INTRODUCTION/ PREFACE

 “All successful people are big dreamers, they imagine what their future could be in every respect and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” Those were the words of an apt, dynamic, eminent and intelligent management consultant of our time - Brian Tracy in his article titled ‘Goals.’ I was inspired to write on this topic a year ago. While still an undergraduate and walking with a couple of friends one morning to school, someone asked; how do people measure success or when can one claim to be successful? A very deep question it was. While we walked, still ruminating deeply over a befitting answer to my friend’s puzzling question, I remained silent as others kept pouring out their opinions as their immediate thoughts gave them utterance. As soon as we got to the entrance of the lecture hall, I pulled him aside and said; Success is a product of the mind; it’s your mind that presents and indicates to you, the level of your success! While walking, I had thought; if people had different choices, preferences, goals, visions, dreams and aspirations, as being products of their thoughts, it is only logical to say that; ‘thoughts become things’ and as much as they could conceive within their minds, they could equally achieve. Hence, before anything else, Success is first a product of your mindset! There are two (2) key words to be examined in this piece; ‘Success’ and ‘Mindset’. There is apparently no iron-cast definition to the word “Success” as people’s interpretations differ significantly in relation to their background, environment, personality and essentially, their mindset. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary defines ‘Success’ as a person or thing that has achieved a good result and had been successful. The word ‘Mindset’ is described as a set of attitudes or fixed ideas that somebody has and that are often difficult to change. Inferring from the two definitions above, you would realize that having a mindset involves having an attitude – which is a habit or behavior that has become constant in your subconscious. As soon as success which involves achieving a good result becomes an attitude (i.e.; fixed or constant in your subconscious mind) it becomes your personality! Once you become conscious of the fact that whatever or whomever you constantly believe or think of, is what or who you eventually become, you are on your way to becoming who you constantly think of. The greatest book ever written, the Bible, reminds us of the aforementioned fact in Proverbs 23: 7 – ‘as a man thinks in his heart, so is he’. In other words, what you give the majority of your thoughts to is what eventually becomes of you. Hear this; ‘Your mind is your greatest success Asset!’ One reason we become problems for God, ourselves, others and the future is because we refuse to allow our mind’s eye, believe and see what God wants it to see. In the physical world, there are extreme limitations; we seem to be limited in so many ways, by so many things – finance, time, resources etc. In the realm of the spiritual where our mind is expected to operate, we adopt God’s character and are extremely unlimited. In just a matter of seconds in our minds’ imaginations, we can experience the good life; drive the best of cars, eat the most delicious of delicacies, live in beautiful edifices etc. Like imagining things, so also is thinking. You do not need anyone’s permission to think right, be right and act right. It is essential to know; that once your mentality is changed, your realities are re-focused! And if you are not ready to think, you are not ready to succeed. What do you think Paul the apostle meant in the Bible (Ephesians.3:20) when he said that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think, according to the power that works in us? However, one may be forced to ask; how do I create a mindset of success? This would be discussed in the STAGE 2 of this piece (CREATING THE SUCCESS MINDSET). The journey into a world of realities and possibilities is just about to begin. Do keep the tabs on!