Category Archives: Personal Development

Developing success in you; the individual

7 Issues Everyone Must Confront In Life

ShumbasOne thing most people shy away from is confrontation. Not everyone is wired or born with genes that encourage that. I am one person who was born an expert at running away from situations that require a head-on collision with situations, people and circumstances. I would find the smart way out, creatively avoiding confrontation as much as possible. As I grew up I realized that for my success and future prospects, I needed to be intentional about the things I needed to confront. For a long time I thought other people needed to help me confront the issues I had gathered over time but I soon realized it was my sole duty. Now I can tell others about it because I confront the issues below regularly. It is a life long process.

1. Past – Many fail to make strides into the future because they have literally given license and rights to the past issues to jump into the present. Face your failures and learn from them, look at your successes and aim higher. Don’t rest on them. Your past remains your past. You have no control over it. Today you have a chance to rewrite the “new past” that will be talked of in your future. Confront your issues so that you don’t keep blaming it on what happened before. Take responsibility with both hands now.

2. Purpose – There is no one who can stand with others and claim not to have purpose. It is there. You may not know it yet. Your job is to confront this issue genuinely seeking to find where your passions lay. You cannot roam around resting on the purposes of others. You have your own mandate why you occupy space. Discover it and run with it. The longer you take to confront the matter the shorter you may live a fulfilled life. You only get fulfilled when you do what you love best even without being paid for it.

3. Personality – no one can ever deal with your personality better than you. People usually shy away from who they really are when no one else is watching. A good personality is usually the one that stands heads and shoulders above others receiving so much favor with man. If you fail to confront your own personality you will always think people are hard on you. Be realistic about this issue. Your life depends on your person-hood or personality.

4. Perception of self – How you see yourself matters. Confront the mirror every so often. It is not madness. See your own perception. Hear yourself speak, see yourself smile. If you do not know what you are good at, people will take you for granted and ride on your low self esteem. Square your shoulders always and realize you are somebody.

5. Present circumstances – Where you are presently has a bearing on how far you will go in life and how fast that will take. Where you are now should be scrutinized in view of the vision you set for yourself. If you cannot interrogate your present circumstances then time will fly past and you are bound to be in the same place in the future. You can change your present circumstance for the better.

6. Plan for the future – You should not just stumble on your future. One should plan for it and ensure they walk into a defined and well envisioned future. If you cannot see yourself in the future then you will not be able to walk towards it.

7. Potential – You are as good as the potential in you that is realized. It is not good enough to say “I think I am capable of this” when in actual fact you are not prepared to confront what you are good at. Unrealized potential remains exactly that. It remains a pie in the sky, a wish never realized. Everyone is somebody even when no tag is put on your forehead. You have potential only if you exploit it to the maximum. Expose yourself to environments and situations that enhance your growth and development. Who says you are not the next best story.

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7 Guidelines to a Productive Day

Hand check mark the listHow many times have you set to attack a day and yet towards the end of the day you could hardly account for the running you did all day? How many times have you entered a day with no clue what you wanted to achieve but in the end still remained frustrated and unproductive. These are commons situations that professionals face daily. One’s productivity is a result of intentional and deliberate decision to aspire for and work towards productivity. You can never attain what you cannot measure. You can never enjoy life in the absence of productivity. Life calls for you to be proactive and deliberate about your own happiness as a professional. Happiness is a result of all that is desired being achieved within the set time. This article was birthed out of several disruptions to my fruitfulness. I watched and monitored how my time had been wasted and sought to change the way I did things. It worked phenomenally for me and I know it will work for anyone who is deliberate and intentional.

1. Determine you major and minor goals for the day – The main issue is knowing which issues are important and which ones are secondary to the main purpose. If you fail to plan your day, anything that comes will destroy your attention and focus. You will be tired and everywhere and yet not have the desired result. Work with the desired result in mind. That is being organized.

2. Stick to your plan – It is one thing to have a meetings schedule, it is another ball game to stick to what you purposed in 1 above. It calls for a high level of discipline to do so. Avoid over stretching meetings unnecessarily. Stick to the point. Stick to the budget. Whatever was not planned for at the start of the day may not suddenly be the main focus for the day. There are exceptions to this but in general terms, what was planned should be accomplished. Prioritize issues based on importance and urgency.

