The Journey to Personal transformation (part 1) – by Frank Ofili

A 27-year-old man graduated from University of Benin with a second-class upper degree in Economics. Five years after completing his national youth service, he is still in search of a job. He has attended several interviews but none materialized positively. He is bitter, frustrated and angry with the country for lack of opportunity to make a living. It never occurred to him that the interviews he had attended were opportunities. He craves to experience a new and better life. He contemplates all sorts of things including crime, but his late father’s advice keeps re-echoing in his ear: “remember the son of whom you are. Don’t bring shame to this family”. His father was a man noted for strong integrity in his village, Ugbohan in Edo State

Then, one day about 6 year ago the young man appeared in my office for a job interview. At the interview, he was brilliant, on paper, but something was missing. He lacked some specific attributes we needed for the position. He was thus not selected, but I asked him to wait for me, for I wanted to have a word with him after the interview. The young man interested me.

When I ushered him into my private office and asked if he would like tea or coffee, he declined. I asked pantry to get him a cup of coffee anyway. Then I took time to educate him on why he was not selected for the final stage of the recruitment process.

What the young man lacked was self-confidence, self-belief short and simple. He had this feeling that he would not make it. At this point I realized it was now my responsibility to change his mindset, and I recalled Sam Adeyemi’s teachings at a Leadership Seminar I attended couple of years back. I printed some aspects of the teachings and handed them to the man sitting smugly before me. Today, the young man is gainfully employed at Etisalat Nigeria, now known as 9Mobile.

Are you currently in the kind of situation this man was in several years ago? Here are a few tips for you:

1. Think Positive Things: The very first law of success I learnt from Sam Adeyemi was to think “first within, then without”. The first thing you should do is to change your thinking. Always think positive things about yourself because “as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is”. Start now to think success, happiness and fulfillment. Believe it deeply in your heart and it shall manifest.

2. Cultivate a Positive Self-Image: Consciously cultivate and develop a positive self-image. Begin to see yourself as God, with the ability and capacity to cause positive things to happen in your life. Look for that special gift God has given you (everybody has got one). Develop it, hone it and showcase it. Believe in yourself, believe in what you say you are. You are not what people say you are. You are who God says you are and what you choose to be.

3. See and Believe Positive Things: Whatever the eyes see consistently over a period of time, will stick and shape a person’s mind. According to Bob Proctor, “…. transformation can only take place where there is internal conversion”. So, consciously and consistently choose to see positive things. Do not look at the ugly side of things, look at their positive side. Conversely, do not believe in negative things. I have come across many who tell me that some witch in their family is responsible for their situation. I usually tell such people that they themselves are the witch. There is nothing like witch craft, but if you believe in it then it will manifest in your life. Everything or situation starts from the mind.

4 Talk Positive: Sam Adeyemi says there is “power in the tongue”. “Words have the power to heal or kill”. So, choose to say positive things about yourself always because “you have to say it before you can see it”

5 Dream Big: The late Bishop Benson Idahosa once said that “If God gives you a vision, he will make a provision”. Whatever the situation, always dream big and consistently pursue your vision. Bob Proctor said, “you were born rich”, and popular radio presenter on Brila Radio 88.9 FM, Kingsley Idehen says “if you can conceive it, you can achieve it”. It is that simple.

6 Be Prepared for your Opportunity: Read, read and read. Read anything that comes your way. This will place you in a position to recognize opportunities in line with your aspiration. Reading is like investing. I have never seen anyone who lost something because he chose to read. Information is power. Even if you have got all the first-class degrees, do not stop reading. “A man who does not read has no advantage over the one who cannot” – this quote is widely credited to Mark Twain. Even though some disagree it was Twain who said, it does not lose its relevance or validity. So, seek for more knowledge, you can never lose.

7. Associate with Like Minds: Associate with people who have the same world view as you, and from whom you can learn positive things. Seek to have a mentor who can guide you to your dreams. Where this is not possible, then read stories of people you admire. Also, choose to make friends with people who think and act the way you do. However, do not copy people who have and do the same unproductive and negative things as you. Remember, you want to improve for better, not remain static

8. Reaction to issues/situations: Whatever the situation, chose to be cool, calm, confident and urbane at all times. Sam Adeyemi tells us that “it is not what a person says or does to you that makes you sad, it is how you react to what is said or done to you”. Learn to forgive all those who have offended you. Forgiveness begets forgiveness.

9. Do Something: There is something magical about doing something: If you succeed you earn; if you fail you learn; either way you gain. Do away with procrastination and do something to earn a living, no matter how small. Do not just sit there waiting for that big job to land on your lap. Start something. For instance, pick up a part time teaching job – just for the moment. If you cannot teach, learn how to teach. Only be sure to teach in the area you are strong in. It is through whatever you do that break-through comes.

10. Take good care of yourself: Give yourself a treat, have a good time, have fun, look good, live your life and regret nothing. Demand more from life, for you deserve it. Remember: you were born rich.

(pic by Transformation Journey)