___________________ THE__________________

Winning Edge
_____________________________________________

Success Principles
for top achievers

VOCALADVANTAGE
BOOKS
The Winning Edge
Published by Vocal Advantage Books
Member of Leyforth Holdings
ISBN 978-0-7974-7665-3

Copyright © 2016 Blessing Mandipira

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the author.

For more information about special discounts for bulk purchases,

please contact Blessingspeaks Unlimited on (+263) 778 716 405 or
speak@blessingspeaks.co.zw

Blessing Mandipira is an internationally acclaimed motivational

speaker, top executive speech coach, facilitator and author. For more
information or to book an event contact Blessingspeaks Unlimited on
(+263) 778716405 or visit our website at www.blessingspeaks.co.zw

Printed in Zimbabwe

Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover Design by Delight

 DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all those brave men and

women who have ever dared to step out of the
dominant culture of resignation and mediocrity and
endeavour to create the life of their dreams. I honor
and salute you!
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to:

Monalisa Mpofu, my editor;
Edmore Gamundani, my mentor;
Molife Chaplin, my executive assistant.
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
FOREWORD ix
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF 3
CHAPTER 2: FACING REJECTION 11
CHAPTER 3: UNLEASH THE POWER OF GOAL-SETTING 17
CHAPTER 4: DEVELOP A WINNING ATTITUDE 25
CHAPTER 5: MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL 32
CHAPTER 6: TAKE MASSIVE ACTION 42
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 47
 FOREWORD

The winning edge is a book which, to use Blessing‟s

words, is for “the seriously serious”. It is a book well
written to show how one can be a winner in the game
of life. The book espouses practical examples of how
to be a winner at your game.

Blessing is an avid author and has been through the

mill. His personal story is a powerful story that is
punctuated with pragmatic experiences that bring to
life the winning edge. He has come a long way and
no better person is suited to deliberate on the matters
of winning.

I have watched Blessing grow into a formidable

force in the industry of speaking and coaching and
for him to pen such a graceful offering is testimony
to the organic growth that he has experienced over
the years. Blessing is gifted in positively touching
and transforming people of this and subsequent
generations. Through his active participation in
Toastmasters International he has inspired and
motivated many people to reach for greater heights
and “be hungry” for success. This book will inspire

ix
every reader to reach for greater heights on their
life‟s path and calling. I am certain you will enjoy
digging through this wonderfully scripted serving
and you will master the winning edge.

Edmore Gamundani
Life Coach | Leadership expert | Author

x
It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined.

Henry James
 INTRODUCTION

This book is written so that it might inspire. You

have met people who literally wander through life.
They simply accept whatever fate brings them. A few
may succeed by accident, but most suffer through a
lifetime of frustration and unhappiness.

Whatever has driven you to the current moment...a

moment when you have paused to examine the ideas
contained in this book – it would appear you are one
of those fortunate human beings who is ready for
some change, and that is what this book is all about:
transforming the individual human life from where
and what it is into where and what you desire it to be.

1
 CHAPTER

1
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass

produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You
were deliberately planned, specifically gifted and
lovingly positioned on the Earth by the Master
Craftsman.

Max Lucado

Believing in yourself is a choice. I have discovered a

common trait that all successful people possess. That
trait is the ability to believe in oneself. You will
never make a meaningful contribution on this planet
earth if you reside in the land of self-doubt. You
must deliberately or and intentionally decide to
believe in your God-given talents, abilities,
capabilities and gifts. The latest brain research
indicates that with enough positive talk and positive
visualization combined with the proper training,
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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

coaching and practice, anyone can learn to do

everything beyond any shadow of doubt. You have
seeds of greatness within you and it‟s up to you to
believe that anything is possible. Dare to move away
from a position of weakness and always thinking that
success is only meant for a chosen few. Challenge
the inferiority mentality. Have a burning desire to
fulfil your goals and your dreams.

Never wait for perfect circumstances because no time

or circumstance will ever be perfect. There is no
right time to start your endeavours. The right time is
now and there is no better time than the present to do
what you have to do. Some people are waiting for
everything to line up right. The truth of the matter is
not everything will be alright for you to start running
with that million dollar idea.

Resources are never enough and they will never be

enough. The human being craves for more all the
time. That is how we are constructed. Ask the richest
man on the planet if he wants more money and you
will get a resounding yes. He believes in having
more than enough. His mind is success oriented and
never inclined to failure. He understands that the
road to being successful requires a higher magnitude
of self-belief and failure is not an option.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

May I encourage you to break all the limitations and

barriers that are holding you back and begin to see
life with new refreshed and razor sharp eyes. It‟s an
injustice to look at other people as heroes but never
see yourself as a hero. We all are heroes to other
people as well. I sincerely believe in your potential
and the gifts that were bestowed upon you. Everyone
is born with something special and sometimes you
have to dig deep inside you to find it for the benefit
of the whole world.

Believe in yourself and I say again believe in

yourself. The words of Max Lucado reinforce my
point. You were not an accident. You were not mass
produced. You are not an assembly line product. You
were deliberately planned, specifically designed and
gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the
master craftsmen.

