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Akpoveta Valentine Tejiri it happened to me The problem: how Every good gift: God Renewing your mind No limit Confidence Failure; The great depression Study: developing a reading culture Rising after falling by ayodeji balogun Hurdles, attacks and sidetracks COP measure vis-a- vis d expected end Opportunity AUTHORS NOTE In January, 2010, about 300 ladies and gentlemen gathered in a conference aimed at rebuilding the fundamental tenets of Nation building. It was the REBUILDERS conference. There we learnt that the way to influence our society today is by impacting one person at a time. This work is a product of such a vision. XL is a book written to reach one youth at a time. The rate of suicide among students in India is alarming. The Nigerian Education Authorities are alarmed at the rate at which students fail basic certificate examinations, witnessing thousands of 14.
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The law of balance Potential pitfalls; pride

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applications for tertiary examinations annually, the more of the students enrolling three to four times before getting admission into the higher institution, probably studying their next best courses. More value has been placed on schooling, than on getting a good education.

---1Jn 1:1

There was nothing so phenomenal about my childhood schooling, I was not concerned about anything neither do I remember being scolded for bringing home poor grades, whether the grades were high or low, I had no way of telling, I didnt even know where to look out for my results on the report card. My parents collected the report card at the end of each term and we never ever had issues with my grades, not for once for doing well and never for once doing so badly. Somehow it bothered me how the same set of people got to receive the prizes at the end of each academic

-1IT HAPPENED TO ME We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it.

year. When I started paying attention to my results, I remember being 30th the first time I checked and guess what, it didnt bother me. I had no inspiration nor motivation, no strong will nor attitude. Of course, I had no desperation. My case, to me, was not critical and I needed no help. Literally, I was content with the

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status quo, I couldnt be better or better say, I never wanted to be. But sometime later on, I wanted to be better. I wanted to join the league of students who were concerned with progress in their studies. I discussed this with a friend and we later began to act in the strength of this impulse. We were going to be better, by legitimate means. I wouldnt know what the figures eleven and twelve meant to me, but it was our goal that we would be among the best twelve students in our arm of the class. Little as we were, we joined our faith and agreed in prayers, though I couldnt say I knew God as much back then, but I certainly believe that He exists and that He was going to help me anyway. For the very first time, I could remember rewriting the whole terms notes for a particular subject in another piece of paper and reciting the write up until it stuck in my head. Somehow I had learnt a recipe for remembering things. However I tried to go it the wrong way, I went

into the exam hall with the paper stuck in my pocket. Thanks to a good teacher, I was made to put it away before the examination started, I guess I did well, because I was eleventh and my friend was twelfth. This was the beginning of the new dawn in my life. Cramming was not the only skill I learnt late in primary school, I learnt to pay attention to details too. I could remember the social studies teacher came in at what seemed to be the last lesson for the term and dictated some questions to us and answered them too. I acted on impulse, wrote the questions and the answers, and guess what, I crammed them. I knew the questions so well that I could recite them as easily as I would twinkle, twinkle little star. The exams came verbatim and you could guess what happened, I scored a whooping thirty eight out of forty. Some of my mates accused me of cheating, some said I smuggled the questions in, others simply did not believe. But passively, I had learnt three things: that the teacher could serve the question

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straight into your hands like Yakubus shot on goal; that I could do well if I knew what answers to cram and that simple prayers for help in academics made by two young believing unbelievers could be answered by God. I wrote the common entrance examinations after five uneventful years in primary school, by what time some of my mates had been known remarkably for exceptional aptitude and brilliance, my own academic story had just begun. I barely met the cut off points but would soon resume in a private school where my academic story changed. Four days into resumption I got my admission letter, it was the beginning of secondary school education for me. I was flogged on my first day at school, typical of an unserious student. Let me stress here that it is important we take note of the people that God has placed around us, whether close or distant, they are very parochial to your development and quest for brilliance. Whether fierce like a tiger or gentle as a dove, every one has a role to

play in every other persons life. This is why we are a society and do not just exist as individuals. I celebrate certain people in my life whose presence greatly influenced me and fuelled my aspiration to exceed limiting grades and aspire for excellent results. If you have spent three years in secondary school, you must have had about Pythagoras. I barely knew algebra, yet in my first few lessons in mathematics education, I in first year come of to secondary know school would Pythagoras

theorem, from a girl who had the highest scores in the entrance examination and is now obviously leading the class. I did not cease wondering what other things I have not heard before in my entire life that I would come to know in secondary school. Another boy was so phenomenal with the multiplication tables up to seventeen times; I knew I was in Darwins world, a world where if there were only one survivor, I needed to be.

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My dad would wake me by 3 a.m. most mornings and I had to just repeat the whole cramming procedure. Business and social studies were my best subjects; we did much, I liked the teacher and they were easy to cram. So I started reading most mornings by 3.a.m. and night reading soon became an advantage for me. I had one challenge; I must out-perform the other girl. It seemed to be a Herculean task for me, because she always led me with two to three marks. Passively, I was leading most other people in class, second only to her in general rankings, although I wasnt as good with the mathematical courses. The good thing is that she changed schools before the end of the term and I inherited the first position, from which I never dropped the whole six years of secondary school education. I was beginning to enjoy success and failure was not well known to me. Somehow, the sleeping giant in me had been woken, by my willingness to take on the challenge and face the obstacles that come my way, sacrificing the pleasures of sleep and putting in extra effort to be better in every extent.

Somehow I had gathered timeless secrets of success and was eager to share them with whoever cared to listen. We formed a group for after-lessons studies and soon the whole class had become a group working on how to improve their academic lives. Despite being the best, a teacher so downgraded me and others in a class just because nobody could answer a particular question. I became so saddened and emotional that I had to wake up at midnight to sob. Just then I remembered my primary school experience and decided to risk praying to a God that I knew so little about. Guess what? He answered as I later graduated as the best student for many years. Since then, I have had ups and downs in my academics but I have not forgotten how to rise back after a fall. I have shared this story to show you timeless secrets of success because I could say to a reasonable extent without any doubts that I have succeeded academically and that I am in a position to teach others to get greater results.

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-2KNOWING HOW; KNOWING ENOUGH The labour of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city Fools wear themselves out-- they don't know enough to find their way home. -Ecc 10:15 One of the first things I learnt early in life is the power in asking questions. Many problems we face in our daily lives can be solved if we could find time to ask ourselves the right questions. Of course, answering such questions objectively reveals your position, your locus standi, and if you understand where you are, you can tell if you are on the right track or off track. The quotation above gives an uncommon insight to what seems to be a mystery to many in this generation. It tells of how you could work so hard and not attain good success. You work so much and

become worn out, you change strategies, work a little harder and yet there appears to be no significant change in the results observed. However, we have a clue what could be done to help such people. Personally, I believe that every problem should be addressed by first determining its root, and the clue we have here is that a man who does not know HOW is most likely going to wear himself out. Another rendition of the quotation in contemporary English gives further insight into the situation. It simply states that a man who does not know enough to find his way home is more likely going to wear himself out faster than a man who knows enough. So in other words, knowing HOW is almost equal to knowing enough. Well I have seen people fail and flop in their academic performances, but a score like zero percent is not common, even among people who fail woefully. The point I am making is this, your results reflect the level of your knowledge and if you are not getting good grades, its a pointer to the fact that you

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probably do not know enough to produce the level of result you desire. So many of us live in Wishland, we spend our time wishing we were better and it all ends in a daydream. You must leave the realm of wishes and start developing responsibility for yourself. Stop wishing you were better, start something, a line of action towards being better. So its high time you began asking yourself HOW you would attain the results you desire, and knowing how simply means knowing enough. Finding how simply means finding the way and manner of obtaining a particular result; being the best implies being most likely to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, the first thing to do is to predetermine the outcome. What is your desired outcome? You must first understand what you want, whether with respect to your academics or not, it is very parochial to determining if at all you would get it.

Imagine looking for something you dont know, it could be a very burdensome and fruitless task. For example, I could remember how miserable I was when I had searched every where I knew and would not find my dads CD rack. I had just formatted my system and needed to urgently install some applications. I had searched his table twice, not finding it though I knew it was there. I was searching, looking at the CD-rack, but guess what, I was not seeing it. Has this happened to you before- looking for your pen here and there and becoming aggressive to everyone you see; not noticing that you were holding the pen after all. It happens, everyday, to different people, in different places. Honestly, how did you feel? I concluded, after all, that it was possible to look at things that should easily be in our grasp and not see them. Then I discovered, something actually went wrong and this was why you did not immediately notice you already had in your hands that which you were looking all over the place for. You were

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searching, quiet alright, but you werent searching with what you were looking for in mind. You were looking for what you didnt even know and couldt describe to yourself. How then do I find what am looking for? I saw the CD-rack after I had asked myself what I was looking for. A CD-rack, I answered. Where was the last place you saw it? That should be on the table. What exactly does it look like? It must be a book-like leather jacket containing some discs. Asking the right questions, sometimes, not prayer, not fasting, not studying, is a way to help people find answers to their problems. So, what exactly are you passing through, what is confusing you, why are you so upset? If you need answers, you must have yourself asked a number of questions. Knowing what you are looking for is just the first step. You also need to find out how to get the results you desire. Finding out how simply means knowing enough. I had enough information about the CD rack and that made finding it easier. Whatever you want to

be the best at, make sure you know enough to make you the best and that involves knowing more than others. I respond to lifes challenges based on forecasting and preparing for the worst possible scenarios. Let us assume, for instance, that based on academic standings you are the worst student in your class. Of course, you know you are the student with the least good academic record. Let us also assume that before the next three terms you hope to be in the list of the top ten best students in your class. Now, we know where you are coming from and we also know where you want to go. The question now is, how will you get there? Let us assume you have to trek to and from school everyday and that you would hawk some utilities before and after school, and that you would almost not have time to study. Or let us assume that you forget things easily and cannot retain much in a small time interval or that you just do not understand what

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is taught in class. Your case could be worse but this is bad enough. So, how would you become one of the best? You must know that: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights Jas 1:17 Regardless of your circumstance, God wants you to be the best, when you are less, you are disappointing him. I am assuming here that you believe God exists, that you believe he created you and has a purpose for you here on earth. I am also assuming that you know He created other things and the last time He checked, He saw that all he had made, including you, was good. Also, I am assuming you know that he modelled you after himself, that you have His image and likeness. I am also assuming that you know He is all sufficient and omniscient, that is, He knows everything.

