Essential Life Revisited

ESSENTIAL LIFE REVISITED WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING (SECOND EDITION)

MATTHEW KOFI OPPONG ACKAH

ESSENTIAL LIFE

COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2015 by Matthew Ackah. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be copied without quoting the author and no hardcopy of this book should be made available without the authorization of the author. For further concerns, contact the author on [email protected] This book is in no way intended to replace professional counsel and the author is not liable to any harm that it may bring to the reader.

9 789988 208677

ISBN

978 – 9988– 2 – 0867 – 7

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CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

SECTION I – TOP 10 ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES LIFE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

TRIUMPH OVER DEATH MEET CHALLENGES LIVE IN THE MOMENT DEFINE YOUR LIMITATIONS GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS BE YOURSELF PRACTICE MODERATION MAN IS EVIL BY NATURE BE HUMBLE 10. TRUST SLOWLY

SECTION II – SIX ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF MONEY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

DESIRE TO BE RICH KNOW YOUR NET WORTH DRAW A BUDGET CULTIVATING THE HABIT OF SAVING INCREASE YOUR INCOME INVEST YOUR MONEY

SECTION III –7 ESSENTIAL GIFT OF POETRY 1. VACATION 2. THE NIGHT 3. A SOUL IN THE CROWD 4. SLEEPLESS 5. AUTOBIOGRAPHY 6. THE CALL OF NECESSITY 7. UNAPPLAUDED 2

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All glory to the LORD Almighty with whose strength I can do all things. I also extend my appreciation to Preacher Ken Dadzie for his immense support in reviewing the morality aspect of this book. Second, I want to thank Mr. Guy Fuah for his review on the book two which talks about the financial aspect of the book. Finally, I like to thank my friends (especially on Facebook) and family for their encouragements during the difficult periods of writing. Lastly, I want to thank all those whose valuable inputs had made this second edition possible.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pharm Matthew Kofi Oppong Ackah is a registered pharmacist with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) who holds B.Pharm from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He had his secondary high school education at Prempeh College in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region and attended Prestea Goldfields international School in the Western Region of Ghana where he had his primary and junior high school education. He is a community pharmacist by profession and has held many leadership positions. These positions have contributed immensely to his success in teaching on a variety of subjects. He was also an editorial board member of the KNUST branch of the Ghana Pharmacy Students Association of 2013. He writes poetry and reads as a hobby.

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SECTION 1- TOP 10 PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

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1. TRIUMPH OVER DEATH Text: Hebrews 9:27- Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment Death is a morbid subject that is often not discussed because of the painful memories that it brings to some of us. Perhaps, that is the reason why the subject of death is barely touched. There are lots of questions about this subject and people believe in different answers depending on their culture and religion. You probably have your own reservations on the subject. There however are more mysteries surrounding death than any other subject that man has ever known. You may know some facts about it too. If we will all go beyond the grave one day then it is very important for all of us if we should know what lies beyond this life. Death is the termination of all biological functions in the physical sense yet there is a spiritual dimension that is popular but often overlooked. End of life is the beginning of an eternal journey into Heaven or Hell depending on how you used the breath that you have now. As hard and unfair as it may seem, every one of us who is alive today will die someday. When we remind ourselves of this, death really does not seem quite so scary. Find time to muse over the end of life and the likely place that you may spend eternity because it is very necessary. It is quite sad that we hardly think about the end when the weather surrounding life seems to be all good. We get too comfy at this point in time. The physical end of all men is death and everything that has a beginning has an end. This is a natural law that cannot be tempered with. Death is not temporally, it is permanent; deal with the painful truth instead of fabricating lies to numb the pain like most people do. Quite interesting but unverifiable issue is the claim by some people that they have tasted death. They claim of being to Heaven or Hell and are back. Where would you go if you had this experience? 6

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Jesus said that no one has been to the father except He that came from there according to John 3:13. Until the day that all men will be judged by the Lord, no one can be to Heaven, lest return to this physical earth to talk of his or her experience. The Bible made mention of examples like that of Enoch and Elijah. However, none of them returned back to earth after that celestial trip. Moreover, Lazarus told the rich man that there was a gulf between Paradise and Hades which is impossible to cross. All these Biblical examples refute the claim by people who claim that they have crossed from Heaven to Hell and back to earth. Only Jesus could do that. He warned Mary not to touch Him until he had shown himself to his father. He later asked the apostles to feel his hands because He was not a ghost. This shows that He had already been to Heaven to see the father. On the subject of crossing from Hades, Jesus testified that He had been to hell to preach to those who died in the days before Christ died in the cross. Indeed, only Christ has been to both Heaven and Hell and returned safely to earth. There is a single popular channel through which a person naturally comes to this world but there are several channels by which a person dies. The ideal way a person dies is that a person dies in his sleep having worn out from old age, decorated by gray hairs and has accumulated enough inertia. This is called senescence but there are several other unnatural ones as well. Death comes by various means and some of them as you may already know are caused by accidents, homicide, starvation, malnutrition, predation and suicide while others are murdered by others (animalistic character of man). There are people who die as a result of natural disasters while many more die as a result of accidents which arise from the mistakes of other people. Last but not the least is the fact that many die from disease conditions. The most common cause of human death in the world is heart disease, 7

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followed by stroke and the third being lower respiratory infections according to the 2011 report by the World Health Organization 1. Many more die because they deserve to die according to the legal requirements of capital punishment by a region. With all these uncertain but true channels to „Deathsville‟ in mind, it is a good idea when you prepare for any day at all and any time at all which may be the last. The simple man however thinks that death is as far away as the heavens are from the earth. He lives in the future while wasting away the time that he is privileged to have now. God was clear in describing the life of man as it is- brief and uncertain. He said in James 4:14 that for what is your life, it is a mist and flower of the field which is here today and tomorrow is no more. The third thing you need to know about death is the fact that it respects no one and once an individual‟s time is up, it does not matter the health status of that fellow as well as how much that person has in his or her bank account. It matters less the achievements of the person and most importantly, the age of that individual, death just swoops in and snatches away. Death is an enemy who comes around to steal, kill and to destroy. Are you one of those few who assume that death only shows up during old age or in sickness? You may be in for a very big surprise. This is usually assumed based on published life expectancy data that is found in most countries. As at the end of the year 2014, the country with the highest life expectancy is Monaco at 89.57 years, the country with the lowest life expectancy is Chad at just 49.44years. That of Ghana is around 65.75 years. (You will find the life expectancies of all the countries in the world at the end of this book). These may hold true in some cases but as aforementioned, death is no respecter of age and so the earlier you prepares for judgment, the better. 8

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Taking this truth into consideration, David, the king of Israel asked the Lord to teach him to number his days that he may incline his heart to wisdom as we see in Ps 90:12. If you are not prepared for death every passing day of your life, then you are living in self-deception probably because it gives you some hope or comfort. You may be part of a larger crew who accepts the inevitability of death but assign a later time to it. To this peculiar crew, death is always a shock to when it strikes because they least expected it. Do not be taken by the shock of death. Pray against untimely death but always prepare for it. We can only prepare for death when we are prepared for Heaven. If the mention of Judgment day put fear in you, then you probably are not prepared to die. To prepare die is to prepare to live forever. It was in this light that the apostle Paul admonished us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 that we should not remain uninformed about those who sleep in death, grieving like men who do not have hope. If you will not be scared upon being threatened with death, it depends on your preparedness to meet God when you finally close your eyes to this physical world and exhale your last breath. Now that you have looked at death square in the eyes, let us take some time to think about how this can be of benefit to you. With all the monies that you are acquire in your work and all the cars that you see around as well as the houses that you may putting up and tell me about what will become of them when you are long gone. This is quite a depressing question, I know. But it is also worth the consideration. In this brief life, people make it a point to accrue so much material things as if it is permanent. This is not worthy of a religious and godly individual. Those who tend to do this may simply want to have 9

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enough to show off, in preparedness of a rainy day or for a latter project. This is enough good but should not in any way blind us from the duty so seek a permanent seat in the afterlife. A story of a rich man is accounted in the bible. He made plans, lots of plans because he had enough from the toil of his labour but did not think about the possibility of death. Most people in the world make this same mistake of not thinking about the end of life. If you are like these people chances are that, you are not much prepared to meet your maker. Enjoy life to the maximum when you have the means, but do not forget that God who gave you the strength to acquire all that you have. When you take the time to muse over death, it becomes beautiful though it still remains an enemy to the longevity your very existence. All the goals that we fight for and all the wealth that we accrue are not only to enjoy a better life than we are currently doing but probably an effort to be remembered when we are long gone. There are many faiths that believe in the afterlife of death and many others that do not. There are many that fabricate many stories to make death less painful and seem very trivial but that is not the case at all because hardly has a person returned from the grave to tell us about what lies beyond the grave so we seek comfort in literature and proudly gulf down the lies that history has forced down our narrow throats. The good news is that Death is only a transition. This however is the cure for death: that each of us will be prepared for it at any point at all in time. If we are able to better do this, we will agree with the Apostle Paul who wished to die that he may meet the LORD as he wrote in Philippians 1:23 How prepared are you to meet the LORD? We cannot live our lives in fear of death and never can we live our lives in denial of it either by intentionally and intellectually relinquishing it to the dustbins of our 10

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memories. This does not make the existence of the end of our physical life untrue. The earlier we accept the possibility of death at any time of our lives-young or old, healthy or not, the better. Furthermore, preparing for it daily is the best way that can ever be lived in the life of an individual who is ready to stand the sting of a bitter truth in order to experience a better life. So dine alright as long as you breathe but have death in mind. Sorry if you are reminded of some painful event or death of a loved one. Do not worry. Think of this poem by Rose M. de Leon who did a marvelous work of a poem about death: IN OUR HEARTS (By Rose M. de Leon) We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing anew We thought about you yesterday And days before that too We think of you in silence We often speak your name Now all we have is memories And your picture in a frame Your memory is our keepsake With which we will never part God has you in his keeping We have you in our hearts

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2. MEET CHALLENGES Text: 1 Peter 5:7- Cast all your care upon him because he cares for you. (NIV) George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright, socialist and co-founder of the London School of Economics once said "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." You are the master of your life and your life is the product of your choices. You will agree with me that choices usually present themselves when we meet challenges. These challenges also come with opportunities to learn. Most of the time, the crossroad at which we have to make some of these hard choices are unforeseen but the choices need to be made anyway. No one gets an exemption from making choices in life. As long as you are not excused from facing challenges, you will always have choices to make. They are all around you and you cannot go through this life without ever tasting some challenges. Challenges differ in difficulty and instances but the good news is that, there are ways to overcome challenges. There are only two choices to make when you face a challenge-face it squarely or postpone it to another time if possible. Mind you, not all challenges can be procrastinated, some just can‟t wait. The more they wait the worse their consequences. You have in you the best tool for troubleshooting challenges-your beautiful brain. Your mind is the best tool for troubleshooting the challenges of life. Do not complain all the time and stop fretting whenever you face challenges. This will reduce the mental energy that will be required to overcome the challenge. Rather, focus on finding solution to the challenge. The popular belief is that no one has used close to 10% the capability of the mind. This might be true. Some 12

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reasons why most people usually do not use much of their brain power is sheer laziness and lack of efforts at finding solutions to the challenges that they face in life. A reason why most people often find it hard to surmount challenges is because they are not willing to seek for help from others when the need arises. The old adage says that a problem that is shared is a problem halved. Develop the habit of sharing your challenges with people who can be able to help you. Exercise restraint in undertaking this exercise because there are people who will worsen your situation and further discourage you. Look for people who have gone through the challenge that you are facing now and come out successfully. They will likely be willing to help you. You will find their counsel useful in solving the challenge you might be facing. There is this other effective but less used way of overcoming challenges. That is through prayer. Many a time, man does not consult God for directions whenever he faces challenges. He would rather depend on his strength alone which usually fails. Before you decide to troubleshoot a problem, it would be ideal that you ask God for directions. More often than not, the gravity of the situation may throw you agog and blind you from the existence of God. We can however take an example from the Bible which testifies of David the King of Israel. He never did a thing unless he had consulted God as illustrated in 2 Sam 2:1. This brought success untold of in his life as a king. In the same way, there is no challenge we cannot surmount if we would ask God for directions. We are told that if we ask anything in the name of God, He will do it. We can do a lot in life if we cultivate the habit of asking for directions from God before embarking on a journey such as tackling a challenge. A key to surmounting challenges is self-belief. You need to have confidence in your ability to tackle the challenge. In the face of a challenge or danger, the human mind is capable of simplifying 13

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intricate challenges with ground breaking and history making solutions that benefit people for ages. Isn‟t it surprising therefore that there are challenges that we claim are beyond our ability? Sometimes we draw such conclusions because we do not think about the possible solution to the challenge. You can do this by first of all focusing first on the cause of the problem. The second reason why some challenges overwhelm us as aforementioned is because we do not consult God for directions. Struggling with a challenge this way can lead to serious mental problems. Take some time to consider some challenges you might have faced in the past. It will be clear that if you had given careful consideration to the issue or better still prayed about it, you could overcome it. What can best help you is having the view that all the answers to the questions that you ask in life are found somewhere in our minds when we look up to God. The book of James says that if we need wisdom, we should ask God and He will grant it freely to us. The Bible was right when it said in Matt 17:20 that if we have faith as small as the mustard seed, we can move mountains. Have faith that God will grant you the wisdom to solve your challenges and you can. We simply do not try hard enough and often doubting our capabilities to solve our own challenges. This may usually stem from past failures but the past and present are two different entities. Dig deep enough when troubleshooting challenges instead of scratching the surface and getting satisfied with mediocre solutions that do not last as long as it is hoped to last. One quality that can stand in the way of overcoming your challenges is low self-esteem. If you doubt your capability to solve your own problem, you cannot. The fact of life is that if you cannot solve your problems, there is no way you can help others to solve theirs. However, Bible says according to Ps 139:14 that we are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made hence we can do anything at all if we would 14

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believe. I believe this strongly because it has worked for me over the years. It can work for you too. Thinking effectively is a very systematic process and it generates the best of answers when it is focused on the solution for which we are facing a challenge. It is a skill that can be learnt. Anyone at all can think but not anyone at all can think effectively. Practically, it is often said that to find the best solution to a worry, an individual should clearly write down what he considers the cause of the challenge in short simple sentences such as 1. I lost my job 2. My money got stolen or 3. I lost an election and so on. This helps to clarify the problem and makes finding the answers not so much of a difficult task to undertake. It is not the time for cursing and spilling threats. Neither is it a time to weep and wallow in selfpity. First of all; acknowledge the existence of the challenge. Like the adage goes, you cannot hit a target you cannot see. If you do not acknowledge the challenge, there is no way you can deal effectively with it. This form of denial is different but closely linked to positive thinking. Always know where to draw the line. Knowing this will prevent you from swirling around in futility to search for answers to undefined difficulties. The next step is to find the root cause of the challenge. This is because if you just focus on the cause instead of finding the root cause of the challenge, you can deal with the problem only temporarily or symptomatically and there will be a resurgence of the challenge usually with a more difficult way of dealing with it. Finding the root cause of the challenge could be simplified into words such as greed, theft, arrogance, anger and pride among others. This makes it easier to focus on eliminating the root cause which ultimately eliminates the challenge faster. 15

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The next in the process of effectively surmounting a challenge is finding possible solutions to the problem and it is best to find at least three possible solutions to the problem that you are facing. Most people stop here. They find the cause of the challenge they are facing but fail to do something about it. Sometimes, it is just fear that holds such people back. Do not join this toward movement. Challenges, if left unsolved can affect you negatively in many ways. Do not hesitate when the root cause is identified. Do something permanent about it. It is not the time to shift blames but to deal with it. Shifting blames is a game played by the coward and it often destroys vital relationships. The best solution is then chosen among the possible solutions that you come up with. For clarity sake, put this ultimate solution in writing and back it with goals that can help you to achieve that solution. At times, it will be necessary that you combine one or two of the solutions to formulate your master plan of action. You need to focus on the solution to the challenge right from the start. Foresight in dealing with challenges is indispensable. Let me highlight once again that it is not enough for an individual to spend all his time thinking about a solution and not doing something about it. The worst of actions that lead to failure is better than the best of idea that lay dormant without it being carried out. It is therefore not the best of choice that one comes out with the best strategy to solve a problem and yet does nothing about it, or worst, take shelter in procrastination. I am sure that no matter the challenge that you are facing now, you can go through successfully.

