Contribute to Your Unbelievable Turn Around

Deal loving people,

Nothing happens is this world that does not take effort. History, until our present time, has been shaped and molded by the efforts of men and women of both renown and obscurity.

Songo is a guy with MBA (Masters in Business Administration). One day he came home so tired and dejected after he had searched for a job to no avail for well over 7 years. He decided to change his strategy and to start somewhere with anything and so got a job as a Gatekeeper at a prestigious company in town.

One Sunday after church service, he was chatting with his Pastor and the Pastor at one moment told him specifically that God will turn his life around sooner than he could imagine. Songo was quick with all conviction to say ‘AMEN’.

Shortly afterwards, the management of his company decided for some unexplained reasons to review all the credentials and job descriptions of all its personnel. That is how they came to discover who their Gatekeeper actually was with regards to education and behold! He was named Deputy General Manager a few days later with all advantages included such as service car, a driver, a company house, a comfortable salary etc.

I know many people will be quick to say a miracle had happen to Songo or that God had suddenly blessed him. Very true but guess what? His blessings did not come out of nothing; it was not just some stroke of luck. He actually worked for it.

Remember that he searched earnestly for a job; irrespective of his education, he humbled himself and started somewhere with as little a job as a Gatekeeper and seeking God’s blessings in church. Summarily, God blessed his efforts.

The Point! God can only bless your efforts or actions that you are taking earnestly towards growth. If you fold your arms and sit waiting for some blessing to change your life out of nothing, Trust me! nothing will ever happen even if you pray all the days of your life. Start doing something, and then you can ask and receive God’s unfailing support.

I read with passion 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) which states clearly that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Do what you can earnestly and leave the rest to God.

Let the Natural Law Work for You (Part 1)

Dear loving people,

Our topic this morning sounds weird isn’t it? Do you believe that above the imperfect laws written by man there exist a higher, perfectly just, unwritten natural law created by God? Well, the interesting fact is that human laws are valid only insofar as they correspond to the natural law, and everybody can discover for himself what this natural law demands simply by using reason.

Guess what, you are not alone in believing so; as far back as some 2,000 years ago, a Roman writer and politician Cicero in his book Laws wrote: "There is in fact a true law - namely right reason - which is in accordance with nature, applies to all men, and is unchangeable and eternal. ... It will not lay down one rule at Rome and another at Athens, nor will it be one rule today and another tomorrow. But there will be one law, eternal and unchangeable, binding at all times upon all peoples; and there will be, as it were, one common master and ruler of men, namely God, who is the author of this law, its interpreter and its sponsor. The man who will not obey it will abandon his better self and, in denying the true nature of man, will thereby suffer the severest of penalties, though he has escaped all the other consequences which men call punishment."

Cicero in such a concise statement summarized all the essential features of what became known as the natural law. First, it is the direct expression of the Divine Will. Therefore it is universal, eternal and unchangeable. Second, its rules can and must be found with the help of right reason. Third, man has a sacred obligation to obey these rules. Whenever he breaks them, he violates his own "true nature" and therefore automatically punishes himself.

Thus, the concept of a Natural Law implies that moral principles are immanent in nature, and that they tell us exactly how we should behave. As long as we obey them, we fulfill our true destiny. All our actions will not only be natural, but also perfectly moral. In other words, if everybody acted according to his nature, i.e., his "better self", the world could forever live in harmony, justice, and peace.

The truth is that even before Cicero; such an appealing idea had long been introduced by a popular school of Greek philosophers including Plato, Aristotle and then Stoics. These Greek philosophers equally only updated a much older philosophy originating from some of the earliest religious beliefs of mankind that evolved from animism through polytheism to monotheism.

Let’s get one point straight, my objective here is not to take you into an exploration of some ancient Greek mythology but rather to enable you understand the Purpose of Natural Law in relation to your quest for success. Like a strong current in a river, natural law propels life in an evolutionary direction. It is the invincible force in nature from the level of the unified field that continually creates, maintains, and evolves life.

Sitting under a tree one day, Isaac Newton saw an apple fall.  Watching the apple fall led him to theorise that there was an unseen force, which he later called gravity that causes objects to not fly off of the earth.  Natural laws like the law of gravity are fundamental truths and can be applied to our own endeavours. Life is easier if we notice the way things work and use that knowledge to our advantage. 

Obviously it is easier to work with the force of gravity than against it.  You can achieve wondrous results by trying to work with natural inclinations. So how does that apply to our lives?  Let’s take a look at other natural phenomena.  One thing we notice in nature is that babies are born small and they take a long time to grow into full maturity.  They can grow into a huge man or woman given time and a nurturing environment.

 

To be continued...

Face Your Difficultires Boldly

Dear loving people,

One of the only ways to grow in whatever area you choose is to develop a strong problem-solving strategy. It could be very difficult to evolve if you are fear challenges. Isaac Asimov said “It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly.” When you face your challenges boldly in the face by solving the problems they generate, success becomes easy.

The strategy for solving problems almost always includes five steps irrespective of the angle from which you tackle the particular problem. Let’s examine these steps:

1.      Identify the problem: Firstly you need to identify and name the problem so that you can find an appropriate solution. While there might be numerous problems in your life, but you must be able to focus and pinpoint the problem that you are really passionate about finding a solution to. In my case, I had to think about what my purpose in life was and my passions. This took me back to school when I was greatly impacted by development work in Africa.

2.    Research the problem: You have to see the problem clearly enough to determine what action you are going to take. Getting a clear view of the problem may take considerable research. You aren’t going to be able to effectively fight against something until you have a good idea of what you’re fighting against. Doing your homework also focuses your sense of urgency and compassion; it helps you define what you object to about the problem. I know the more I researched on the issues surrounding development work in Africa, the more passionate I became about social science and finding and implementing development solutions.

3.    Identify solutions: Next you need to identify all the potential solutions before deciding which one(s) you want to implement. The more possible solutions you find the more likely it is that you will be able to discover an effective solution. You can brain-storm for ideas. The purpose of brain-storming is to collect together a long list of possibilities. It does not matter whether the ideas are useful or practical or manageable: just write down the ideas as they come into your head. Talk to other people and get their ideas. The aim is to collect as many alternative solutions as possible.

4.    Select a possible solution: From the list of possible solutions you can sort out which ones are realistic and manageable. Some smaller solutions actually lead to bigger ones. Think about the outcomes to possible solutions and also check with other people what they think the outcomes may be. When you have explored the consequences, you can use this information to identify the solution which is most likely to have the best outcomes. The light bulb comes on!

5.     Implement the solution: Once you have selected a possible solution you are ready to put it into action. You will need to have energy and motivation to do this because implementing the solution will take a lot of time and effort. Begin by planning a strategy which will include goals, policies, programs, actions, decisions and allocation of resources.

Problem solving is bridging the gap between where you are and where you want to be, what you see and what you want to see, who you are and who you want to be.

You can problem solve anytime you experience a challenge or have a goal to achieve. You can use the problem solving model to look for solutions to concerns connected with your study or other aspects of your life. You can take the problem solving steps by yourself, with a friend or others. Problem solving with others is often very effective because you have access to a wide variety of viewpoints and potential solutions. The problem solving model is a useful resource for you to utilize in all aspects of your life and when dealing with challenging situations.

Remember, your success rests in part on tapping into the public capacity for compassion and being able to get others involved.

If you require further assistance, please make an appointment with Living Lectures.