Oh! That lad is gifted, hes got raw talent, and he is very brilliant. Infact, he is a genius. I have heard so many people say things like this and then they say, I wish I were as lucky, or why didnt God make me that gifted? It would not be too out of line to say that brilliance or intelligence is a gift. The mere fact that some people are and some others are not may be enough proof. But gift or not, it might interest you to know that every body has the same capacity to be exceptional; we all have the same make-up and the same latent energy resident on our inside. Variations in upbringing and environmental factors account for most of the difference in individuals, apart from genetic make-up and temperaments. God is omniscient, he knows everything. He made you in his image and likeness. This means that whether evident or not, you have the capacity to know almost everything. That other boy you respect and revere for his intellectual prowess is not much different from

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you, you know. We were all made perfectly, designed by a wise master builder for good works. God made you healthy, handsome, smart, wise, and educated and fit to serve in the royal palace. I do not dispute the fact that some students are exceptional, but you have just as much potential to be as exceptional, citeris paribus. Brilliance, just like any other good gift from God, can be imparted especially to exceptionally dull and challenged students, but we all have had brilliance imparted in us from birth and it is resident on the inside of each and every one of us, as long as you carry Gods nature. This gift on your inside is like glowing embers, a potential inferno and a time bomb. While I agree that everything in life has timing, timing in itself is never an excuse when there is no application of principles. The brilliance and intelligence on the inside of you are like embers, like glowing flint. The gift needs be fan into flame. To fan this gift into flames means working on yourself and making it with your head out of water

no matter the circumstance. We do understand that there are limitations in your environment, and that you are passing through all sorts, but an excuse is never good enough. The theme in this section is simple and concise; everybody has the same potential to be brilliant. The environment and mode of upbringing plays a significant role in how much of our latent resources we can harness. Also, you need to work on yourself to bring out the better person in you, you may not be your best but how well you perform depends on how much you can harness the resources on the inside of you. It is Gods will that you excel. When he was blessing a certain people, He said, you will be the head and not the tail, you will be above only and not beneath. He has already given you all that you need. Hear what was said of Bezalel;

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"The LORD has chosen

Bezalel , the son of Uri and

skilful in your chosen craft. Learn from those who know more than you. Earlier I stressed that you need to know enough about anything you want to do well in, but for the level of excellence which is our standard, you need to know more than average. You need to read more on the subject, something extra other than what was taught in class. Add your extra to the ordinary and what you have is the extraordinary. Your first assignment of course is a personal evaluation. You need to understand yourself. Most of us find ourselves trapped in the temptation to imitate our friends or those we admire. A lot has been said about the positive and negative effects of imitation, but that is not the theme of this work. It must however be said that you would never be at your own best trying to be like someone else, at best you would be second to him. If you are like that then this book is not meant for you.

grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah. God has filled him with his power and given him skill, ability, and understanding for every kind of artistic work, for planning skilful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. The LORD has given to him and to Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their crafts to others. He has given them skill in all kinds of work done by engravers, designers, and weavers of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and other cloth. They are able to do all kinds of work and are skilful designers. Ex. 35:30-35

The above confirms that God specially endows individuals with skill, ability and understanding. He also gives the ability for transference of such gifts through the process or apprenticeship or education. Whether as an apprentice or student, you need to learn from those that are well experienced and

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You need to have a perfect understanding of yourself. Apart from God you are the next person that knows most things about yourself. You know what works for you and what does not. This way, you would be able to optimize your resources to suit your person. This is of course if we are assuming that there are no problems with your perspectives and attitude as an individual. Start paying attention to your special abilities and whatever you do with ease, when you feel so high spirited and work anxious, when you are dull and unproductive. This helps you to streamline your activities to ensure that your productive hours are optimized. One good way to start is to create a convenient time table. This time table, in fact, does not only schedule your list of school activities, but is in real time a schedule of your daily life, a program you would run by. A lot of folks make mistakes here, do not design your time table based on what you wished was or what you intend to do. Draw a large time table and fill in columns which are

already a routine, fill up the constants and lets make do with the blanks. Later on in this piece we would talk about the significance of balance. You need to leave enough time for rest and play. In other words, your time table must be workable and feasible. There is a good chance that if you are a disciplined time keeper, you would excel at what you intend to do. Here what was said of the sons of Issachar; And of the children of Issachar, there were two hundred chiefs, men who had expert knowledge of the times and what it was best for Israel to do, and all their brothers were under their orders. 1 Chron. 12:32 I advise for you not to bother yourself on times that are already fixed and constant, but you could utilize the spare time and maximize it (allowing breaks and rests as it suits you). Bear in mind that nothing comes free, even freedom has a cost price, so in

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other words, sometimes you will need to sacrifice your pleasure and comfort in order to achieve your desired result. I may not have an idea what you do on breaks; the whole idea varies as there are many children taking breaks. It could mean a walk, video gaming, eating, sleeping and lots more. But one activity peculiar to teens and youths of this generation is addiction to video games. I do not dismiss that you need to rest and play games, but you can translate your game playing to a learning period. I already mentioned that learning is a subconscious activity. You do not have to be enrolled in a school to learn. Now I type at an average speed of say 30 words a minute, of course without looking at the keys on my keypad. I learnt that playing a game. My computer had only a typing tutor with games embedded in the core of the software, though I wasnt interested in typing, I loved the games but unconsciously caught typing. So you have to take deliberate

measures to ensure that even when you are gaming, you have additional things to learn. Being exceptional is all about having extras extra information, extra skill, extra ability and also it might require extra efforts to learn unconsciously as much as consciously. Never delay on your homework, review it as often as possible, that way you would remember more. In a survey of about 86 students (male and female), an estimated 90 percent think that exceptional students have an uncommon ability to remember things. This translates to the fact that they understood and hence retained information which they could access when ever the need arose. This in fact means that you need to understand whatever you need to remember later. So reviewing your homework and class work over and over again helps you understand more and the information is stored such that you could call for it at will.

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While meditating, I understood what makes a student not just one, but a good student. A good student knows what his homework are and what to make of them. This means that continually reviewing your homework and class exercise aids your retention. It is often said that repetition aids memory. Work on your own. Work more with a team. A man is quoted to have said, Team work makes the dream work. Work with others whose dreams are as big as yours but who are better than you are, at least at the moment. This is not so you can compete, but so you can cooperate. Work together on stubborn and controversial problems, that way, you solve most of your problems in half the time you would have taken working on your own. When you work on very difficult problems together, you would have a feel of what the best students think of the problem and how they go about solving it, though you might devise a way on your own, but this takes time. Like I mentioned earlier, exceptional students know how to make time tick in their favour. You need to change your mind. You need to change the way you think. Regrettably so, over the years, our environment has come to dictate the way we think and consequently our disposition to certain cogent issues that concern -3RENEWING YOUR MIND And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God Rom. 12:2

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us. This is contrary to the master plan, that you should have dominion over every thing in the environment. We have imbibed in us different values which I describe as less than original, and these values now define the way we react and respond to issues in our environment. You need to deprogram your mind. Mediocrity is a leveller, but you need to rise beyond your means, to the level of the extraordinary. But first you need to deprogram your mind and subsequently reprogram your mind. That is the only way to practical transformation. Let God transform you inwardly by changing the way you think. This means that the way and nature of our thoughts must be peculiar. You need to do away with certain information and believes that limits your horizon and in turn limit your output. Complete transformation means a complete change into something with an improved appearance or usefulness. So if transformation improves your appearance or usefulness, you must completely do

away with the old mindset, which invariably is the old appearance or usefulness. Let us remind ourselves of the problem statement and the surrounding constraints: Let us assume you have to trek to and from school everyday and that you would hawk some utilities before and after school, and that you would almost not have time to study. Or let us assume that you forget things easily and cannot retain much in a small time interval or that you just do not understand what is taught in class. The student described above may have a mindset like: My parents are so poor, I am one of six children and my parents almost cannot afford my education. I have to hawk to get some money to support our meagre income, invariably I skip classes because I cannot avoid coming to school late, and even when I do, I sleep during lessons and dont take notes. I trek back home only to hawk for two more hours before dinner,

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if any. I cant do my assignments and my parents are not educated enough to help me. Therefore, I cannot just succeed enough to be the best in class. Deprogramming your mind: This is our working principle, that God can transform you by changing the way you think. So, you may not need to pray for long or wait for a miracle to happen, the first miracle must come from you, which is changing the way you think I can succeed and be on top of my class. Reprogramming your mind: Remember we said complete transformation means a change and improvement in appearance and usefulness. I can succeed and be on top of my class. Though I have a poor background, I am more determined to work my way to the top, all I need is a little planning and strategy. I would make sure I copy every note I

miss and try to come to school earlier. I would maximize my break time and recess and take my rest, I would pay attention and make sure I understand all thats taught in class once taught, I would ask questions in class if I dont understand and defy the shame, I would see my teachers after class, I would ask my mates to explain more to me, I would work more examples and do more exercises than others. I would pray to God to help me. Create your own workspace. By careful observance, integrate factors that heighten your morale to your workspace. Create the atmosphere for your maximum productivity. The type of atmosphere you create goes a long way in determining the kind of products you produce. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Pr 23:7) A man is as good as the level of information he feeds on. He is as current with respect to the veracity of the information he carries. Renewing your mind implies changing the information you carry, from false and

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outdated information to current, factual, verifiable, feasible and workable information. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. You need to start reconditioning your heart to think along the level of output you intend to get. You need to focus less on what is not and focus more on your advantages and cutting edges. To work on water, you need to take your eyes off the storm and focus. What you focus your attention on gradually forms an image in you. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We already know that everything is working against you, we know that the odds you have to face are unlimited, and life is willing only to sell itself to you at whatever price you are willing to pay. This means that life will offer you as much as you can pay for. I would rather focus on the more positive information till the image forms in me. Concerning focus, I have read of a very good illustration. You could draw a very big rectangle on your sketchpad, and then draw a smaller rectangle inside the big rectangle. Shade the big rectangle with green and the smaller one with red. Now, you have to

focus on the small rectangle. Focus means you need to concentrate all your attention on the small rectangle. If you are doing it right, you would see that the red rectangle gradually becomes big, as big as the green rectangle, and you can no longer see the green rectangle. That is the power of focus, whatever you focus on gradually fills the whole screen, its all you see. If you focus on your limitations, all you would see will be limitations, but if you focus on possibilities, all you would see would be possibilities. Indeed, there are no limits. Most writers on this topic have illustrated using an example of a bottle filled with water to about half. A number of students were asked to describe the bottle with respect to its content. Some said it was half filled, others said it was half empty. Another illustration is that of two men who looked out of their prison bars, one saw the mud and the other saw the sky. It is a mind thing, what you think determines what you see. So as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

