By CHARLES OKOH
There are loads of lessons you can learn from reading biographies. The one lesson I have learned is that successful people fail far more often than unsuccessful people. Successful people stick to their goals painstakingly. Unsuccessful people try a few things; fail somewhere along the line and more often than not quit.
Once upon a time, there lived a great inventor called Thomas Edison. He was a tenacious man.He performed over 10,000 experiments before he discovered the electric bulb. How many of you, including me the writer, would be patient enough to try a particular task a thousand times- let alone ten thousand? But Edison did! He was a possibility thinker. A reporter once inquired of him how he felt to have failed 10,000 times in his present venture. His response was “I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
Biographies are very educative. Read the biography of the rich. Read the biography of the famous and not too famous. Find out how they became successful or how they got trapped by failure. Then program your life to achieve greatness- bearing in mind that each breaking day comes with obstacles as well as new opportunities. When you study those who have succeeded where you intend to succeed, you will know what to do and what not to do. Admiral Hyman Rickover said, “Learn from the mistakes of others; you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
The story of renowned neurosurgeon, Ben Carson is an inspiring one. It urges young people to read in order to achieve greatness. Carson was born into relative lack. But he moved against the odds from the streets of Detroit and rose to national and international prominence in modern medicine.
Let’s glance through one more story. It is a biography on the life of Sir Isaac Newton. It was created by Melissa Kelly of About.com using the educational biographical framework.
Sir Isaac Newton - English Mathematician and Physicist
By Melissa Kelly, About.com Guide
Birth:
25th December 1642, Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire
Death:
20th March 1727, Kensington, London - buried in Westminster Abbey
Early Influences:
• Father was a farmer who died before his birth
• Mother recognized his talents and encouraged him to get educated
• Uncle recommended that he should be sent to Trinity College, Cambridge
Education:
• Educated at Grantham
• Attended Cambridge University, 1661
• Elected a Fellow of Trinity College, 1667
• Became Lucasian Professor of Mathematics
Major Accomplishments:
• Devised many solutions to contemporary problems in analytical geometry
• Invented Calculus
• Wrote the Principia which outlined the Newtonian Laws of Motion
• Elected Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge to the
Convention Parliament of 1689
• Wrote Opticks in 1692
• Became Mater of the Royal Mint in 1699
• Became President of the Royal Society of London in 1703 and remained President until his death
• Knighted in 1705
Significance:
• Regarded for almost 300 years as the founder of modern physical science
• Responsible for completing the scientific revolution
• His Laws of Motion and works in mechanics are seen as among humanities greatest achievements in abstract thought
• His Principia is regarded as the greatest scientific book ever written
Contemporaries:
• Edmond Halley - English Astronomer
• Robert Hooke - English Experimental Scientist
• Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz - German Mathematician
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Health and Fitness
TIPS ON HEALTHY LIFE STYLES
1.Drink plenty of water at breakfast.
2.Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a prince & dinner like a beggar.
3.Eat more foods that grow on trees & plants and less food that is manufactured in plants.
4.Live with 3E’s- Energy, Enthusiasm & Empathy.
5.Make time to practice meditation, yoga & prayer. Play more games.
6.Read more books than you did the previous year.
7.Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
8.Sleep for seven hours.
9.Take a 10- 30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
Source: Akin Osibogun.
The Chief Medical Director
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
Idi- Araba, Lagos.
Published in THE PUNCH Newspaper of 28th January, 2009.
1.Drink plenty of water at breakfast.
2.Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a prince & dinner like a beggar.
3.Eat more foods that grow on trees & plants and less food that is manufactured in plants.
4.Live with 3E’s- Energy, Enthusiasm & Empathy.
5.Make time to practice meditation, yoga & prayer. Play more games.
6.Read more books than you did the previous year.
7.Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
8.Sleep for seven hours.
9.Take a 10- 30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
Source: Akin Osibogun.
The Chief Medical Director
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
Idi- Araba, Lagos.
Published in THE PUNCH Newspaper of 28th January, 2009.