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3. LIVE IN THE MOMENT Text: Acts 13:36"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption (KJV) Buddha puts it this way, "Do not dwell in the past, and do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present moment". Life always comes to an end. In the first principle, we discussed this. The good news about life is that, the quality of your life is not in the number of years your life but how you live your number of years. You can live a full life no matter how many years that you spend living. Full years can be enjoyed by living each moment in the present. Living in the moment is just like living like there is no tomorrow. This is not to say that you should not plan ahead of time. It is important for you to acknowledge the beauty in each moment of life and in everyday simple activities. It is a conscious act that requires participation, not just observation. Life is best enjoyed in the activity and not the passivity. The reward for this is a richer and fuller life. Life is uncertain and there can be times time a single or couple of events might change the course of the river of your plans for life but when it does, how do you handle it? The Past There is a belief system that our lives are just consequences of our past. I will not quickly dismiss the fact that your actions or inactions in the past may have spillovers in your future, it is obvious. In situations like this, you can be stuck in the past. Do not allow yourself to be held back by time. Wallowing in regrets and making no progress in life can be very regretful. The past can stifle the present and that in effect, affect the future very much. As the renowned Ralph Emerson puts it, "With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now" He noticed the 17

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importance of letting his past lose. The past can be very despicable. It can be full of regrets and pain. However, your past should not have a negative effect on your life. To do this, you must learn to live in the moment. To live moment by moment is to live one day at a time, concentrating so much on what lie right before you. It is the matters on your plates that matter all the time. You can choose to live in day-tight compartments. This is a way of life where you discard yesterday as soon as the day closes and focus on today. What is past is gone and nothing can be done about it. Did you lose a loved one? Did you miss an opportunity? Did you take actions that you rather would not take if you knew better? You cannot do anything about it. Just let it go. Focus on what is on your plate today and deal with that. Like Jesus said, today‟s worries are enough for a day. No need to drag the past into the present. Comfort those who continually beat themselves up for the mistakes that they might have made in the past which more than often affect the way that they approach their present. This often have a devastating effect on their future lives. Do not be a past tense but present at all times. If you keep staring at the moon, you will miss the shooting star. Be always focused on making the present better by living life one day at a time and moment by moment. This promotes efficiency and heightens focus -a recipe for success. The future Now that we have look careful at the past, let us take the time to consider the future. Do you have dreams and goals that are scheduled for some time later on in life (Maybe after you are pensioned)? Having plans for the future is very good and it gives hope. The problem however is that pushing all your plans to someday can suck the fun out of your life. Plans can also be pushed in the future due to fear or procrastination. The problem with this is that, the future is 18

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uncertain and you may miss an opportunity to enjoy life while you can. The law of the universe is that „Anything at all can happen at any time‟. This means that the goals that you have planned for the future may or may not come to pass. If you can do something now to make life comfortable for you, do so now because none of us own tomorrow. That is the way to life full years-living actively in the moment instead of the future. Fear One thing that can keep you from living in the moment is fear. A lot more people also have apprehension of an ominous future when they consider their present situation. The reality of the issue is that life can take a dramatic turn when we least expect it and that alone should make you cast all fear aside, consider all plans as „fluid‟ and enjoy life moments by moments. The worst has the same chance as the best in happening. That is why living in the moment is such an important strategy that some consider it as the best way. If you are willing to enjoy life, live in the moment. Those who succeed in life or make a mark on the pages of human history and a lasting memory on the minds of people do not live in the past or the future but in today and in now. You can become such a person. Power of thought In Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, an illustration is made that showed that we eventually get what we desire. A man wanted to go into partnership with Thomas Edison which was pretty a daring high goal at the time. The summary of the story is that he eventually succeeded in doing that because he would not stop thinking himself as a business partner of Edison. When life is lived in expectation of the best or the worst, you get it eventually because these are attracted to you in certain ways as we think about them. This concept forms the basis of the power of positive thinking. A whole book has been 19

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written on this concept by the renowned Vincent Norman Peale who found this concept to be true after decades of it being tested and tried. The Bible confirms this in the book of Job where Job said that what he fears is what comes upon him. If a man can think things into being, if he can dream circumstances into reality and if he eventually becomes the end product of his constant thoughts, then why do you not think the positive, the pure, the worthwhile and the good that these may befall you? You can change your circumstances by changing the way that you think. In his life as a lawyer, Jeff Keller who wrote the book, „Attitude is EVERYTHING‟ discovered that how he thought was the reason for his unhappiness that he experienced in his life. He put his discoveries in that book and left his job to be a motivational speaker and author. He chose to live in the moment and that was the beginning of a new and better life for him. He describes his discovery on attitude towards life as one that he will never regret. I encourage you to be bold in changing your life for the better by changing your train of thoughts. Decide from today to make it your habit to think of only the best or the good things in life. This should not be confused with making readiness for the worst someday by making wise analysis of the present situation. Jesus said in Luke 14:31 that even when a king intends to go into battle; he takes time to think and to plan before he proceeds. On the other hand, this must not be confused with worrying about that which we cannot change concerning the future instead of leaving it in the hands of GOD. We are admonished in not to worry so much about life according to Matt 6:34. Depressing Moments When your clock finally ceases to tick, when you finally stop breathing, will you wish to start life afresh or you would be convinced 20

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that you actively enjoyed your years? In answering this question, the then president of America, Abraham Lincoln said that “the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time”. This is true and it is only those who have chosen to live one day at a time that makes the most out of life. The other side of the coin is that, you look at life on the long term basis when one day at a time is not working out well. What this mean is that, as you decide to live life one day at a time, there will be days that almost everything seems to go wrong. It is a time for positive mental attitude. Do not allow negativity prevent you from enjoying life. This is the day or time that you need to take a break, step back and look at the bigger picture that you are painting on a daily basis. It is the time that you need to step back and know that a bad day does not mean a bad life and a bad moment is not enough to determine the outcome of your life. It is written in Ecclesiastics that the end of a matter is better than the beginning. With this in mind, gird up your loins and focus on the expected end of your goals, dream or life and know that God is working at the background. Accept yourself Living in the moment and enjoying life includes accepting yourself for whom you are. It is a wonderful gift of life to love „you‟. It doesn‟t not matter how others see you. You are your best judge. The least that you can do for yourself is to love yourself, be kind to yourself, and be proud of who you are. Know that you do not have to explain yourself to anybody or to apologize to anyone for being you. If you go through life feeling sorry for yourself, people are going to make you feel sorrier than you can imagine. Life is too short to worry. It is said that we all hold a signpost that describe how the world should treat us and this sign post is how we see our own selves. To enjoy living in the moment, learn to accept yourself for who you really are on the inside. 21

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You may be stuck in the past or anxious about the future so much that you fail to live actively in the moment. The bad news is that, you are wasting your life by continuing in doing this. The good news on the other hand is that you have a chance to remake your life. It does not matter how long you have allowed yourself to be in this position. You can lift yourself up from the mud by following this principle and the rest of your life would be far richer and fuller than your past ever was.

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4. DEFINE YOUR LIMITATIONS Text: Isa 40:31-…but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. (KJV) "It is paradoxical, yet true, to say that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects"-Nikola Tesla.3 You are created in the image of God and one of the attributes of the God-like creature is that you can create anything conceivable in the mind, having the right raw materials and requisite knowledge. A proof of our likeness to God can be found in Gen 1:26 when God mad man in his own image. You can think or plan all that you want to think, you can do anything that you want to do but you cannot have anything that you want to have. This may sound a bit hard and dry but it is the truth though a lot of people fail to grasp. As human as you are, you are full of mistakes, limitations, imperfections and faults. Do not beat yourself about it so much. It is your nature. It is your nature to be selfish and it is your nature to be all that despicable things that only you know yet ashamed to be associated with. That is being human. One in particular that I want us to look at is accepting our limitations and dealing with it. You can only accept your limitations by learning to recognize them first. Sometimes, it may be hard for you to do so because it is painful doing so. It creates a dent in your pride as a person but it also takes off the veil from your eyes enabling you to see clearly the way to do when your back is against the wall. Recognition of your limitation is a rare moment that few grasp to better them and make their lives worth the while. Grasp these precious opportunities as they present themselves. One way to effectively make use of these chances to 23

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work of your limitations is by being ready as they come. Opportunity always favours the prepared. You will not accept your limitation when chained with pride. In the same manner, you cannot accept your limitation when lazy. It requires some effort to see an effect. Defining your limitation is not necessary if you are not willing or ready to do something positive about it to make it better. For instance, weak-willed and lazy people would want to sit and wait for the next job advertisement or bet their life savings on a lottery ticket but the prepared ones capitalize on the needs of his environment, dig into the faculties of his brains and utilize the raw materials available in his environment to create opportunities for themselves and others. God has warned man to desist from laziness but many people go against this recommended hard work pattern and hence plunge themselves into the pool of destitution. The proof of this is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 where God said that if a person will not work, he will not eat. The „green light' that you may expect to change your circumstance after you define your limitations in life. It is all a matter of willpower. This is the single quality that differentiates thinkers from actors. In this world, it is those who get up and do something about their plans that see the results that they desire manifest in their lives. The will to make a change in your situation as human lies in your willpower to liberate yourself. It does not matter whether you are entangled with self-pity, poverty or any other challenge at all; it all has the key in your willpower to act in an effort to change your current unpleasant situation. Like the popular quote puts it, “where there is a will, there is a way". To know these limitations is also a chance to rely on God who is limitless. Some things worth doing are way above the „pay grade‟ of man. These acts are way beyond us. It will be in your best interest to leave these ones in the hands of God. If you wish to live a limitless 24

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life, you need to seek the cooperation of a limitless God who can give you the strength to do what you naturally are not wired to do. Remember that if you want to make your life better and worth living, you have to acknowledge the fact that you are full of limitations. Failure to do so is a display of pride and arrogance, all of which God hates. In James 4:6, it is made known that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Be humble for the grace of God which can help you overcome your limitations. Have you thought about steering the tsunami or turning down the volume knob of a thunder because it took away a loved one? How about dimming the lightening and fanning air into whirlwinds because it destroyed properties? These are mere cases of hyperbole in the case of humans but not that of God. In the book of Job God is revealed as the true owner of the world (Job 38:11). If you are able to identify and utilize all your capabilities ideally, it will benefit you and probably the world at large. This is both desirable and commendable but it is not your duty to play God. Playing God includes failure to recognize those things that only God can do. The surest change you can effect as a person is in his own life. This is for sure and there is no two ways about it. It therefore makes you, your own prison warden. The cause of the challenges you are going through might not be self-originated but how you choose to respond to that can make a lasting difference in your life as an individual. Be therefore your own master to your own slave. If you are able to successfully apply this to your life and the changes become evident, do not hesitate to celebrate your success. Give yourself a pat on the back or a tap on your shoulder (if no one is willing to) for it was by your decision to embark on this journey to define your limitations that has elevated you from that low state of overdependence into this high state of self-dependence. You will know when to tackle challenges in life and when to give up. You will 25

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become the main character in your game instead of a puppet in the world of other people. Do not therefore delegate, that which lies in your boundary. This is not a credit to mediocrity or laxity. It is commendable that we do all that our hands find doing with our all just as God wants us to as it is said in Col 3:23-24 and whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the lord and not to men. We should however learn to carry our burdens to God because there is nothing that He cannot do. Define your limitations in life from today and know when to send tasks to God. This is the best way to make your life essential. It is all about balance. Always relying on God and doing nothing on your own is not only an insult to God but a sign of laziness (You will not eat if you do this). On the other hand, not relying on God but on your own limited capabilities as human is both a recipe for failure and a display of arrogance which God hates. It is all about knowing your limitations

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5. GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS Text: Matt 19:26- … with God all things are possible. (KJV) New York Times bestseller H. Jackson Brown remarked, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Dream. Discover"4. Almost all of us have dreams that we wish to achieve some day. You have one and I do too. Human beings are always goal-oriented as made known by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of Psychocybernetics. In fact it can be said that there is no one on earth without dreams. The quote above is a very true saying. If you are not bold enough to go after the things that you desire today, you will regret that some time to come when you do not have the energy, opportunity but the desire. If you have a dream, no matter how impossible that it may seem, you have to do your best to try it out. Great men are always men of action on their dreams. Whatever that they achieved was once only a dream. I have 4 simple questions for you concerning your dreams 1. 2. 3. 4.

What was your dream yesterday? Have you turned it into reality today? Will you be proud of it tomorrow? Was it worth the effort?

