#5StepsOnWinningTheFuture - (2.1) #WhereDoYouWantToGo #FIGHTINGTHECAUSE

“If you dare your circumstances,you'll find their weaknesses and win over them.”JA II 

The only thing no one can take from you is the power of your imagination. Your imagination allows you to have a preview of how glorious and victorious it will be for you to get to your “there”. (Copy and tweet). Reality sets in when you descend from your imaginative world to meet the ugly face of your challenges. This should push you to realise it takes a lot of smart work to get you to the place of your intended vision. Without the practical, living life will unexciting. (Copy and tweet).

Staying within the confines of your imaginative abilities without doing anything is equated to “wishing”.  Take the necessary steps needed as you wouldn’t have any solutions to your problems except when you begin to act. (Copy and tweet). Your greatness will not be achieved in a day, month nor in a year but the seeds for it can be sown immediately. (Copy and tweet). There are some who postpone their journey every year and are never up for it. One of these days means none of these days as an old English proverb states.

We are quick to blame most who have no desire to pursue their “there” anymore. On the contrary, many are reeling from the shock they might have suffered in their quests and unfortunately are still recovering from it. I believe it is painful when you have been exposed to several failures. Anyone can deal with failure at some point but when the cycle keeps repeating, it kills the resilient Spirit you once started with. (Copy and tweet).

As a result, many lose the fervor to push forward in the face of eminent failure and debilitating issues. (Copy and tweet). These things have the tendency to affect your self-belief and make it difficult for you to garner strength to carry on with the journey. For my brothers and sisters who have had such an unfortunate experience, this is a reality of life. The meaning you give to these unfortunate situations is what matters. (Copy and tweet).  It is within your power to turn these situations around as everyone has been endowed by their creator.

You did not lose when things went sour: you lost when you decided not to dare your circumstances anymore. (Copy and tweet). The failure happened when you sat down and began looking adversely at you and what you have done.  The failure happened because of your doings not because of you as a person. No human being fails per se, their endeavours do. Don’t be too quick to write yourself off. (Copy and tweet). Visit your memory bank of your past victories and this should stir you up to try once more. 

There is no impossibility without a possibility- check the spelling! (Copy and tweet).  Even if you should separate the “im” from the rest of the word impossibility, you have “I ‘m possibility”. (Copy and tweet). When in humility you accept that you’ve made some mistakes, you are given the power to live and win again. (Copy and tweet). You have to pick up the pieces and begin to live life to the max again. It’s in this that strength and joy can be found again in doing that which you have always wanted to do. 

Talk About It -

A. Have you ever thought of giving up, not once, nor twice but severally? 

Yours

Joe Akuoko II

#5StepsOnWinningTheFuture - (2.0) #WhereDoYouWantToGo #ENVISIONINGTHEFUTURE

“The journey of a ten thousand miles begins in the mind”- Joe Akuoko II

Every step one takes leads to a place! People say it is the end that will always justify the means. By now I know that it’s the means that justifies the end. (Copy and tweet). The process a person subjects themselves to in fulfilling a dream is what determines the results. Life is a journey and regardless of how well one plans, you are bound to have bumps, breakdowns, detours, frustrations, ill wishes and accidents. (Copy and tweet). This doesn’t mean you should quit. If you don’t, one of these days in the midst of all the negatives, there is bound to be some good. (Copy and tweet). Your ability to follow a plan on your journey in life is paramount as it goes a long way to minimise a lot of the hardships others encounter.  

There is a place called “there” in every one and this is what gives meaning to our existence as humans. (Copy and tweet). Whatever you do should be as a result of your desire to achieve your “there”. Unbeknownst to most, we subconsciously work, live, love with the main aim of getting to our “there”….it’s the quiet utopia the resides in the spirit of every person. (Copy and tweet). Interestingly, like in every endeavour, our mind gives us vistas of how our lives can be and our bodies begin the process of achieving it. It represents a place where fulfillment can be easily grasped. It is not a mirage or a fantasy but a reality which with hard work (smart work) can be attained. (Copy and tweet).