STEPS TO BUILDING YOUR SELF BELIEF

AFFIRM YOURSELF

Your ability to affirm yourself constantly and

consistently is very important in order to get results.
This also raises your sense of self belief. I remember
in my high school days how I loved to play Rugby.
We used to do what we called War cries. The war cry

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would last for about two minutes. The process

involved reciting certain phrases over and over again
and then the fascinating finale had us roaring like
lions. This helped us to psych our minds and create
the right consciousness that enabled us to win games.
I remember watching a rugby world cup game
between New Zealand and another powerful team,
Australia. Just before the game as is custom, New
Zealand performed their war cry which is known as
the “HAKA”. The crowd went wild when they were
finished, and you could see what it had done for them
and to their opponents.

They were in control and were positive from the very

onset of the game. Their opponents on the other hand
appeared shaken and they had to regain their
confidence before they could make an impact on the
game. In my speech coaching programs I encourage
all the delegates and people I train to incorporate
affirmations into their daily routine. Just like the war
cry before a rugby game, affirmations raise self-
esteem and self-belief thus increasing confidence,
and confidence is the first step to winning. When
your belief in yourself is high, then your chances of
achievement are also very high.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

DEVELOP YOURSELF
Develop your mind aggressively and let the process
of self-development be a lifelong and continuous
one. Your mind conforms to what it gets, so when
choosing reading material don‟t go for mediocre
standards. Read extremely great books that have a
positive message which empowers your mind to gain
a new and brighter perspective of life. In this fast
moving age, whatever information you have today
will be obsolete in the next six months. Therefore in
order for you to keep abreast make continuous
development your number one ally. Make an effort,
in fact make it a mandate to keep developing your
mind.

HEALTHY ASSOCIATIONS

Have you ever taken time to take stock of the kind of

people that are in your life? Go through your
phonebook once in a while and detoxify your phone.
Delete the numbers of those people who are not
adding value to your life in any way, because if they
are not adding then they are subtracting. Run away;
in fact flee from individuals whose motivation in life
is to become nothing and to acquire no value at all.
Look for friends and acquaintances that appreciate
and understand the value of high quality
relationships. Surround yourself with people that

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

inspire and challenge you to breach the boundaries of

mediocrity and simplicity, and break the chains of
poverty and meaninglessness in life. I will never
forget the day I visited the man I call the personally
call Zimbabwe‟s father of motivational speaking, Mr
Milton Kamwendo. I didn‟t get to spend a lot of
time, but the seemingly few thirty minutes I spent
with him were an immeasurable blessing. I say this
because what I learnt from him in that short amount
of time can never be erased, by any means, from the
tablet of my heart. I have taken hid of every word
and sentence that he deposited in the depths of my
heart. I do not want to promise you that you are
always going to find positive people around you. It‟s
a deliberate effort to find the right associations in
your life.

The world is full of negative people whose only

mantra is criticizing no matter what. It does not
matter how well something is done, they will always
find fault in it. They have made a career out of
criticizing. You know the people that I am talking
about and I know given ten minutes you can quickly
come up of a list of more than hundred names. They
criticize as if there are in a contest of some sort. They
will find fault with everyone and every situation.
You will find these people in every office and every

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 THE WINNING EDGE

family. These people are energy suckers or energy

vampires.

Robert Fulton invented the steam boat. He decided to

display his invention on the banks of the Hudson
River. The crowd gathered around to have a glimpse
of this new invention and among the people were a
group of pessimists and those that had pulled him
down mentality. The sceptics commented that it
would never start but it did. As it made its way down
the river those energy vampires shouted vehemently
it would never stop. What an attitude. It‟s easy for
one to know if you are an optimist or a pessimist.
The pessimist is always complaining about
everything. He is always depressed and rarely in a
great mood. Always looking for the bad in the mirror
of life. Forgets his blessings and counts his troubles.
Stop being negative about everything and start
entertaining the right thoughts in your head.

Someone gave me a wonderful description of an

optimist and how you can also become one if you
were a pessimist. It is well captured in these words.
Be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of
mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every
person you meet.

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

Make all of your friends feel that you appreciate their

good qualities and strengths. Look at the sunny side
of everything. Think only of the best and expect only
the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of
others as you are about of your own. Forget the
mistakes of the past and press on to the greater
achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile.
Spend so much time improving yourself that you
have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for
worry and too noble for anger.

10
 CHAPTER

2
FACING REJECTION

We keep going back, stronger, not weaker because

we will not allow rejection to beat us down. It will
only strengthen our resolve. To be successful there is
no other way.

Earl G. Graves

If you have never been rejected at some point in this

life then you are probably playing it safe. It might
mean that you rarely fight for the things that you
really want. The mark of greatness is on you and you
deserve to get where the fights are and make your
own mark on this planet. Stop playing coward and
start getting your hands dirty. Those people who are
pursuing their dreams and chasing their purposes will
resoundingly confirm that rejection is part of the
rigorous test you have to go through in order to be
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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

worthy of achieving your dreams. If rejection was

not there then one of the following two things would
happen:

People would achieve their goals and objectives with

ease and they would not have to work hard or;

People would not achieve anything because there

would be no dreams, goals and objectives to chase
after.

