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“All things are possible to them that believe” – Mark 9: 23

I would like to start by tweaking the title of this post to “The Reason I don’t Succeed”. After experiencing a memorable “JOBFinder’s” Seminar in Ibadan this weekend (check the picture above), I kept isolating my successes from my failures and wondering which integrated elements are responsible for the individual outcomes. I realized that my “Potential” is constant despite my failures or my successes so the problem of failure has nothing to do with my potential. What about the “Actions” I take in order to succeed? “Actions” could be a combination of strategy and tactics. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that the “Actions” I take is very important to whether I succeed or fail but the actions I take is a function of my “Belief”. So the four parameters discussed so far are:

Belief – Potential – Action – Results

The four elements above are quite crucial in justifying the difficulty in implementing what you know is right; an obese individual having the knowledge that sugary, fatty and high cholesterol diet is not good for him/her still makes it a staple. We intuitively recognize that we need to do better than we are doing but we rather spectate than participate. We listen to a motivational speech, we get all hyped and excited but we fail to follow through on what we have heard. We buy books, tapes and CDs but we prefer to stick to reading and listening to knowledge rather than act on what we have learnt. We fail to act because we do not believe; we fail to maximize our potential because we do not believe enough. If we do not maximize our potential and act on what we know, the result would likely be a failure. This simply means the root of all results starts from your belief.

Take a chill pill! If an entrepreneur who strongly and passionately believes in a project that he/she invested all his/her funds in it and the project fails, does this nullify my earlier assertion? What defines “Belief” is not in the initial passion or the massive action like investing your funds; “Belief” is defined by enduring on a project till the project becomes successful. Enduring does not mean doing the same thing in the same way and expecting a different result (that is insanity), enduring means an unwavering position of success amidst failures and seeking every avenue to come to that unwavering position of “success”. Mark 9 pointed this out succinctly when Jesus disciples could not heal the boy with the dumb spirit but Jesus was able to heal the boy and the disciples asked Jesus; “why could we not cast him out?” Jesus answered them by saying; “this particular healing could only be done by fasting and prayers”.

This particular passage points out the fact that despite the disciples experience and passion about healing the boy with the dumb spirit, they did not get the right strategy. A dichotomy was involved; the disciples believed but still had “unbelieve”. The “unbelieve” was not deciphering the right strategy to succeed. Like most people who believe so much in a project and jump into it with all their resources but fail because they do not understand the right strategy or tactics to succeed only means they believe but have some “unbelief”. This is why Jesus statement rings true; “if only you believe, all things are possible to them that believes”. This belief means belief without any unbelief. Most times in order to reach the level of “pure belief”, you must fail forward.

This is why we must understand the cycle of “Belief – Potential – Action – Results” to get to the position of “pure belief”. No matter the project or our passion towards the project, our belief is not totally pure; we enter most project with a double minded frame (would this be successful or not? Let me just try it). This particular attitude does not allow you to maximize your potential and if your potential is not totally maximized, your action would be partial thus the result would be minimal. If on the other hand, you put your best and maximize your potential and you put the right action in play, even if the result is not as massive as you expect, momentum would be achieved. The result (no matter how little) would reinforce your belief.

I remember my first attempt to make money online through this site; my target was a 100 USD in a month. I was in paid employment so I had to murder all social life on weekend in order to attain this. I was inspired by the Holy Spirit so my passion was quite on the high side. I maximize my potential to learn in the night and implement on weekend; I gave it all though I enjoyed it. At the end of the month, I made 2 USD. This was far below what I envisioned but I realized something about myself; “I was able to make money without any crutch like my parents or a job and since the online system produced something through my effort, I realize there was potential in it; all I needed to do was to look for a model who was making money online and follow his model. Despite finding great models and implementing their system, my online income was crawling and it took a cumulative of 5 months to get the 100 USD. I could have given up especially when my salary was about a 100 USD per day.

Compare a 100 USD per day to a 100 USD per 5 months and the latter involved a lot of hard work. It was an easy decision from the data above but I chose to stay with the site because I knew intuitively that true success is limited without freedom. If I cannot on my own make money, I can never be entirely free and it helped that I had a crutch (my job salary) to rely on so it was not really a risk to continue putting my best into it. Almost a year after this, I could make a million naira in a day through this same site. Well, what was I doing working, if I could generate a million naira in a day though I have not been able to achieve that in recent times but it showed me the power of believing in something. All things are indeed possible to them that believe because if you purely believe, you would never quit, you would search for the answer until you get it.

Well, since I cannot just inform you without proffering a solution on how to believe; I would share with you 5 ways to preserve and enhance your belief:

1. Find a big enough “WHY?” The big picture of whatever you decided to engage in must be ascertained. If I take on this project and I become successful, my children’s children can never beg for bread. I would develop my self-respect and move towards attaining my freedom if I engage in this project. Find a big “WHY” and no matter the odds against you, you would stick to it until you gain success. I recommend the film “THE SECRET” to help you visualize and come to the understanding structuring a big “WHY”.

2. Condition your mind everyday towards the outcome you desire. This is where you watch the company you keep; this is where you go all out to keep company with those things that align you to your desire no matter the cost. Psalm 1 points out this obviously when it says a bless man does not walk in the counsel of the Ungodly, nor stand in the ways of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Anything that is outside your purpose is a SIN no matter how benevolent or kind it appears. I recommend the film “FACING THE GIANTS” to condition your mind. I have watched this film three times in the past one week.

3. Get a coach or a mentor. I don’t know who your mentor is but most mentors do not have the time for a protégé except you are working directly under them. The best way to get mentors is to buy their books, tapes, interviews, go to their seminar if they speak. Because one man cannot exhibit all you desire, you can have mentors for business, one for relationships, one for parenting, etc. One mentor, I consistently keep since I left my undergraduate program is Robert Kiyosaki (the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad); I have all his books, tapes, games, etc. The games are obviously one of the best resources to aid you into financial freedom. I recommend the e-game of Cash Flow 101 to simulate your desires.

4. Get an accountability structure or group in place. It is important to join a group of people who are moving in the same direction of where you are going. It is also important to let someone account for your actions. I have been thinking of getting a group of 5 serious guys (male and female) who are serious about meeting every month on the subject of business enterprise and opportunity. These kinds of meetings are important to the success of each person involved. I realize I learn and believe more when I teach than listen to people teach. This meeting would force everyone involved to teach something. I just need 5 serious individuals and I am sure we can start something.

5. Turn Frustration to Fascination: I left this to the last part. One of the easiest things to do is to get frustrated with a project that does not meet the promise you envisioned. Frustration keeps you down and re-enforces FEAR; the number one killer of dream. It is only a minority of people that can turn frustration into fascination – embedded in a frustrated project is gold mine. Frustration develops as a result of rejection and it takes practice to develop a thick skin. You are not born to handle frustration; you practice to handle it. This is why I recommend the CAR VACUUM CLEANER sales to aid you review and understand your level of influence amongst your colleagues. The taste is in the pudding not in the wishing.

P/S: The sales of the CAR VACUUM CLEANER has reached wide and far of Nigeria from Abuja to PH down to Port Harcourt. I am interested in getting an agent in Kaduna and Kano. If you are interested in procuring a unit of the CAR VACUUM CLEANER, please kindly click HERE and you would be directed on who and where to get it from. For those who have requested for the film; FACING THE GIANT; I would get across to you soon. If you are interested in any of the recommended film or group joining as indicated above, please click HERE.

Have a lovely week!