Benefits of Reading
With the popularity of computers and video games in recent times, the habit of reading has taken a backseat. Most parents and children are occupied with movies, television and computer games that they find little or no time for reading. However, those who have taken reading as a hobby are aware of the countless advantages associated with it. Reading broadens the thinking horizon of a person, improves vocabulary and cultivates sensitivity towards people of different cultures.
Benefits associated with reading:
1.Exercises your mind
Reading bends, loosens and supple the mind. It helps in keeping the muscles of the brain in good shape.
2.Gives satisfaction
Reading gives immense satisfaction to a person. Nothing can be more satisfying than to sit with your child and read him a story book or see him grow with the fairy tales.
3.Expands the imagination
Reading expands the imagination of a person. One becomes more confident, self assured of his ability to understand and appreciate the various aspects of life. The mind is channeled to think about the different aspects and then questions and derives conclusion about them.
4.Enhances the ability to focus
The mind of a reader is more concentrated and focused about various aspects of life. When the mind is focused it has the capability to be more attentive in practical situations of life. As a result the body and mind of such people remain calm; they look at the problem objectively and are better decision makers.
5.Improves knowledge
Reading improves a person’s knowledge about various fields of life. This knowledge base helps a person to make correct decisions in different situations of life.
6.Helps to achieve goals in life
People who develop the habit of reading from childhood are better able to decide their goals in life. Reading also helps them in achieving these goals because once a person gets in love with books it is easier for him to just switch over from general reading to their course books.
7.Produces efficient orators
Only those who know something of quality can speak and gain respect and recognition from people. People with scarce knowledge about a subject cannot be good orators.
8.Teaches the art of living
Reading biographies of legendary individuals help the reader to learn the art of living.
9.Helps to accept other cultures and religions
Just having information about other cultures might create misconceptions about their traditions and mythologies. A thorough reading gives clarity about the fundamentals of other religions. This helps the person to accept them in a better and overwhelming manner.
So instead of killing long hours watching television and playing games on the computer, spend some time in reading so that you not only refresh your mind but also develop a good hobby which you will later transfer to your children.
Culled from: http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-reading/
Benefits associated with reading:
1.Exercises your mind
Reading bends, loosens and supple the mind. It helps in keeping the muscles of the brain in good shape.
2.Gives satisfaction
Reading gives immense satisfaction to a person. Nothing can be more satisfying than to sit with your child and read him a story book or see him grow with the fairy tales.
3.Expands the imagination
Reading expands the imagination of a person. One becomes more confident, self assured of his ability to understand and appreciate the various aspects of life. The mind is channeled to think about the different aspects and then questions and derives conclusion about them.
4.Enhances the ability to focus
The mind of a reader is more concentrated and focused about various aspects of life. When the mind is focused it has the capability to be more attentive in practical situations of life. As a result the body and mind of such people remain calm; they look at the problem objectively and are better decision makers.
5.Improves knowledge
Reading improves a person’s knowledge about various fields of life. This knowledge base helps a person to make correct decisions in different situations of life.
6.Helps to achieve goals in life
People who develop the habit of reading from childhood are better able to decide their goals in life. Reading also helps them in achieving these goals because once a person gets in love with books it is easier for him to just switch over from general reading to their course books.
7.Produces efficient orators
Only those who know something of quality can speak and gain respect and recognition from people. People with scarce knowledge about a subject cannot be good orators.
8.Teaches the art of living
Reading biographies of legendary individuals help the reader to learn the art of living.
9.Helps to accept other cultures and religions
Just having information about other cultures might create misconceptions about their traditions and mythologies. A thorough reading gives clarity about the fundamentals of other religions. This helps the person to accept them in a better and overwhelming manner.
So instead of killing long hours watching television and playing games on the computer, spend some time in reading so that you not only refresh your mind but also develop a good hobby which you will later transfer to your children.
Culled from: http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-reading/
More Quotes
“Since I left school many years ago, I have had constant need to dip into the works of Shakespeare because there is no other author in whom any writer would find help, material and even succour than this man who died nearly four centuries ago.”