Yes, rejection is there but in order to sidestep

obstacles and challenges that may and will stand in
the way of us achieving our goals and dreams there is
need for the development of mental and moral
stamina. At the beginning of the year in 2016 I
afforded myself the opportunity of standing by a
traffic intersection and handing out flyers, and I must
humbly admit that the amount of rejection I faced
was enough to fill up a garbage truck.

Some drivers rolled up their windows at the sight of

me advancing towards their vehicle, whilst others
would pretend to be on a call or just turn to the other
side to avoid eye contact. The more hostile ones
would just rev up their engine to scare you off, then
there were the polite few who simply shook their
head in denial.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

I therefore am a first-hand source to affirm that if

you and I are going to be successful, then we will
certainly need to know how to handle rejection. Like
breathing and eating, rejection is part of the natural
cycle of events that one cannot evade or escape. Earl
G. Graves once said, “We keep on going back,
stronger not weaker, because we will not allow
rejection to beat us down. It will only strengthen our
resolve. To be successful, there is no other way.”

Would there be need for salespeople who go all out

to sale a product if there was no possibility of
rejection? No, rejection is there and it‟s as real as
gravity. You are going to face it at some point in
time, and when you do, be ready to embrace and deal
with it. Rejection will attack you personally, but
don‟t take it personally. It‟s just like that. Take the
rejection as a learning curve and from it learn how to
deal with the possibility and occurrence of rejection
the next time it rears its ugly head.

It may be that you are an author, your recent book

has come and the publishers are refusing to help you
with the selling. Better still, maybe it‟s that gorgeous
lady from the next office whom you have proposed
to on a countless number of occasions, and she
seemingly gets more annoyed in your advances.
Worry not my friend, don‟t take it personal, it isn‟t

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an attack on your personality. Regardless of the kind

of rejection you are facing, never allow it to rob you
of the visions and desires of your heart.

Whenever you ask for something always remember

that SWSWSWSW which simply stands for “Some
Will, Some Won‟t, So What, Someone‟s Waiting.”
The truth of the matter is that, someone is waiting for
you and your ideas. Someone out there values you
and your expertise and as you go about foraging for
acceptance that person is scaling the landscape in
search of you. Sooner or later your paths are going to
intersect and all will end well, but until that time
comes keep knocking, keep asking, keep looking,
keep pushing and keep demanding for your share of
the BIG CAKE. You deserve to sit and live with
kings. Victor Hansen, co-author of the Change Self
series once said, “What you want wants you. You
just have to hang in there long enough to eventually
get a yes.” May these words inspire you to reach the
pinnacle of your greatness. Never give up on your
dream… perseverance is all important. If you don‟t
have the desire and self-confidence to keep trying
after you have been told that you should quit, you
will never make it.

The secret to success is to never give up. You are

smarter than that and you are definitely educated

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 THE WINNING EDGE

beyond the quitter‟s level. Remember, you are a

champion and the CEO of your destiny. Next time
someone responds to your efforts with a NO, don‟t
take it personal. Remember the Chinese proverb
which says, “He who cannot smile should close
shop.” Just smile and thank them for their feedback
and for showing you how not to sell. Move to the
next person and with the same enthusiasm state your
affairs, you may get a yes. Some people actually
have a habit of saying NO ten times before they can
respond with 1 YES. So just keep moving, keep
asking and keep pushing every obstacle and rejection
that comes in your Dream Path.

When Colonel Harlan Sanders left home with his

pressure cooker and his special recipe for cooking
Southern fried chicken, he received over 300
rejections before he found someone who believed in
his dream and vision. He rejected rejection over 300
times and as a result there are now more than 11,000
KFC restaurants in different countries around the
world, including our very own Zimbabwe. I love
KFC. Don‟t take your dream lightly or treat it with
kid gloves. Treasure it, cherish it, nurture it and do
all that you can to make that dream a reality. Give
rejection a taste of its own medicine, reject to be
rejected. Build your mental stamina and have a

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

rejection repellent system. You deserve to win and

you are a winner, an achiever and a goal getter.

16
 CHAPTER

3
UNLEASH THE POWER OF GOAL-SETTING

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands

your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires
your hopes.

Andrew Carnegie

The challenge with most of us is the fact that we

never take time to plan our lives. We prefer to play
defensive rather than switch to the offensive mode.
We must plan our lives and come up with a system
that will help us to create the sort of lifestyle we
want. The reason why a large percentage of
Zimbabweans are really struggling is not necessarily
to do with the state of the country‟s ailing economy
but is due mainly to the lack of a proper, well defined
vision and the inability to properly set goals.

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You must put your goals on paper, and then make

sure that you remember them, keep them on your
fingertips. Truth be told, everyone can write but if
you want to be successful then you need to have
those goals as part of your own DNA. ”If you want
to be happy, set a goal that commands your strength,
liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.”
Andrew Carnegie (1900s) – the richest man in USA.

Once you know your life purpose and you have

crafted your vision and clarified your needs, wants
and desires of your heart they must be converted to
being specific, measurable and achievable.
Remember the smart way of goal setting. SPECIFIC,
MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC
AND TIMEBOUND. Experts on the science of
success know that the brain is a goal seeking
organism. Whatever the goal you have or you set to
achieve ,the subconscious mind will aggressively
work on it day and night to make sure that its
attained. Put your mind to work.