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Renewing your mind has to do with changing the fundamental premise on which your choices and actions are based. Because a man is influenced by the state of his heart, it is of paramount importance to feed your mind of the on correct information. you carry The will correctness information

come to you from flesh and blood, but from my Father in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock will my church be based, and the doors of hell will not overcome it. Here we get an understanding into the significance of having the correct information enlightened peter and foundation. Jesus him for not applauded

determine the level of correctness in your mentality. Let us examine this understanding from the passage below; Now when Jesus had come into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he said, questioning his disciples, who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, some say, John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He says to them, but who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter made answer and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus made answer and said to him, a blessing on you, Simon Bar-jonah: because this knowledge has not

regarding the popular belief, for overcoming the common barrier and for taking personal responsibility in having correct foundational information. He went literally beyond the common perception to a renewed understanding, Jesus said here that the knowledge peter had could not have come from the surrounding. It was the old kind of knowledge. It was the common kind of knowledge, such as is meant for the mediocre. Jesus later indicated that his church would be based on this ROCK the uncommon knowledge. What I intend to bring out is this; the knowledge on which your ideals and attitude is based becomes a rock, a

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solid mass that is both unmovable and unshakable. Hence it is of great importance to make a habit of making building blocks (rocks) of correct information. Feed rock. Akpoveta Valentine TEJIRI expresses this in his poem, the dance of the MAD HE STARES UNSEEING He sits unfeeling A tear finds the familiar crevices And snakes down, down, down Chased by another, and another Leaving their trails behind He is the object of smirks He is the subject of derision They mutter his name and spit It is akin to a curse Sly glances cast his way, Trotters give him a wide berth your mind with the right renewed and transformed positive information and it will become a

He has been fired By the fervour of ambition, Dashed By the exercise in futility Resigned By the totality of hopelessness And now he is driven By the desperation of rage How dare How dare the elements? How dare How dare the polloi? How dare How dare the society? How dare How dare his parents? But his eyes are opened And he sees The shadow that blocks the light

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Is his eyelid The obstacles that stand in his way is he

The dance of the mad His hand weaves wonders

The problem Is he? The solution Is he?

From the fabric of the invisible His feet trace the intricate navigation Through the hidden dimension His body twists and turns as he looks around

And with the revelation comes revival His feet beat a tattoo on the ground To the conga of his heart beat His fingers begin to tingle As his eyes are further opened It is the battle of will It is the conquering of mountains It is the adventure of the wild It is the ascension to the heavens He casts off restraints He shakes off the fetters of conformity And he begins the dance

He has torn the veil And seen the sights That had been there all along There had been miracles all around Waiting to be discovered See him, see him dance Behold as he soars, as he rides the winds And looks down at the mutterers Vanquished by their state of inertia They point and sneer Hes loony, they say

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But he flies higher He wouldnt give this up for anything This is freedom This is immortality This is insanity without apology This is the dance of the mad When he touches earth, It is to build monuments That would conquer time And off he goes again To the realm Where only the inhabitants Are those who have mastered the dance? The dance of the mad

And this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Gen.11.6b This is the beginningNothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do. By design, there is absolutely no limit to your ability. The quote captures a scenario of a people agreeing to do a seemingly impossible task, it was a ground breaking project managed by people who only dared dream about it. It was so remarkable that even God could not help but notice what was going on, He was the only one who could stop them. God stressed the power of their imagination, and he had engineered that just when you think you have reached your utmost, dreaming of an impossible task and when you get the satisfaction of a job well done after achieving

-4NO LIMITS

it, it is only the beginning of many more impossible feats you can achieve.

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Imagination is the seat of creativity. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Imagination, as I know it, is a mental video or slide show. It is a series of pictures viewed in an abstract time-space media. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. When I first learnt how to understand whatever I read, it began with interpreting the words into pictures, word for pixel. I had read somewhere that every word is part of a picture, put the words together in a sentence or clause and what you have is a picture. So what I do is to try to visualize the words, rather than hear them, I see them. I see words. I imagine them. This of a necessity means that you need to have an understanding of what each word meant, before you could transform them into pictures. Here, a dictionary will come in handy. If I want to teach a child to understand a passage, I would probably start by telling him about adjectives and what it means to describe. Get a dictionary and dont just get it, use it. Know what the words mean and see the pictures in your mind.

Through time scientists and engineers have been seeking ways to completely imitate the most complex mechanism, the human being. Thus in programming, the input data is usually in a higher level language like FORTRAN, the data is input into a compiler and then forwarded to a translator or interpreter before being used up. In the same manner, the words you read can being interpreted as pictures in your mind when you compile and combine the information to your brain. In essence, what I am saying is that the limit to your creativity lies in the limit of your imagination. You develop your imagination prowess by constantly exercising your mind. According to design specs, the extent of your imagination is only the beginning of your imaginative capacity. It means that at best, you are working at negligible efficiency when in actual fact there is no limit. The only limitations you have are those you have imposed on yourself either out of fear of failing or fear of trying.

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I have always loved the illustration of a man with an handcuff in his hands who also has keys to unlocking it. He could either decide to unlock himself and free himself from the limitation, or he could have the key in his hands and refuse to use it, being still limited, he could also choose to disregard the key, doubt its power and throw it away. Whatever choice he makes, one thing is certain, the power to free himself from his present limitation is in his hands. It is his choice whether or not to use it. Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do

that imagination aids understanding. The power of your imagination is the secret to understanding, whatever can be imagined, whatever can be dreamt of, whatever can be thought of, whatever can be talked about; it can be achieved. If you want to be exceptional, you need to know how to maximize your advantage, how to put your imagination to use to boost your output and productivity. Let me warn, however, that imagination like many other things has its positive and negative sides. Endeavour to put your imagination to positive use and not negative use, bearing in mind that whatever you imagine can be achieved. You dont want to be caught imagining all sorts of negativities, because you would be only an inch away from achieving it. Imagination could be addictive, depending on what you spend them visualizing. It is not so different from watching or seeing a picture live right in front of you. Imagination is a mental video in real time. This quote is credited to Leke Alder, imagination, in actual fact is like any other video you watch. Imagination is

exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us Power, in itself, is an ability to do work. This power, works in you. You are able to do what is beyond you just by putting that power in you to considerable and consistent use. This power, works in you, it is called the power of imagination. Imagination aids comprehension, comprehension is one of the three stages in understanding. It can be said, in essence,

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an emotional investment, and any thing that involves a mans emotions may be addictive. Just like you wouldnt want to go around watching strange videos, you wouldnt want to imagine strange things in that sense. Be careful. For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing: they became Professing themselves to be wise, fools; but became vain in their

meditation and taking corresponding actions; it takes all of this to break new grounds, to set the pace and leave a trail. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. {of full age: or, perfect} {use: or, an habit, or, perfection} (Heb 5.14) YOU ARE WHAT YOU SEE We apply a very cogent principle daily. Some folks -feminine- are so addicted to the use of mirrors. It is however too bad to say that most of them abuse its use. A mirror shows you reflection of yourself. Secondary school physics makes us understand that image formed on a plain mirror is the same size as the object and is the same distance from the surface as the object is from the mirror. So you are what you see in a mirror.

imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. (Rom 1) You need to build capacity by extensive use. Your level of creativity is directly proportional to your level of imagination. Your imagination develops according to use. It involves the direct investment of thoughts,

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But why exactly do we need a mirror? You do not see an image of yourself to admire yourself, as is the habit of some, but for you to really see yourself as you are. There and then, you are expected to make corrections and adjustments, so that you would move from the present state you are to the state you are supposed to be, the image you are supposed to portray. When you look in the mirror you see two things, who you are and who you are supposed to be. And it does not matter if people celebrate you the way you are, or if you look good, if you are not who you are supposed to be, you are underperforming. The same principle often applies to our short

to the measure of the fullness of that vision that had earlier been conceived in our mind.

sightedness, which has cost us. Whatever vision or imagination you have in your heart is just an idea, a general overview of the status quo. Completing the job means adjusting so that proper corrections are made for advancement. We are not called to live a stranded life, but that through the vast exercise and use of our imagination, we begin to adjust to we come -5-

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CONFIDENCE Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Heb.10:35 Confidence has so much to do with certainty and surety. It could be manifested in different dimensions depending on what phase of time we intend to deal with. Being confident, based on a verifiable and readily observable trend as to do with the past. But being confident about the future is faith. Leke Alder in his thoughts, carefully motions that for a society to advance in all realms, she needs a measure of faith and intellect. And so far we had stressed the significance of the use of your imagination, which is the essence of your capacity for intellect. Here, we would elucidate on the importance and significance of faith, confidence in the future. Confidence could mean a certainty of ones own ability or prowess, or a security in the ability or prowess of another who is superior. It is usually advisable not to

assume that we have a confidence that we do not possess. Over confidence, from information gathered, is one major contributing factor to failure amongst naturally intelligent students. One should not be overconfident in his ability, but a measure of confidence is expected. I have noticed a trend among students in tertiary institutions, that the bulk of those who fall in to the trap of mediocrity were students that had a history of exceptional brilliance or intelligence. Confidence in the past can be maximized in form of testimonies. Like I always say, knowledge is power, it is a sword, a deadly weapon, to those who know how to wield it. Your past experience of success is the more reason why you should be confident in your ability to succeed in the present. I noticed that the courses I performed least well are those courses I already had doubts about prior to the examination or those in which I had fidgeted because of little mix ups that came up. So confidence in the past has more to do with our profession. Our confession of success is valid based on

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the fact that we have a history of success and do not expect it to change. I found it hard accepting failure, the first time it happened, because I had already become accustomed to a life of success that my confidence was at its threshold every time I had a challenge. But as soon as I began entertaining doubts and fear, my confidence began to dwindle like a candle struggling to keep aflame in a boisterous wind. Like I motioned before, this is not to motion over confidence in ones own abilities, but to boost ones chances of excelling. You need to have a good morale to achieve certain level of excellence. In a nutshell, our testimony of past successes is an assurance of a success in the project in view, when moderate majors are taken and mediocrity levelled. And they overcame him, by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony Rev. 12.11 Another dimension of confidence is confidence in the future. I already said earlier that confidence is a state

of certainty. The certainty of a settled result is key to the achievement of feats academically and in other areas of life. Confidence in the future, that is, in one has not happened is called faith. To have faith is to be sure of what we hope for; to be certain of things we cannot see. Heb 11.1 This is faith. Faith is a certainty in things, though not yet visibly so, but hopefully so. Faith is optimistic, it always hopes for the best and not the worst. Confidence could be in faith in mans ability. It could be a faith in your person or a faith in another person, usually a superior. It is always advisable, if you know God, to put all your trust and absolute confidence in Him. Confidence gives you rest. Someone once said that the best way to cope under intense pressure is to relax. Under a tensed and pressurised atmosphere, whats best to do is to realist. Although physically it looks unimaginable an unthinkable that one could be in a state of calm when under pressure, but its still the