3. Watch out for disruptions – While you are planning your day, other people are planning their appointments with you but the feel that there is no need to inform you. Watch out for such time wasters. People must get used to booking to see you. This is not for senior professionals. Anyone should have a diary that they can stick to make things happen. Watch out for unplanned visitors and calls with no real value.

4. Occupy the idle moments – There is a lot stuff you can cover in between meetings or while driving from one place to the next. You can use that time to listen to an audio book. You can use waiting time to catch up on the news and so on. There are things you would rather not do during prime time, when you mind is fresh. I made a point not to read the newspaper at the start of the day. Newspapers tend to carry depressing issues which can scuttle your effectiveness and focus.

5. Put reminders on the computer and PDA – alarms will ensure you don’t forget what you have set to do. I carry my phones with me as they help me stay organized. I set the reminders, synchronize my PDA, phone and other gadgets with my email collaboration system. It works like magic for me.

6. Avoid over-promising your stakeholders – Productivity is usually scuttled because you would have promised far too many people big things that are not attainable in the given space of time. Be realistic with your promises.

7. Measure, correct and journal your experiences - You can never improve on something you are not deliberately recording and revisiting. You should be able to measure or score against all given tasks how productive each day was. When you journal you are able to come up with lessons on how to make it better the next time

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7 Ways to Maximize Your Potential

human-potentialEveryone is born with innate potential to do the best in life. Ultimately, it is everyone’s desire to become who they were born to be. It is however sad that sometimes some people discover when time is far spent what they are on earth for. By then it is of no use to them and those around. Time is a very precious resource which must be spent accordingly. This means every day that goes in life is as important as the one just passed. There are no moments to miss especially if they have to do with unveiling and maximizing what is stored within. Sometimes it takes other people to show an individual what they are made of. I have not always been a writer; it took the affirmations of others to finally realize that I had a whole career waiting to be exploited. Other people can observe potential in an individual. Coupled with the right affirmation and support, individuals may grow to become the best they can be. It also sometimes takes negative people to destroy every figment of potential an individual may have. Some people may not be happy to see progress in others hence they go to great lengths to stifle the potential in every way possible.

 1. Read Books – You maybe the next greatest carpenter the community has ever seen. You cannot rely on what you see in vision alone, you need to read books that have been written on the subject of your passion. Read widely in order to increase your relevancy level.

 2. Increase your exposure level – Exposure can be achieved through travel, research and meeting people. Your potential relies heavily on what you have been exposed to since birth. Endeavour to increase what your awareness of the environment, the market trends and possibilities even beyond the confines of your country.

3. Have mentors around you – Mentors help get the best out of an individual. I have a mentor who coaches me in the arena of book writing. I would not have achieved what I have done had it not been for him. I have mentors who expand my potential in other areas of life such as business, family and so on. If you have no one to stretch you, you will never know what you are capable of. You will settle for what you know of yourself.

 4. Attempt difficult tasks – One way to really maximize possibilities in your own life is when you attempt things that are seemingly hard by normal standards. If you always settle for the easy tasks, you could scratch on the surface in terms of what you can do. When I was with Anglo American, I attempted projects that were seemingly beyond my education and experience. Only after I decided to embark on them did I realize how easy it was.

 5. Enter into competitions and challenges – Competitions are important in life. I always attempt challenging competitions that test my resilience and determination. I have participated in the 4th marathon challenge to write 100 Articles in 100 Days by ezine in May 2010. I completed 201 articles in the 100 days to become among 68 people in the world to do so. I also took part in the 5th challenge. Challenging times bring out the best in me.

 6. Do something new – When did you last do something for the very first time? Your potential could be in the things that have not been discovered yet. Who says you are not the one to invent the next biggest thing. It only comes when you cultivate an unwavering desire to do new things and create new ideas.

 7. Follow through on your passion to limit – Once you discover what your passion is you need a determination to follow through. You need to increase the activities that are lined up with that passion in your life. Attend seminars, go to college, find a common interest group, build others in your area, engage the existing systems and so on

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7 Gift Ideas this Season

We are in a season that is widely celebrated the world over, Christmas and ushering in of a new year. There will be festivities all over the world. It is in such moments that many exchange different gifts to celebrate one another. There are however those who will sit back and look at themselves as not able to give anyone a gift particularly where the financial position is not that healthy. I have good news for you. You do not always have to use money to celebrate others this season. I have a few thoughts you may want to consider.