For a dream to be worth the effort, there are some things that it needs to be. The first is that dreams must be broken down into goals that can be attained. These goals must be time bound so that you can measure the progress that you are making. It will inform you if you are taking baby steps or giant strides towards what you hope to achieve. Not only that, dreams must be realistic as well. The opportunity to dream is not enough freedom for you to assume the outrageous ones. Dreams become outrageous based on the circumstances around it. A dream 27

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may only be possible in some countries and others may be possible in the future of technology. Whatever it is, dreams are worth pursuing. Remember that whatever you see today was once only a dream. Provided that the dreams we have are realistic enough, we can attain them. Challenges will always stand in the way of your dreams. Without challenges, dreams are only activities that anyone at all can undertake. But there is a price to pay for dreams. Self-deception can be so painful. One area of self-deception is to ignore the fact that as you go after your dreams, you will meet challenges. If you also believe that life is full of challenges, then we better prepare in advance to face it. You may already be a dreamer. You probably are confident of achieving your dreams. This is honourable and I will encourage that you do something daily that takes you closer to your dreams in life. However, with your confidence hitting the roof to a point where you may feel immutable to the unexpected blows of life, do not forget the God factor. Most of the time, dreams are put in our hearts by our creator and he is the only one with the right direction to achieving them. He has an upper hand over us because He can spot challenges way ahead of us before we ever have the chance to see it fast approaching. The bible confirms our ignorance of the future hence the futility in making plans without the God factor. This means we hope to achieve our goals with our own strength or intelligence. It is written that man makes his plans but God has the final say in what happens. James 4:14 reads that we do not know the content of tomorrow. This is pretty scary but do not let that stop you from going after your dreams and goals because when you have a positive dream and seek for guidance from God, he will make your tomorrow sure and that dream a reality in the appropriate time. That is what Proverbs 16:9 says that a man‟s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. 28

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Do not fear the possibility of failure. It is sure. We all fail in life but it is those who learn not to fail twice that make it in life. There are countless unforeseen circumstances that may try to stop you from going after your dreams. There are times that you may even stand in your own way but that is alright. It is perfectly normal to doubt your abilities at times. There is a possibility that you may fail and there is also the possibility that you may succeed but you will never know which one it turns out to be until you take a chance at your dreams. Failure is not the absence of success but a gradual realization of a worthy idea that pushes an individual towards his set goals. It is no news that a person who is successful in an area of interest has gone through some challenges before and best of all is that they have taken the time to learn from their mistakes so as not to fall into the same pit once again. One of such profound wisdom is leaning on God to make our dreams come true instead of our own mortal efforts. The world all over is littered with rag to riches stories that seemed impossible at the start. The Bible is another place where the providence of God in helping others achieve greater dreams is found. God can help you achieve your positive goals too. Success comes with experience. It may only be attained by a person after years and scars of failure. You will gladly show this off as the evidence that whatever dream or goal that you achieved or how you became successful was not attained on a silver platter. In that case, worry less about the pains you are may go through or are probably going through now as you pursue your dreams and goals. Help yourself through the power of God that works in you as you come to realize that you are responsible for your success. Never allow the failures of your life to stop you from your goals and dreams because that is your key to finding a place in this world. Sometimes achieving a goal may mean your source of livelihood. It can also mean a chance to help others. There is no greater motivation for you 29

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in this process than what is written that when a man is strengthened by God, he can do all things. Decide from today that no matter how difficult your dreams may appear in achieving them, you will never give up. There are a whole lot of people who gave up on their dreams or goals when they faced challenges in life. You may not have heard of any because they gave up the fight to make their dream a reality. It is these same challenges of life that adds the best flavor or taste to a success story. In fact, there is no success without obstacles and there is no victory without opposition. Many tend to easily give up on God when the challenges or the test of life becomes quiet overbearing for them. The truth is that tenacity pays big time. God has given you enough resources to help you achieve your goals and dreams. It is said that whatever thing that you are seeking is within your grasp. You already have all that you need to achieve your goals. What is stopping you from going after them? Employ all that God has gifted you with-time, money, friends, gadgets and any other relevant accessory to get back on track and pursue the very dream that you may have given up on. Dreams come at no cost but to make them a reality, you will have to pay the price. Every dream comes with its own price to pay in achieving them and only those who are willing to pay the full price for it will ever make it happen in real life. Be determined to make your dreams come true. It is a rare moment that only a few will ever taste. Never give up on them when it gets tough. Remember that when the going gets tough, it is the tough that gets going. Are you tough enough to pursue the dreams that you have in your heart. Picture how it will feel like to achieve that dream and allow that to motivate to through your struggles. If you are facing challenges as you work towards your dreams, do not give up. Just look up. Do not forget that some of these challenges are 30

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only thrown to us so that we can turn to God for help. You will fail to do achieve a LEGITIMATE dream in your own endeavors. It is written about Balaam that when the donkey on which he sat would not go, God was speaking to him. Maybe God is speaking to you through the challenges that you are facing now. Lots of references can be made about people who failed a lot of times in their quest to achieve their goals. People made fun of them and society was not hesitant to call them shameful names. Some of them that we hardly know of gave up while a number of them also used the humiliation as an opportunity to prove their worth and today we make mention of them for their immense contribution to the lives of the human race in general. A quick example is Thomas Edison who tried several times and failed to make a light bulb lighten up but at last he did and it has been a source of encouragement to the many others who seek to pursue their dreams at all cost even after they have failed. Lighten up your dreams. Maybe you had to drop out of schools, you are a business person who has filed for bankruptcy or you refuse to love all over again because of a failed previous relationship. You are not being fair to yourself. In life, one chooses to see failure either as a stumbling block or a stepping stone. The shrewd sees failure as an opportunity to learn not to fail again (stepping stone), the common man sees it as a red light (stumbling block) to his dream, bringing all his plans to a halt. If you are determined to find your place in life, then never give up on the dreams that you set for yourself. Do not give up in the face of failure but press on till all your dreams and goals are accomplished. We are all on earth for a purpose -to contribute our part in making the world a better place for our generation and those that come after us before we exit to the other side. Life devoid of goals and dreams is likened to a football match without goal posts. Now that you know

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what it takes to make dreams a reality, nothing or no one can stop you, all the best.

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6. BE YOURSELF Text: Ps 139:14-I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (KJV) The Single Woman, Mandy Hale quoted something wonderful "You will learn as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less travelled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in."4 It takes no effort to be who you are. In fact, you true self is revealed when you are least conscious of yourself and your environment. A true paradox to consider is that, your find yourself when you forget yourself. The one who does all he can to pitch their tents under or even near the uncomfortable roof of pretense suffers harm by tearing apart his uniqueness or originality. Do you accept the fact that not all people like you nor will ever like you no matter how many times you change to suit them? You probably answered affirmative but do you acknowledge it? Most people will set themselves against you for the sheer success that you are chalking especially as you decide to live by your own rules and be honest to yourself. There are a whole lot of people pleasers out there and you should not bother to be one of them. Be yourself. Oscar Wilde in his usual funny mood made this profound statement that „Be yourself, everyone else is taken‟. Yes, you cannot be someone else, walk in their shoes and feel comfy. It will never fit. There are a number of ways that you can learn to be yourself if you have lost in touch with your originality for a while. The first and always the best place to start is to identify who you truly are. These include your identification of weakness and strengths. There is 33

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nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to weaknesses. Humans are not created as perfect beings. If you were perfect, the world would not be in a state as we always find it in. I am not perfect, I have my shortcomings and it is same with you. But I have learnt to identify my faults and work on them constantly. Being yourself does not mean that you do not yearn to be better; it means that you acknowledge the flaws that make you human. Striving for perfection can be frustrating and you will be better off with being better today than yesterday. It is a good place to start. Finding out who you are and your core values are just a place to start. It can be very unpleasant and disturbing as you unveil the shroud and reveal the rot within. This however should not deter you in anyway because what you do after you stare that part of yourself that you are not proud of is more important. Self-introspection is not always about the bad but the good at times. This has to do with your strengths as an individual. All men are gifted. The only challenge why some do not shine as much as others is how well they polish their talents. In his book, „Talent is not enough‟ John C. Maxwell outlines ways by which people of equal talents differ in how far their talents take them in life. Do not be blindfolded by doubting your abilities. You have abilities, you have strengths. It is you duty in an effort to find yourself and to be yourself to find those strengths and polish them for your own benefits. One you have laid the foundation of the boundaries between your strength and weaknesses, you are bound to find your true self. This makes it easier because it will pinpoint you to your core values which in turn will enable you to be yourself. Being you is a daring task in a world plagued by conformity. There is so much copying of behaviors and need for acceptance that only those who are ready to go against the crowd will ever be true and honest to themselves. The pressures to

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conform may be a lot but the benefit you will reap from being true to yourself, especially freedom, can be so much satisfying. Life is not a race. Life is not a competition. Life has nothing to do with comparing. You have no business whatsoever trying to be like another person. There can be temporal satisfaction such as social acceptance and conformity but there can also be long term consequences like suppression of talent and depression in the long run. Do not trap yourself by trying to be like other people, rather learn to be yourself and others copy you if you so wish. You can never ever be the best copycat in the world but you can be the best you that you were made to shine. The decision to sing your own tune and move at your own pace in life can be very offensive to others. It can be very threatening to those who are not bold enough to come out of their own self and be who they truly are on the inside. It is a time that they will do all they can in ensuring that you conform to their expectations. Do not be surprised at why they should be so worried about you being you. They are discouraged to conform, probably have succeeded in discouraging others from being the best they can be and you are just another victim to them. They use dissociation, humiliation and tagging to pressure you to be just another ordinary person. You are no ordinary person but a very unique being and it is your duty to protect that from being taken away from you. Whether they succeed in making you deny yourself and live the life of another depends solely on you. It is not enough, a strong point to avoid opposition by throwing overboard your resolution to be free from the popular accepted norms of life. As much as it is easier to move with the tide, it is far better to swim against the tide at times. You are unique just like everyone else and so there is no reward in trying to make people like you by trying to completely please someone else. It is like pushing an immovable wall, it is like busily rocking back and forth in a rocking chair -it gets 35

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you nowhere. This is absolute futility. Keep in mind that the easiest way to lose old friends is trying to win some more friends. You cannot succeed in life being a people pleaser. Lots and lots of people are more than willing to have you as a „slave‟ so that they determine how you live your life. I would rather be the master of my life than a slave of another. How about you? The only person that you can please is yourself, while the only person you should please is God. This is the reason why we were created and that should be a guiding principle to anyone who seeks to walk in wisdom, as someone who has been bold to shatter the status quo by facing hard truths about themselves and valuing their worth. Even angels get into fights at times and the Son of God is accused to be possessed by Beelzebub once in a while. That is life! Your intentions may be misjudged, your willingness to help may be misunderstood and your efforts to abstain from the chaos of life may be unsuccessful in a chaotic world like ours so love the life you live and live the life you love by simply being you and no one else. It is high time you stopped caring so much about how others perceive you. You cannot change that and you should not waste a second of your life making someone else like you if they cannot accept you for who you truly are on the inside. Being you can be very rewarding and peaceful. When you know that your outer self is a true reflection of what you are on the inside, it feels awesome. You live life effortlessly because you have accepted yourself as you are and are not trying so hard to hide it from people who claim perfection. Integrity, that sense of wholesome and completeness of mind and behavior is an enviable quality. You true self will eventually come out and it is better of you work on it now so that when it comes out, it will be a beauty to behold. Those who life under pretense are often caught off guard as their true and unattendedto-inner-self eventually break loose at times when they lose their 36

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guards. It is just like the Great Gatsby, who despite his enviable „old sport‟ calmness broke into fierce ready-to-kill military burst while under pressure. That is what will happen if you do not accept yourself and work in your own backyard. There is no one that is freer than the one who seeks to please no one for the fact that he knows that humans cannot be pleased completely, the plain knowledge that man, is nothing more than an insatiable creature (should we decide to hit the nail straight on the head and not mince words). Knowing this and the fact you no one is an island, there is a need for you to shield yourself against the personality thieves who seek to rob you of your uniqueness. You can do this by surrounding yourself with people who will appreciate you for whom you are and not be judgmental with regards to your shortcomings. These supportive people are rare and valuable. To find them, you need to be supportive yourself to draw them in. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to peruse your goals and dreams, capitalize on your strengths as well as working on your shortcomings. There will be times that you may need to take your own advice based on your guts. You need to trust yourself and capabilities to make sound decisions concerning your life. To be yourself is to be able to shuffle through the pile of advice from your support group who may be well meaning and devise your own plans. There are boundaries in being yourself and following your own way of life. This is respect for others. As much as you are encouraged to shun pretending to be someone that you are not, do not overstep your boundaries and disrespect the integrity of others. Being offensive can be a way that will draw so much opposition to you. Being yourself is not to be equated to being disrespectful. As much as taking your own decision is a sign of growth, giving room for that of others or being tolerant is a sign of maturity. It is no one‟s nature to look down on those who are scared to come out and be themselves. Now that you 37

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know this knowledge, I hope you use it to help others to shine the unique talents that God has placed in them without fear of failure or ridicule. If you want to find yourself and be the real you, then you do not need to please people. It is written that the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing. I have a few thought provoking questions for you who get so much time to know others without spending time by yourself, without getting time to know yourself or to even value your worth as a unique individual: How has it been going for you since you decided to live life for the applause of others? Is that not unbearable and tedious? Why not be your original self even if it brings you troubles from an awed on-looking people? Think about these and know that you cannot be someone else because everybody else is already taken.