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best response you could have. This is because a very clear mind is key to coping under pressure, allowing yourself to be pressurized to by the sum total of partial pressures on you is detrimental to your academic goals. Be confident, also, in the knowledge you have. It is expected that before every major challenge you would have undergone intense preparation, and your coach or teacher only allows you to compete when you are prepared, fit and ready enough to do so given that the time frame is favourable. The time usually is favourable, contrary to popular belief. This is because the challenges of life will come at times when you should have been prepared; its your call if you happen to encounter lifes challenges unprepared. If you have prepared enough, then you should be confident in your knowledge. I am of the opinion that fidgeting makes you doubt and forget what you already know. There is no valid reason for examination malpractices, what most people need at

times are a measure of confidence in the knowledge they already have. Be sure. Relax. Relaxation is not a feeling of easiness, neither is it a state of complacency, as some people view it. It is a state when the brain is allowed to cool, to remove and filter unwanted processes and to recycle other relevant information. Here the brain processes and reprocesses the data under a convenient operating requirement. This is the point of optimum delivery. Time and scope will not suffice to deal exclusively with these issues. Certain things must be added to your faith

(confidence) for optimal delivery. For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 2Pe 1:6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; 2Pe 1:7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.

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2Pe 1:8 these are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge (of our Lord Jesus Christ). Time will not suffice to expand on the other elements of faith. But from the reference above, it has been said that these are the qualities you need and that if you have them in abundance, they would make you active and effective in your knowledge.

literally, but is judged by the quality of standard by which you are making a comparison. So, to what standard are you comparing your self? I could remember my struggles when I had a first hand experience of failure. Throughout high school I never really experienced failure, I just had to pass, I mean excel, by default, by natural configuration. But my environment changed, I got into higher institution and it was a different ball game entirely. I started out having it as usual, and then the game changed. Generally, my results changed for the worse and I couldnt even reach my set goals. It then seemed that the harder I tried, the poorer I got. I became devastated and depressed. I started to fight

-6FAILURE; THE GREAT DEPRESSION Failure devastates. Failure, to me, is different. A person might be doing quite fine when others evaluate him by their own standards and fail, by his own standards. Failure therefore, is not when you fail

depression rather than failure. It was a very hard battle for me, I almost lost it. That semester, my preparations in maths was so poor, I concentrated on other subjects that I felt I had a comparative advantage and depended on a friend to put me through the complex problem solving techniques of mathematics. Time fled and when I got into the exam

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hall, I lost it, cancelling out and cancelling out and all of that and I knew right from the moment I stepped out of the exam hall that it would take a great miracle to make me score beyond average in the course. I failed, woefully. Funny enough, I thought I had done well enough to reach the average score, and I got to know I had an excellent F, a very low score. I failed the course, took the course again the next year and had an A. although generally I was above average, but that I was performing far below my own ability, far below my own potential was a more painful experience. It was as if success had become a thing of the past, I lost interest in everything, pulled out of groups, and became isolated. I have had to cry a few times when I remember my glory days. It was a painful experience. I know some of you have failed at even bigger things and I know how devastating things could get, some are even depressed as they read, but I trust that you would get an insight and an understanding into why such things happen. Why do people fail?

A little over 80 students took the opinion poll and why students fail. The list is very long though but I would highlight inefficient a few goal of them: Inadequate playfulness, planning, lack of setting,

concentration (distraction), poor time management, laziness, overconfidence, pair pressure, tension, bad attitude, disobedience, and lack of interest. Time would not suffice to discuss all of these but most of all these are explained one way or the other in this volume. Studying the above shows that all of the time, failure comes as a result of our own choices per time. Failure doesnt just happen, like success, it takes a process and if continued, it becomes a lifestyle. All of the above can either be totally avoided or managed; it takes a lifestyle of balance to achieve a lifestyle of excellence. Pulling out of entanglements is a welcome idea, however, it takes an understanding heart to manage your failure. I have said earlier in this volume that you need to critically study and understand yourself that is the key to breaking the strong hold of failure on you, if you fail, you caused it.

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-7STUDY; DEVELOP A READING CULTURE In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books (Da 9:2) And among them all was found none like Daniel : therefore stood they before the king; And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm (Dan. 1:19, 20). Man acquires information from the environment either by hearing or sight. To study is to concentrate in order to allow the senses of sight with and your hearing to synchronize harmoniously thoughts,

processing the information that is acquired and storing them in the brain for subsequent exploration, exploitation or examination. The best students have an organized, active and consistent study life. They are addicted to reading

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materials that could enhance their knowledge in all fields. You need to develop a consistent study life. Reading in this century has declined among the younger population while the older population generally do not read again, either because they dont know how to or because they simply do not want to. I have noticed that what takes you through life is not the knowledge but you acquire general by reading for and examinations, your knowledge

study. Since we would naturally agree that a well informed man is better off than a novice in any field or profession, it can be said that those who study are better than those who dont. Readers are leaders. What differentiates a novice from a professional is the level of information that the first has over the later on the subject of discuss. Studying is synonymous to mastering. So when studying, you are learning to be a master. You can not be a master if you do not give your back to learn. Amongst others, information, knowledge and entertainment are the basic content of most books, videos and learning materials. The information sheds more light on a topic, enhancing knowledge which in itself is diversified. In order to increase your knowledge in a particular field, you need to study, that is, combine your sense of sight and hearing to acquire relevant information. You need to develop a reading habit. The kind of information you open yourself to by careful studying goes a long way to shape the kind of person you become.

accumulated beliefs about life itself; this can not be crammed or taught in the class. It can only be acquired by a life of personal and intensive study. Careful observance of the status quo has shown most students simply do not know the how, why and when they should study. Man thrives on the level of information he receives. The exceptional or brilliant are more exposed and well informed than the mediocre. Studying is a means of acquiring information. It is commonly said that it is better to mould a child than to reform an adult. From their childhood, students should be exposed to a life of

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Studying is analogous to digestion. It involves a process of intake input of data, input of information either in form of sound or the written word. This is followed closely by a process of chewing, grinding the heavy streams into tiny bits that can be swallowed in order. It involves breaking the information into tiny understandable parts that can be consequently knitted together. This is followed by a swallowing process. It involves accepting the information in situ. In ruminants, the masticated food is stored temporarily before regurgitation. So the information is stored temporarily and when revisited, it can be recalled and further re-examined. After reexamination, the information is then absorbed for later and subsequent use. The Reading Culture: Cultivating an habit of Reading Reading culture is a learned practice of seeking knowledge, information or entertainment through the reading word. Such practice can be acquired by

reading books, journals, magazines, newspapers etc. -daily champion; allafrica.com Reading culture is a learned practice. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov 22.6) The word culture stems from the latin cultura meaning to cultivate. Cultivation itself involves seed planting, nursery and husbandry, growth and finally harvest. The seed of reading must be cultivated; it must be nursed until it becomes a habit. This is the responsibility of parents and teachers. From research and information gathered, it must be stressed that children learn more from what they see their parents and teachers do consistently. So to develop a reading culture, the children must first see a good example of reading in their parents and teachers. Dont just tell them to read, show them by your examples. - Culture is integrated

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A reading nation is an informed and knowledgeable society that can contribute positively to the economic transformation of its country. Apart from low motivation and inadequate facilities in third world countries, a child should learn to read from his youth. We, as a civilized society, should embrace reading. Culture is an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behaviour that depends on the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning. Culture is integrated. So reading culture, though alien to a predominantly illiterate population, should be embraced and integrated. Readers are leaders. We need to change our value system from the love of money (the love of money is the root of all evil) to encouraging and embracing a reading culture. We should focus more on developing our mental prowess. It is easier to mould a child than to refine an adult. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written

therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success (Josh. 1;8) UNDERSTANDING UNDERSTANDING Understanding is in three stages: discernment,

comprehension and interpretation. DISCERNMENT Discernment simply means an ability that tells the difference between two things that look similar enough to be confused. It is innate, although it has to be developed through constant and frequent use. While advancing in learning, our questions got tougher and we were made to answer such questions. Students with advanced discerning abilities will have no problem with understanding very complex literature or complex processes.

COMPREHENSION

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Comprehension implies a proper understanding. After discerning, comprehension is easy for difficult and complex literature and processes. I define comprehension as the ease with which information is absorbed, understood by the intellect. INTERPRETATION Interpretation is the last stage in understanding. The information that had already been analysed and absorbed is now interpreted in the brain. Discernment, comprehension and interpretation when put together perfectly describe the process of understanding. For example, Can you break down the passage below into discernable, comprehendible and interpretable bits? King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me--he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods--and I told him the dream, saying, "O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that

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no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. "I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass

of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.' This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you." Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream be for

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those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived-it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,'

this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, Dan 4:25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

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and the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting

dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

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RISING AFTER FALLING FALL SEVEN TIMES, STAND UP EIGHT. Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up (Pro 24:16) Great Rises Come After Terrible Falls The Sporting News, May 19, 2006 by David Kindred One man fell from the sky at 250 miles per hour. The other fell from a motorcycle on a racetrack. Michael Datz ran back into the burning wreckage of DC 10. Dan Hendricks never walked again. Just after 6 oclock on a golden afternoon, the limitless possibilities of life and dream put the men a hundred feet apart. It was the first Saturday in May. They were at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. You ready? -8-

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Den Hendricks, a trainer, looked up at Cecil Peacock, who owned the horse Brother Derek, a contender in the games biggest race. Im ready. Peacock placed his right hand softly on the shoulder of the man in the wheel chair because Hendricks wheelchair could not go up steps. The trainer and his boss were in front of a small television in the paddock tunnel. Above them, Matz stood with his wife in the trainers enclosure. He had come there after saddling his unbeaten horse, Barbaro. He also had gone to the tracks third floor grandstand to say hello to three people he led to safety 17 years ago. They were children then: Jody, 14 years old, Melissa, 12; Travis, 9. Matz told them Barbaro would run a tremendous race.