>>> Prof. Lamikanra Adebayo (Teaches Pharmacy at OAU, Ife)
“All generalizations are false including this one; yet we keep making generalizations.”
>>> Elisabeth Elliot
“We get very little wisdom from success. Learn from science. In science, mistakes always precede the discovery of truth.”
>>> William Saroyan
>>> Prof. Lamikanra Adebayo (Teaches Pharmacy at OAU, Ife)
“All generalizations are false including this one; yet we keep making generalizations.”
>>> Elisabeth Elliot
“We get very little wisdom from success. Learn from science. In science, mistakes always precede the discovery of truth.”
>>> William Saroyan
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Motivation
By James Delrojo author of "Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind"
Dale Carnegie once said that any fool can complain and criticize, and most fools do. Whenever you announce that you have set an ambitious goal all the nay-sayers will come out of the woodwork. This can be very discouraging to many people but there are ways to overcome it.
When you are working toward a meaningful, challenging goal you are bound to come up against obstacles from time to time. If, when you are working your way through these difficult moments, you also have to put up with people telling you that you will never make it or that it can't be done, then you might find yourself being influenced by them and you may even consider giving up.
I have found two good ways to help you in such a situation.
The first method is to minimize the chance of actually getting into that situation in the first place. The way you do this is by not mixing with negative people and by only discussing your goals with those who you are absolutely sure will be encouraging and supportive of your quest.
It is no coincidence that the friends of great people are usually themselves great people. This is a principle that holds true throughout the ranks. The friends of mediocre people are usually mediocre people and the friends of losers are usually losers.
People tend to gravitate toward people who have similar ideas about life and similar ambitions for the future to the ones they hold themselves. Then you have the additional effect that the individual's ideas and ambitions are heavily influenced by those of their inner group of friends and colleagues.
If you are finding that many of your friends and colleagues are negative toward your goals and ambitions then it is a good sign that you are in the wrong group. Some people outgrow their group and in that case the faster you move on the better for all concerned.
However, even if your group is totally supportive and encouraging you are still going to come up against people who tell you that you will never be able to achieve the goal that you have set. This is where the second method comes into play.
When I am in that negative situation I simply remind myself of the old Chinese proverb, probably from Confucius, that the person who says it can't be done should never interrupt the person who is doing it.
Henry Ford was told by expert after expert that he would never be able to develop a functional eight cylinder engine but he ignored them and went ahead and did it. Thomas Edison was told by almost everyone that he was wasting his time trying to develop a commercially viable electric light but, after 10,000 failures, he succeeded and became one of the wealthiest men in America as a result.
History is full of people who achieved the so-called impossible. Everything is impossible until it is done for the first time. Everything is impossible for you until you have succeeded at it for the first time.
Impossible is just a way of saying that something hasn't been done yet. Of course you haven't already achieved your goal at the time that you set it, that's the nature of goals.
So the next time someone tells you that you can't do something then just say to yourself, or to them, that the person who says that it can't be done should never interrupt the person who is doing it.
James Delrojo would like to help you by giving you his
ebook "Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind"
(valued at $27) completely FREE.
Go to http://www.YourSuccessMind.com
Dale Carnegie once said that any fool can complain and criticize, and most fools do. Whenever you announce that you have set an ambitious goal all the nay-sayers will come out of the woodwork. This can be very discouraging to many people but there are ways to overcome it.
When you are working toward a meaningful, challenging goal you are bound to come up against obstacles from time to time. If, when you are working your way through these difficult moments, you also have to put up with people telling you that you will never make it or that it can't be done, then you might find yourself being influenced by them and you may even consider giving up.
I have found two good ways to help you in such a situation.
The first method is to minimize the chance of actually getting into that situation in the first place. The way you do this is by not mixing with negative people and by only discussing your goals with those who you are absolutely sure will be encouraging and supportive of your quest.
