but you HAVE to. True or false? Unfortunately you MUST go to work in order to pay the bills. Are you free? The answer is NO.

You might argue that money is not everything. I perfectly agree with you. Life is not all about money. But, tell me something on earth that money does not affect. Money influences the school you and your kids go, the car you drive, the house you live in, the food you eat, you name it. The bottom line is, money is important but many people are in denial. Until we learn to have money work for us, we'd be constrained to work for money until old age renders us incapable.

My favorite song is about freedom. The song never fails to inspire me to get out there and fight for my freedom. It's a song by Akon entitled FREEDOM. You've probably listened to it before but take a listen again and pay particular attention to the lyrics:



Many of us enjoy good music but very few of us pay close attention to the lyrics. In case you missed the lyrics, FREEDOM by Akon is the story of a boy who left Senegal, West Africa for the United States in search for freedom. He had a talent in playing drums so he took along his drum and one other thing - a dream. He knew the world was up for grasp so he searched to find his freedom.

Freedom remains an illusive concept for many people but you can gain your freedom if you know what you want and you're ready to pay the price. Make no mistake about it, freedom is not free. That said, make sure you don't stop till you find you're freedom!

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4 Reasons why Everyone is not Happy about your Success

In this greatest game of all (life), everyone wants to be successful. Everyone wants to emerge victorious. We all want that dream job, car, family, house, bank account, business, you name it. We work very hard and put in all it takes to achieve our goals. When we become successful, it is no secret that everyone will join us celebrate but not everyone will be truly happy about our success. The question that arises here is, why is everyone not happy about your success?

1. You never let anyone steal your dream. Do not think that everyone who is not happy about your success is programmed to be unhappy; they're not. The problem for some people is that somewhere down the line someone (spouse, parent, friend, sibling) stole their dream and they never dared to dream again. Consequently, when you pursue your dream and make it a reality without listening to dream stealers , they feel cheated and become unhappy about your success.

2. You broke the status quo. Many people are comfortable with their lives as it is and never try to make life what it ought to be. They think they don't deserve more. You on the other hand thought differently and set out to make life what it ought to be. Your success, no doubt would leave those around you afraid of how your changes will affect your relationship with them. For example, where I come from, the man is considered the head of the family and more often than not, men earn more money than women and feel threatened by women who set out to boost their income. A husband in some cases, would not be happy about his wife's drive to earn more money than him and would do everything possible to avoid the situation (sounds silly but it's real). In this same vein, when you broke the staus quo, not everyone will be happy about your success.

3. You made tough choices. In the quest for success, you're bound to make some tough choices. In some cases, you might have to drop some negative friends, you might become interested in activities your friends consider "boring" such as going to business meetings, trainings and reading. As you make these choices, you'd leave behind some people in the choices you did not make and these people will inevitably be unhappy about your success when you succeed.

4. You paid the price. Before becoming successful, you took action and paid the price for success. Make no mistake about it, there were people who saw promise in your venture but were not willing to take action and to pay the price. In some cases you even reached out to them to join you but they either turned down the offer or did not pursue it to the end. Do not be surprised when the same people feel betrayed by you because you took action and paid the price for success.

It is evident that everyone would not be happy about your success. You can't do anything about it! However, this is no excuse for you to stop pursuing the dream. You're probably aware of the fact that all the people who have improved the quality of life today withstood an unslaught of people who were either not happy about their success or wanted them to fail. A few people may be unhappy about you success but keep in mind that there's someone somewhere looking up to you for inspiration.

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From an Ordinary Cameroonian to Senior Vice President of an Inc. 500 Company

"Strong leaders are those who let their pride down, develop resilience and tolerance and follow in the footsteps of a mentor until successful."
- Albert & Lema Nsah

While growing up in Cameroon, West Africa, I celebrated many of my sister's achievements and have always known her to be a smart and hardworking trailblazer. But I must confess this particular achievement hit me like a bombshell and convinced me beyond reasonable doubts that anybody can make it BIG, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, you name it. Everyone has a fair chance to emerge victorious in this greatest game of all (life). My sister's story, is a story to be shouted from roof tops. It's truly a lesson of survival: it's either you sink or you swim!