1. Give of your time – spend time with family and friends catching up on times spent apart. Spend time with those who are mourning and those who are rejoicing. They say time is money hence when you spend time with someone, you would definitely have given them money.

2. Give your love (care) – They say it is never Love until you learn to give it away. You give love, you get love back. Call someone and wish them well. It is in this time that some will be feeling lonely after their own friends would have traveled on holidays. Share you love with someone.

3. Give you ear (attention) – In this busy world, sometimes people hardly have time to listen to others speaking. This is a time when there is no rush. Listen to the deep cries and anxieties of those needing attention. There are many who have been misunderstood all their lives, take time to listen to them too. Take time to answer any burning questions.

4. Give hope – Many feel hopeless, dejected and rejected. Take time to affirm someone that their circumstances are not unto death. The fact that they are living to enter this season means there is a purpose for their lives. Tell them never to give up hope but keep it alive. Visit those in prison and those in orphanages.

5. Give your wisdom – After listening to all the cries, the complaints and anxieties, take a moment to offer your wisdom. The fact that someone is pouring their lives out means you may have a word in you that will unlock their potential and position them for the new year. Offer wisdom and it will never run dry in you.

6. Give life – Take time to donate blood to save lives that continue to perish on the roads due to accidents. When you see others in trouble please stop and rescue them from perishing. Share the word of God with someone. It could be the only gift that they need to turnaround their own circumstances. Tell people of the importance of being alive.

7. Give others memories – Let others feel that this has been the best Christmas ever. You may never give them cash but give them memories they will live with for life. Take pictures to remember the moments you spend with family and friends. Make this a memorable season for generations to come.

I would like to personally thank you all who have been a source of encouragement for me in my quest to impact lives around the world. The nations that have hosted me in the recent past, I applaud you. Thank you to USA, Kenya, Uganda, Swaziland, South Africa to name just a few of those. I will be traveling more in the coming year to make sure you too are not left out from traveling on first class in the inspiration train.

Merry Christmas and a blissful 2013.

Rabison Shumba
Author | Speaker | Coach

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Fountain of Inspiration vol. 1 to be launched in Harare

My latest book, Fountain of Inspiration vol. 1 will be launched in Harare, Zimbabwe on Thursday 13 September at the Book Cafe (Samora Machel Avenue). This is in collaboration and partnership with Zimbabwe United States of America Alumni Association (ZUSAA). You are all invited to this event where there will be entertainment and fun. This will happen from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Contact info@greatnesstrust.org to organize collection of your invitation card. See more information here and confirm participation.See you there!!!

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Fountain of Inspiration Volume 1 is out!!!

My life is dedicated towards the inspiration of others towards greatness. That is how I sum-up my purpose for existence. To do that, I speak and write inspirational messages that seek to take you from where you are to where you are supposed to be. My new book, “Fountain of Inspiration Vol. 1″ offers just that. There are 13 incredible chapters with 70 inspirations in each chapter. It makes it the premier book of inspiration. Read below what Brian Tracy, Dr. John Stanko and many others said about the book. You can also order this hardback by clicking here.

"Fountain of Inspiration Vol. 1", Rabison Shumba's New book

A few of the endorsements of this book:

“This book gives you a series of powerful, practical tools and ideas you can use to unleash your personal power for success. I recommend this great tool indeed.”
Brian Tracy. President of Brian Tracy International, Motivational Speaker,
Consultant & Best Selling Author of over 55 Books, such as No Excuses, Eat that Frog!
Solana Beach, California, USA

“Rabison Sumba has done it again.  He has shared with us out of the abundance of his heart and what we have in this book is a veritable feast of wisdom, insight, and inspiration.  You can literally dive into any part of this book and receive pearls of wisdom about life, leadership, purpose and productivity.  An old adage that states, “A man cannot lead you where he has not been himself.”  Rabison leads us to the place where he lives and draws life, and gives away what he has paid a high price to receive. Thank you, Rabison, for sharing so freely.”
Dr. John Stanko – President of PurposeQuest International,
Author of over 10 books including “Unlocking the Power of Purpose”, Conference Speaker
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