It is no coincidence that the friends of great people are usually themselves great people. This is a principle that holds true throughout the ranks. The friends of mediocre people are usually mediocre people and the friends of losers are usually losers.
People tend to gravitate toward people who have similar ideas about life and similar ambitions for the future to the ones they hold themselves. Then you have the additional effect that the individual's ideas and ambitions are heavily influenced by those of their inner group of friends and colleagues.
If you are finding that many of your friends and colleagues are negative toward your goals and ambitions then it is a good sign that you are in the wrong group. Some people outgrow their group and in that case the faster you move on the better for all concerned.
However, even if your group is totally supportive and encouraging you are still going to come up against people who tell you that you will never be able to achieve the goal that you have set. This is where the second method comes into play.
When I am in that negative situation I simply remind myself of the old Chinese proverb, probably from Confucius, that the person who says it can't be done should never interrupt the person who is doing it.
Henry Ford was told by expert after expert that he would never be able to develop a functional eight cylinder engine but he ignored them and went ahead and did it. Thomas Edison was told by almost everyone that he was wasting his time trying to develop a commercially viable electric light but, after 10,000 failures, he succeeded and became one of the wealthiest men in America as a result.
History is full of people who achieved the so-called impossible. Everything is impossible until it is done for the first time. Everything is impossible for you until you have succeeded at it for the first time.
Impossible is just a way of saying that something hasn't been done yet. Of course you haven't already achieved your goal at the time that you set it, that's the nature of goals.
So the next time someone tells you that you can't do something then just say to yourself, or to them, that the person who says that it can't be done should never interrupt the person who is doing it.
James Delrojo would like to help you by giving you his
ebook "Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind"
(valued at $27) completely FREE.
Go to http://www.YourSuccessMind.com
Random Quotes
“There are powers inside of you which if you could discover and use would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become.”
>>> Orison Marden
“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.”
>>> Helen Keller
“Learn from the mistakes of others; you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
>>> Admiral Hyman Rickover
“Music is spiritual. If you play with it, you will die young.”
>>> Fela Anikulapo Kuti
“Givers never lack. Beggars always ask.”
>>> 9ice
“Great things start small. Go start something.”
>>> MTN
“There are 3 keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others and sharing with others.”
>>> William Ward
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
>>> Sir Winston Churchill
“In the middle of every difficulty is opportunity.”
>>> Albert Einstein
“He who says it can’t be done should not interrupt the one doing it.”
>>> Unknown
“Learn from everyone. From one you may learn what not to do while from another what to do.”
>>> Unknown
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young, but becomes constantly more valuable regardless of physical capacity.”
>>> Harvey Ullman
“No pauper is friend to the rich. It’s only men of equal birth and equal wealth that can contract friendship and marriage.”
>>> Robert Greene’s book (48 laws of Power)
“KNOW SAFETY, NO PAIN whereas NO SAFETY, KNOW PAIN.”
>>> Safety Rule No.1
“You are the only one who can use your ability. It’s an awesome responsibility.”
>>> Zig Ziglar
“We are told never to cross a bridge until we come to it, but this world is owned by men who have crossed bridges’ in their imagination far ahead of the crowd.”
>>> John Mason’s book (Why ask Why)
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe.”
>>> Abraham Lincoln
“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”
>>> Henry Ford
“There’s no future in the past. Stop looking at where you’ve been and start looking at where you can be.”
>>> Mike Murdock
“Everybody steals in commerce and industry. I have stolen a lot myself. But I know how to steal.”
>>> Thomas Edison (1847- 1931)
“Be not afraid of greatness- some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
>>> Twelfth Night
"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"
>>> Merchant of Venice
“We don’t have to wait for destiny, let’s be the change that we want to see… the future started yesterday- we are already late.”
>>> John Legend
“Don’t let Baba God take your talent away because you abuse it or misuse it or simply refuse it.”
>>> D’Banj
“Happiness is a by- product of making someone else happy.”
>>> Intercontinental Bank
“Reading of books opens up worlds of information and possibilities.”