Imagine if someone was going to set a goal such as

“I am going to write a book” and the goal does not
fit in the smart acronym. It‟s a fuzzy hazy dream and
it will be very difficult to make that dream or goal a
reality. It‟s a weak goal. It‟s a goal that does not
empower and will not propel anyone to move into

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 THE WINNING EDGE

action. It‟s disempowering. It‟s not clear. What type

of a book? By when? How big will be the book?
Goals must be very clear and inspiring and also
definite. Be as specific as possible.

AUDACIOUS GOALS…You must never settle for

average or small goals that don‟t allow you to rarely
put your butt on the flow. Your goals must stretch
your abilities, unlock your creativity juices and
expand your horizons. Let your goals make you
uncomfortable and push you tremendously to
greatness, ultimately your goals must cause you to
grow and become a master to dealing with life‟s
demands. You must become an expert of life matters.

CREATE AN INSANE GOAL

Everyone who wants to be successful in this life must
have what I like to call an insane goal. It is the type
of goal that breaks your bones and elevates your life.
That type of goal that reminds people of the old
adage „from rags to riches‟. A goal that caused
Robert Kiyosaki to sell a million copies of his book
Rich dad Poor dad within an hour on the Oprah
Winfrey Show.

A goal that promotes someone from being a security

guard to an Honourable Member of Parliament. A
goal that elevates someone from being a tea boy to
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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

occupy the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as a

Governor. That‟s the insane type of a goal that I am
talking about. It‟s a quantum goal. Would it not be
exciting to pursue such a goal with an incredible zest
and passion? I mean really giving it all until that goal
becomes a reality. It‟s a killer goal.

The achievement of such a goal can change every

facet of your life forever. That‟s what I mean by an
insane goal. A goal that if you were to share with
friends and colleagues they would doubt your sanity.
An example of such kind of a goal is when I told my
friends and relatives that am going to coach
presidents from Africa and beyond in public
speaking so that they safeguard their reputations and
leave their audiences in awe.

It is a skill that anyone can master if someone is

willing to go through the process and manifest their
own greatness on the podium. One man that inspires
me in this craft is my own president Robert Gabriel
Mugabe. I mean he is the best in the whole world and
I have no shame in saying that. Am bragging because
I have seen and watched so many presidents from
different countries communicate and President
Mugabe‟s eloquence and ability to connect remains
unmatched.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

I have not received any kind words from anyone I

have told my dream. The only person who sees this
as possible is me. When I told people that I was
going to get into professional speaking many people
told me to dream on. They were judging me
according to my circumstances back then and little
did they know that it‟s a fatal mistake to judge a man
according to where he is and fail to appreciate what
he can become. They considered my terrible English
grammar both in writing and in speaking and
concluded that I would not grow and change. They
had a fixed mind-set and never thought that I had the
capacity to develop, grow and to keep on exercising
the learning principle. The adage „practice makes
perfect‟ is true for me and I may not be there yet, but
I am getting there.

I have coached over 100 CEO‟s and MP‟s plus a few

ministers and I can testify that I am pushing even
harder to get there. If your goal is not that frightening
then you may be short-changing yourself. When I tell
people where I am going they look aside, some laugh
and others call me Mr ZEALOUS. That is okay
because I know what I want and slowly but surely I
will get there. An insane goal is a breakthrough goal.
A goal that changes your life in extraordinary ways.
It brings you new opportunities. You strike new

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

relationships, gets you in front of important people

and takes your life to a higher level.

BRUCE LEE
Bruce Lee arguably the greatest martial arts artist to
have ever lived, also understood the power of
declaring a goal. He wrote a letter for himself on
January 9. Bruce wrote, 1970 and it was stamped
Secret. Bruce wrote by 1980 I will be the best known
oriental movie star in the United States and will have
secured 10 million dollars and in return will give
every single time I am in front of the camera and I
will live in peace and harmony. He made three films
and in 1973 filmed Easter the dragon. That is the
same year he passed on and the movie was such a
huge success and achieved worldwide fame for
Bruce lee. I believe if this man was still alive he may
have been a millionaire by now.

MIND THE DREAM KILLERS

Fears hold so many people back when it comes to
achieving dreams. The fear of rejection that I touched
on earlier on. Fear of embarrassment. I am reminded
of a meeting that I once attended which was full of
accountants and other professionals. After finishing
my presentation I decided to give a few people an
opportunity to speak just for two minutes on the
subjects that they were all comfortable with and alas

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 THE WINNING EDGE

I faced a lot of resistance on that day. One young

man stood up and spoke so well that if he had not
pursued accounting he may have done well in public
speaking too.

He gave a wonderful presentation that no one will

ever forget on that day. I was inspired and I gave him
one of my books Dazzle Your Audience. If you do
not have Dazzle Your Audience in your library I
suggest you invest in that book. It will balloon your
confidence to greater heights and your own children
will find it a blessing too.

ROAD BLOCKS
These are external circumstances that go beyond just
thought and feelings? Roadblocks come in different
forms; different forms; for instance no one wants to
join you on your proposed project. It maybe that you
don‟t have all the money needed to take your project
on the international platform. It could be that you
need investors to boost your financial muscle.