Call them dreams. Call them prayers - Same thing. The old sage and trainer Woody Stephens once said, Nobody ever committed suicide with a good 2-yearold in the barn. Whatever is wrong, Woody believed, can be fixed by the dreams and prayers that ride atop a thoroughbred on the first Saturday in May. Dan Hendricks, a paraplegic, has worked from a wheel chair for two years. Forty-seven years old, he made no big deal of his circumstance. He had long played on motor cross bikes before he got sideways on a jump since July 2004 and lost the motorcycle. However, he came to earth; the collision severed his spinal cord. He has said he knew it wasnt a life threatening injury; life-screwing-up, he called it. Eight hours of surgery. Two months of rehabilitation. Like being in jail, he said. So he hurried back to work. He missed the horses, feeding them carrots, petting them. From his wheel chair, paralyzed, he watched them fly.

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And said, Theyre part of me. Never more so, perhaps, than when Jockey Alex Solis took Brother Derek wide into the races last turn on a move from far, far back. Cmon Alex, Hendricks shouted at the television. He slapped his thigh, again and again, first with his bare right hand, then slapping it with a baseball cap, shouting each time. There came to his handsome face a look rapturous and frightening. All that existed in that mans world at that moment was the horse race. The trainer shouted Cmon Alex! and kept shouting, building a rhythm matching the riders movement down the stretch, Cmon, Alex! Cmon, ALEX! Cmon!

Adapted from a Japanese martial art, jujitsu, judo is a traditional wrestling sport, judo meaning gentle way. The techniques are generally intended at gaining an advantage attacking over force the for opponent balance by adapting leverage. an The and

objective is to cleanly throw, pin or master the opponent by applying pressure to arm joints or neck to cause the opponent to yield. Originally designed to be a safe, cooperative method of physical education, Kano Jigoro (the founder of judo) described its basic concept saying, judo is all about standing up the eight time after your seventh fall. Opponents in every area of endeavour have something in common; they always have the same goal in mind. Fighting an opponent is not just about the battle, it is much more about winning the associated prize. Most of lifes challenging experiences has been summarised into the judo philosophy. Challenges, troubles and worries will definitely come; the goal, as in judo, is to cleanly throw, pin or master you. Your arm joints and neck are those means through which you usually get things

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done. You expect an uncle somewhere to send you money, or an aunt somewhere to send you abroad. In judo practise, as it is in life situations, your arms and neck your means are put under pressure. The only objective is to make you yield. It is however interesting that this is not all there is to judo. It was designed to be a safe and cooperative method of physical education. So while you are experiencing lifes greatest troubles, you are learning a safe, involuntary and of course, cooperative moral, physical and spiritual build up. Remember, steel is hardened by heat treatment. Gold and diamond are refined by passing through the red heat of the furnace. The way to victory has been summarised in the techniques of judo. In all these things, you are expected to convert lifes attacking force to a force for balance and leverage, that way you are always having the advantage (in the middle of the attack). This topic is a follow up on the lesson on failure and it clearly exhibits what our attitude should be towards failure. Failure is a concept, but it can become a

person. While we are encouraged to learn from failure as a concept, we are also to be careful so that our response to failure does not cause it to become a part of our personality. That a man has failed once does not make him a failure, a failure is a man that makes a habit of failing, that is, failing is in his mentality. We established while talking on failure that most of the time, the causes of failure are avoidable or they can be managed. Because they can be managed, there is a possibility it might spill and be mismanaged. So what is the key to properly managing failure? What should be our attitude to failure? A critical look at judo exemplifies this; that we are supposed to rise the eighth time after the seventh fall. Remember, you were standing before your first fall, so you must be ready to stand up as many times as you fall. You must learn something from every fall, even if you are going to fall again, you must not fall at the same hurdle twice. Learn from your failure. There are so many high achievers around and a few failures and I find that whenever I tell people about

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my glory times, it doesnt move them. People who are struggling in their endeavours learn more from your failure than your success. I am not advocating failure, what I am saying is, people are more willing to listen if you have overcome your failure.

grounded after a fall. Sadly, many a man has chosen this posture after falling. Theyre so afraid of falling again, they refuse to stand up. And you know what? They are trampled upon by people who have decided to move on with their life, career or business! As far as Im concerned, the only option after a fall is to rise. Any other suggestion is no option at all. There are so

The illustration above brings to the fore a story of two men who both fell, literally. One fell from a whopping height at an equally alarming speed while the other fell from a motorbike; not so great a fall, right? However, Dan Hendricks never walked again. And though Michael Datz crashed from the sky at a jaw dropping speed, he rose again. What makes his rise spectacular is the height from which he fell. So it is not wrong to say that the more terrible the fall, the greater the rise! Fall Seven Times, Stand up Eight. This Japanese proverb tells us that when we fall down, we shouldnt stay down. Were not meant to remain

many disadvantages inherent in staying down. Like I said earlier, you are trampled upon, youre stained, you lose focus because the height from which you saw things is lost, and the list is endless. Are you one? Fallen? Frustrated? Or almost? Im certain that after this, youll be equipped and furnished with the knowledge needed to rise again. The Man and the Boy. There were two persons who embarked on a journey; an adult, and a much younger fellow; a boy. They have something in common. They both fell in the course of their journeys. But different reactions trailed both falls. The man looked back immediately after

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falling to find out what caused his fall. The boy on the other hand never bothered to know. All he wanted was to get back up and continue on his journey. It goes without saying that the boy fell some more when the same obstacle showed up, while the man who was able to identify his Achilles heel never fell to that obstacle anymore because he was prepared and on the lookout. Many of us like this young lad dont bother to find out what caused our fall. We only want to get past it and continue on our journey, which is very unrealistic. When you know what caused your fall, you can always watch out for it the next time. So, why do we fail? At one time or the other in our lives, we may have experienced some form of failure. It is like a necessary evil. There is something I discovered lately; the terms, positive and negative are relative (no pun intended). This simply means negative

occurrences are so because there are positive ones. Got that? To further simplify this statement, Id say that the negative things of life only serve to show us that there are positive things too. In other words, you cant say something is bad unless theres a good side to it. Now in this context, it goes a long way to show you that though you fell, it only means that you were once standing and can still get back up. At this point, I believe its important for us to understand why we fail in some things and succeed in others. When this is settled, we are empowered challenge and fly above our failures. 1. PREPARATION For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish.

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Or what king, going to make war

against another

2. CONSULTATION Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first and CONSULTeth whether he be able... Albert Einstein didnt know it all. Isaac Newton never knew it all either, and the reason is not far fetched; nobody knows it all! The richest men in the world are not the ones who know everythin there is to know. The most successful families are not formed by couples who know all there is to know about marriage. So how do these great people make it so well? It is the power of CONSULTATION. It simply means getting information. Success in whatever you are doing demands that you gather not just any kind of information but the right information! You could even call it getting advice. That idea you are boiling with might be worth a billion dollars but have talked about it with anyone? To bring out the best in that idea, you can not stand alone. There are better and sharper minds out there who will help sharpen and beautify that idea. You should rub minds with such people. Even in your academics, you shouldnt always

king, sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand. Here, Jesus, the greatest teacher that ever stepped on the sands of time, is opening our eyes to see the danger of inadequate preparation. Now picture in your mind these scenes; the unprepared builder who wants to build a tower and the unprepared king who is going out to war: theyll both certainly suffer devastating defeats, ceteris paribus. This is one of the most crucial elements of life; PREPARATION. It is often said that preparation is what determines manifestation. Simply and correctly put, your performance can never be greater than your level of preparation. It is alaw of life, and those who choose to ignore it do so at their own peril. Therefore, whatever it is youre planning to do, ensure to oyur utmost ability that you are adequately prepared to avoid defeat.

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read alone. When you consult others about your ideas, things you have read, etc, you end up better knowledge than you would have on oyur own. When you hold on to your ideas, they might never grow beyond the level of being just an idea. When you study in a group, you certainly learn faster than when you are learning all by yourself. Consultation can not be over emphasised. And when you are consulting, there are certain people you should meet. Meet those who have gone ahead of you. Meet those who have succeeded and those who have failed in that area. Ask questions. By doing this , you get enlightened on both sides. This prepares you and helps you avoid the pitfalls of the one who failed, and also helps you to build on the principles that helped the other guy succed.
3. TIMING

cease.(paraphrased) This talks about timing. Even if you get everything thing else right but miss out on timing, failure is inevitable. When the opprtunity comes(right timing) coupled with adequate preparation, success is assured. Whatever you want to do, if the timing is right, it feels like the whole universe is at your command, supporting your cause and if not, everything just seems to go wrong. Take a look at fruits for example. You always have more than enough oranges in their season. Likewise for maize, banana, plantain, etc as long as it is their season. But when it is not, you find out thats when oranges are scarce and more expensive. In the day of his power, his people shall be willing. This verse makes us understand that in the day of his power, his people shall be willing. Conversely, his people shant be willing when the day of his power hasnt arrived. See Ecclestiastes 3 to learn more about timing.

than

they are because you have been able to gather more

As long as the earth remains, seed TIME and harvest, summer and winter, day and night... will not

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When you get the timing right, success is inevitable. Some other things you need to know to stand up again, even after the seventh fall: *Overcome self pity. *Understand that failing does not make you a failure. You become a failure only when you surrender to your circumstances. *Always learn from every fall. Never make a mistake twice *Work for the best, but also be prepared for

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market, a pool, which is calledsss in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Joh 5:3 in these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. Joh 5:4 for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. Joh 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. Joh 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? Joh 5:7 the impotent man answered him, Sir; I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another stepped down before me. Joh 5:8 Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

unpleasant happenings, to avoid being stranded. Finally, it is important to note that life does not recognize those who give excuses. Life stands up for those that have answers to its questions. Choose to always be on your feet, no matter what it takes, and life will have no choice but to answer to you. OPPORTUNITY

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Recognizing your opportunity when it comes is very critical to living a fulfilling and successful life. The story above illustrates a man relatively disfavoured by the circumstances he is in, and he had spent years seeking just an opportunity, that someone would help him into the water should the angel appear again, but I have not known such a good Samaritan that would be patient for another year just to throw a man in the water, when some never left the pool anyway. But his critical moment came, and he recognized it. One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full. Muriel Spark So many people have talked about opportunity. But I hold a certain premise, and it is that opportunity is akin to recognition. This holds that opportunities, as was once said, come by daily in their millions, but it takes the hearts that have been trained to recognize

such opportunities to really know them and utilize them. So it is not sufficient to look for opportunities, as you may never find any, but that one should be on the look out to recognize such opportunities. An opportunity also connotes a proper understanding of time. Earlier we had discussed about a certain group of people, the children of Issachar, they had an understanding of the times and seasons and they knew what Israels duties are. Opportunities are there for you to recognize and then interpret by discretion what to do. Opportunities come daily, but in disguised forms. The advantage of time and place in all practical actions is half a victory; which being lost is irrecoverable (Francis Drake). May be, like me, you have heard all your life that opportunity comes once in a lifetime. I am happy to inform you, that that is a great lie. Opportunities present themselves over and over again, hoping that one or more of such times, you would be precise enough to recognize it when it

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comes. Opportunity to the layman is what is called chance. But chance, I know, to favour only the prepared. Proper prior preparation is a critical key in recognizing opportunities. Because opportunities are masked, your response (based on recognition) must be high profiled. The boys scout motto is be prepared. Being prepared may seem the insane thing to do, especially if preparation is continual. Preparation ensures that your own success does not come to you as a surprise, it sharpens and prepares you for that opportunity, and once you recognize it, you go for it. Proper prior preparation prevents poor performance. Be prepared. An opportunity may not present itself as a door opening, but as a door with an attendant problem, the opportunity itself, being masked in the attendant problem such that only those who are trained to recognize it would hone it, in the name of solving the attendant problem.