We were born into a middle class family and my sister - Lema Nsah nee Abeng happened to be the first kid. Many have suggested that she has such an insurmountable drive and determination to succeed because of the responsibilities that rest on the shoulders of the eldest child in a typical African family. While I agree with the assertion, I also think it takes a certain type of person to pull it off and go from an obscure kid from Bamenda, Cameroon, West Africa to Senoir Vice President of an Inc. 500 company in the United States of America.

Lema Nsah nee Abeng potrayed entrepreneurial skills and a business mindset way back in the days after she obtained her Bachelors degree from the University of Buea, Cameroon. I guess she realised quickly that in order to be financially free and independent, business ownership is the path to follow. Make no mistake about it, she has what it takes to follow the path everyone else follows - to get a job, BUT she choosed to strike out on the road less traveled and as David Frost nicely put it, "two road diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference."

I remember her first business venture - opening a Cyber Cafe in Bonaberi, Douala. I'd be doing her justice by mentioning that it was in her Cyber Cafe that I sent my first email (at a time when some of my friends and I called the internet - ".com"). A few years after she set up the Cyber Cafe, she traveled to the United States of America (that was in 2001) to meet her husband. While in the United States, she again refused to settle for the common things. She saw her husband work an average of 60 hours a week while she was home raising their beautiful kids by herself (most of the time). She knew something had to change and she kept looking for an opportunity, believing that, "it's better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared."

Lema and her husband lived paycheck to paycheck like most people until they got started with a network marketing company in June, 2006 and steadily worked their way to the TOP of the company in just a period of 2 years. Today, Lema and Albert Nsah are making a lot of money and having a lot of fun. Today, their business has expanded into Europe and Africa and they travel the world sharing the opportunity with ordinary people who're sick and tired of living a life of struggle. They inspire ordinary people and help them achieve the same level of success.

I can write all day about this incredible journey to success but a lot has already been written about Lema and Albert. Click here to watch their Senior Vice President promotion. In their quest to help ordinary people succeed, Lema and Abert Nsah have written a book - THE RISING STAR. You have the opportunity to network with Lema on Facebook and Twitter or visit her blog for insights: Face2Face with Network Marketing. If she can do a thing, she can teach a thing. You want her to be your mentor.

Needless to say, I got involved with the same company on October 8, 2008 and it has been a journey like no other. I have achieved some success and I'm still looking for a couple of serious people to partner with. If that's you, join me on Facebook or Twitter and let's kick it! The journey ahead is daunting but together everyone achieves more. I'll see you at the finish line.

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Associations: Story of the Backyard Chicken

There's an old saying which states, "it's difficult to soar with the eagles, when you're scratching with the turkeys." Let me tell you a short story:

There was once a farmer who found the egg of an eagle and kept it where a backyard chicken laid it's eggs. The backyard chicken incubated and hatched the egg. The little eagle - let's call him Puggy, grew up with the chickens, scratching the soil and getting his food. One day, while Puggy was hanging out with chickens, he saw a big bird in the sky and he asked his friend, "what bird is that?"

His friend (the chicken) replied, "it's the eagle, the bird of birds. But do not look at the eagle for you're just a backyard chicken."

Puggy was a good little bird so he trusted and believed in his friend. Consequently, he never, ever dared to fly. He lived in conformity with the chickens for the rest of his life and never reached his full potential. Puggy eventually grew old and died living like a chicken - scratching the soil and getting his food. Can you relate?

I know you must be wondering what eagles, chickens and turkeys have to do with you. Well, the chicken and eagle story is an analogy aimed at highlighting the impact our relationships and associations have on us. I have come to realise that toxic, negative, non-supportive and unproductive relationships have a catastrophic impact on what we can achieve and vice versa.

The people we listen to on a daily basis impact our thoughts either positively or negatively and according to Earl Nightingale, "we become what we think about most of the time." Hanging out with the wrong people most of the time means we listen, think and do the wrong things most of the time thereby sabotaging our ability to succeed. To paraphrase Robert Kiyosaki (best-selling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad), if you want to be a mechanic, you go hang out with mechanics; if you want to be a school teacher, hang out with school teachers. Hence, if the people you hang out with are not people we want to be like, why are we hanging out with them anyway?

