"The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it –as long as you really believe a 100 percent" -Arnold Schwarzenegger
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hen someone says “you are good for nothing; you cannot make it in life”, how do you feel? For some people, they tend to accept these statements while others persevere until things are not turning the way they want it to, then they say “So, so and so” was right, my life is a failure.” Anyway, who made them right? Is it you or they? I am sure you would agree with me that even your parents, friends or relatives do make such statements sometimes. There is no need worrying about such inferior statements; you are who God says you are, not what human born of a man says. Do not even think about it. Accepting such statements affects most people psychologically, that they may not have interest in doing anything to prove those people wrong. Remember that these are just someone’s opinion about you and you are the only one who can make it true if you want to. Dr. James Kwegyir Aggrey was right when he said “we were created in the image of God, but men have made us think that we are chickens, and still think we are, but we are eagles. Stretch forth your wings and fly! Do not be content with the food of chickens.” You are more than what those people say, so don’t be pleased with what they say. Shake off those inferior statements and reach out for your unlimited success.
Sometimes, you look down upon yourselves after an unsuccessful attempt to reach out for better performances. Most students fail to encourage themselves. They forget that popular poem. ” Try again, Try again. If at first you don’t succeed…” That is what they need to keep them on board. In times of failure or setbacks, ask yourself; “Was that all I could do or there is something else?” “Is there anything I should have done that I did not do?” Identify your flaws and find solutions to them. Then, go back and try again. Henry Ford states, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” Remind yourself that whatever you are doing, someone had already done it and you can do it even better. Always have a positive attitude towards what you do. Just believe you can. The most successful people on this planet face problems, but their abilities to solve these problems make them who they are. Stop reminding yourself that you are a failure and that someone else is better than you.
The Great achievers, who ever lived, have encountered turbulent times but rose to the top unlimitedly. Dr. J B Danquah wrote O’ Level certificate examination for seven times before he could pass. Also, Thomas Edison, the inventor of the incandescent electric lamp worked for more than a thousand times before he finally invented the bulb. Albert Einstein was a dismal failure in zoology, botany and language in entrance examination. That did not prevent him from taking those exams again. Something he believed he could do. There are even more of such people you may never hear of but you would learn about some of these people as you read on. I have come to believe that these great achievers did not dwell on their mistakes or the fact that they have failed before, but they believed that they could do whatever they had failed in, and could do it better. They accepted their mistakes, learnt from them and moved on with life. There is nothing to be learnt if mistake is non-existent. Remember that success is failure turned inside out. Abraham Lincoln wrote “the path was worn and slippery, my foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way. But I recovered and said to myself it’s a slip and not a fall.” Even if it is a fall you would rise again, this time clenching onto a permanent support.
We often set other people at the upper extreme while we consider ourselves at the lower extreme. This is normal because it prevents arrogance but be careful you don’t overdo it else you can become inferior. This is to remind you that there are people around you who believe you can do something, but you have never given it a thought. In the Biblical setting, Moses was appointed to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. However, Moses made excuses because he felt he was inadequate for the job God asked him to do. “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, “who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring Israel from Egypt?” (Exodus 3:10-11, NIV). In this situation God knew Moses had the capability to rescue the Israelites but Moses did not believe in himself. Similarly, God appointed Jeremiah as a prophet to the nation. But Jeremiah said “… I do not know how to speak, I am only a child,” (Jeremiah 1:6, NIV). In verse 7 God said “…Do not say I am only a child…,” knowing well that Jeremiah was more than what he thought he was. Again, Jeremiah considered lack of confidence and felt that he had inadequate abilities, training and experience to take the appointment. You should not allow your so called inadequacy to keep you from reaching out for the best and doing what God commands you to do. There is someone out there who believes you can do whatever you have chosen, and that person is God. The apostle Paul was able to accomplish what he did after understanding God’s abilities inside him. He said in Philippians 4:13 that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Why can’t you do the same? If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect others to believe in you?
The 44th president of the U.S, Barrack Hussein Obama, captured in his presidential campaign message, the slogan “Change we can believe in” and the chant “Yes we can,” which I believe has conveyed a message of positive thinking to you and me. As it stands, you can say “Yes, I can” depending on what you have within you and believe that you can. The time for mediocrity is over; you need to recognize this paradigm shift. A lecturer of mine stated something similar, that “I can, I will, I have” which has been with me since. You have what it takes to do what you want but you need the attitude of positive thinking. ”Everything is created twice, first mentally, then physically.” Believe you can and then put to work your abilities. As Sir Winston Churchill writes, “The best way to develop any quality is to assume that you already have it, and act accordingly.” Get the mindset that you can, you will and you have rather than living with “I can’t do it syndrome.” You can do anything if you try but just believe that you can and rely on what is within you. Go on and try that, which you believe you can!
”You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve."— Napoleon Hill
ok, we can.
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