You will never be satisfied until you get to the place destiny is calling you to. When you are at the beck and call of destiny, you find no joy in anything except that which you are pursuing. (Copy and tweet). What it takes for one to achieve the vision of their “there” is not easily practised by many who claim to have an insatiable desire for it.  The price to pay and the discipline needed to overcome the challenges is very daunting. Only a few truly stick their heads in the struggle to win! (Copy and tweet). 

Once you are set for great things in this life, struggles become part of your daily existence. (Copy and tweet). As you keep at it, that which is holding onto your success will eventually let go off it. Persistence is what breaks the will! As the struggle was real for all the great ones we revere, so shall it be for you. If they were not overcome, but the opposite happened, you are just about to win this glorious victory God has destined for your life. My plea to you however is that never just struggle but do so with the right kind of knowledge.

If I should ask you this question “where do you want to go”, it is obvious you are going to tell me about a place? That place could be the achievement of a vision, purpose, degree etc. (Copy and tweet). Though nebulous yet very exciting whenever the idea of your “there” comes into mind. 

Talk About It -

A. Where Do You Want To Go?

Joe Akuoko II

#5StepsOnWinningTheFuture - (1.2) DISCOVER YOU

"...And God created "YOU" in His IMAGE (paraphrased).

There isn’t any nobility in copying yet for many, it seems it’s the easy way out. Finding your own path in life and being guided by divine principles gives peace more than just following others because something worked for them.  (Copy and tweet). Things don’t work for everyone the same way: what worked for someone wouldn’t necessarily work for you. There is so much nobility in being a pioneer! Every one that made a name in history and in our times was bold enough to pioneer something. (Copy and tweet).

Funny enough, if you want to be successful, the best pill to swallow is the one labelled “you can’t do it”.  (Copy and tweet). That which is stored in you has been crying to be let out in order to be expressed. Your duty and the greatest service to yourself and those whose lives are tied to yours is to do something with what you’ve been blessed with.  Remember the enormity of the work of artistry that went into creating you!

The question “who are you” carries with it so much potency that if you will spend time introspectively to search and to ask questions, you’ll be furnished with all the possible answers. (Copy and tweet).  Countless number of people spends their lives worshipping others for their ingenuity, yet fails to make use or watch their opportunities go waste. (Copy and tweet). Grave mistake! I have every right to applaud someone for their skill or ability but I have no right to sit and watch my own go waste. (Copy and tweet). You are not different from the winner in terms of gifts, abilities and sometimes opportunities.  Your difference is found in whether you will act or not on a given opportunity.

My mother instilled in me the value of understanding the power of one’s self. She made sure I understood that anytime something holds you bound, you will never experience the fullness of what you could have become. (Copy and tweet). It will be painful to go through life and never win. It’s even more heart wrenching when you knew you could have won but never yielded when the opportunity arose. (Copy and tweet).

I am great not because a person conferred it on me but because I am learning to understand who I am. (Copy and tweet). You are truly great when you understand yourself! With God being the ultimate, the greatest asset you have before you embark on any quest be it educational, financial or relational is you. If God has been so faithful in not taking “you” away from “you”, then you ought to win. Why? Because the future matters!

From the way I see it, only a few have truly paid the price to understand themselves before engaging with the realities of life. (Copy and tweet). The future I believe belongs to those who understand these three controlling factors- Self- Awareness, Self- Upliftment and Self- Empowerment. This is what will hinge a person onto a foundation from which they can build enduring success. Your future is waiting for you to win it over! (Copy and tweet).

#5StepsOnWinningTheFuture - (1.1) DISCOVER YOU

"Cogito Ergo sum": I think therefore I am” - Rene Descartes

Success or failure begins with the “individual”. Nothing will ever happen without your involvement. (Copy and tweet).  I have constantly emphasised on the fact that a person who desire to win should take all the time available to them and do this –study into understanding who they are. All that mass education did was to teach us what others said and did. However, the education we receive from life teaches us to understand who we are and the power freely given to us by God. (Copy and tweet).