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7. PRACTISE MODERATION Eccl 7:17 -Be not over much wicked, neither be foolish Moderation is similar to balance. It is all about creating a balance in your life. It is likened to all play and no work makes Jack a lazy boy just as all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Creating balance in your life can be very difficult depending on who you are and what you do. This however is not enough excuse for you not to practice moderation. It is moderation that keeps you from too little or too much. For instance, the one that talks too much is tagged as disruptive and the one who does not talk at all is usually left out and ignored. The importance of practicing moderation is a lot. Some include dire consequences that can affect your health. Eating too much junk food can affect your health. Spending too much money can cripple your finances. Sleeping too little can affect your state of mind. Too much self-time can keep your out of touch with the real world and so on and so forth. It is moderation that keeps us in check so that we do not go beyond our tolerable range as people. You have taken the trouble to get to know yourself well in the previous chapter. This is the time to act in conformity with your own self. There is a need for moderation in the way that you act. An instance is the extent to which you will go for another person. People usually misuse quotes in making others fall prey to hurt. An example is the Biblical law to „Love your neighbor as yourself‟. Many people make the mistake of going ahead to love others without knowing how to love their own self. We shall talk about the principle concerning trust shortly but for the meantime, trusting too much has its own consequences. But we often ignore them. For instance, why should you for instance give your money to someone who you know is not going to pay back or that someone is going to misuse the money, all in the name of trust or doing some good? You are sure responsible for 39

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your neighbor but that only comes in after a person has first of all taking good care of yourself. It is when you have a firm step that you can help others out of their misery. It is written that if you find yourself not practicing moderation in trust, deliver yourself from this trap as a fowl flees from the hands of the fowler. Trust however, is just one aspect of life where you can practice moderation if you want to live an essential life. There is only one person that is responsible for yourself and that is you. The adage goes that 'If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one'. You bear the consequence of what happens to you in the days ahead of you. Give out when you can but hold on to that which you have when you cannot especially when it is not from your heart. For all you know, the people that you are giving out to already have more than you do despite their outward demeanor as well as verbal deception and you help them get richer by getting poorer. Being too good is not the best and neither is being too little. Moderation has always been the key. Do not do what you do not wish to do or feel comfortable doing. Often, after tossing aside your guts and conscience on this matter, you may latter find out that all along the voice within you that told you not to bet your entire life savings on that investment, or that you should not whole heartedly enter that relationship or do something immoderately was right after all. It is pathetic for an individual to be forced to do something against his will just to please another person and worse is to be cajoled to carry out a task to the extreme before given the chance to think about the after effect and the spillovers on himself and those that he love. Perhaps the aspect of life where the practice of moderation is debated most is the act of generosity. How often should you give to the needy? I recommend just enough. For instance, if you work and get paid, it is an indication of an appreciation for the work that you are 40

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doing or that which you have done. That money is for you and only you. You can decide to give portions or all of that money to another but it is never imperative to give out to an individual or a group even for charity against your will. This is because it is your money and you decide how to use it and when to use it as well as what to use it for. It is often sad to see people give out their items to people that are either not trustworthy or reliable to be entrusted with such items just because they want to help those in need. People who are in need are first of all to admit that they are in need and deserve to be helped before they can be considered. This is not to say that one must not help others willingly but we must also take note that there are people who are content as they are, with what they have and hence need no help whatsoever that one is willing to offer. Being moderate will save you the hustle and embarrassment. There are many, many reasons for which people are immoderate. Some include the want for society to shower praises on them especially while they are alive as well as when long gone. Many more tend to be immoderate in charity because 'wisdom' tells them that the beneficiaries will come to their aid when they are also in similar condition. Know that nothing in life, including this is certain. Not being modest in this aspect of life has ended millions of people in facing disappointments that makes them full of heartaches, distrust and bitterness. Practice modesty and save yourself this gruesome experience. This experience is not surprising to most people or even the aged because knowledge about the dark side of human nature abounds. You can refer to Genesis 6:6 in the Holy Bible and the Creator confirmed that the heart of man is full of darkness and evil propensities. This however gives an idea that once a person does something good for the other, he should not expect much from the benefactor. To avoid this pain that often results in self-pity, consider 41

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to either not expect anything at all from those to whom you do good or in the best way, not do any good at all to anyone with the mindset of receiving that help you offered back when in trouble. A motivation for you to be moderate in your human relation is that, you cannot please everyone no matter how far you go for an individual. Even the simple fact that you are making an effort to be a source of comfort for another can leave you as an enemy of the many. They may not understand you and guess your intentions. Are you are simply trying to help or trying to prove to everyone that you have a better idea? They will say within themselves but as discussed above, finding your niche in life is not about pleasing others but yourself in a positive way. Cut the chase and stop trying to please everyone that you meet on the street or wherever especially when they are strangers because for all that you know, they barely deserve it. Remember the lesson taught us by the story of Ananias and Sapphira that God is more concerned with our intentions rather than our acts of good. Do not be too good, do not be too evil either, moderation is the key.

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8. KNOW THE NATURE OF MAN Text: Eccl 3:18…God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like beasts. (NIV) „Human nature‟ is often associated with evil or the bad. It appears rightly so. The concept of human nature is subtle and controversial. Like all mammals, humans have characteristics and individual idiosyncrasies that differentiate us. Most people live in denial of this fact but that does not make it the least false. Your nature includes your natural way of thinking, acting and feeling. I have read enough and seen enough to know that a vast majority of men and women are evil and that you need to consider this a fact rather than being politically correct and believing that all men are inherently good. There can be some argument for the good nature of man. Some inventions here and there for the common good of the human race in all aspects of life and talk can be made of Mozart, Einstein and Da Vince among others. Do not take my word for it, see for yourself. A look at the history of man and life in general reveals the evil nature of man. Right from the hunting and gathering stage through the world wars where people killed each other as barbarians do. Towns were encircled and starved into submission; innocent lives were taken and are still taken, all thanks to human nature. Furthermore, man through trade, commerce and any form of business transaction for that matter has exploited his fellow man for profit gains. Many philosophers and great thinkers have delved deep into the subject of human nature. Mostly, their aim was to establish the balance between good and evil to know the one which dominated a man‟s life. Sigmund Feud is one of these great philosophers. In his book, Civilizations and Discontents, he wrote “…men are not gentle creatures, who want to be loved, who at most can defend themselves if they are attacked; they are on contrary, creatures among whose instinctual endowments is to be reckoned a powerful share of 43

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aggressiveness”. If he could get away with it, man would have done worse than we are experiencing now. Many years before Feud, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes had a similarly pessimistic view of humanity and famously wrote that the life of man in his natural state is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. He essentially believed all men were capable of killing, and when two people want the same thing the inevitable outcome is war. These are some great minds who probed to find that the nature of man was evil basically. To you, this may be hard to believe upon first reading because man is made to believe that being called „an animal‟ in nature is an insult to his dignity but until you decide to be open minded to new knowledge or information, you may never know how degrading or destructive the old things you know and hold on so tight to, may be to you. Consider this, so that you may know how best to deal with another „species‟ after your own kind. Man has an „animal‟ inside despite the good points raised by moralists, scientific taxonomy may nevertheless be right. Animal in this case is used to represent evil nature or the dark side of man. Before these thinkers considered exploring the nature of man, the bible had already concluded about this and had been littered with so much examples and illustrations that talks about the animalisms of man. Think for a moment about this, why King Solomon, the wisest man ever known to live under this sun wrote in Proverbs 6:6 that man who is on top of the food chain should consult the ways of an ant, a lower rank for advice on how to prepare in advance for the worst (Proverbs 30:25). It is simple: To predict man, study the animal first. It is no news that man has the desire to wreck good things and cause commotion in a serene environment because, that is his nature. Just as a dog barks at night with no cares about who is trying to sleep or a bird sings in the morning regardless of who has woken up and who 44

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has not, most men also do things mostly without taking note of its effect on others. Most of these attributes are toned down because religious bodies and laws have been made to regulate the activities of man so as to preserve our species. Right from infancy therefore, the animalistic character is carefully tamed out of man through correction procedures, school, churches and other similar measures but that is not enough to drive it out completely. This 'animal' in man can be raised in times of crises and panic. The best place to find how true this can be is the battlefield where man can be turned into deadly weapon to destroy others who pose a threat to what they believe in or what is in their interest that they are trying to protect. We are born to survive and that begins from birth, we are on earth to struggle for many things including survival for limited resources, to be remembered for a longer time and for glory. Due to the consequences of daring to face the truth however, man has learnt diverse ways to tell an intractable lie-one that gets better and better with each passing generation. The fact that God has been so merciful to us to give us a higher brain power does not give us the right to elevate our intentions or deeds above that of other mammals. We murder like a fierce lion in Africa, we are so subtle like a starving serpent in Ireland and we are as cunning as a swinging monkey in India but we have also learnt better ways of covering it up to the extent that you do not see it coming when you are about to be the victim. I do not know the day or time that you are reading this but I am sure that the news item for today confirmed this fact that humans are evil by nature. You will find evil acts committed by unsuspicious people just like you and I. It is no wonder because that is the human nature at work. You can classify the whole of humanity into predators and preys. The predators are those that have kept power for themselves, ruling the 45

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masses with an iron fist covered in the gloves of ivory lies. Morality is the one that categorizes an individual into any one of the two but this is not absolute. A predator can also be a prey depending on the circumstance that you are looking at. Your ability to conquer your prey using flattery, money, fear or promises makes you a predator, enabling you to get what you want without getting hurt. This is not absolute and also unless one is guided by the word of God he can do worse than an animal. In effect, only God can tame the heart of His creatures. Laws are another area where the evil nature of man is made evident. Man has used the law in order to subjugate man in every conceivable manner. The law is created in order to protect the elite from the poor so that the latter will absolutely have no legal path whereby they can reclaim their stolen rights. The law ensures that! Do you know that the laws are made so that powerful nations can legally subjugate weaker nations? This allows them to murder at casual will and to do basically whatever they wish. How will it benefit you to know the true nature of man, your true nature? This is necessary so that you can control that dark side that always yearns to come out. You have to acknowledge its existence and be willing to deal with it. It is your duty to protect your heart from being adulterated by the dark nature of man. Sometimes, it is not only self or ingrained but at times, the behavior of others can reveal our tamed darkened side. If a person gets away with a crime, you are tempted to do same because that is a natural instinct to do what you feel like. It is true that we have the right to all things but not all things are necessary. You have the right to all things but do not allow yourself to be mastered by anything. Your evil nature will always wish to dominate your sense of goodness and humanity but do not be mastered in anyway by it.

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9. BE HUMBLE Text: James 4:6 …God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (NIV) In a society like ours that promotes individuality and competition, it is very hard to be humble. It is even more difficult to stay humble. In all cultures worldwide, humility is a desirable value because it can earn you respect and foster good relationship between yourself and others. Being humble is not easy, that is why people who claim to be humble usually live otherwise and many practices called humility are actually not so. Take a critical look at the world around you and answer this question: „How much do you think that you are worth in this whole world?‟ It is easier to misbelieve if you are at a niche where everyone knows and adore you. You can easily misjudge your worth in the world by a projection of your popularity or achievement in your locality. You may sometimes have the feeling that wherever that you go in this world, you are going to matter. Even when it comes to heads of nations, how many people care about them? Let us do a little exercise. Try to recall all the names of all presidents or head of states in the world. It is alright if you cannot because no one cares whether you know about that or not. That is a reality check for you. There are still people in this universe that do not know you and couldn‟t care less. They would even love to forget where you came from or what you have achieved if they did. This is not to talk you down into self-denial and low self-esteem. That was meant to humble you before you learn about humility. Does it feel good? No! It is not pleasant to give in to others when necessary and to admit that you cannot do something but it will serve you best if you do so. A way to be humble is to accept that you are not best at everything. You may be the best at one thing but no one is best at everything. This is the reason why it is necessary to be humble so that 47

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you can learn from others, the things that they can do better than yourself. There is an old country song that says that, “it is difficult to be humble when you are perfect in every way”. Of course, no one is perfect in every way! We talked about this when we were discussing principle 4 which is defining your limitations. It takes humility to admit your short falls and it takes the same value to learn from others who are better at something than you are. There will always be people who are older and wiser than you. Such people are worth listening to when opportunity presents itself. Growth and improvement is a lifelong process that does not stop even when you are best at something. Take time before pride enters your heart and address your own faults. It is easier to judge other people than it is to judge ourselves. Being humble includes the willingness to address your own faults instead of that of others. Bible says that “remove the log in your eyes so that you can better see the speck in the eyes of another”. It is easier to point accusing fingers at others when you are not humble. Without humility, you think you are perfect and needs no correction. Pride, they say, precedes a fall. Part of being humble is to be not afraid to make mistakes. When you accept this, you will be freed of much frustration. This is not to say that you should be careless and plunge into obvious and avoidable mistakes. Know that an event or two could have changed whatever that you pride yourself in or whatever that you are proud of. When you know that someone else could have done better than you did, or are doing, if they had the same chances and circumstances that you find yourself in, it will be easier for you to be humble. You will not quickly look down on others for what they have become as a result of their own bad choices or the choices of others. Man loves to be associated with something that is popular, something that they are going to benefit from at the moment and when that is done, they are gone for good. I have observed from life that throngs of 48

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people would flood a square or any venue at all when they have a message to hear from another just to see that which will benefit them or not. After this, no one cares if the fellow they benefitted from, a star or not is hit by a car or shot by a sniper. Do not therefore be moved by the cheers of the crowd nor the praises of men-it is bound to inflate your self-importance than you truly are. Be humble and avoid the success that you chalk from going into your head. It is more than a disease for an individual to seek attention or to win the cheers of the crowd by doing the „unnecessary‟. After this has happened, no one may care about you the next day and bother not about how you are doing. Get used to that as well, many already have. Maybe some names are coming to mind as you read this but do not be resentful towards such people or blame them for their carelessness because you likewise are like such people. It is human nature, a universal tag that gives no recognition to colours or geographical borders. A lot more people are also going to be resentful towards you because they might also see you as a person who comes around when you need something. That is how it has to be because man has limited time and hence cannot build our lives around single individuals as if we have eternity in our pockets unless we need them. Brace yourself for more. What comes to mind is the night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Apostles that had faithfulness and allegiance all over their lips could do nothing more than to leave Jesus alone by fleeing one by one. One should not rely so much on allegiance pledged by mortal lips or be swayed by the cheers of the crowd around and so act with obnoxious self-importance. It is written that no one should think so highly of themselves but to consider others more important than their own selves. This can be done by putting the feeling of one‟s neighbor ahead of theirs. Take a funeral ceremony for instance, there are a lot of people who attend to shed tears in order to „mock the dead‟ under the pretense of 49

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mourning him and despite their flooding the house of the chief mourner for a while, they get back to business after a few days because we all, like each other have issues to attend to. The truth is that no one actually cares about the life of another more than they care about their own lives-it is not self-purported but an ingrained nature of man to protect yourself. The best decision that a person can make is to identify and accept that he is the only one who cares about their own self and even at that, it is because they are to be held responsible by suffering the resultant consequences when they fail to do so well at that. The antidote of self-importance is from the foregoing discussion is obviously, humility. One has the responsibility to be humble in all ways so as to avoid shame. It is written that pride precedes shame and Jesus is the best leader when it comes to issues of this nature. He washed the feet of the apostles to show a great example of not only leadership but humility as well. Many of us come from humble beginnings. We are able to make something of ourselves through the pursuit of knowledge, hard work and sometimes a stroke of luck or chance. Yes, you have the right to be proud of the success that you have chalked. This however does not give you the license to be disrespectful to others or be too proud. Keep in mind that humility has nothing to do with self-depreciation. Moses was known as the most humble man on earth during his time yet he stood up to Pharaoh on his mission to deliver his people from Egyptian slavery. There was a time that he stood up to God Himself to plead on behalf of the Israelites. What does that teach you? Mention can also be made of David who said “I am a worm and not a man”. Yes, he humbled himself to comparing himself to a common worm but he was not only a King but a warrior as well. Again, what can you learn from his example of humility. It shows that being humble does not mean that you cast yourself on the floor to be 50

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trampled upon in every situation. If you do this to gain favour before men, you are not being humble but a hypocrite. Humility is the ability to know that you are not enough in yourself and that you require the help of others at critical points in life.