“A well planned meal of inspirational wisdom is how I would describe this gift by Rabison Shumba. I suggest that you turn the pages slowly and read thoughtfully. To read too quickly, one might overlook the depth of thought that went into each phrase. As I read one thought of wisdom after the other, I wanted to take each one apart and find even more. The gift left me with the notion that we all matter regardless of the circumstances of our start. The embrace of individual ‘unselfishness’ is key to long term success for self and others. This was so clear to me.  Such a gift has tremendous application for building a positive infrastructure of relationships in any arena where people gather.”
Clifton L. Taulbert - Founder & President of the Building Community Institute
Pulitzer-Nominated Author & International Lecturer on the Power of Community
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

“It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the negative news to which we are regularly exposed. This collection of short, but powerful pieces of wisdom can be your antidote. With his personal insights on a variety of topics, you can’t help by feel inspired by Rabison Shumba’s writings!”
Charlotte Weeks – President of  Weeks Career Services, Inc.,
Former Co-author “101 Great Ways to Enhance your Career”
Consultant and Author of “I Want to Work in an Association – Now What??”
Chicago, Illinois,  USA

Where to get this book

You can purchase the book in print in Zimbabwe from Innov8 Bookshop, Insignia and many other outlets. You can order a print copy or e-book from here. Get a copy and be inspired.

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7 Jewels for your growth

1. The smallest particle that makes up the big success that you desire is called information. Access to information is what separates those who make it in life and those who are stuck in the realm of excuses and complaints. Increase your access to information and you suddenly you boost your access to opportunity.

2. They do not lie when they say information is power. When ignorance is reduced by half, chances of succeeding treble. You can never attain opportunities you are not aware of. You will use jewels to kill birds and bank notes to light fires in the absence of information on what those items truly are.

3. Run your life by principle and not by guess work. You have to come to a point where you are values driven in all your decision making. If you ignore principles, you will be tossed around by all whims and appearances of “opportunity”. Be loyal to your own standards and values. In the absence of standards, chaos is inevitable.

4. I would rather tell the truth and lose out than lie all the way and win. A lie as small as a grain of sand can create a reputational catastrophe big enough to decimate your chances to gain true success. A small lie will grow little by little. You graduate into a perpetual habit where you itch to lie unnecessarily with every sentence you create.

5. In any relationship, you have to be clear about what brings and binds you together. Doing so will help you be rational/reasonable about your expectations and careful enough not to crack the building blocks unnecessarily. Manage expectations well, preserve the values jealously and your relationship will thrive.

6. It becomes lonely at the top if you are a selfish, insecure and unaccommodating leader. Great leaders go up the ladder while pulling others to follow suit. If all you do is concern yourself with the title and not come to terms with the fact that leaders give birth to more leaders then be comfortable in your loneliness.

7. Do the best with what you have, where you are. Excellence is an art that requires consistency in terms of practice. If you are excellent with the small things, you are a candidate for the bigger assignments. Excellence is not a game of chance. It is supposed to be a lifestyle. If “average” is good enough for you, then you disqualify yourself from visibility

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7 Inspirations – with 2 bonus sets

1. My rule of thumb in all the networking I do is that I do not inherit your enemy list by virtue of us being friends. Yes, you can mistrust me for working with your enemy but be assured that when I am with them, you are nowhere close to the agenda. Quit adopting the little fights that people have and relate with people based on your own experiences. It is easy to miss out from a relationship due to biased information from the one you choose to listen to. It is time to build effective networks.

2. As far as it depends on you, create new friends all the time because enemies are guaranteed. Most enemies elect themselves into that role due to lack of correct information about you. You can not live your life counting and naming your enemies. Rather focus on who is building you and who you are building. It will lower your stress levels.

3. You cannot control who follows you but you can certainly determine who you want to follow. The fact that people do not need a license to follow you places a level of responsibility on you to make sure they get from you what you portray yourself to be. It does not matter where on the ladder of economics you are, you are someone’s role model even though they haven’t told you. Live responsibly.

4. You rather delay your response until you are sure what you want to say than speak too soon and regret your commitment. When you are ready to respond realize that ‘No’ is an acceptable answer. When you do commit then do all you can to meet your obligations even if it costs you. People plan their lives based on your utterances.