Wrong associations tear us down rather than lift us up. This tells me that it's important to make friends and associate with high achiever (eagles). They have been there, done that. Besides, if they can do a thing, they can teach a thing, right? High achievers would help us achieve our goals because they won't freak out and put up road blocks when we make a move in the right direction.

While growing up, I often heard my mother say, "I don't want to see you with those boys!" (You've probaby heard the same words from your parents). Now I understand why she was worried about who I associated with in the neigborhood. As we all know, parents have their kids' best interest at heart and they want their kids to reach their full potential. This explains why they're concerned about who their kids hang out with. They believe their kids are "eagles" and they won't soar while hanging out with "chickens."

Tips:

• Evaluate your current relationships. If you realise your friends get you into trouble, tear you down, drain your energy, make you feel bad about yourself and pull you backwards, take steps to redress the situation fast or simply drop the "social deadweight." BUT don't stop loving them.
  
• Look for high achiever and start building healthy relationships with them.
• Get yourself a mentor.
• Start editing what goes into your mind.

I can go on and on, but I'll leave you now with the words of Will Rogers, "a man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people."

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Venture into the Unknown Road

How long have you lived in your city? If you have lived there long enough you must know many roads that lead to the same place. Many roads lead to the same bank, to the same church, to the same grocery store and you name it. I'm familiar with my city and I know many roads that lead to the same place. In fact, many roads lead to my house. However, I tend to always travel the road I'm familiar and comfortable with. This does not mean the other roads won't get me to my destination. I usually just ignore the need to make a change and travel an unfamiliar road. Consequently, I have no idea what that side of town looks like and what it has to offer. What's my point?

Well, in life we all aim for success and we engage in different activities with the hope of becoming successful. What we do in common is follow the road we're familiar with. The road many of us choose is usually the road with the most traffic (you know what happens when there's high traffic). We travel the common road which is the same road many people choose. Consequently, the road suffers from traffic congestion. Despite the fact that progress is slow on the road, we feel safe and comfortable because it's the "popular" road and many people cannot be travelling the wrong road, right? WRONG!!

Sadly, the popular road to success is the mediocre road. Many of us are programmed to take the easiest and common road - go to school, get a degree and get a job. As we travel down the common road, we completely ignore other options and become complacent and comfortable with the fact that the common road is congested and therefore "safe". Remember, mediocrity means settling in with the common things. Very few people venture into unknown roads and these few people attain the highest level of success in society. Names like Michael Dell (founder of Dell computers), Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Industries), Ted Turner (founder of CNN), Steve Jobs (founder of Apple computers), Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) are all household names today. These people have something in common: they left school without receiving a college degree and they followed a road less traveled.

The above mentioned school "dropouts" are today the mega rich and successful of society because of the choices they made. It's interesting to mention that they all have friends and family with whom they set on the road to success. The question everybody is asking is, why are all of them who set out on the journey not mega rich and successful today? The answer is simple - they all followed different paths. The likes of Michael Dell, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates ventured into unknown roads and ended up where there're today while everybody else followed the common road and got "caught up in the traffic."

I like to challenge myself and others to venture into unknown roads (that's why I do what I do). Don't get it twisted, going against the odds is never easy and will never be. But when you get it right, you end up better. However, make sure you read the map before you venture into an unknown road.

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William Kamkwamba: "They Thought I was Crazy."

Like many people growing up in the forgotten parts of the world, William Kamkwamba, a citizen of Malawi born in 1989, had a dream and nothing else.

In his hometown of Masitala, the red soil was infertile leaving his father, a farmer, with no income and 7 kids. Kamkwamba lived in abject poverty and everything including food was scarce. His family survived on one meal a day and he wanted to do something to help. Despite all the shortages in his hometown, one thing was in abundance - the wind.

In 2001, Kamkwamba dropped out of school because he could not pay the $80 that was required in school fees. This did not break him. Rather, it signaled a turning point in his life. Dropping out of school was a future he could not accept, hence he retired to the library where he read borrowed books. He mostly read books on Physics. Despite the fact that he could not read much of the english in the books, he studied the diagrams and was attracted to photographs of windmills.