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10. TRUST SLOWLY Text: Ps 118:8- It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man (NIV) Trust is as vital to your relationships, every relationship as a matter of fact. It is like oxygen to a scuba diver. However, majority of people find it very hard to trust others. There are some key reasons why you may choose not to trust others. There include low desire to give trust. This is not natural or genetic but a character that is built as you go through life, depending on the environment that you grow up in. It is possible for you to see trust as something to be earned by another rather than something that you can give. Know that until you learn to give trust, you may not be satisfied in your relationships with others. Another reason why you may find it hard to trust others may be due to the fact that you have unrealistic expectations. Come to think of it that you want an answer to a question that you have not asked? That is how it feels to want something in a relationship with others that they do not know of. To earn trust, you must define exactly what you expect from the other person so that they can be upfront with trust issues. Many people avoid the uncomfortable conversation that they may have concerning trust which usually results in disappointments. Getting disappointed in relationships with other people a number of times in itself can also be a barrier to trust. That brings me on to the third reason why people do not trust others. The final reason why you may choose not to trust anybody is probably because of your past hurt and experiences. We all gravitate towards pleasure and withdraw from pain. If from your past experiences, you have been hurt by another, it may be difficult for you to ever trust again. Doing this is a means of self-protection and sounds justifiable in some way. This however can prevent you from enjoying high quality relationships.

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As long as you can see something and worse, as long as you can touch something or someone in nature, anything at all, has the possibility to betray your trust so do not completely put all your eggs in someone else‟s basket. And you are right if you asked yourself inclusive. Majority of people would want to believe in something or someone for justice or fulfillment of a promise but man is not a machine programmed to work in a way that an individual wants him to. Perhaps you would want to look up to a higher authority, a law court, a government or a renowned being for elevating you from an unpleasant state to a better one instead of your own self or Godapproved effort. My advice would be that you be your own redeemer! The raw truth is that such people do not actually care because they have their own problems to worry about, how to fill their pockets with your money maybe, so that they can live comfortable lives. Sadly, that is the whole point of it, wherever that you turn, most of the people you meet-doctors, judges, bankers, petty traders, pastors, drug dealers, presidents, pharmacists, entrepreneurs and many more like these are all seeking for their own interests simply because they are 'humus'. „What is in for them‟ when it comes to giving you what you request for. Brian Tracy abbreviates this as „WII FM‟-what is in it for me? Few people care if you tend out to be the loser at the end of the day? The worst revelation is that, you are the victim most of the time, whoever you may be, knowing very well that at some point in time, someone else has been and another person too will be your victim. A classic example of not putting all your trust in man is knowing a patient may not able to make it out of a surgery due to negligence of the surgeon who rightly should have been investigated and when found guilty, sanctioned, will be made to go free. You might have a genuine case in court but the judge may decide to put you behind bars, probably forever. Maybe lack of substantial evidence may be cited to justify this injustice to you. This is exactly what happened to 53

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Joseph in the Bible who was sold to slavery in Egypt while he served Potiphar and refused sexual relation with his master‟s wife. You may also be not given access to your own money by a bank based on the power of documents. This is so because man has fabricated many reasons to exonerate and insulate himself and others that he loves from the physical and legal consequences when it comes to liferunning far away from pain and moving closer to pleasure. I am citing all these examples for you so that you will not be too quick to give all your trust to another though you should not withhold it completely either. I learned a lot about most business ventures. All the parties involved are in for a common goal and that is to make a profit. For how a person makes the profit, it usually matters not. So with smooth talk and flattery, one is convinced to lodge all that he has into the hands of a broker or an insurance sales person and in the same way, he is made to invest his money when he even does not feel like it. This is because if you trust another person, you will be taken for granted and often left to play the prey. Initially doubt anyone or every idea until proven to be trustworthy over a reasonable period of time and this will protect you from many hurt and preventable disappointments. The only one that you can trust however is God. Blessed is the man whose trust is the LORD. The reasons for which you are to trust in God abound and the most obvious one is that you CAN trust in God to help you through life because He in turn CAN see you through. Your secrets are safe with God God never tells a lie God is all knowing and can best protect you from upcoming evil God has an ever listening ear God is your creator and understands you better that anyone else 54

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God was here before we came and he will be here long after we are gone God never fails. These and many more are the reasons why it is prudent for an individual to trust in God instead of his fellow man. If ever there are deceits lurking in the corners of the mind of people, then God is the only safe being that we can all turn to.

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SECTION 2- TOP SIX ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE

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INTRODUCTION Money is a universal entity that is recognized despite geographic location or currency because it wields the same magnitude of power over people and things. Though money is neither the focus of life nor an absolute provider of all human needs, it is however a necessary component that determines how much an individual enjoys life. It is so sad that in most of our educational systems, issues related to money are not usually touched on as an individual climbs the academic ladder. In the end, one gets all the degrees that he aspires for and probably lands in a dream job of his own but lives a miserable life which mostly stems from no other but little of or lack of financial literacy. This part of the book seeks to address the problem of financial ignorance among many people living everywhere. This does not cover only people of a certain country or continent since the same thread of financial problems run through all the lives of people in all financial classes. It is my hope that after a thorough reading of this material, an individual will be well equipped with the necessary tools that will make him able to have enough money to stay rich and enjoy a happy life.

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1. DESIRE TO GET MONEY The desire to get money is often seen as a sin. This is as a result of misinterpretation of the Biblical quote 1st Timothy 6 which says that “the love of money is the root of all evil”. Yes, much evil has been perpetuated as a result of the greed for money. A lot of innocent lives and the wellbeing of a majority of society have been sacrificed by greedy men in an attempt to get rich. The question however is that, must we not desire to be rich just because others use evil means to be rich? Is there no other good alternative to getting rich than the evil way? You probably already have the answer to this question. It is very important to desire to be rich if you can experience a fuller life. Without money, your dream, goals and hope in life may be just that and nothing more. In his audiobook, The Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey says “Money gives power to good intent” You may have plans for the world-set up a foundation to make the world a better place, give to orphans and widows, provide clean drinking water to deprived areas and many other plausible ideas, yet without money, it will never materialize. The story of the Good Samaritan as told by the scriptures is analyzed by some to mean the importance of money. If the Samaritan had taken the robbed and bruised stranger to the hospital and left him there without offering to pay his bills, he would have been worse than the first two who say the dying man and passed him by. Come to think of it that the possible reason why the clergy left him there was not because he was late for a sermon but because he had no money to take care of him. A larger section of beliefs are against the acquisition of money but I am sure you know by now, probably through your own life experiences, the importance of money. You cannot afford not to have enough money.

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It is mostly considered a secret how most people make their money for various reasons. There are people who believe that unveiling these 'secrets' put them at risk of being competed against. This is not true. Left for the unequal distribution of wealth, there is enough money for everyone that lives on this planet earth. It follows the famous 20/80 rule that 80% of the world‟s wealth is in the hands of the rest 20%. There are several factors that results in this but that is not the focus of this book. Money is a medium of exchange. That is to say that the concept of money does not lie in the pieces of paper or coins that we keep per se but an idea. You should do well to understand how this idea work if you desire to be wealthy. Money often comes to mind when wealth is mentioned but anything that has value or worth valuing constitutes wealth. In this case, one will not consider only money as wealth but houses, clothing, cars and other properties of any kind including food can be classified as wealth as long as it can be bought with money at a price. The concept of money is so valued by many people that it often becomes the focus of such individuals and that is a very dangerous idea. If money becomes the focus of a worker for instance, such individual makes money without moral boundaries. Murder, theft, conning and pilfering among many others are just a few of the immoralities that such individuals indulge in so as to get money in his pocket. Though some of them might succeed, it does not provide the satisfaction that one may expect to have. Having mouths to feed and dreams to achieve does not warrant one the power to flout legal and moral boundaries to attain monetary status. Wealth therefore does not bring satisfaction in itself but the satisfaction of a legitimately made wealth has the power to make an individual content with what he has. This is not an attempt to make you embrace the idea of mediocrity but

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it is in your best interest not to seek satisfaction in an ill-gotten gain since it has never been known to provide any. The evidence of ill-gotten gain or the evil way of massing wealth includes the proliferation of get rich quick schemes. There is a whole market out there deceiving people on ways that they can make a million today or a billion the next day. I pray you do not hop on to this wagon because it is heading to the ditch. I still wonder the massive patronage of these schemes despite the perpetual rate of failure year after year. Sure, there is a way to make „quick money‟ but just as the name is, it leaves quickly and may leave you with so much trouble on its way out your life. Fraud has landed many in prisons and others have lost their lives in the process. I do not want you to lose your life. The desire to get wealthy is necessary but the right way to do so is even more important. Just like knowledge is, wealth is power. The rich person is a powerful person because of what he has become. Wealth buys its owner, power and control. Billionaires and multi-billionaires are rare in the world and some of whom can be looked up on the internet. In many places, the rich is almost worshipped, has a wider circle of rich and influential friends, and has access to almost everything that he needs in time with wide network of subjects who are willing to do anything for the rich in order to have financial security or some pay off. In the same way, wealth corrupts most people more often than not. Your conscience may be lost in an effort to make more money by taking advantage of others especially the poor. When you are rich, you may use the connections that you have with people and your fame to your advantage to make more money. Due to this reason and many others beyond the scope of this book, the rich continues to remain rich or gets richer while the poor continues to be poor. This gap widens a lot to a point where revolution sets in and history gladly repeats itself.

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Note that when you desire to be wealthy, your poor background or a zero account balance does not necessarily mean that you cannot attain a wealthy status. If you consider yourself poor and are not able to fulfill a majority part of your needs, you can lift yourself up from that mess. It does not mean that you are going to stay that way for the rest of your life. There are many instances where people by either hard work, optimism or a stroke of luck have risen from bankruptcy or plain poverty to be wealthy. It is therefore possible for anyone at all to live a financially stable life if one is willing to learn the principles of attaining a stable financial life and that includes you and me. Money is not the absolute measurement of wealth. Wealth is power but this power can be used for either good or bad purposes. It is up to the morality of the rich as to how to use his money but the best way is to use the power that wealth wields for good deeds. Some of these include, job creation, helping the orphanage and other philanthropic or donations to charities. Interestingly, losing money this way-the good way makes one richer. When you desire to be wealthy, doors open that you previously did not know that they existed. As the legendary author of The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D Wattles put it, “the universe conspires to make your wishes come true”. If you desire to be rich, you will be rich eventually. It is said that where there is a will, there is also a way.

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2. CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF SAVING The probable picture that often floods your memory when saving comes to mind is a piggy bank. This simple artifact housed your left over coins in those times of your early life when you were being taught how to save. It is sad however that when we are all grow up and income likely increases, we forget all the saving principles that we painstakingly learnt from „piggy bank‟ as we were ageing. Just like writing a budget, savings are also easier said than done and the hardest part is resisting the temptation to spend the money intended to be saved. There is however more than just putting money aside as well. It comes with other critical questions such as:  How much should I save?  Where should I save? (savings account, small scale business or investment portfolio)  Is there a better or more secure way to save? Do not consider saving all your money while you owe. This will reduce your net-wealth and push you further away from attaining financial freedom. If you want to be focused in saving very well towards a goal or as an insurance against rainy day, then you may want to clear yourself of all the debts hanging on your head. After you gradually pay off all the debts, you can now proceed to effectively save enough of your income. Most debts come with their own penalties and the common principle is that, the penalty, whatever it is worsened as you delay in paying it. The penalties include seizure of properties, closure of businesses, breakdown of relationships or in some cases, pure shame. Use some of the amount you intend to save to pay off the debt so that you will most likely avert these consequences. If you want to save very well, endeavor to set goals that to be achieved by ways of saving. For example, how much you expects to put aside by the end of the day, week, month or even year should be 62

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first of all realistic, secondly documented and well adhered to so as to ensure that a meaningful goal is targeted and achieved within the set time frame. Keep in mind that you cannot hit a target you cannot see. Writing down your saving goals is therefore very important in ensuring the success of your goals. Most of the time, how much an individual puts down is determined by what he wants to use the money for and when that person wants to get that target. For instance if a person wants to buy a car that costs 240,000 GhC within a period of one year, that person is expected to put aside 20,000 GhC at the end of every month, taking into consideration the possibility of inflation as time goes on. The same person, if he wants to buy the same car in a pace of four months, will have to put aside 60,000GhC at the end of the month. This shows that, the time frame that you set affects how much you must put aside to attain that specific goal. As one considers the time frame for achieving the goal, that individual must also be willing to take into consideration, his income. If you are paid 20,000GhC, putting aside 12,000GhC may not be a realistic goal depending on your lifestyle. It might be difficult no matter how much you take, to put aside about 80% of your cash inflow every month unless few who have cultivated this habit over a very long period of time or are most intense on achieving their goals within a shorter time frame that they set for themselves. The amount that you save is the difference between how much you spend out of your income within a period of time. It is therefore recommended that if you are determined to save towards a particular goal, you may want to cut down your expenses using well prepared budgets. It is a sound advice that you put aside the money that you want to save before any expenses. Otherwise, you will be tempted to put back the leftovers from your spending into the savings account which might be far less than you wishes to save by the end of the day 63

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or the month or any reasonable time frame that you have set for yourself. Should you get money off your pay grid or your regular source of income as a gift or token put almost everything or all in your savings account. When these unexpected incomes are available, do not spend them anyhow in you want to attain financial freedom. Majority of people spend a lot on preventable replacements. When I say preventable replacements, I am referring to not taking good care of your possessions in a way that require no replacement for a long time. Keeping your target saving goal in our mind will encourage you to keep your things well so that they do not need much replacement since they will ideally be always as good as new. This will add on and increase the amount that you save so that you can faster reach your saving target before or even right on time. Not only when one needs something concrete like a house or a car or any other thing is the rationale behind saving but you must also save as a shelter against rainy day. We shall discuss insurances when talking about insurances but let me chip in this: to be able to solve unforeseen circumstances that would require taking money out of your pocket, you must learn to put money aside. Insurances are there for these purposes. This will help you by reducing your tendency to borrow with high interest rates. Moreover, over the period of time and with so much borrowing, you can lose your self-respect and dignity before your lenders. It is written that the borrower is a slave to the lender. This is true and unless you cultivate the habit of saving, you may not be a slave to lenders but also a slave in your financial life. It has always never being how much you get but how much you keep that will determine how much your net wealth will be.