1Co 16:9 There is a real opportunity here for great and worthwhile work, even though there are many opponents. If you do your preparation before hand, you would be ready for that one chance you need, that moment of glory, that moment of yours. Once you are ready, once chance presents itself, you take it, not because you were looking for opportunities, but because you were ready, (the opportunity not announcing itself as one) to take it down just like the others. 1 Sam. 17 When your opportunity comes, maximize the moment. Make a lifestyle of recognizing opportunities. Opportunity cost is the cost of your decision regarded as the value of the alternative forgone.

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Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 1Co 9:25 every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. 1Co 9:26 That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 1Co 9:27 I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest. I had not really encountered the word hurdle until I began to pay attention to athletics track and field. Then in the Olympic Games, we would watch all forms -10HURDLES, SIDETRACKS AND ATTACKS OF HURDLES of relays and then after a while, the insight into the 110m hurdles struck me like thunderbolt. Ten evenly spaced hurdles are placed along a distance of 100m and are so positioned that at the slightest contact (by the runner), they would fall over. According to the

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wikipedia (en.wikipedia.com), fallen hurdles do not carry a fixed time penalty for the runner, yet they have a significant pull over weight which slows down the run. OF SIDETRACKS Let me exude my opinion of sidetracks. To be sidetracked simply means to be distracted from your course. In a race, or game of soccer, there are actually four categories of persons on the field of play: The referees (umpires): they are the regulators The audience: they are the spectators The active players and substitutes: they are the actors The coaches: they are the instructors Usually in any game or race, the bulk of the attention is on the field of play, on the actors. All of the other categories contribute in various ways to influence results in any competition. The instructors train and motivate their players before they start the main action or in-between sections, although desperate ones still shout across the field of play, the player

seldom hears. The referees are there to ensure that the game proceeds according to the rules of play. The last group, the spectators, constitute a variety of individuals that have found their way to the field of play for reasons as varying as the number in thousands of the different individuals. Amidst them are friends, haters and the neutrals. They make the game interesting by their action or inaction, gearing on the players or booing at them or by whatever means. However, it is advisable and in most cases compulsory for the players to ignore the spectators, because they constitute a pleasant distraction. Each player, or runner, as it were, is supposed to concentrate and focus on the goal, on the mark, and not to observe, receive praise or criticism from the spectators, which constitute the sidetracks. OF ATTACKS 2Ti 2:4 A soldier on active duty wants to please his commanding officer and so does not get mixed up in the affairs of civilian life.

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2Ti 2:5 an athlete who runs in a race cannot win the prize unless he obeys the rules. No soldier in active service should allow himself to be entangled by civilian affairs. The reason is simple; a military man can not be a civilian. All military men know that they are built both to attack and defend a cause, depending on the orders from the upper quarters. It is therefore a lifestyle, for a soldier to expect to be attacked or to expect to be ordered to attack, it is his job description; the terms and conditions which he accepted when he joined the service. Hurdles, sidetracks and attacks all have their parts to play in our different pursuits. In your academic pursuit, there will be a great number of things that constitute pleasant distractions, things that are pleasing on the surface and generally acceptable but are inherently dangerous, maybe not very dangerous, but they possess enough danger to hinder total accomplishment of set goals in our pursuit. Hurdles constitute the different challenges you may face while

you climb your ladder of success. Myles Munroe stressed, the greatest calamity that can befall a man is to climb the ladder of success, only to discover that its been leaning on the wrong wall. I see it this way, there is no point accelerating in the wrong direction, if you dont know where you are going; the proper thing to do is to ask. You would most likely discover that you are on the wrong lane, and it would be insane for you to continue to speed up in the direction contrary to your supposed sense of motion. It is therefore of great importance to understand the place of hurdles. There is a different hurdle for every level, the bigger your hurdles, the fainter youd become, but putting in a little perseverance and determination would only show how close you have come to your destined haven. Hurdles are there to test how determined your spirit is in the attainment of your set goals, those who are scared or unwilling would never pass the first hurdle, and if they manage to, they would never scale the second.

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Most times, we tend to listen out to a voice from within us, some call it instincts, some premonition, some call it the voice of your conscience. Those who have the Holy Spirit also hear Him speak to their hearts. These voices for within are usually instructive, though mild and have a tested level of accuracy. However, no one can discern the voice from within if he pays attention to the noise from outside. So we need to learn to close our ears to the noise from outside and focus on the inspiration from within. The noise from outside are usually distracting, even if they come from the best intentions, and focus requires taking your attention off anything that falls short of the expected goal. Keep your eye on the mark, on the goal, and not on the sidetracks. Sidetracks are there, always there, but you must know how to manage yourself such that you do not become distracted. Anticipate attacks, different opinions, haters, critics and what have you. Those things do not define you, they should make you stronger and more determined to achieve your set goal. Their goal is to make sure

you loose sight of the goal, or the mark, but you must not allow yourself to be distracted from your main course.

-11COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE (COP) I feel a striker has to score, it is my job. That is why I dont smile. I am here and I am working hard in

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training. I want to be an important man for this team and the results are on the pitch. We can win this championship, in the New Year, we can be better Mario Balotelli Balotelli plays the centre forward position at the Manchester city football club, and his statement here really made an impression on me, that if actually we had a proper understanding, our attitude towards celebrating success may be a little different. Do not pursue tabs on success, your I would rather you run after excellence. Pursuing excellence would mean keeping performance, continually checking yourself, to ensure you still have your eye on the mark. Back in high school days, when it is about the middle of the term, our teachers do give us sealed envelopes to show to our parents at home. Some of us were very naughty and sometimes we opened the envelopes before taking them home, just in case there could be a potentially disturbing result. They called it continuous assessment, so we went home in the middle of the term to show our parents what our

performance so far reflected. These were measures that were taken to ensure that our parents were up to date with our performance. Parents subsequently motivated their children to pursue better results, they would reward some who do well and what have you. All excellent students make a lifestyle of continuous assessment. While mastering the details of a course in technical report writing and oral presentation in higher institution, we were taught that the conclusion, the final section in a report, should always reflect the fulfilment of the goals and objectives, or otherwise, that had been highlighted in the introductory part of the work. It is a way of saying all is well that ends well. What determine in the long run whether a student has excelled or failed is his results. I am of the opinion, however, that your result or output should not come to you as a surprise. You can steadily monitor your success, whatever you endeavour, not for you to brag, relax and be complacent, no; but for you to improve and reduce the uncertainties that surround your success, as Brian Tracy would say.

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2Co 13:5 Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. How do you maximize your application of the measurement of coefficient of performance?
1. Identify your locus standi

Am I in line? There is no point in accelerating in the wrong direction, if the answer to the questions above is NO, then you are way out of line, adjust. 3. Make a move You can either move forward or backward, it all bores down to the first point of knowing where you are. You can therefore decide to advance, if the answers to the questions asked in 2 above are yes, or retreat. Advancing could mean continuity or improvement. That is you may choose to continue or improve on your strategies and methodology. Same methods give same results, if you want something different, improve on or totally change your approach. -12OF NETWORKING AND THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION by AKPOVETA VALENTINE TEJIRI 1 You will remain the same way you are ten years time except for two things; the books you read and the people you meet. You may have heard this before, however like a clich it might sound, it is as true now as it was centuries ago. As a matter of fact

In elementary mathematics, we took much cognisance of bearing, as a concept. In bearing, the location of your destination is measured with respect to its distance and direction from your present position. Therefore, knowing your present position is of great importance. It is important for a man on a journey to know where he is going, agreed, it is however of much more significant importance for him to know where he is, because if he doesnt know where he is at the moment, knowing where he is going would only be a daydream. In essence, know the exact point where you are standing. The first step in monitoring your progress is to know where you are. 2. Evaluate your present position Is this where you ought to be? Is this where you want to be? If I continue like this, would I reach my goal?

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maintaining the status quo is not possible in a world where change is constant. You either progress or you retrogress. I may also add that a forward biased movement or a retro biased one is dependent not necessarily on the books but more importantly on the quality of books; not necessarily on the people but more importantly on the types of people. This chapter dwells on how to harness the latent power of networking and associations. Man, it has been said, is a social animal. We are primarily coded to live in communities. No man is an island. We not only live in communities, we need community. There is precious little we can do without the help of people. But even then, just living in communities or being a part of a community is different from building power networks or belonging to strong associations. The former is by default usually and more or less passive. The latter, on the other hand, is a more active form of building strong relationships. It is totally possible to be in a community without being part of its loose network. While communities, in a sense, may have

one or two similarities same geographical location, same language, same ancestry etc. Networks have similar goals, similar interests, and similar intents. Networks are made up of people who have discovered the power of many. There are so many people who have not fully discovered the plethora of opportunities a network offers. They belong to a community at work, another community at home, another community at their place of worship and other such places but it doesnt occur to them that they can get more out of life when they transcend mere community for power networks. We need people in our lives - people who see what we dont see, people who know what we dont know and people who hear what we dont hear, people who know who you dont know, people who have been where you havent; people who are where you want to be, people who are who you are not. We need people. When we build networks with the right kinds of people, we begin to experience growth like we have never known, our boundaries expand and we tap into

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a vast realm of possibilities. No association leaves you the same. The influence may be subtle or pronounced but there, definitely, is influence. Net workers realise this and therefore determine what that influence will be. To better explain, in every community there are cultural biases, be it corporate culture, religious culture or traditional culture. These cultures dictate the customs and the taboos. These cultures influence nuances and eccentricities. Being a part of such communities by default with constant exposure rubs off on you and you begin to think, talk and act like a readily identifiable member of that community. Networks are somewhat a reverse of this. First, you determine what you want to be like or what you want to achieve and the n you build or join networks which have those characteristics and you get to that endpoint. So whereas in one case, you have little choice over the culture and are influenced either way, in the other case, you have a choice and exercise that choice on how you wish to be influenced.