Government laws that prohibit what you want to do

may also be considered road blocks. A lot of people
tend to then quit and let go of their dreams when
faced by road blocks. They lose their steam, their
energy goes down and their hunger for success goes
down as well. No matter how small or big your

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dreams are, let me tell you in advance to prepare for

more road blocks along your path to achieving your
dreams. Jim Rohn once said, “Don‟t wish it was
easier wish you were better...”

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 CHAPTER

4
DEVELOP A WINNING ATTITUDE

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental

attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on
earth can help the man with the wrong mental
attitude.
Thomas Jefferson

I have come to the conclusion that most people fail,

not because of external factors but the mind. I have
observed that most of the time it comes down to how
people think and what they tell themselves. Simply
put, it‟s a matter of mind-set. A lot of us are defeated
and disqualified in our minds as a result of what we
believe about ourselves. If you think your life will be
miserable and all that you are going to experience is

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misery, then unfortunately your thoughts will

become a reality.

You owe it to yourself to be able to surf information,

to discard the unimportant and useless and to keep
that which matters most and adds value. Delete the
information which takes away your power and drains
the zeal out of your life. Make it a habit to think
healthy thoughts and allow yourself to stimulate your
mind through the cleansing process. Henry Ford once
said, “If you think you can, then you can and if you
think you can‟t, then you can‟t.” Develop a winning
attitude, it‟s not accidental, it‟s a deliberate and
intentional choice that you have to make.

Sometime back, a friend of mine whom I had

mentored in public speaking convinced me to
become a partner on a certain project they wanted to
embark on. It was a seminar and we decided to target
a total of one hundred and fifty people whom we
wanted to attend the program at the world class
Crowne Plaza Monomutapa Hotel. I must admit that
at the onset I found myself falling victim to the ghost
of doubt and asking too many discouraging
questions.

What if people don‟t come because it will be in the

night? What if they don‟t have the money to attend?

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 THE WINNING EDGE

What if they don‟t get transport to go home? The

economy is performing badly will people really
attend? I had so many reasons why people may not
have attended that seminar. If I had continued with
that mind-set, the truth is we would have both
discontinued the endeavour.

However, I shrugged those thoughts away and we

worked tirelessly, sleeplessly and very hard in order
to achieve our target. When the day came and I had
the honour to count the fruits of my labour, I was
humbled. The turnout was amazing, I counted well
over one hundred and seventy people that came
through for the seminar.

In the beginning, I was afraid of failure, I asked too

many what if‟s. What made the difference was the
fact that I decided to focus on the positives rather
than the negatives. I began to visualize a lot of
people in attendance. The outcome, was birthed in
my vision, and ever since that day whenever I have
ideas I see myself succeeding and fulfilling whatever
mission I embark on. Cultivate the I can mind-set
and develop the will and desire to win, no matter the
odds. Your life is a reflection of your thoughts.

I will never forget how the now ZIFA President

Philip Chiyangwa made it to that position. He

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campaigned vigorously until the very last day and

though people questioned his ability and his
leadership character he did not allow the sentiments
of the scepticisms to deter him. His campaign catch
phrase was “Bhora Kuna Phidza.”

The flamboyant businessman had this to say, “Over

the years, I have watched and followed the press.
Seen how our football has become polarised to the
detriment of the game, how the executive committee
had become toxic and divided, how our council had
different camps…..I believe I am the right person, by
virtue of not having been involved in the personality
clashes, to lead a deliberate conversation of healing
and reconciliation, to lead and bring together players,
coaches, government, affiliations, corporates, fans,
the secretariat and my board to a common
understanding that, we need each other.”

December 5, 2015 came and the councillors voted

Philip Chiyangwa as the new president of ZIFA. Of
all the people that were running the race, I must
admit that the only person who worked hard enough
to earn the post was Phidza. He was all over the
place and honestly speaking, until now I don‟t even
remember the other contestants.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

Chiyangwa had won the race well before it was over

or announced. He won the presidential race well
ahead of the other contestants and way before it was
announced. During the campaign, he worked hard to
promote and advance his brand, riding on the media
wave and striving on controversy, and at the end of
the campaign, all his tireless effort paid dividends.
When you win it in the mind, then you have won it
on the outside.

Peter Daniels, an Australian multi-millionaire and

philanthropist started off as a young man struggling
to get out of his predicament, whose only option was
to read, and read, and read. As a construction worker
with a below average aptitude he had to teach
himself to read, speak and think by reading
dictionaries. He had to force himself to read and
study every day of the calendar year.

He would focus on self-help principles instead of

reading the useless papers and watching television.
Fascinated by the question, what makes great people
great? He decided to read over 4,500 autobiographies
of great leaders and innovators. He familiarised
himself with law, relationships, finance and health
and other necessary forms of literature or education.
He learnt how to spend, read, listen aggressively and
actively, memorise vast quantities of information and

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

obviously how to apply the information he had

attained.

Peter Daniels has attained most of the things

pertaining to life, and you and I know that we are just
like him. There is no big and insurmountable
difference in terms of our abilities. All it takes is the
willingness to achieve.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Whatever you do,

you need courage. Whatever game you devise upon
there is always someone to tell you, you are wrong.”
Develop a winning attitude. Remember it‟s a daily
process and not a process that should be done in a
day. The exciting news about developing a winning
attitude is that once you taste victory your mind will
always want to win.