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3. DRAW A BUDGET Budgets are projected financial analysis drawn as guidance for expenditure for a particular purpose within a period of time. This can guide you in how you spend and how much you save. It is the cornerstone of any strong financial plan and consists of a range of items. These include costs, expenses, assets, liabilities and others but the focus of this section will be on income and expenditure. Also, a budget can be surplus in cases where the income exceeds the expenditure (financial freedom), balanced, where income equals expenses or deficit, which is a case where the expenditure is more than the income. Whenever the word budget is mentioned, people tend to think about bigger companies and huge cooperation but anyone at all who uses any two of the components of personal finances-income and expenditure- discussed above can draw a budget. Budgets are very important and they can serve as a guide in helping you achieve financial freedom. Let us look at ways to draw a simple budget. Most people have the wrong notion that when one talks about budgeting he is referring to cutting out the fun part of spending out of your life but this is not true. If you really want to be financially free, you should be willing to have a financially stable life should also be able to know where your money goes. This habit will improve your finances. For the majority who do not draw a budget, some of the stated reasons include seeing the exercise as time demanding and a feeling that drawing a budget is a herculean task. This is not so. If you sit down to draw a budget, you will know that it takes less time and effort to do so. Moreover, the reason why you may not draw your own personal budget is the belief that your finances are already in order which is most of the time, not the case. It will amaze you how much you can save when you have a realistic and honest budget to guide 65

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you in your financial life. The hardest part of drawing a budget however, believe it or not, is sitting down to draw it but once that inertia is overcome, it becomes easier to put down a budget and even the easier as time passes by. The simplest way you can draw an effective budget is to monitor one's expenditure throughout the month. Once this is done, you can group the things that you usually spend on. Let me be quick to mention that some components of budget drawing such as food, utilities and rent are constant and you must put theses ones down first and allocate reasonable amounts to them before others come in. The other important thing to note is that a budget must make room for any unforeseen expenditure often termed „miscellaneous‟ After you draw a budget, it can only be of use to you if you stick to it. You may modify it at time goes on and as the need arises. It should bring you freedom rather than „starve‟ you. This can be compared to going on a diet which requires a great amount of discipline. After you have clearly seen those items that did not matter much but drained much of your finances, you come to the realization of how much you have been 'wasting'. People buy items that they might never use but buy them just because almost everyone else is buying. Worse than that is people who buy just because they feel like they have enough on them. Anyone who buys items that they do not plan for or items that they do not need at a particular moment is only doing himself more harm than good. One last thing to note is that, a budget must not be drawn just as a norm and „ignored‟ but must be placed at a point where it can be seen daily or regularly such as the edge of a bed or used as the wallpaper of a personal computer. Most people draw budgets of all kind but at the end, they put it at places that will be hard to notice. Do not be one of them by assuming that you have your budgets in mind and at hand. This can land you in a zero or negative net wealth. This situation can 66

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be a real mess of debts for you if you downplay the importance of a budget. Money is hard to make so seek guidance in a budget before spending your hard earned income.

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4. INCREASES YOUR INCOME Is there someone out there who does not want more money? We have already discussed the importance of money and why you should desire to be wealthy. We are going to talk about how to increase how much we get. This deals with how one can increase his income from a business by applying practical ways of working which has been tested and found over time to be effective. For a starter, it is best for you to be employed or self-employed in the work of your dreams in order to work with enthusiasm. The sad news is that majority of people work as a means to survive but not really love what they do. If you fall into this category of people, increasing your cash inflow can be pretty difficult. But wait a minute, there is some good news and that is the fact that, enthusiasm on the job can be developed. This is a very important factor because until you love or take interest in what you do for a living, you may not be able find ways of making a financially strides from your profession. Robert Kiyosaki, in his book The Cash flow Quadrant said that there are four groups of workers: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Employed-works for someone Self-employed-does one‟s own work Business owners-other people works for you Investors-funds business and shares the profit 5

We each fall in one or two of the categories above. The higher one goes, the richer one becomes and the richer one becomes the more freedom that he can have for himself. Aspire to be an investor though not all of us can, we should aim to be that until we can. If we want it, we must will it and if we will it, it shall be ours. The reason why enthusiasm on your profession and in life in general is essential to your financial success is that a customer can tell from the way you acts toward him or her if you likes the work you do 68

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otherwise. If you hate the work you do, you are often irritated, cold, unfriendly and inpatient while if you happen to enjoy what is that you do, you are happy, friendly, warm and welcoming towards your client. If a customer is met with a warm smile and a caring attitude, it draws him closer to the service provider and that means that the customer would like to use your services most of the time instead of your competitors‟ and this will result in increasing cash inflow. Moreover, there is the possibility that, the satisfied customer will inform other people to use your preferred service instead of your competitors. This will increase your customer base and your income will increase as a business owner. So much benefit for loving what it is that you do. This is particularly for those who own their own businesses such as entrepreneurs and managers who are willing to increase their income to enable them carry out business expansion and profit maximization. A positive attitude towards one's work cannot be hidden for a long time and will result in increment of income. I stress on liking the work that you do because all the good working habits such as punctuality, hard work, enthusiasm and what have you can all be easily developed when a worker does not drag his feet in the morning when he thinks of going to work. If you are an employee; growth in sales may result in the increment of your salary or commission in the long run. For workers who work for the government or an institution, good working habits can earn one a promotion that causes increment in salary and that is genuine increment in cash inflow. Some of the good working habits that increase cash inflow include the ability to work in harmony with other workers at the workplace. This is a fast way of developing enthusiasm for your work because you will hardly sees going to work as a burden but an opportunity to meet your colleagues who share the same sentiments, workspace, lifestyle and the rest as 69

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you do. Making reliable friends at the workplace also has the other side of being a barrier whereby co-workers of a particular circle of common interest tend to chat without focusing on the work at hand. The latter attitude can prolong your promotion at the workplace and delay increment in your cash inflow. There are many people who suggests that the surest way to get a promotion on the job is to 'sound the trumpet' into the ear of your boss anytime that you are able to do something that is worth a praise or a raise. This is hypocritical because good work done has its own way of publicizing itself. This is not to say that when you do a good work such as accomplishing a goal ahead of deadline, you should not let it be known. It should, but letting it be known should not be your main aim just to get promotion. Good work done has a way of publishing itself. To have a stable financial life, you may want to see your status of being employed as an intra-preneur process. Endeavour to establish yourself someday to come. This will move you up the ladder until you are an investor and with so much financial freedom. In short, one should not be content with being employed until he is also employing.

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5. INVEST YOUR MONEY Investment is very important if you desire to be financially sound. It is the designation of your wealth or an asset that you intend to use later on to work so as to earn some interest. The assent you are investing such as money will be used to work and you will be given a percentage of the profit it earns. Those who work with the money you will invest include a bank or any suitable financial institution. It can also be defined as the pumping in of one‟s wealth into a project with the aim of getting a higher return than the capital after a fixed period of time. An example of this definition includes real estate development and small scale business financing or micro-financing. It is important to know that investment does not always result in appreciation of wealth or increment in returns. Some may question the essence of investment in personal financial management. Personal finances however will not be complete without talking about investment. This is because investment depicts maturity and demands a lot of self-control. A person will not be able to invest without self-discipline and without focusing on the end returns of the investment. There are many with the ready excuse that their income is not enough and so cannot invest. This is however not enough reason in itself to dissuade one from investing. Such people can invest by saving little by little of their „meager‟ income until they build enough capital that can be invested. In essence, savings usually precedes investment most of the time. The threshold for investing in many of the available ventures usually is strategically set. It is set low enough to make it possible for enough people to jump onto the investment wagon and high enough to make sure that the contributions or principal of investment is huge enough to work with. Let us take time to consider the thin line between savings and investment once again. One that readily comes to mind is that, a 71

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capital when invested grows by earning profit at the end of the stipulated time but savings may not necessarily earn any profit but rather decrease in value after a period of inflation. This means that when a person saves for a very long time, he is actually losing money due to inflation. Inflation is the rate at which the prices of good increase in a country. If the money that you save could for instance buy you 10 bananas, after a period of time, it can only buy you probably 7 bananas. This is the illustration of the role inflation plays in our lives. If you however invest your money, it will earn some profits that can counter the inflation. This will ensure that you can still buy your 10 bananas after the period of investment. In some cases, you can even buy more bananas with your interests. This makes investment the best option for any amount of money that is only to be used at a later time. One can invest in stocks, bonds, treasury bills, real estate among many others that can generate some amount of money no matter how small it may seem in the eyes of the investor. Let us take the time to consider these forms of investments. The first is Stock exchange. This is not much of a difficult subject. Some investments such as stock markets or exchange may result in a depreciation based on the time that you decide to withdraw your investments. The key to stock exchange marketing is to buy the shares (which refer to joint-ownership of a listed company) when they are low or cheap while selling them when they are selling high. Most people commit the mistake of panicking when the market shares are selling low and so go ahead to sell their shares at that low price. This usually results in a loss since the price at which you sell your shares will be lower than the price at which you bought it. This is basically all that happens on the various stock exchange markets such as the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). You need to take a keen interest

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in the activities of the company that you desire to invest in before you can successfully fund their projects with your money. Stock exchange is a long term investment plan which may take years before there is significant profit generated. Due to the fluctuating nature of this form of investment, it is not a playing field for the faint hearted. The next type in investment in Ghana that is important for you to know about is Treasury Bills or Bonds. This type of investment is available at various banks in the country but under the care of the Bank of Ghana. It ranges in percentage based on the duration that you intend to deposit your money. The minimum is 91 days followed by 182 day treasury bills and the last is a whole year of 365 day Treasury bill. The percentage of returns as at May 2015 was 25%, 24% and 23% per annum respectively. It is not difficult to calculate the expected returns on your principal for Treasury bill investments. You can do this by multiplying the amount you are depositing by the percentage per annum and further multiplying it by the deration of investment out of the 365 days. For example, if you deposit 1000 GhC into treasury bills for a period of 91 days, you profit at the end of the period can be calculated as follows: 1000*(25/100)*(91/365) = 62.3 GhC Though the average monthly return of 20 GhC on 1000 GhC may seem small at first, it can get bigger with increasing principal and number of days the money is deposited. It sure is far better than saving with gives you no return on your money. Warren Buffet, the third richest man in the world according to ranking by forbes.com as at March 2014 is an enthusiast in investment. He is popular for his frugal lifestyle and risk taking dare. He is known for saying that he likes to buy more shares when the value is depreciating 73

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and a lot of people are chickening out. This is a clear example that investment, if well planned can result in creating personal wealth and growth as well. What is meant by well planned? It is important to survey the local or sometimes international investment markets to find the one that is most flexible to suit an individual before deciding to lodge ones wealth into another‟s hand. Survey before investment gives one a lot of options to choose from and it becomes clear that there are investments with softer terms but enough returns than others. Never lose sight of the fact that the higher the risk, the greater the reward of an investment. Investment therefore is not the battle field for the weak-hearted. After finding the investment that best suits you, you are now left with the ability to discipline yourself to stay away from terminating the investment portfolio. Learn to invest today (if you are not alreadymaybe just saving) so as to create enough wealth in the near future and as a security against unforeseen circumstances. The third form of investment to look at is Real estate. This form of investment is capital intensive. This is because large amount of money is needed to invest in this. There is however a simple way around it that can make you some real money over a period of time. In real estate investment, you deal with properties being it a piece of land or building. The most common one in Ghana is that of buildings and so let us focus on how to go about it. There are many ways by you can become a real estate investor. If you have spare rooms that can be rented out, you are a potential real estate investor. All forms of investments are risk prone and real estate is not exempted from this. Tenants can cause much headache but that is a risk work taking in this investment. You can spend some money to renovate the place and make it habitable and attractive to potential tenants. In fact that is how some people go about their real estate investment. These investors that I am talking about acquire buildings 74

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in a deplorable state at a low price and renovate it. They then rent it out at higher prices that provide income to acquire the next building. This method has made some real estate investors very rich and you can be too. In renovating an acquired property, you will need artisans-carpenters, painters, plumbers and electricians who over the time can become your loyal clients or should I say „employees‟. The hardest part of real estate investment is dealing with the tenants after they move into the buildings. The other cash drainer is renovation after the original innovation had been made. It will be a wise idea to insure your property against fire and other mayhems that may likely raise their ugly heads. Before you know it, you will have the capital to acquire so much property that can be rented. Like Robert Kiyosaki said in the Cash flow Quadrant, getting rich is about buying income generating assets like real estates The last but one form of investment that is worth knowing about is Mutual funds. As the name depicts, Mutual funds are the pooling of resources by mutual contributions that can be invested. The advantage of this over the rest is that it provides a larger principal that generates proportionate income or profit. The principal is managed by experts who invest the money in the appropriate venture while you sit back and wait for your profit. An example of this form of investment is the Gold Coast Security by the Ghana National Bank who can give as high as 28% per annum on your principal. It is a safe form of investment just like the treasury bills which means that it will generate lesser returns than riskier ones such as real estate and stock exchange. The rule of investment applies here as the higher the risk, the greater the return. Talk to your banker about available investment portfolios and chose the one that you are most comfortable with.

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A bonus rule is that, you can minimize the risk of investment by diversifying. Diversification is the process of investing in more than one type of investment. It is like not putting all your eggs in one basket. This means that if one investment fails, the others will be there to cushion you. Finally, let us look at insurance. This is a form of investment against unforeseen circumstances which can befall you. These include fire, theft, death and other possible mayhems that would suddenly plunge you to square one on your financial journey. It was mentioned while discussing real estate that you can insure your property against these. These however are not the only ones that can be insured. There are many insurance policies out there which will suit the lifestyle that you want. If you cultivate the habit of investing your savings, you stand a high chance of achieving your financial goals sooner than others ever will.

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6. KNOW YOUR NET-WEALTH

In his book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki gives an interesting definition of wealth. Your wealth is how many days you could survive way forward. In other words, if your stopped working today, how long can your survive comfortably before you run out of cash. This depends on how much your money is earning for your or how hard your invested money is working for you. Let us use an example to get the definition of net wealth clearly. If your monthly expenses is approximately 1000GhC including miscellaneous in your budgets, then your investment returns should exceed 1000 GhC per month before you are financially free. Financial freedom is therefore defined as the number of days that you can survive without working or earning any extra income. The basic components of your finances are your income and expenditure. The amount that you get may come from many places such as one's salary, gifts, sales, commission and upkeep money from a guardian. This is broadly called your income. The expenditure on the other hand is the amount that you spend. Most of the time, the channels through which you money get spent may not be intentional such as losing your money to theft. All the same, your cash reserve is

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reduced in the end somehow. You may correctly categorize this into expenditure. There are most people who go about their daily lives with various desires that need to be met financially which often tempts them to indulge in rapid or binge spending of the income on things that are of little or no importance at all. This is a way of reducing your net wealth and saving yourself up for trouble in the near future. To avoid this, always think twice about spending before you make an attempt to spend. This is highly recommended by expects in many fields. On negotiation in his New York Times bestselling book Life Code, Dr. Phillip C McGraw states that there is a real price for every item that your purchase and then there is a stupid price that is set as a trap for the one who do not know how to haggle or negotiate his way out of deals. The idea of market survey cannot be overemphasized. After a thorough consideration of what you wants to do with your money, it will often lead you to make wise decisions on expenditure that limits wastage due to shoddy planning. No income is to be considered inadequate but you must consider your income before your expenditure so as to live within your means. If you do not consider this as a first and foremost necessity, you may be tempted to live ostentatious lifestyles which demands higher expenditure than your source of income can compensate for, resulting in the crippling of your financial wellbeing even before you are aware of it. Many more people usually complain of inadequate income but force themselves to live in debt which drains their money and reduces their net wealth. Sadly, this often occurs even before they count their stipend for the month. Do not fall into this misery trap. It is an unending cycle of debt that results in making your net wealth zero or worse, negative. Remember that until you pay off all your debts, your net wealth can be negative. This occurs in an instance when the amount of money that you owe and are required to pay exceeds the 78

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reserve that you have financially. Until the debt is paid off, you may never enjoy true financial freedom. The necessity of a planned financial life is to guide you in avoiding debts as well as a guard against unwise spending of your money. All people who earn and are willing to have a stable financial life should be able to save some of their monies in a readily accessible way when it comes to days of urgent financial need. The saved money can be made to work to gain profits if an individual is not willing to use the money anytime soon. This is a way to increase your net wealth. Remember that the goal is to increase your financial wellbeing to the point where you can be financial free. Gaining interest on your investments is just one of the ways to do this. For your net wealth to increase, you must endeavor to earn interest on your savings at a secure and reliable facility through investments, treasury bills, real estate, stock market and many other ventures each of which comes with its merits and demerits. If you learn how to keep your income high above your expenditure by working additional jobs, minimizing your scope of expenditure buy focusing on your needs instead of wants or opening other channels of cash inflow, you will continue to be financially stable. In the same vein, when you are able to keep your expenditure constantly below your income by buying things that you needs instead of those that he wants as I have stated already, you is likely to increase your net wealth and to live a financially stable life. Note that it is better for you to pay yourself first when paid. Before you decide to pay the rent, gas, fees, dues and many others, set aside an affordable amount that you can claim as your own. This principle is highly recommended in The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. This is necessary because in an effort to achieve positive net wealth and to become financially free, you may be tempted to deny yourself the positive necessities that you need in life. Here again, the 79

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secret is moderation. It boils down to your ability to use what you need while working hard to attain financial freedom.