5. Everyone is a potential world changer and yet not everyone has the willingness or know-how of what part they can play. There is a general feeling that there are enough ‘world changing’ initiatives in place while others would rather not change the status-quo for what they stand to lose. A majority carry misconceptions about the subject preferring that those with ‘zeal’ should do it. The world will only change if we play our part with what we have from where we stand.

6. A good network has in it the capacity to build your net worth. Business success is no longer merely the exchange of value between total strangers. Just like any relationship, business is now about trusting the service provider before bothering what service or value one can get. Make sure your net does work and is strong enough to hold all the great relationships that come your way. It costs you time and effort to keep your net working but it is worth it.

7. It is not enough to Own something which you cannot Use. Having a talent, a skill, a book or even wisdom is good to the degree that you use it to better your life and those around you. Simply owning it and doing nothing about it trivializes your worth and usefulness.

********** End of Set 1 *********** Digest before you continue

8. The motive with which we do what we do is far more important than what we actually do. We generally see the result of one’s actions but rarely do we bother to examine closely why people do what they do. Every gesture, good or bad has an underlying reason. Nothing just happens under the sun.

9. Meaningful personal transformation starts with the realization of the need for it followed closely by a decision to effect change. A decision without practical steps towards change will always maintain the status quo. Go past wishing for change to changing your lifestyle by changing how and what you spend time doing or thinking about.

10. Sometimes we penalize the one who commits a physical crime leaving a more dangerous type of individual who is the strategist in making the crime a reality. Crime exists because someone has succeeded to steal on paper and in the mind.

11. It is maturity to know what good you can learn from others while ignoring the bad traits. No matter how bad someone may seem, there is always a layer of positive attributes you can benefit from if you look objectively.

12. No matter how much time you spend pondering about a problem, it will not change the situation until you take corrective steps to end it. Worry is the incubator or womb in which problems grow to full term. It incapacitates your creative power that you desperately need to craft a working solution. In the midst of worrying, it seems like the most noble thing to engage in yet it is the worst way to waste your time.

13. The one who labours while others shy away has a higher chance of becoming a supplier to the onlookers. Rather face temporary discomfort that gives you perpetual rewards than hold on to comfort that only lasts for a moment. It is time to rebuild a positive work ethic.

14. We will not change the world by policies, politics and protests alone. The world will change dramatically through people embracing their purpose and maximizing their potential. The smallest component of the world is individuals. To focus on individuals is to focus on the world transformation agenda. Know yourself and it will position you to know how you can help others change the world for the better.

********** End of Set 2 *********** Digest before you continue

15. It is the consistency and excellence with which you do what you do that matters more than the title you occupy. It does not matter where on the organizational ladder you operate from, your attitude towards work will determine the velocity of your ascent or descent. Be the best in your present role before hoping for recognition.

16. One man’s challenge is another man’s opportunity. The one you leave to solve your issues will become your supplier. You can rely on the provisions of others and be enslaved for life instead of preserving your wealth by creating solutions for the things you are spending on.

17. The fastest way to age under the pressure of stress is when you live to please everyone around you. With one act of kindness you will please one and offend another. People are unique in the way they view your gestures. Stay on course and focus on that which you sense is noble and just.

18. Anything that is built to last takes time to finish. Failure to appreciate that every idea has a gestation period leads to frustration and ultimate abandonment. Know what stage your idea is at and refuse to entertain suggestions for you to quit. Those pushing you to stop could be positioning themselves to take over your efforts.

19. You will struggle to keep your word that you give others if you don’t honor your word to yourself. Think of the targets and goals you promised yourself to work towards. If those goals remain untouched, no wonder why it seems complicated to meet your commitments to others. You have been well trained.

20. A student can actually be above his teacher if he chooses to study beyond what the teacher taught. Information is not stagnant; it is ever increasing. Teachers who refuse to upgrade their levels of awareness will lose the grip on relevance, usefulness and credibility. If all you know is what you got yesterday your relevance may have expired.

21. There is nothing more important than the foot print (track record) that you emboss into your lifetime. You will be remembered by the words you said, the residue from your deeds and from the content of the character you carried. Today is another chance to create that indelible mark.