>>> Ben Carson
“Write down your goals, make plans to achieve them and work on your plans every single day.”
>>> Brian Tracy
“Your past cannot be changed, but you can change your tomorrow by your actions today.”
>>> David McNelly
“To one person the world is desolate, dull and empty. To another the same world looks rich, interesting and full of meaning. Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare.”
>>> J. Oswald Sanders
"That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well."
>>> Abraham Lincoln
“The Stanford Research Institute says that the money you make in any endeavour is determined only 12.5 percent by knowledge and 87.5 percent by your ability to deal with people.”
>>> John Maxwell’s book (Attitude 101)
“ANYBODY can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.”
>>> Napoleon Hill
“A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. It can be as much more as you can afford. Pay yourself first. Do not buy from the clothes-maker and the sandal-maker more than you can payout of the rest and still have enough for food and charity and penance to the Gods.
>>> George Clason’s book (The Richest Man in Babylon)
>>> Orison Marden
“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.”
>>> Helen Keller
“Learn from the mistakes of others; you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
>>> Admiral Hyman Rickover
“Music is spiritual. If you play with it, you will die young.”
>>> Fela Anikulapo Kuti
“Givers never lack. Beggars always ask.”
>>> 9ice
“Great things start small. Go start something.”
>>> MTN
“There are 3 keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others and sharing with others.”
>>> William Ward
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
>>> Sir Winston Churchill
“In the middle of every difficulty is opportunity.”
>>> Albert Einstein
“He who says it can’t be done should not interrupt the one doing it.”
>>> Unknown
“Learn from everyone. From one you may learn what not to do while from another what to do.”
>>> Unknown
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young, but becomes constantly more valuable regardless of physical capacity.”
>>> Harvey Ullman
“No pauper is friend to the rich. It’s only men of equal birth and equal wealth that can contract friendship and marriage.”
>>> Robert Greene’s book (48 laws of Power)
“KNOW SAFETY, NO PAIN whereas NO SAFETY, KNOW PAIN.”
>>> Safety Rule No.1
“You are the only one who can use your ability. It’s an awesome responsibility.”
>>> Zig Ziglar
“We are told never to cross a bridge until we come to it, but this world is owned by men who have crossed bridges’ in their imagination far ahead of the crowd.”
>>> John Mason’s book (Why ask Why)
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe.”
>>> Abraham Lincoln
“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”
>>> Henry Ford
“There’s no future in the past. Stop looking at where you’ve been and start looking at where you can be.”
>>> Mike Murdock
“Everybody steals in commerce and industry. I have stolen a lot myself. But I know how to steal.”
>>> Thomas Edison (1847- 1931)
“Be not afraid of greatness- some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
>>> Twelfth Night
"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"
>>> Merchant of Venice
“We don’t have to wait for destiny, let’s be the change that we want to see… the future started yesterday- we are already late.”
>>> John Legend
“Don’t let Baba God take your talent away because you abuse it or misuse it or simply refuse it.”
>>> D’Banj
“Happiness is a by- product of making someone else happy.”
>>> Intercontinental Bank
“Reading of books opens up worlds of information and possibilities.”
>>> Ben Carson
“Write down your goals, make plans to achieve them and work on your plans every single day.”
>>> Brian Tracy
“Your past cannot be changed, but you can change your tomorrow by your actions today.”
>>> David McNelly
“To one person the world is desolate, dull and empty. To another the same world looks rich, interesting and full of meaning. Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare.”
>>> J. Oswald Sanders
"That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well."
>>> Abraham Lincoln
“The Stanford Research Institute says that the money you make in any endeavour is determined only 12.5 percent by knowledge and 87.5 percent by your ability to deal with people.”
>>> John Maxwell’s book (Attitude 101)
“ANYBODY can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.”
>>> Napoleon Hill
“A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. It can be as much more as you can afford. Pay yourself first. Do not buy from the clothes-maker and the sandal-maker more than you can payout of the rest and still have enough for food and charity and penance to the Gods.
>>> George Clason’s book (The Richest Man in Babylon)
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