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SECTION 3-SIX GIFTS OF POETRY

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INTRODUCTION Poetry is more than just a string of words; it is an expression of a deeper thought than what it represents at a quick read. A poem is treasure chest that contains the hidden golden intentions of the poet. It is up to you to understand poetry before you can understand what it is about. History has it that, long ago, poetry was used to send coded messages to others without the knowledge of another. Poets may use different methods and scenarios to put their ideas across. What is usually intended for you to know may or may not be related to the presentation of the poem at all. You are therefore encouraged to read in between the lines of poems to unearth its true meaning. This is done by reading carefully and thoughtfully the first time, pausing many times to analyze what the meaning may likely be. There are other types of poems that at self-explanatory and you may not need much mental exercise to understand them. Poem is mistaken most of the time to be all about rhythmic sentences. This is not always true though rhymes in poems add to the beauty it conveys and the flow that keeps the interest of the reader. Take the time to know the true meaning of poems. They are therapeutic and can evoke any emotion that may be helpful to you. They are equally as powerful as any other art that can positively affect the soul of any being. The poems that follow are written by the author of this book and are truly original. It is followed by explanations that help you to understand what they mean. You are encouraged to figure out the poem is about before reading the explanation that follows. Once you master this skill, you can better benefit from any poem you come across. Enjoy your read!

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1. VACATION Eagerly we shut our books Hurriedly we left the lecture halls Sadly we said our final goodbyes Finally our academic days were over Time swung by with glee And not for a moment did we disagree For all that we yearned for was finally here And in our minds we were finally free Down the aisle of this vacation We run wild on fun chasing spree And gladly sell our days to social media slavery Caring not much about the ticking clock For these are our youthful days Until the decay of the time is here Soon our vacation flees again And we sluggishly return to climb some academic ladder One that seems to never end One that bores our fun days to tears Except those faces that we missed And the surprising days of an academic prison Vacation soon dies

NOTES: Each of the lines in the first stanza flows one to the other to provide an invisible chord that links the lines together. This provides a rhyme to add beauty to the poem and it is strategically put at the 83

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first stanza to whet your appetite, stimulating your interest to move on to the next stanza to find out whether that will also follow the trend. Unfortunately, the trend has changed and the rhyme has swapped positions between the first and second stanzas. This gives a spiral mental picture to the poem and in your mind like descending a staircase. It is often said that one CLIMBS an academic ladder so it is only natural that if you should retire from academics, you first descend the ladder you climbed and hence the staircase image created. „Our minds were finally free‟ is a sign of relief that shows that the poet was yearning all along to be liberated from the tedious academic work that required so much study and barely no time to think of other thing. This part can also be interpreted as reflection of a ghost who dies from his struggles in life and hence considers death a refuge. He is therefore finally „free‟. In the third stanza, the word „aisle‟ brings into your mind an image of a wedding day which is one of the happiest days of the couple. „Finally free‟ in the second stanza calls for a reason to celebrate and the setting of wedding grounds is chosen. This sudden change of scene in the third stanza prevents the poem from being predictive and also to keeps you from boredom. The poet finds it so thrilling that he finds it normal to even sell his most valuable asset-time. He talks about social media to bring in a blend of youthfulness and reuniting with friends. Left to the narrator, his youthfulness buys him a lot of time to shed some stress, enough time to even make him shut his senses to time but before he realizes, it is time to go back to school. So is life. We often are so sure of having so much time that we care less about the things of God until death strikes and we are ready to face judgment. This links with the „ghost‟ in the first stanza who saw

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death as a channel of escape from the troubles of life until he finds out that death is not an end but a transition. In the final stanza, vacation is personified and given the attribute of an athlete. This shows how swift the vacation days pass by. It is also a metaphor that describes the brevity of life and how fast it ends especially when nothing points to the end of an individual. The word sluggish is used in the second line to talk about how reluctant the narrator is to return to school, making him describe his academic duties as eternal. On this basis, he accuses the academic setting for taking the fun out of his days or his life in general. Parallel to the second meaning of the poem about life in general, the narrator in the stead of all humanity is blaming death for taking the fun out of the days of man. This contradicts the early on praise shed by the narrator on death for „delivering‟ him from the troubles that abounds in this life. Just when it seemed all the poem was about doing was all the way down the anticlimax freeway, the narrator introduces an optimistic idea that in part goad him into loving the academic ladder-the faces that he misses. In a deeper and plain language, the writer is not afraid of death because there are people that he misses, the dead and gone family and friends that he hopes to reunite with. The other part is the surprising days that come with the academic load. This sharp twist from the anticlimax to the climax is a U-turn that makes you wonder why the narrator is full of surprises and unpredictable. The lesson in this part of the poem is that no matter how bad a situation may be, there is a silver lining at the end of the rainbow at the end of the storm. The last line however is brief and sudden, crushing the expectation of the reader once again. This connotes how soon life, likened to this poem can end at any time and the reason for which we are to prepare for that at any time. In summary, despite the academia outlook, that this poem presents, it is really about life and death. 85

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2. THE NIGHT Like the dust settling after the tires are screeched on a feeder road All have settled into the comfort of their beds Dark and proud as a sunny day The night appears more peaceful in every way Night comes after each day to make awareness proud Telling man that good and evil coexist in our world Light in every home Man desperately express desire that day continues But death hovers around no matter how much is left undone Man has to rest For the night is here Death, its commander Starry skies decorated the universe Giving man a reason to believe in love But the ugly truth is that the stars are not enough to turn the night day Evil outnumber good Though good religions outnumber violence holes Night is night and day is day Yet there is dawn and dusk That sits on the fence Excelling in wherever circumstances would put it The night appears more peaceful in every way Night comes after each day to make awareness proud Telling man that good and evil coexist in our world

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NOTES: The setting of this poem is at night and hence the title. However, the night here is a metonym of evil or sin. It is assumed from the writer‟s viewpoint that evil outnumber good and hence night is dominant over day and that explains why the title of the poem considers only the night as the focus instead of the day. The first line of the first stanza uses imagery that most people can easily identify with-roads. It talks about dust SETTLING back onto the road when a car passes by. This is the same with man who rises from bed to go about his daily chores but in the end returns to where he rose from at the end of the day. The world is mostly noisier in the day than at night so the poet describes the night as peaceful contrary to what chaos evil can do in this world. This is not in support of evil as the actual meaning of the poem is, but to drive home the point that when people do a little good, they would want to be noisy and blow the trumpet to make the whole world know but when they do evil, they push it in the cupboard or sweep it under the carpet to prevent others from knowing about it. This is compared to why the night is quiet. It is still twelve hours of light and 12 hours of darkness since the beginning of the world showing that good and evil wields equal power to overpower the other. „Awareness‟ is personified as proud and truly, knowledge puffs but the most important point at the end of the first stanza is that good and evil, just as light and darkness co-exist in this world hence one definitely belongs to one side or the other. You can never belong to both In the second stanza, light or good is equated with life and darkness or evil is equated to death. The poet intends to say that man wishes the world was all good and so would want the day to be forever and since 87

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he cannot, he has in his own small way invented something wonderful that gives him the satisfaction that there is some day found in nightthe electric light. Funny but this section also talks about man‟s wiliness to live forever, should darkness be equated to death. God has placed eternity in the heart of men. This makes the behavior of man comprehensible but it does not cancel the appointment of man to die once to face judgment afterwards. So man finally closes his eyes when the night comes. The little invention of man at night is destroyed in the third stanza. Even his self-deception that the moon or stars giving off light to mimic the behavoiur of day is not deemed credible in the writer‟s opinion. The poem goes on to draw the distinction between night and day, evil and good alike and encourages you to be truthful in calling a spade what it is. Immediately after that, the writer goes back to draw the attention of the reader on to a very dicey issue of morality on what is right or what is wrong depending of the circumstances surrounding it. He alludes this to dusk and dawn which is the transition between night and day. This can be compared to King David eating the bread intended for Levites because he had a visitor or the apostles of Jesus plucking corn on a Sabbath day to satisfy their hunger. The circumstances surrounding an action can either make it wrong or right and the writer intends that you take note of this. He however chose not to take sides as he sits on the fence and leave the tagging to your conscience and the moral beliefs. The final lines of the poem are a repetition of the main point in the poem which confers a cyclical nature to the poem as a whole.

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19-A SOUL IN THE CROWD Amongst the throng a soul moves Uniqueness and distinction engulfs him Pulling attention from the „many same‟ Who marvels at him and wonder if he is sane

The soul in the crowd reigns in his small life With his burden in mind Striding down the corridors of a busy street Amidst thunderous noises in silence and quietness Save his footprints in the memory of time

Who is this soul in the crowd? In whose shoe no one has walked a mile In whose world no man has evidence of a crime In whose life no troubles appear to be found?

Soon the soul in the crowd is no more Soon he stops and drops out from the race of life Sooner the soul in the crowd becomes a memory Without hesitation, he screams in vain at the pain of death-unheeded, unpardoned…terminated The soul in the crowd is none but you and me 89

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NOTES: The poem above centers on the uniqueness and individuality of each and every one that lives on this planet earth. It hammers the beauty in humanity and the creativity with which the creator has formed him. In the same vein, this is praise to the one that distinguishes himself from the many when it comes to lifestyle and thoughts. You are such a person the poet is talking of. In the first stanza, it is said that this person attracts attention from the others who marvel at how he distinguishes himself from them all. It is not intentional that the person is referred to in this poem as „soul‟ and he stands out from the crowd, not for recognition or hypocrisy sake but natural and obvious. This can be likened to the one that does good in a world of evil. One that is deemed a Christian or a religious person based of his way of life. In the second stanza, the last line is what makes the soul in the crowd stand out from the lot. The good deeds that he had done, remain in the memories of the benefactors throughout their life even after he is long dead and gone. The poet uses „footprints in the memory of time‟ to depict this. It tells us that the only thing that can keep us in the mind of posterity after we are long dead and gone is the way we positively affect the lives of people. In the third stanza, the poet emphasizes the questions lurking in the mind of the reader who wonders who the soul in the crowd may be. He goes on to use the non-specific auxiliary verb „may‟ in the last line to show that we look on the superficial aspect of life but in actual sense, the soul in the crowd may have his own problems that is known only to GOD. This description goes for all that live on earth and this is confirmed in the final stanza. In the final stanza, the end of all men is described. The word „soon‟ used shows the brevity of life and the surprise death leaves us when it 90

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snatches away „good‟ ones without warning of any sort. Death is described as wicked in this stanza to express the frustration with which it leaves the living when their loved ones are no more. Finally, the climax of the poem is reached as the poet unveils the soul in the crowd as none other but himself and the reader. In this way, the poet recognizes his friability as human just like the reader.

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3. SLEEPLESS I toss and turn in bed I try to run into my dreamland But my feet will not move Do I pop pills? Or should I lie still? I clutch hard to my pillow like a lifeboat Hoping to get some sleep but to no avail Hope the night hastens away Cannot wait for the day to draw nigh Maybe I could justify this insomnia Maybe sleep would plead to have me again Like the fond memories of old How about embracing nudity Seeking the commiseration of circulation of air Maybe that will do the trick Maybe that will make me sleep I have a better idea Let me make sleep jealous Let me wake up and make that dream happen Let me wake up to the beauty of my dreams and start from somewhere Let me rob myself of sleep to make the world a better place Let me awake from bed and begin to live To the envy of sleep I work on a good cause I permanently lock the door to my dreamland

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ESSENTIAL LIFE

For I can make those dreams worth something with sleep shutting the door Sleep, slept-a thing of the past Forgotten, replaced with hard work Giving birth to enviable success NOTES: In this motivational poem the poet throws light on his location in the first stanza as being in bed and finding it hard to sleep. He personifies dreamland as a place one can go on foot but he says his foot would not move. In this way, he shifts blame to one part of his body to give the picture that the rest of the body would love to go to the dreamland but the one thing that would carry them all there (in this case, the foot) is unwilling to do so. The same way, the only thing required to dream-sleep-is hard to come by so he lay wide awake thinking of what to do to go to sleep. In the second stanza, the narrator is still looking for ways to sleep. He clutches his pillow hard and seeks in vain, some help to sleep. The lifeboat used here gives an idea of salvation from frustration which in this case is sleeplessness. This represents how humans resort to anything no matter how senseless it may seem in order to make what they want to achieve a reality. Still trying to find the cause and cure to his sleeplessness, the poet resort to undressing while thinking that it is the climate which is making him unable to sleep. This however does not put him to bed either. Still with no answer to his insomnia, he turns his attention to something else. In the fourth stanza, the poet resorts to something different altogether. Here, he no longer loves to sleep but to stay awake to fulfill a worthy cause. He desires to make his dreams come through; he desires to make the world a better place. Such is the stroke of hope or the light of illumination that fills the mind of the troubled. Out of our problems 93

ESSENTIAL LIFE

and troubles, you can be led to a brighter realm that you would have missed if you had not gone through the troubles that you went through. This tells the reader that there is a reason why we go through all the challenges that life presents and only if we would take time to observe, think deeply about them or simply pay attention and observe, we would know what life wants us to notice. In the final stanza, the poet who is also the narrator in this case finds joy in his newly found hobby and hates sleep. In other words, he does away with laziness and befriends hard work so as to achieve his goals. The poem teaches you that hard work is still the easiest way to success and hence incites you to eschew oversleep and work hard to make your dreams a reality.