This brings us to a commonly touted myth that has amazingly gained much ground and acceptance with people. You too may have heard it and said it at one point or the other. Associate with people who are better than you. This statement is inherently problematic and should never be the reason for building networks. Networks built on this premise never last long. Firstly, this statement explicitly encourages social hermitism. If everyone decided to associate only with people better than them, on one would have friends. Brian is better than Craig who is better than Dwayne. Dwayne wants a friendship with Craig who is better than him but Craig doesnt favour that friendship because he must associate with people better than him. So he seeks the friendship of Brian who doesnt even give him any mind because he, in turn, is searching for someone better than him. If that isnt bad enough, a network based on that would be driven by the selfish gene what can I get/ that is the most important. This is one sided, selfish and parasitic. In

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forming healthy networks, the golden rule is associate with people who bring something to the table. They might not necessarily be better than you but they have an edge in one or more aspects over the rest. You bring something, they bring something, everyone brings something and everyone is happy. That is what power networking is all about. It is mutual, not parasitic, it seeks complement. Alexis de Torqueville was a French aristocrat who in his book Democracy in America gave a lot of insights on the benefits of strong associations. He had travelled on an official assignment to the United States and was startled by his discoveries. He discovered how much more was achieved and in record time as a result of right associations. He said, An association unites into one channel the efforts of divergent minds and urges them vigorously towards, the one end it clearly points out. Mother Theresa wisely stated. You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you can not do. Together we can do great things. Every positive net worker has this in mind.

They understand that nobody knows everything and nobody can do everything so they connect with people who complement them. People who excel in any field in life know this, sometime ago, after thinking long and hard on what made some high flyers tick, I embarked on a wide research. I went into the archives of several fields and for the few who had not only very humble beginnings but also a very negative atmosphere around hem, when they finally struggled to make it out, the first thing they did was switch networks. That was a eureka-movement. That was also the time I wrote four important things in business and more importantly in life. 1. What you know 2. Who you know 3. Who knows you 4. Who knows you know what you know An observant eye immediately notices that the whos are much more than the what. That buttresses my point. Networks are made of people. It is people who

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make any network useful or useless. It is not necessarily location or cash or anything else. If the right people are in there, the desired will eventually arrive; but first the people, people forming strategic alliances. Now, the question might be how do I build networks? The answer is quite simple really. The foremost thing that should be in the minds of potential net workers is connection. You must be willing to make connections with people and connections depend a whole lot on impression. Nothing hinders a connection more readily than a negative first impression and nothing aids a strong connection than a favourable positive first impression. Several times a year, I attend numerous conferences in numerous locations. The object isnt just to keep people abreast of the trends in my vocation or field but importantly, I endeavour to network with people. Conferences, seminars, symposiums and the likes offer great opportunities for networking. Arriving before time, coffee breaks, in-

between sessions and lingering after the close of the programme are different windows of opportunity. You could go armed with business cards but in the absence of that, exchange phone numbers, BB pins, email addresses and others to maintain correspondence. In addition, social networking sites offer vistas for meeting people and building networks. -13OF NETWORKING AND THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION by AKPOVETA VALENTINE TEJIRI 2 Not every strike yields gold but if you really need gold youve got to keep striking. You wont get gold on every strike and will definitely never get gold if you stop striking. And then, you might be looking for gold and not diamonds. If you are so fixated on gold, when the diamonds come, youll never recognize them. The same applies in networking. Not everyone you stretch a hand of friendship to will accept it. Not everyone who accepts it would be a part of your intended network. Not everyone who becomes a part of the network have pure motives. In life we grow and learn.

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That shouldnt hinder you reaching out. Youve got to keep at it. Even when you think that person might not be worth it, looks can be deceptive. It is often folly to make a habit of judging books by the covers. Those people can turn out more valuable than you ever thought. In another light, you could contribute to that persons life. You might just be the connection that person needs to unlock their great potential. Frequently, an excuse, here is the fact that some people are just hopelessly shy introverts. I have reason to believe that no one is shy by design. While I agree that some people are a great deal more outgoing than others, I do not believe that there are some people are wired to be mute recluses, shying away from contacts. I fancied myself a shy guy for a long time. Now I reach out to people quite often. It wasnt sudden change. I didnt wake up one morning to realise I had to make friends. It was rather a process. I had realised that I usually would get a better deal than most if I built networks so I worked on

myself little by little, step by step until I got where I am now and Ive not stopped growing. No matter how shy a person is, if they can decide to intentionally work on their people skills, with time they would become great connectors. In networking; People is paramount Communication is currency Information is key Connection is fuel People work on themselves better each day and to connect with people at every opportunity as well as build networks have great advantages. Networks give people a lead in life by placing them several steps ahead of the normal lone ranger. As the world inevitably shrinks into a cyber village and as it is increasingly bith important to build and/or belong to networks, the social hermit faces the very real threat of extinction. NETWORKERS HAVE INFLUENCE

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Microsoft founder, William Gates III, explained what he called the Trilogy of Trust. By that he meant, for example, Eugene and Fabian are friends. Eugene has made quite an impression on fabian that he is efficiendt, credible and trustworthy, Fabians trusts Eugene. Fabian and Gordon are friends. Fabian has influence on Gordon and has proved several times to be a man of integrity, a man of his word. Gordon has implicit trust in Fabian; Eugene doesnt know Gordon from Adam. Yet, if Eugene ever needed to do business with Gordon, no matter how sceptical a person Gordon may naturally be, Eugene would have little or no problem if Fabian puts in a great word for him. Its like this: Fabian trusts Eugene, Gordon trusts Fabian and by extension Gordon trusts Eugene trilogy of trust.

Fig 1. TRIANGLE OF TRUST Good net workers know this and try to multiply this with all their contacts. They do not know where every one of their network partners has influence, but in building trust and influence within their networks, they inevitably have extended influence beyond their knowledge. It might even extend further. Ian trusts Horace who trusts Gordon who trusts Fabian who trusts Eugene. Eugene therefore has influence by extension on Ian. Net workers indeed have influence. NETWORKERS NEUTRALIZE THE DISADVANTAGE OF ONE The disadvantage of one is a coined term that refers to the limitation by default of being a uni-existential being. So far, it is generally believed that it is not possible to exist in several planes at the same time. That is to say, if we are in a given space at a particular time we can not be in another space in corresponding time. However, net workers neutralize this disadvantage. They dont know everything they can not be every where, they havent met everyone but

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this doesnt unduly bother them because they can always readily tap into the advantage of a power network. They can do a whole lot, better and easier by effectively utilizing contacts of their networks and its extensions. They save themselves the hassles of laborious exertions which yield little fruit. NETWORKERS GROW EXPONENTIALLY Someone once said growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. It is possible to grow old without simultaneously growing up. For those, though, who choose intentionally to grow, they better their chances by being part of a supportive, complementary network. Increasing your knowledge base by reading books and getting a lot of information from the internet as the added dimension of people is added. Books dont pay for reading them. Books dont award contracts or give awards, recognition. Books are important buat are mostly a means not an end. To maximize growth, a shift must be made from just loose associations to stronger synergistic networking. The right people who know the right people and are

known by the right people, when brought together into a power network are quite unbeatable. NETWORKERS ACHIEVE GOALS FASTER Ian lives in a remote village. Kelvin lives in the city. Landon lives in the city too, but in addition,, has a number of friends in the music industry quite highly placed great and music with whom and he can maintains play the steady guitar correspondence. Let us assume all three of them have talents commendably well, it doesnt take a stretch of imagination to guess which one will get the big great soonest, if all of them have dreams of reaching the pinnacle of their chosen career- music. While one has to divide his time between the guitar and farming, another gives more time to the keyboard and with an enabling environment and the last one gives time and gets quicker rewards by getting more performing opportunities. While one is derided for shying away from hard work and for fear of callused hands, another receives encouragement and the last one receives both encouragement and avenues to showcase his

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skills. Even if Ian is the best of the lot, except he has the right network, he should better prepare for a life of playing music to farm animals. If you want to achieve your goals faster, seriously consider networking. -14OF NETWORKING AND THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION by AKPOVETA VALENTINE TEJIRI 3 LAWS OF NETWORKING In networking, as in life, there are principles which guard cause and effect. To know them and align with them by obeidience would always bring results. Your ignorance of them doesnt affect them and neither does location. Like Stephen R. Covey says in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, principles are deep fundamental tools that have universal application. A one year old child does not know the nitty-gritty of the law of gravity. But if he walks off the edge of a cliff, ignorance wont save him. He would fall the same way Newton would fall. If he happened to survive the fall and move to a far different location,

and walks off a totally different cliff edge, he might not be so lucky to be put together again. It doesnt matter that he cries and objects, he breaks it, he pays the negative consequences. He obeys it, he gets the positive consequences. It is the same thing in networking. To get the best out of your network you should be familiar with and obey these laws. LAW OF THE CIRCLE Your network determines your net worth. Shall we critically look at the meaning of net worth first! According to the investor world, the net worth in financial terms of an individual is the value of the asset including cash minus all liabilities. The amount by which asset exceeds liabilities is considered the net worth of that person, in a network sense, an individuals net worth is the eventual, residual value that individual possesses as a measure of the implicit whole some of the positive and negative utility of his close associations. I am yet to hear of someone who has all his friends as highly positive or all his friends as completely negative.