I was reading the Sunday mail of the 8th of May

2016 and since I am a lover of sports I was amazed
by a young man whose exploits in sport has raised
our flag high as a nation. Am talking about a man
whose fame and popularity has reached the tipping
point. This man is Charles Manyuchi and he has
inspired a lot of young people to consider taking
boxing as a profession.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

After his victory in Russia, Manyuchi walked way n

fifty thousand dollars richer. The opportunity for him
to meet the President of Zimbabwe came as a result
of hard work and sheer will-power. You and I know
that you don‟t just easily meet the President. He is
such an inspiration to millions of Zimbabweans and
will leave an indelible mark in the field of boxing.

It‟s your right to be successful. It does not matter

your background or which school you attended or
didn‟t attend. The best way to make it and to achieve
your dream is to have a winning attitude. Goals and
dreams are fulfilled by men and women who make
the decision of never to leave life to chance but to
come up with a strategy of winning in this life. It‟s
not enough to have good intentions. Develop the
right mind-set and pursue your dream relentlessly
until you make it.

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 CHAPTER

5
MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL

Time slips through our hands like grains of

sand, never to return again. Those who use time
wisely are rewarded with rich, productive and
satisfying lives.
Robin Sharma

Have you ever noticed that all of us are given twenty

four hours a day, seven days in a week and three
hundred and sixty five days in a year? Time and
chance happen to us all. The universe is very liberal
and fair on allocating all of us the same time and
making sure that we all use the currency of our time
according to our own judgement. The biggest
challenge comes when we fail to maximize on the
good use of time and we become slaves of time
rather than mastering our time management skills.
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 THE WINNING EDGE

It takes personal effectiveness in order to manage

time well. Imagine a managing director whose
priorities are misplaced and is always thinking that
there is never enough time to do things when his or
her counterparts seem to be at the top of their game.
An employee who is always late at work and forever
complaining that there was no transport on the roads.

In a study carried out by some American

psychologists, it was discovered that it‟s important to
get your time under control as this would create
feelings of joy, happiness, personal effectiveness,
and well-being and high levels of confidence. Time
management is a skill that all of us are capable of
mastering. If you can ride a bicycle, drive a car or
use a computer then you can also learn the principles
that can make you and I successful. Please
understand that even as I am writing this book I am
not a genius but a fellow student who is also still
learning on the journey of life. We can only stop
learning when we are in the grave.

I am going to suggest a few ideas that we can

implement in order for us to scale up our
effectiveness regardless of our different fields. I
believe that when all is said and done we must be
able to show and justify to our bosses and our
accountability partners whether we used time

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

effectively or not. Results don‟t lie ladies and

gentlemen. You can be one of the most efficient,
effective and productive person in your field of
expertise and get promoted faster than you ever
thought possible.

 The power of decision making. You must decide

today that you want to become one of the finest
human beings who want to maximize and use time
effectively. It starts with a decision. You must
decide to join the top ten percent of the people in
your industry who are doing so well and better
than you.

Decide today to begin to respect time and make sure

that you become a good steward of time. Time will
determine your failure or success in life. It will
represent your rate of getting opportunities or
missing opportunities. You and I have seen people
just standing on the road or by the drains doing
absolutely nothing and wasting time in idle chatter.

They have made a decision to live their lives like that

and obviously they will be rewarded accordingly.
Decide today to use your time effectively and
emulate those that are on the road to achieving their
dreams and are known for results and not excuses.

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 THE WINNING EDGE

 The power of goals. Have you ever seen that the

people that have no direction of where their lives
are going are the ones that abuse time? They would
rather recruit other people on their side to make
sure that they become competent in complacency
and mediocrity. I have seen that most of us if we
are not careful and have not yet developed a sense
of mission and direction it‟s easy to be swayed to
and from and achieve nothing at the end of our
lives.

 I have met a lot of old people who regret and say I

wasted a lot of time when I was young and now
it‟s difficult to set goals and I don‟t think I will
ever amount to anything since my days on the
planet are numbered. I suggest that it does not
matter what age you are, young or old you can
deliberately start to write down your goals today.
Put them on paper and do one or two things that
will assist you as soon as possible to make that
dream become reality. Sometimes you can find
experts in goal setting and they can help you come
up with a plan that will enhance your chances of
success.

 The power of self-discipline. Discipline is a key

ingredient to making sure that one increases their
chances of being successful. Doing the things that

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

you know you must do whether you feel it or not is

called self-discipline. For instance on a cold winter
morning, I know for sure that a lot of us can be
tempted to stay longer in our blankets in fear of
this cold weather. Self-discpline requires us to
ignore the desires of our flesh and pull ourselves
out of bed and go for that dream. I also know that
the seriously serious and those who respect time
will never allow time to become their master.

 As I am writing this book I had ten places that I

was tasked to speak at today and my last
engagement was at PWC in Mt pleasant. Tired as I
may be, I know I have to finish writing this book
by the end of this July 2016. This book will have
six chapters and this is my fifth chapter and I need
to complete this chapter today without fail.