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4. AUTOBIOGRAPHY What would the world say when I am gone Would she say I was worth having? Would she miss me? Would the world call me a hero? Would she know that I loved all? Would the world remember me as I wish? As it should!

“There is no living hero!” common sense shouted A man must die to live forever Christ, Caesar and Alexander alike Life is too short for a hero to be forged Death has the final say Of who is worth a hero unforgotten Would the world remember me when I‟m no more?

NOTES: This is a reflective poem. The narrator is musing on what would happen when he dies. He wonders if the world would call him a hero, whether he deserves to be called a hero at all. The world is personalized as a woman using the third person singular personal pronoun „she‟ to refer to it. This gives a parallel meaning to the poem 95

ESSENTIAL LIFE

as it may also mean a husband or a groom wondering if the bride or wife would call him good behind his back. In the same way, you are advised to take an objective look at life and find out if you would be described as worth having if you happen to be no more. This backs the advice that one must be selfless and live for others or for the benefit of others if he would be considered a blessing when he kicks the bucket. This self-introspection and life assessment is interrupted in the second stanza when common sense, as personalized speaks to provide answers to the questions on the mind of the narrator.

In the second stanza, common sense shouts that man must die to know the answers that the narrator seeks. He is given examples of great men who had to die first before their names were forever forged on the memory of the living. It goes that life is too short to make a hero. As much as many alive may be considered as heroes even before they die, there is an element of truth in what common sense says because unless a person dies, that which he does is deemed common and rarely a monument erected in his name.

Death is therefore elevated and personalized as the one with the final say on who is worth a hero. In that case, a man must die first to find in order to continue to live if he must find out if he is really a hero. This is a question that no one can know the answer to while alive or be sure of what he considers himself to be unless he is no more. This puzzles the narrator and still goes back to his misery question of wondering whether he would be considered a hero when he is no more. The lesson in this poem is that as you live, what others thinks of you may not matter as much as what you consider yourself to be

96

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but when you happen to be no more, what you think of yourself is not as important as what others think of you.

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5. THE CALL OF NECESSITY Who has the option of defiance when necessity calls? Can anyone tame the dictatorship of necessity? Who has the audacity to question the call of necessity? Can that even be considered a possibility?

Necessity does not know the law-ask the robber Necessity knows no shame-ask the politician Necessity knows no creed-ask the pious Necessity knows no moderation-ask the needy

Tis the cry of necessity that injures the world Tis the scream of necessity that makes man, animal Tis the shouts of necessity that robs life of its peace Should the world mute the whispers of necessity Humanity would succeed in bringing Heaven on earth

NOTES: Using series of rhetorical questions in the first stanza, the poet points an accusing finger at necessity as the culprit behind the evil that abounds in the world today. He has the view that if all men had what they wanted, none would resort to evil as a means of satisfaction or a way out of his struggles.

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This sounds like a conspiracy with sin to justify sin and lawlessness but in actual sense this is unrealistic and the poet only pleads with society to find the root cause of the act of an offender before passing judgment because what goad such culprits into doing these gruesome acts may be justifiable based on the circumstances under which the crime is committed. This lauds the popular dictum that one is not guilty until proven.

In the second stanza, the poet goes on to talk about the fact that no one own up concerning acts that are considered evil a majority of the world. He names politicians, the pious and the needy among the robber in his effort to describe why they act the way that they do. He emphasizes that in such circumstances, the boundaries that ensure morality and sanity of society via regulation is thrown overboard as depicted as the pious who throws away the creed and embraces evil that makes headlines all in the name of necessity.

In the final stanza, the poet points an accusing finger still on necessity. He finds more scenarios to incriminate it. Anyone at all may use necessity to justify his wrongs but that is subject to scrutiny. He ends by providing a remedy that is near impossibility that man should find a way to oust necessity out of the universe and all wrong would cease, making life comparable to that in Heaven.

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6. UNAPPLAUDED It is the custom of life to cheer the known The one on a predictable path is applauded But it is beautiful to be oneself It is alright to be different To be hated To be ignored To be feared To be dreaded To be resisted In the end, a story with a beginning unheard of is rolled out An uncounted becomes the hope of the world A Nazarene saves all mankind? Prophecies are indeed fulfilled by unlikely beings Weaklings are straightened by discouragements Predictions of the future based on the past and present are futile Talk is cheap, any lips can part willpower But not all men have tenacity Not all unknowns can persist until there is no more reason for a sad countenance Country means nothing Continent is not enough excuse Money cannot buy what dried up tears can pay for It is a privilege to be a first generation 100

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Nothing to show No one to emulate Proudly to be a nobody No monuments to be erected when death calls But everything worth fighting for Lots of hope that never run dry

NOTES: This is a poem of inspiration. Narrated from the perspective of a self-motivated individual who is currently neither known or may be ignored by those who know him because he is a „nobody yet‟. Instead of this serving as a demotivating factor for him, he turns it into a stepping stone and a bank of motivation where he draws his strength from. This gives an uplifting to the one can identify with this narrator. In the early parts of the poem, he goes on to motivate his soul when everyone else gives a reason to give up on him. This is an advice that you should never give up on yourself even if everyone else will be quick to dismiss you or your ideas are. He focuses on the end result instead of the current situation that he finds himself in. This is enough strength to keep him going through the discouragements and finger pointing from the bystanders or the audience.

He goes on to make it clear that who a person is or where a person came from has nothing to do with how great you can be. He uses Jesus the Nazarene that saves all mankind as an example since there was a time before he died that no one believed that anything good could come out of Nazareth.

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The next part of the poem talks about the poet discrediting success to geographical location or to race. There are many who look down on themselves for the sheer reason that they cannot contribute any good to the world based on their geographical location. This is not really true and if you will have the tenacity to persist through your dreams, all that you dream of being may be achieved.

The narrator also emphasizes on action instead of talk or speech. He encourages you to act on your plans to achieve your goals no matter how small it may appear to be. This is because there are many more people who claim to have plans and goals and dreams that could change the world but never act on them. Still, more people like that with desire to worth something in life but do nothing towards that. Your ability to cultivate the habit of acting to achieve your goals is a way to be different from them all. While they remain wishers, you will be an achiever!

„Money cannot buy what dried up tears can pay for‟ is quite a strong expression that talks about people being strengthened by their pain of failure instead of recoiling into their shells of creativity and resigning their fate to becoming „nobodies‟. In short, one must not give up when challenges move him to tears but should be resolved never to do so again by working harder than he did at first.

In the last portion of the poem, the narrator recounts all that he lacks and proudly showcase them as „privilege‟ because in them, he draws strength to be a better person than he is. And he plainly states it that being nobody makes him proud because that gives him a reason to fight for all that he desires to have. It is great when one can relate with the state in which a poet finds himself. 102

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THE END

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APPENDIX Rank

Country

Life expectancy

1

Monaco

89.57

26

New Zealand

2

Macau

84.48

27

Ireland

80.56

3

Japan

84.46

28

Germany

80.44

4

Singapore

84.38

29

United Kingdom

80.42

5

San Marino

83.18

30

Greece

80.30

6

Hong Kong

82.78

31

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

80.26

7

Andorra

82.65

32

Austria

80.17

8

Switzerland

82.39

33

Malta

80.11

9

Guernsey

82.39

34

Faroe Islands

80.11

10

Australia

82.07

35

Luxembourg

80.01

11

Italy

82.03

36

Belgium

79.92

12

Sweden

81.89

37

European Union

79.86

13

Liechtenstein

81.68

38

Taiwan

79.84

14

Canada

81.67

39

Korea, South

79.80

15

France

81.66

40

Virgin Islands

79.75

16

Jersey

81.66

41

Finland

79.69

17

Norway

81.60

42

United States

79.56

18

Spain

81.47

43

Turks and Caicos Islands

79.55

19

Israel

81.28

44

Wallis and Futuna

79.42

20

Iceland

81.22

45

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha 79.21

21

Anguilla

81.20

22

Netherlands

81.12

46

Gibraltar

79.13

47

Puerto Rico

79.09

23

Bermuda

81.04 48

Denmark

79.09

24

Cayman Islands

81.02 49

Portugal

79.01

25

Isle of Man

80.98 50

Guam

78.82

104

80.93

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51

Bahrain

78.58

79

Croatia

76.41

52

Chile

78.44

80

Algeria

76.39

53

Qatar

78.38

81

Ecuador

76.36

54

Cyprus

78.34

82

Aruba

76.35

55

Czech Republic

78.31

83

Sri Lanka

76.35

56

Panama

78.30

84

Bosnia and Herzegovina

76.33

57

British Virgin Islands

78.29

85

Antigua and Barbuda

76.12

58

Costa Rica

78.23

86

Libya

76.04

59

Cuba

78.22

87

Lithuania

75.98

60

Albania

77.96

88

Tonga

75.82

61

Slovenia

77.83

89

Macedonia

75.80

62

Dominican Republic

77.80

90

Georgia

75.72

63

Northern Mariana Islands

77.64

91

West Bank

75.69

64

Kuwait

77.64

92

Tunisia

75.68

65

Sint Maarten

77.61

93

Hungary

75.46

66

Argentina

77.51

94

Mexico

75.43

67

Saint Lucia

77.41

95

Cook Islands

75.38

68

New Caledonia

77.31

96

Saint Kitts and Nevis

75.29

69

Lebanon

77.22

97

Colombia

75.25

70

United Arab Emirates

77.09

98

Mauritius

75.17

71

Uruguay

76.81

99

Maldives

75.15

72

Paraguay

76.80

100

China

75.15

73

French Polynesia

76.79

101

Serbia

75.02

74

Brunei

76.77

102

Barbados

74.99

75

Slovakia

76.69

103

Oman

74.97

76

Poland

76.65

104

American Samoa

74.91

77

Dominica

76.59

105

Solomon Islands

74.89

78

Morocco

76.51 1

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106

107

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 74.86 Saudi Arabia Romania

74.69

109

Gaza Strip

74.64

110

Malaysia

74.52

Venezuela Bulgaria

74.33

113

Seychelles

74.25

El Salvador Thailand

74.18

116

Armenia

74.12

117

Jordan

74.10

118

Estonia

74.07

119

Montserrat

73.90

120

Grenada

73.80

Jamaica Egypt

73.45

123

Latvia

73.44

124

Turkey

73.29

125

Uzbekistan

73.29

126

Brazil

73.28

127

Peru

73.23

Samoa

Philippines

72.48

135

Micronesia, Federated States of 72.35

136

Trinidad and Tobago

72.29

137

Indonesia

72.17

138

Belarus

72.15

139

Fiji

72.15

140

Bahamas, The

71.93

141

Azerbaijan

71.91

142

Greenland

71.82

143

Guatemala

71.74

144

Suriname

71.69

145

Cabo Verde

71.57

146

Iraq

71.42

147

Honduras

70.91

148

Iran

70.89

149

Bangladesh

70.65

150

Kazakhstan

70.24

151

Russia

70.16

152

Moldova

70.12

153

Kyrgyzstan

70.06

154

Korea, North

69.81

155

Turkmenistan

69.47

156

Ukraine

69.14

157

Bhutan

68.98

158

Mongolia

68.98

159

Bolivia

68.55

160

Belize

68.49

73.48

122

128

134

74.18

115

121

72.58

74.39

112

114

Marshall Islands

74.82

108

111

133

73.21

129

Vietnam

72.91

130

Nicaragua

72.72

131

Vanuatu

72.72

132

Palau

72.60

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161

Syria

68.41

189

Western Sahara

62.27

162

Guyana

67.81

190

Tanzania

61.24

163

India

67.80

191

Benin

61.07

164

Timor-Leste

67.39

192

Senegal

60.95

165

Nepal

67.19

193

Ethiopia

60.75

166

Tajikistan

67.06

194

Malawi

59.99

167

Pakistan

67.05

195

Guinea

59.60

168

Papua New Guinea

66.85

196

Burundi

59.55

169

Nauru

66.40

197

Rwanda

59.26

170

Burma

65.94

198

Congo, Republic of the 58.52

171

Tuvalu

65.81

199

Liberia

58.21

172

Ghana

65.75

200

Cote d'Ivoire

58.01

173

Kiribati

65.47

201

Sierra Leone

57.39

174

Madagascar

65.20

202

Cameroon

57.35

175

Yemen

64.83

203

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 56.54

176

Gambia, The

64.36 204

Zimbabwe

55.68

177

Sao Tome and Principe 64.22 205

Angola

55.29

178

Togo

64.06

179

Cambodia

63.78

206

Mali

54.95

207

Burkina Faso

54.78

180

Kenya

63.52 208

Niger

54.74

181

Eritrea

63.51

182

Laos

63.51

209

Uganda

54.46

210

Botswana

54.06

183

Equatorial Guinea

63.49 211

Lesotho

52.65

184

Comoros

63.48 212

Nigeria

52.62

185

Sudan

63.32

186

Haiti

63.18

213

Mozambique

52.60

214

Gabon

52.06

187

Djibouti

62.40 215

Namibia

51.85

188

Mauritania

62.28 3

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216

Zambia

51.83

220

Afghanistan

50.49

217

Somalia

51.58

221

Guinea-Bissau

49.87

218

Central African Republic

51.35

222

South Africa

49.56

219

Swaziland

50.54

223

Chad

49.44

4

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REFERENCES  All bible quotations with KJV by it were taken from the King James Version

 All bible quotations with NIV were taken from the New International Version

1. “The top 10 causes of death”. WHO June 2011. Retrieved 11 th March, 2015 2. http://thinkexist.com/quotation/people_are_always_blaming_their_circu mstances_for/155215.html (accessed December 19, 2014) 3. http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nikolatesl596891.html (accessed December 19, 2014) 4. http://quoteinvestigator.com/tag/h-jackson-brown/ (accessed December 19, 2014) 5. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5623882.Mandy_Hale (accessed December 19, 2014)

6. Rich dad's cashflow quadrant (Warner Books, Cashflow Technologies, Inc. 1999), 14

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BIBLOGRAPHY 1. THE CASHFLOW QUADRANT (Robert Kiyosaki) 2. PSYCHOCYBERNETICS (Dr. Maxwell Maltz) 3. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING (Jeff Keller) 4. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING (Vincent Norman Peale) 5. CIVILIZATIONS AND DISCONTENTS (Sigmund Feud) 6. CREAT YOUR OWN FUTURE (Brian Tracy) 7. THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER (Dave Ramsey) 8. THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH (Dr Wallace D. Wattles) 9. RICH DAD POOR DAD (Robert Kiyosaki) 10. LIFE CODE (Dr Phillip McGraw) 11. THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON (George S. Clason)

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NOTES

3