We are groomed to be nice, do a lot and go the extra mile for others. We have been conditioned by society to relate to others better than ourselves. Thus many of us walk around with a mindset of guilt if they can’t answer to the demand of the next person. (Copy and tweet). Try making sure you matter first and you are termed selfish. The bible said love your neighbour as yourself – meaning give to your neighbour the same love you have for yourself.  You Matter first in all things! For me, a person’s true value and sense of worth can only be discovered when painstakingly they take time to discover themselves. (Copy and tweet). I believe that it’s only through a person’s self-discovery that they can conquer the challenges of life.

True self- discovery can be equated to self- awareness! (Copy and tweet). It’s only in undertaking the journey of self- discovery that the revelation needed for your success can be found. Human nature is such that we all love winning and hate losing yet only a few are prepared to pursue this simplest strategy of self-discovery in order to win the future. (Copy and tweet). 

The journey to winning the future starts with you I repeat! Patience is the key as you embark on this journey.  Eventually the one who dares wait and exercises patience gets the results. (Copy and tweet). Patience after all is a virtue! Providence often rejects us when we fail to maximise all the gifts and opportunities we've been blessed with but rather question its intentions by our fears and weaknesses. (Copy and tweet). Until you "DISCOVER YOU", your winnings will always be enjoyed by someone. The future is nebulous yet the preparation that starts with you is what will propel you into winning the future. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About It -

A. What other things do you think can "HELP" us win the future?

#HowToInspirePeople - (3) Love

Genuine love surpasses all the glitter of gold! (Copy and tweet).  A new commandment I give you- love your neighbour as yourself Jesus tells us. Genuine love isn’t only the one that exists between two married individuals….but the one that needs no affiliation to be expressed. Many are hurting out there, most methods have failed, hope in life seems dim yet genuine LOVE can change lives for the better. (Copy and tweet).

There is something about being a "human being" (I bet none of us have been aliens before Lol) and being the recipient of  genuine love. (Copy and tweet).  This love needs no bribe or something done for it because it flows naturally. To lead people, to be a great friend, husband, wife, daughter and son calls for a dying to your needs in order that of others will be fulfilled. Interestingly, only a few will be able to give out genuine love as society has groomed us to demand something in return when giving out. (Copy and tweet).

The writer in the book of Hebrews 16/7 talks about there being the death of the testator if his testament is to be believed and enforced. Until you are ready to die to the mistake, hurts, frustration meted against you, practising genuine love in order to inspire others won’t happen. (Copy and tweet). I have learnt that not everyone will have the same opportunities, open doors, gifts that I have been blessed with. Thus I see it as a duty to give out in order to see others inspired who I know will go out to give onto others what they have received. (Copy and tweet).

I am constantly seeking to inspire others by recommending books, places, leaders, videos that can be of help to their purpose in life. A kind word, a pat on the back, a look of appreciation can make so much difference in the life of a person. You never know who will be of help to you the next time. (Copy and tweet). Understand this- that we are all spiritual beings and if your love isn't genuine, you will be found out.

To ease the burden of life for others, kindly learn how to inspire with genuine love. (Copy and tweet). Christ the son of God didn’t relent on saving humanity if genuine love wasn’t at work. In Gethsemane, he had every chance to renege on his promises but didn’t allow his desire of being free to stop him from dying for us. Through his death, we are inspired to live for others. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About It -

A. What other ways do you think people can be shown genuine LOVE?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II

#HowToInspirePeople - (2) Praise

Praise is the spirit that propagates success in any endeavour of a person. The lack of it stifles a person’s abilities leaving them handicapped. Every person you meet in life has something they would want to be praised on. (Copy and tweet). Those who win with people are the ones who truly understand this phenomenal strategy and apply it. Everyone is born with the need for praise. (Copy and tweet).

Peter was the only one who could define Jesus as Christ sent from God. Based on that, Jesus praised him because “flesh and blood” had not revealed that to him. He was subsequently given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. From Peter the fisherman to being praised and empowered with the keys of the kingdom, is something he never thought of. (Copy and tweet). Subsequent stories of Peter in the bible will prove that when someone is praised, they automatically switch on their “able” side and begin to do more. (Copy and tweet).