The power of self-discipline has made the

unintelligent make it, failures overturning their
misfortunes and becoming insanely successful in a
very short space of time. Life belongs to those
people that exercise self-discipline. Time
management is about managing the big staff in
small chunks until you achieve your dreams.
A couple of months ago I read a book that was
written by Todd Henry entitled Die Empty. In the
book Todd makes reference to a discussion around

36
 THE WINNING EDGE

the question; what do you think is the most

valuable land in the world? In response, many
people cited the most beautiful places with
fabulous resources, oil, gold, real estate, etc. But
one gentleman answered, “You are all wrong”.

The most valuable land in the world is the

graveyard. In the graveyard are buried all of the
unwritten novels, never launched businesses,
unreconciled relationships and all the other things
that people thought, I will get around to do that
tomorrow. One day however, their tomorrow ran
out. When I think of how I lost my mother at the
age of nine and realising that she is gone forever,
never to be seen again on this planet, I redouble my
efforts in doing what I do. When I think of how I
lost my father whom I never stayed with in all my
life I triple my efforts.

Why do I double and triple my efforts; because I

realise that we do not have a lot of time on this
planet. We are all here for a very short space of
time and I suggest that we make the best use of our
time. The bible says, “You are only a mist that
appears for a while and then disappears”. Use the
time you have to make meaningful progress so that
when that day comes you would have lived at your
best.

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

You must not regret on your deathbed. I would

rather die knowing very well that I did everything
that I was assigned to do. Live like someone who
knows that he has an assignment to fulfil on this
planet. Resist unnecessary misuse and abuse of
time. Be a responsible adult and change your habits
starting from today.

Warren buffet once said, “the chains of habit are

too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be
broken”. What habits have you inculcated in
yourself to make sure that you maximize the
moment whilst you still have good health. When
you can still walk and talk. A time when you still
have the ability to write using your own hands.
When your eyes still have life and you are able
bodied. Make good use of time my friend.

There are people that are regretting how they lived

their lives but it‟s too late now. Some of these
people engaged in criminal activities and they have
been put in jail for the rest of their lives. Others
will come out after their prime time. Some will rot
in prison and will never see their families again as
a result of bad decisions which led to them being
denied the priviledge and liberty of using their time
freely.

38
 THE WINNING EDGE

This year has been a very bad year for the family
of Doctor Kereke who was convicted for rape
charges and was charged for ten years in jail. I
consider it lost time for this man who is said to be
one of the finest brains Zimbabwe has ever had in
the field of economics and business. Unfortunately
he is not free anymore to use his time on his own
terms. He could have been making a difference for
his family and taking care of his loved ones but
regrettably it will not happen until he comes out of
those prison walls and we are talking of a decade.

However, Dr Kereke can choose the winning edge

and utilize his time in prison wisely. He can start
writing books on economics and business and get
his books published even while locked up.

My heart bleeds when I think of great men and

great women who are in our prisons as a result of
abuse of time. Had they used time in a respectful
manner and with integrity they would not have
been in cells. They no longer have the time to run
their own businesses and chase after their dreams
and contribute meaningfully to their country.

I know what it means to be confined in a jail cell

since my dad was at Chikurubi prison for more
than fifteen years. When he came out of jail he did

39
 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

not live for long, he passed on and I never had time

to play and learn from him. His reason for being in
prison was murder.

Had my father restrained himself from being

involved in a fight that led to his arrest and
subsequent sentencing he could have been an asset
to the country more than a liability. It was a painful
loss to have our dad locked up in cells for more
that fifteen years that were never redeemed. We
struggled throughout our lives, being treated like
second hand clothes with our extended family. Had
he been around our lives could have been very
different then. Time must be respected because it is
what defines life. I am still to meet someone who
is a success but does not value time.

When we take personal responsibility for our lives

and we manage our time well nothing will stop us
from being in the top ten percent of those people that
are highly successful in our own field of expertise.

Nothing meaningful was ever accomplished without

proper planning, good decision making and the
power of self-discipline and goal setting all leading
us to managing our time effectively. Robin Sharma
once wrote, “time slips through our hands like grains
of sand, never to return again”. Those who use time

40
 THE WINNING EDGE

wisely are rewarded with rich, productive and

satisfying lives.

41
 CHAPTER

6
TAKE MASSIVE ACTION

Great men do not only talk but are also men of

action.
Blessing Mandipira

Ladies and gentlemen what separates winners from

losers is ACTION. I have never seen or met anyone
who achieved enviable success seated on a couch.
We must never lose sight of our most treasured
possessions which are our dreams. Everything we see
today at one point was just a dream. The laptop I am
using right now was once a dream. The chair that I
am seated on and the table from where I am typing
from all this at one point was once a dream.

What made it possible for us to enjoy all these

benefits in life are men and women of action. When
you decide to take action on your goals and dreams
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 THE WINNING EDGE

you will realise that no matter how small the baby

steps you are taking you will end up achieving your
dreams.

My desire of becoming a professional speaker has

always been immense and as a result of wanting it so
badly I began to meet organizations and people that
were willing to help and assist me to become a better
communicator. I would woke up every day and
invest a lot of time on reading books on public
speaking and watching some of the best speakers
locally and internationally.