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music network, he is doing himself a great disservice. The character constituent of the network is successful and highly connected but martins net worth isnt worth much. A rose plant in a potato garden is a weed. The law of the circle doesnt just say that the character constituent of the close circle network FIG. 3LAW OF THE CIRCLE If one has say 20 positive friends and 3 negative friends, they have a positive networth. They have a negative networth if their negative friends are overwhelmingly more than their positive friends. But this is just the scratch. When we take it to the deeper sense of network, we should understand that a network might be comprised of very high flyers and achievers but could still contribute to a negative networth. How? If martins is a writer who doesnt know the difference between a sonnet and a sonata, or the difference between doh reh me and princess Moremi, a totally tone deaf writer and goes to build or be a part of a should be made of highly driven, highly motivated people. It also says that the network should consist similar vision people whose commonality is their strength. Whereas, it is the same martins in both scenarios A and B, his net worth in B is higher than his net worth in A because his net work was different. To make this further clearer, let me add a shocking truth. Every additional element to a network does NOT add value; they MULTIPLY value. Each person added to the network doesnt bring additional value, they bring multiplied value. He is not bringing only himself; he is a window to many others like him. Dont just build network for the sake of building them to fulfil

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righteousness, build networks of people of congruent goals. Your cycle shouldnt be a motley rabble of disjointed parts with variant intentions your overall net worth would be abysmal. Your cycle must obey the law of the circle. LAW OF THE CYCLE (what goes around comes around)

momentum, displacement etc. the very fact that parlances exist is prove enough of the contagious quality of habits in a close network. The law of the cycle says strong habits not nipped in the bud become culture. They might be positive or negative. When it becomes culture-be it words, actions, methodologyevery one partakes in it. You might begin it but it goes the full cycle and returns to you again. When it spreads round the network, it becomes readily identifiable characteristics of its members. If there are habits you want imbibed in your network, begin and sustain it. Eventually, it spreads. If there are ugly habits which will be inimical to the growth of that

FIG 2.LAW OF THE CYCLE The easiest way to explain this is parlance. A parlance is simply a word used by and common to a particular group of people. Parlances might not be decipherable to non initiates because it is generated and often used exclusively by only that group. I learnt this the hard way in SS1 when I tried to use the English definition for science words such as cohesion, adhesion,

network, even if you think it is just between two people, soon it might go the full circle and become culture. Simply put, consistent habits in a close group are highly contagious. LAW OF THE RIPPLE (it never stops here)

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law to your benefit, do within your network only those things which you wouldnt be ashamed of hearing in some other place, only those things which place you in FIG. LAW OF THE RIPPLE good light. There is no such thing as, I just do it here, this is my family, I will never do it elsewhere. The law of the ripple would ensure that, though you dont do it else where, it is always known elsewhere. What do you want to be known for and as? Begin it in a network. Influence is never limited to a fixed network. In the same vein, reputation good or bad is never limited to a fixed network. In building or being part of a network, you must know that your reputation will almost always precede you. If you have considerable influence within a network, it never stops there. You will find out that people you never met have heard a lot about you. If you have a horrible reputation, it doesnt stop there either, you might find unexplained hostilities from people you never met before. They too, have heard a lot about you. The law of the ripple shows that, like a little rock thrown in water, it begins at one point but never ends there. It spreads farther and farther beyond your control. The only part of the spread within your control is the action. Once it is done, it is subject to diverse interpretations which you may never be able to explain away. To use this

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_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _____________________________________ 3. I will build on my networking skills in this ACTION STEPS Knowledge is power. Power is the ability to do work. It is an ability which may or may not be put to use. So is knowledge, it is like power and may or may not be put to use. Knowledge becomes useful only when its potential is converted to kinetic. Put ting what youve learnt about networking into practise, take the following action steps: 1. I stand to gain and contribute immensely when I build and join networks. Some of the benefits and avenues for growth are: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _____________________________________ 2. These are the areas I would build and join networks in the short and mid-term avenues o Internet o Seminars/conferences o Place of work/business o School/academic institution o Place of worship o Community o Magazine/newspapers o Others (name them): 4. I commit myself to making _______ (number of contacts) new friends by the end of _______ (days, weeks, months). I will not only make but endeavour to sustain these relationships. REFLECTION OVERVIEW 1. What are the laws of networking? 2. What are the benefits of networking?

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3. Name two things networking is not 4. Mention three ways networking can be harmful if not handled with care 5. How do you hope to avoid such pitfalls? -15THE LAW OF BALANCE Such a large crowd of witnesses is around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just wont let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. Heb 12.1 Senior secondary physics knowledge taught me a whole lot about the resolution of forces. These forces might act on a body as big as an airplane and as little and minute as an atom of an element. These forces may act parallel to, perpendicular to or at inclination to the body or particles on which they act. Proper knowledge of the resolution of these forces helps in utilizing and combining the forces such that certain work can be done with minimal stress. Also let me

stress Newtons first law, a fundamental theorem in modern day science. Any body (human or particulate) remains in its state of rest (balance) or uniform motion unless and except by the direct or indirect application of an external force on such body. We see throughout nature, how what we call the forces of nature are in a state of balance. The rising and falling of tides may be influenced by the change in ocean currents, which influence the occurrence of certain windstorms and the likes, the phenomenon of day and night and every other thing occur as disturbances which ultimately act such that the effects of these forces cancel out to obtain a stable equilibrium. In essence, there must be a complete balance in order to have stability in life as well as in elementary physics. In life and destiny, we are overcome with certain encumbrances, entanglements, commitments and necessities such that these elements act like a force on individuals, groups and even organizations. But all of these occur such that by our proper mastery of it, we could employ these forces such that the effects

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cancel out to create a state of balance. This holds through in all facets of life. I call it the law of balance. In your academic endeavour or whatever your pursuit is, the law of balance must ultimately be employed in order to be at your peak performance always. A balanced diet, from elementary biology, is a meal containing food in all classes of food in the their meal right is not proportions. Should the meal contain all classes of incorrect proportions, balanced. In your academics (the main theme of this book), there are certain extra-curricula activities that we get involved with that actually act as forces that influence our state of balance causing an instability. It is however a good skill, if as a student, you can master the concept of balance. Do you ever put to mind why we have to do periodic weeding when we plant? Its simple, the weed is as much a plant as the crop you have sown; the only difference is that it grows on its own while the crop is planted by you. Both being plants however, they require approximately similar

circumstances and conditions to grow. Having a weedy garden is thus a disadvantage because there is an unhealthy competition for the otherwise small resources that should be solely available to the crop you have sown. Removing such weeds thus restores the state of balance, increasing yield and maximizing output. As a student striving for academic excellence, you have to learn to increase yield as well as maximize output. This you can do by having a proper sense and application of balance. I feel much more impressed to delve into the world of physics in showing you the significance of balance. Please refer to New School Physics for Senior Secondary Schools by M. W. Anyakoha (Ph.D) for indepth study. He defined mass as the quantity of matter or stuff contained in a body. He then reiterated that the stuff in a body can be measured by comparing it with standard masses. A beam balance, a device traced back to early Egypt, uses a system of comparing masses by placing the standard masses on

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a side of a balance and placing the masses we want to quantify on the other side through a fulcrum ( a principle largely adopted in leverage and in the early mechanical devices). when raised for weighing, the beam of the balance should swing freely about a pivot in the centre of the beam. Standard masses are added until the pointer balances on the central mark of the scale; when this happens, the masses in the two scale pans are equal. Mass is the quantity of stuff contained in a body. In life you must understand what constitutes your standard masses and what does not. It is very important in your advancement be it in academics or otherwise. Earlier in the book, I talked about opportunity cost, from elementary economics, as determining the cost equivalent of your decisions and choices, that is, estimating the cost equivalent of your loss and then itemizing your decisions based on the least cost. You must have a personal value system. Your value system determines your decisions based

on what you think are important or not. Therefore, it is important for you to know the quantity of stuff, or the cost equivalent, of whatever you do. This constitutes your standard masses. In an academic environment, or rather, for a student in pursuit of academic excellence, it is obvious that his major attention should be on improving his academic performance increasing yield and maximizing output. So you have to least your pursuits, your academics first, and other co-curricula activities in order of importance, and then completely eliminating whatever may constitute a weight or what seems unnecessary. In all, you may have two to three items on your list. Balancing involves placing your academics on one side of the beam balance, and then adding weights. Of course, every material has its elastic limits; you must know when you can no longer add weights, when you cant take it anymore. However, you are allowed to add weights until the two scales just balance and no more.

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Several things may constitute weights; it might involve being on the school soccer team or sports club, or having a fellowship or society you are actively involved in and all. It is wise for you to know when you can no longer add weights, and of course, the only thing is to shed weights. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which will not let go. And let us determine to finish the race we have started. Balance helps a man finish strong, lacking nothing and wanting nothing. -15PRIDE I told a story in the chapter on Study that originated from ancient Babylon. And it told of a king who had so much control over most other provinces in the world, he was at the centre of wielding the worlds greatest arsenal and this got into his head. Pride, in this context, is an unhealthy estimation of ones own prowess. Dan 4:30 And the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" I wouldnt be surprised of you dont quite agree with me here, but from my own valuation, pride in itself, is

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not as evil s we present it. Properly scrutinizing the ideology, pride itself portrays good and positive meanings. May be you should look up the word in your dictionary just to be sure. The word or the behaviour in itself could connote either positive or negative meanings depending on the context. Like most other things, what is bad is actually excess or too much pride. And in this context, pride is a feeling that you are better than other people and therefore do not need their help and support. From my own point of view, pride is an exaggeration in the valuation of oneself, ones ability or connection; it portrays an individual as an island (which of course sinks in the rivers of life). How would you know a proud man? The following are some external signs you would see (not in any particular order): I. II. III. He doesnt forgive He cannot be corrected His methodology and approach is always right

IV. V. VI. VII.

He never apologises neither does he reach a compromise He never cooperates He exonerates himself for poor workdone and magnifies himself for good work done He is an island he doesnt value people and so doesnt see the need for their help.

There are a thousand other attributes of a proud man, however, I want you to pay serious consideration to the points I have highlighted above. Prov. 16.18 pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall Pride has just one consequence, indeed two: it causes a fall which in turn leads to utter destruction. Already we stressed the significance of relationships in our academic pursuits (other pursuits inclusive); pride causes destruction of relationships. Pride causes devaluation. Relationships thrive on evaluation and estimation, the moment pride sets in, it causes its victim to begin to lose value no matter how significant he had been prior to the time. It then leads to

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isolation. Of course any man who thinks he is an island will wound up doing things his own ways, and would not listen to other peoples opinions, he is left to follow his own way, isolating him from the community he is originally meant to influence. The principles taught in this volume are very powerful and have been tested to guarantee results, however, when you have all, watch out for pride. It brings down ones castles, no matter how long it took building them and I am quite sure you wouldnt want to spend a lifetime building a castle that would be demolished right before your own eyes. Pride causes a drowning, like a man sinking in water and struggling to breath. When you see a man begin to struggle in doing what he had previously done with ease, to a greater extent, pride set in and drowned him. So be wary. The truth is, you have nothing to boast of, all have been freely given, all have freely received.