Every human being has been blessed with qualities that are endearing and uplifting. (Copy and tweet). The sad thing is that no one can praise themselves as this might lead to self-deification and arrogance. Lucifer’s thoughts of being like god by praising his “I” abilities caused him his position as recorded in Isaiah chapter 14. (Copy and tweet). I believe God has given genuine people like you and I the power to lift people up through well-deserved praises.

When you praise others for their accomplishments what you are inadvertently telling them is this – “you can do more because I believe in your abilities”. (Copy and tweet).  If you continuously praise them highly for their characteristics and achievements, it really puts fire in their hearts….people will always do more for you if you praise them genuinely. In these times where almost everyone seems afraid of what tomorrow might bring economically, the best way to motivate people isn’t to find fault with them but to look for their good points and praise them for those. (Copy and tweet).

Be you a leader, father, mother, visionary, a friend etc, it might seem easier to find faults with the people within your care. However, I have come to understand that the more you hammer on people’s faults, the more hardened and rebellious they become. (Copy and tweet). May be a switch to praise will do the trick. When a person is praised it automatically causes them search within themselves on how they can become better. Where being better might mean finding ways by which they can deal with their weaknesses and faults. (Copy and tweet).

In your Christian walk, never forget to release your praise every now and then. One thing God never does is to praise Himself. (Copy and tweet).  The power of praise that emanates from us to Him causes God to move beyond all power to show Himself strong on our behalf. Throughout the bible, praise has been a secret weapon by which insurmountable challenges have been dealt with.  (Copy and tweet).

To excel in life, two things will cause you to stand out- learning to praise God and people. (Copy and tweet). I have coin out this acronym out of the word “p -raise” (P will always represent people who raise. Raise who…. raise anyone who they come across with kind words that motivate?) (Copy and tweet).

Talk About It -

A. What other things can “PRAISE” do for people?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II

#HowToInspirePeople - (1) Recognition

It’s an inherent nature of man to want recognition. (Copy and tweet). We were created with a desire for fellowship from which should stem the recognition of who we are. We often lie to ourselves when it comes to wanting recognition. Earning that amount of money, wearing the designer clothes, living in that house etc are all good yet those things I think only give a false sense of recognition. They are additives! Pain is pain regardless of who you are and what you have. (Copy and tweet).

Many fight for their rights as a way of demanding recognition which I find nothing wrong with.  However, in our day to day living, we don’t need a government legislature to be enacted into law before we gain recognition. We can easily reach out to the next person and relieve them of the burdens life without a fight with the powers that be. (Copy and tweet).

There is nothing wrong with wanting recognition but when it leads to narcissistic tendencies, you ought to watch out. Paying special attention to others and hailing due praises engenders a feel of acceptance which also empowers in the long run. (Copy and tweet). In psychology, I believe they call it rewards.

Recent events in the world have either demotivated or totally killed the self –esteem of many. They are desperately looking for a way to kick start the joy and enthusiasm they once had. From our daily fear of further financial meltdown and political instability, recognising someone for the little they do is something that empowers the average person to want to do more. (Copy and tweet).

I have often said recognition is a part of man that God left for the other person to add. (Copy and tweet). We all get bog down with a lot during the course of our lives. Interestingly, many never find a way out to break free. You and I could alleviate someone’s burden by showing how much we recognise them for their love, kindness and care. (Copy and tweet).

Music, movies, books can inspire us up to some point.  A pat on the back, notes of thank you, a look with affirmation etc are ways by which we can tell others we recognise their value. (Copy and tweet).  To be inspired by someone who values you is also a great way to stir yourself up. In order to touch the core of a person, learn to recognise them for who they are – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (fears). (Copy and tweet).  A bit of business application there Lol!

Never let a day pass without you smiling at someone, saying thank you or doing something to uplift the other person. (Copy and tweet). Make it a point to be a “people’s recogniser” in the practise sense of the word. I make it my duty to lift people up every day of my life. Remember the Bible recognises the power and value of words. Yes there are several ways to recognise a person but the greatest of them all I believe are the words we speak to each other to show we recognise them. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About It -

A. What other ways do you think people can be recognised?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II