********** End of Set 3 *********** Now reflect on these and implement in your life

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7 Gems of Inspiration from Douglas Mamvura

While in this online hibernation mode because of studies, I couldn’t deny myself a chance to attend the British Council run Management Express Forum this evening (29 Sept 11). It is with great pleasure that I bring you inspiration from a presentation on “Marketing for Success” by a Zimbabwean marketing expert, Douglas Mamvura. I sought permission to give these to you and also to modify and spice them up to inspire you towards your business and personal success. A lot was shared and I am only giving you the ones I picked to be the best seven (7).

1. The way you see the world is sometimes not what it is but really who you are. It is therefore important to make sure that you work on who you are in order to influence how you see the world. Every time you are tempted to comment on the state of your surroundings, change the focus to who you are.

2. He who has a thorough knowledge and understanding of him/herself and the enemy is bound to win all battles. Most battles are lost for lack of information on the two critical elements – your attributes and capabilities as well as those of your enemy. Accurate information is the bedrock of success.

3. In business, speed wins, not panic or frenetic activity but deliberate all ahead full speed. In dynamic environments and economies, it is just like changing tyres of a car while it is in motion. You stop at the detriment of your own future and success.

4. A crowd never follows someone who follows the crowd. You need to gather enough courage to challenge past traditions, primitive ideas and archaic concepts. Step out and break new ground. The people you desire to follow could be desiring to see you lead. Life is pick and pay, you can pick anything provided you are willing to pay.

5. You can never light a fire with a wet match. Inspired people have a tendency to inspire those around them. In life, rather be the head of a rat than the tail of a lion. You were created for dominion. Any other place is a misinterpretation of your reason for existence.

6. You can never have a baby in one month by impregnating 9 women in a day. Sometimes you have to learn to reason and think in a logical manner. In addition, know that it is not usually speed that matters but whether you have direction. You could go nowhere at full speed and arrive.

7. Power is like a bar of soap, the more you use the less you have. It is a sad story that most business are over managed and under led. There are many managers (of things) and few leaders (of people).

Mr. Douglas Mamvura is the CEO of Africa Integrated Group (AIG). He is the author of an incredible book entitled “Marketing as a calling” available in a number of bookstores in Zimbabwe.

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7 “Chilly Bites” from Chicago

The Chicago experience was one of the most memorable one. It was time to part with some of the greatest brains the continent of Africa has ever come up with. The thoughts below are a combination of inspiration from Chicago and my last stop-over in DC. Enjoy these chilly bites as I go back to my continent after a tour of duty. The mission was indeed POSSIBLE!!.

1. While it’s sunset in one part of the world, it’s midnight or sunrise elsewhere. In our lives, we always have seasons that come and go. You are never the only one in a bad season. Celebrate other people’s sunrise as yours is approaching. Your ability to push through one season determines your success in the next season. Appreciate what each season teaches and teach others from what you learn. You will soon realize that you are smarter than before you faced your present challenges.

2. Be careful who comes near you, it means they have a higher chance to hurt or harm you. However, realize a species that is less relational is more prone to extinction. Relate with wisdom. You still need other people to break into your life and help you achieve your dreams.

3. If you say that you can’t then you definitely won’t. It is important to watch what you confess as being a possibility.Our lips can seal our fate. The same lips can say the most liberating words. Make a choice daily to say that which is positive, that which activates all potential and possibility.

4. Judge not a society by limited experience and contact you have with its people. There is no perfect society yet. However, judge a society by the values it upholds, virtues in place and vision it aims to achieve.

5. Of all the things you have capacity to lose, never lose hope. For as long as you are alive, hope will always draw you closer to your destiny. Death is not merely loss of life. It begins when you lose hope. So, keep this hope alive

6. An agreement entered into without sincerity from the agreeing parties is a mere fantasy. It is natural that either party always desires that which benefits them more than the other side. Realize though that in life you can never have it all to yourself. As you sign pacts, agreements and deals, you have to give away to get. Lose control to gain it.

7. The most painful chains are not those that grip our flesh but the invisible ones that grip our minds. You are born into a world that confines you to limitations, so many hours in a day, you can only eat so much etc. Do not be so limit concious such that your mind relapses into the usual, familiar and common. You can break all limits. You need a mental jail-break. Free at last. To DREAM and become

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