I would rehearse a minimum of two hours in my

practice sessions in order for me to improve my
communication skills. I would invest in attending
seminars and conferences and making sure that I
master the art of speaking. I knew that my passion
and insatiable desire to get into the top ten percent of
the people that are master speakers in our country
was an achievable goal. I have discovered that you
are likely to become that which you want if you put
your mind and heart into achieving your dreams.

I am inspired by the story of Muhamad Ali the

greatest boxer who ever lived on the planet. It‟s said
that he started doing training at a very early age. At
the age of twenty two he became the world‟s

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

champion of heavyweight boxing. It is said that he

would woke up early and start training whilst others
were still sleeping. He would run in mountains and
was the first one to get into the gym and the last one
to come out. Action was his key strategy to winning
most of his fights and a desire of wanting to be the
best at his profession.

If you and I are going to move out from the crowds

and make a huge difference in our professions and
careers we must be willing to act. Change does not
happen on its own. If you want things to happen in
your life you must desire to work and put your mind
and body to action. Start acting on your dreams now
and never procrastinate. Begin to inculcate the right
habits in your life that will help you become a master
of your craft and make your dreams become reality.

Starting from this day going forward. Begin to take

massive action on your goals. We are not celebrated
for having great ideas but for implementing ideas and
see them roll into life. Refuse to surround yourself
with people who are negative. Lack of focus, hunger
and action will result in one being frustrated with life
and blame everyone for all the pandemonium in the
country. If anything is to be it is up to you. Put your
hands on the wheel and let‟s get to action. Had it not
been of action this book you are holding in your

44
 THE WINNING EDGE

hands would have been a wonderful dream still

buried in my brain.

The world is waiting for you. What are you waiting

for. Take heed of the words that were said by
Franklin Roosevelt. The only limit to our realization
of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Start taking
risks. Success involves risk taking. It is based on
careful study, training, knowledge, confidence and
competence. The man who never attempts anything
misses opportunities.

Someone once asked a farmer if he had planted

wheat for the season. The farmer replied, “No I was
afraid it would not rain”. The man asked, “did you
plant corn”? The farmer said “No!! I was afraid that
insects would eat the corn”. Then the man asked,
“what did you plant”? The farmer replied, “nothing, I
played it safe”. Stop playing it safe my friend and put
your hands to work. Take the calculated risks.
Winners are rewarded for action. Force your hands to
work even when you don‟t feel like it. May these
words written ages go inspire you to make it in this
life.
HE WORKED BY DAY. AND TOILED BY
NIGHT. HE GAVE UP PLAY AND SOME
DELIGHT. DRY BOOKS HE READ, NEW
THINGS TO LEARN, AND FORGED AHEAD,

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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

SUCCESS TO EARN. HE PLODDED ON

WITH FAITH AND PLUCK; AND WHEN HE
WON, MEN CALLED IT LUCK. Anonymous.

When we read of people that made it and achieved

success in their lives it is evident that their burning
desire to succeed was their driving force. They were
men and women of action and not just empty
rhetoric. They proved to themselves that they could
succeed in spite of all odds and obviously they did it.
Action and desire to win is what made a paralytic
Wilma Rudolph the fastest woman on the track at the
1960 Olympics, winning three gold medals.

Please understand that I am only a fellow student of

life who just decided to offer a few ideas on how we
can have the winning edge. I have no doubt at all that
you and I are cut from the same cloth, branches of
the same tree. We have the desire to win in our
careers, professions, family and business. Let‟s go
and win and like Nike...JUST DO IT.

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 BONUS
READING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Blessing Mandipira is a premier expert in the field of

public speaking training. He is an internationally
acclaimed motivational speaker, top executive coach,
facilitator and author. Blessing gives more than 100
presentations a year. His clients include Rawson
Properties (Zimbabwe), The Cotton Company of
Zimbabwe, UNDP, Astra paints, Forever Living,
SAZ, Vineyard Funeral Assurance, Rotary, Mandel
Training Centre, JCI, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
and Ernst & Young, W2 Industries, PWC, ZNCC,
REIZ and Elgrass Travel and Tours among many
other leading businesses. As a motivational speaker,
he uses the catch phrase, "Be hungry and I will
definitely see you at the top!" and teaches people to
follow their dreams as he learned to do.
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 BLESSING MANDIPIRA

As founder and executive director of Blessingspeaks

Unlimited, Blessing has since coached, advised and
mentored a wide range of CEOs, government
personalities, entrepreneurs, church leaders, schools
and some of the region„s most successful people. He
is recognized as an Advanced Communicator Gold
with Toastmasters International. Blessing was
nominated Toastmaster (Zimbabwe) of the year in
2012. He is the past president of Capital
Toastmasters Club Zimbabwe. He has won numerous
local and international public speaking awards.
Blessing„s personal mission is to help people
simplify and demystify the process of preparing and
presenting powerful speeches and sales
presentations. His motivational messages about be
hungry and the importance of having a vision for a
better future and winning in your business and
personal life drew standing-room only crowds.

For more information on Blessing Mandipira or to

book a speaking or coaching engagement please
email blessmandipira@gmail.com or call (+263) 778
716 405.

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