At the age of 14, he taught himself how to build windmills and began building his first windmill, ignoring rumors that he was crazy. He collected bicycle parts, plastic pipes and car batteries from scrap yards. He collected wood from trees for the windmill tower. Many people, including his mother thought he was bewitched.

"Everyone laughed at me when I told them I was building a windmill. They thought I was crazy," he said.

Amid all the challenges, Kamkwamba built his first windmill which initially powered one light and he later added more lights, a circuit breaker and switches. The windmills generate electricity and pump water in his home town.

When all was said and done, neighbors, including those who thought he was crazy and bewitched, started queuing up at his house to charge their cellphones and use electricty.

"I wanted to finish it just to prove them wrong," he said. "I knew people would then stop thinking I was crazy."

Kamkwamba William has gone from an obscure kid in a small village in Malawi to travelling the world, sharing his experience with entrepreneurs and being applauded by advocates of green living including Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Kamkwamba's message to people like him is clear: "Trust yourself and believe. Whatever happens, don’t give up."

Below is a video about Kamkwamba William. Endeavor to watch the video, get inspired and inspire others.

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The Persistence of Abraham Lincoln

It takes certain elements of character to be able to rise from near obscurity to leader of the free world. Abraham Lincoln died more than 140 years ago and history books are yet to close on his name. He remains a mentor to many people including the legendary basketball coach - John Wooden (whose "Pyramid of Success" remains relevant today), the 44th President of the United States - Barack Obama, just to name a few. Many people admire Abraham Lincoln's leadership during a difficult era and his insistence on living a simple and honest life. However, people overlook the elements of his character and personality that accounted for his success.

Lincoln came face to face with many obstacles during his lifetime - his fiancée died, he failed in business twice, he had a nervous breakdown and he was defeated in 8 elections. These obstacles could either make or break him. He's a legend and inspires many people today because he didn't let obstacles break him. Instead, he gracefully made each stumbling block into a stepping stone and kept his ambitions on track. Today, his legacy is that of a President against whom all his successors are judged.

During his childhood, very few families could allow kids to devote time to "luxuries" like studying. While many people were busy with physical activity that rendered them exhausted and left them with no energy to work on their minds, Lincoln was busy working on his mind, reading and studying by the fireside late into the night (although his father was not enthausiastic about his drive to read). After his mother - Nancy Hanks Lincoln and father - Thomas Lincoln died, the eagerness of young Abraham Lincoln to learn all he could, through reading was not swayed.

His eagerness to learn was a positive constant in his life. At 22 years old, he decided to leave home and fend for himself. While working as a postmaster and storekeeper in order to raise money to support himself, Lincoln read for the law. Instead of attending law school, he amassed knowledge of legal precedent and procedure independently. It's worth mentioning that Lincoln's formal education lasted only 18 months but he was largely self-educated and loved to read.

One word clearly defines Abraham Lincoln's character - PERSISTENCE. Not even a freight train could throw his ambitions off track. He lost many loved ones - his mother died while he was only 9, his father later died leaving him with his stepmother - Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln. Another personal loss during his life was the death of Ann Rutledge, a woman with whom he had reached a romantic understanding. Lincoln had another great loss during his Presidency when his 11 years old son died of typhoid fever.

Abraham Lincoln had the ability to muster courage and move on even in tough times. He cherished his friends and as President, he listen to his advisers, considered their thoughts and followed their advice. However, when he knew he was right he stood by his decisions despite unprecedented opposition. Lincoln maintained a sense of humor even in the darkest days of his life. To illustrate this, he once said: "I laugh because I must not cry." To him, humor was a coping strategy which stopped difficulties from getting to him.

Lincoln's Lessons

• Work hard
• Don't take yourself too seriously
• Focus on your goals
• Rely on humor to get through difficult times
• Read everything of interest to you
• Consider the past
• Cherish your memories
• Learn from history, but always move forward.
• Sorrow is a valid emotion. Feel it and endure it, but do not allow melancholy to define you.
• Try not to overcomplicate everything.
• The best presentation of a fundamental idea is honest and straightforward.

Permit me to end this article with a famous remark made by an obscure kid who eventually became the 16th President of the United States. While he was still unknown, his friends frequently heard him say: "Someday I shall be President." That was Abraham Lincoln.

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4 Categories of People: To which Category Do you Belong?

You would agree with me that if your business or job (rat race) requires you to do presentations and meet as many people as possible each day, you have the bittersweet experience of meeting different types of people. It's a great experience because you interact with people and get their perspective on a variety of issues. It's also a depressing experience because some of the people you meet share their stories and expose you to some of the harsh realities of life... realities that cause you to have a rude awakening and remind you that life is not a bed of roses. It is no secret that people make lots of sacrifices just to put food on the table and support themselves and their families. A majority of people trade the bulk of their waking hours for money, with little or no time to do other things that are equally (if not more) important. Very few people have figured out how to strike a balance.

In the course of building my business and sharing the vision that we can do better than we think, I have traveled around a little bit. During my travels, I have had the pleasure to meet and work with many people. From my experiences and encounters, I can safely classify people into 4 categories. These categories include:

1. No money and a lot of time
2. No money and no time
3. A lot of money and no time
4. A lot of money and a lot of time

From the above categories, I am sure you can tell where you fall. Your level of success depends on the category in which you operate. Permit me to briefly explain each category.

1. No money and a lot of time. Many people have a lot of time in their hands but they are not using the time to generate any income. This is because most of them don't have any means of generating income. A good example of people who fall in this category are the unemployed - people who have no job, no business or system that generates income for them. Sadly, there is an unprecedented increase in the number of people in this category. This is a sign that the economic recession is taking no prisoners. The global economy is showing no signs of recovery and more and more people are losing their jobs and businesses. This leaves them with no money and a lot of time. This is not a good category to be in.
2. No money and no time. People in this category are mostly employees. They work for the state, an organisation or for someone else. These are people who exchange their precious time for money. They generate earned income (the worst kind of income). If they don't put in working hours, they don't make any money. In this category, people work very hard and put in extra hours of work just to be able to put food on the table, pay the mortgage, make payments for the car, credit card and other expenses. They work so hard that they have no time for themselves, their families and friends. They have to choose between spending time with their family and friends or exchanging time for money in order to make a living. On pay day, these people make some money but after paying all the bills, they are left will little or nothing. They live paycheck to paycheck and work a job until old age renders them incapable, leaving them with no choice but to retire with a meagre pension.
3. A lot of money and no time. People in this category work a job, make some good money but they don't have time to relax and enjoy what they work so hard to earn. I'm thinking about doctors, lawyers, you name it. Just like in any other job, if they don't show up for work, the consequences will be grave - they won't make any money and/or they would be fired. The bottom line is people in this category are employed and paid a good salary to get the job done or get fired. Society mistakenly thinks people in this category are rich. Yes, they make a nice big paycheck but the problem here is that if they are not exchanging their time, knowledge or expertise, then they are not making any money. Stress level is high in this category.
4. A lot of money and a lot of time. People who fall in this category are those driving the porsches and the mercedes, those playing golf on a Monday morning, those who spend all the time they need with their kids and watch them grow, those who leave a legacy for the kids, those who travel as much as they want to, those living the life they deserve. Chances are people in category own their own business or have set up a system that generates passive income (the best kind of income) for them so that they can have time and money to do other things that matter. They make their own rules, decide what to do and when, decide who they want to work with and as if this is not enough, they write their own paycheck.

I don't know about you but most people would like to be in category 4. The problem is many have been unable to figure out how to get there. However, there is some good news. I have my hands on an opportunity which has the potential to place ANYBODY with a good work ethic in category 4. It's a proven system. Believe it or not, we need opportunities and opportunities don't go away, they simply go to someone else who is ready. The question is - are you ready to take your game from the ordinary to the extraordinary? Don't let fear, indecision and doubt overpower you.

For tips on the business opportunity, watch this news clip - click here.

I invite you to comment below if you have a question, comment or suggestion. Warm regards!

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