Vitamins: Bishop Titi-Ofei shares his views on how people succeed
In Bishop Gideon Yofi Titi-Ofei’s Wisdom Series of his popular Motivational Vitamins, dubbed ‘The 14 Practical Definition of Wisdom’, he suggested that “Life is like a snake and wisdom is the ability to charm it before it bites you. Ecclesiastes 10:11.
He explained that if a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
“So, if someone says, he has the capacity to charm a snake and the person waits for the snake to bite him/her before the person uses that capacity, then there is no profit.
In other words, it is not wise to be reactionary, it is not wise to allow things happen to you, when you can happen to things.”
The Presiding Bishop of the Pleasant Place Church held the view that people who succeed in life are not the people who react to things but the people who act ahead, adding that life must be progres sive and for one to progress in life one must always act ahead.
If you wait for things to happen before you react to them, you don’t succeed, he added.
According to Bishop Titi-Ofei, there are three kinds of people who are reading this right now:
1. Those who react; they are always late in life.
2. Those who act; they are always on time
3. And those who proact; they are always ahead in terms of action.
He argued that one needs to act and act fast, saying “this is what I want to leave with you if you want to succeed; you must be very agile. Now agility means you must have speed, you must have strategy, you must have stability and you must have strength.”
Think before others think, see ahead, move ahead and stay ahead of the competition. If you allow people to think before you think you will always be chasing their shadows, he advised.
To move ahead, he said one must have speed as well as stability and be strong with their conviction, stressing that “don’t change your mind at the least resistance, for a double-minded person doesn’t succeed.
Again, he said one must have strength because weak people don’t succeed, urging people who
want to succeed to be strong and courageous like God said to Joshua- ‘Because you will lead this people to cross the Jordan you must be strong and courageous.’
One key thing he said every successful person has is courage and their capacity to confront fear. Also, he added that successful people don’t procrasti nate but rather they think ahead, see ahead, act ahead and move ahead that is the secret of success.
There is a great war being waged in the world today. It is not a conflict between nations, tribes, or govern ment leaders. It is not a rebellion or coup. It is an important invisible battle taking place in the spirit world. The Bible states that God's people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). One of the main areas in which believers are being defeated due to lack of knowledge is in spiritual warfare.
Whether you are aware of it or not, everybody on the planet is fighting a battle. There isn't a middle ground. Unbelievers have been captured by the enemy and are in servitude to evil. They are the war's casualties. Jesus Christ has set believers free from the adversary and made them winners, but they are still fighting the battle as soldiers. The invisible spiritual war is a battle which involves all men and women. Because the Kingdom of Satan is a spiritual kingdom
. . . we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Spiritual conflict differs from a normal conflict between flesh and blood. It is not a conflict between men. It is an invisible conflict. In the spiritual realm, there is an undetectable conflict. The battle is between and within man. Since spirits are involved, and according to Luke 24:39, spirits do not have flesh and bones, the battle is not visible to the naked eye.
Spiritual warfare is "multidimensional," which means it is fought in different dimensions. It is:
1. A social battle between the believer and the world: John 15:18-27
2. A personal battle between the flesh and the spirit: Galatians 5:16-26
3. A supernatural battle between the believer and evil supernatural powers: Ephesians 6:10-27
4. A physical battle, with Satan launching attacks of sickness against your body: Job 1-2.
Ephesians 6:12 indicates that we (all believers) wrestle against evil spiritual forces. Wrestling involves close personal contact. No one is exempt from this battle. No one can view it from a distance. You are in the midst of conflict whether you acknowledge it or not. If you believe it will get better, you are wrong. The Christian warfare never ceases.
Through the victory of Jesus Christ, believers have been set free from the enemy, but they are still at battle. This articles’ core verse implies that we (all believers) engage in spiritual combat with demonic spirits.
Within the natural and spiritual realms of which we are speaking there exists separate kingdoms which are ruled by natural and spiritual leaders.
In the natural domain of this earth, all men reside. They reside in a village or city that is a part of a coun try. That country is a global kingdom. A natural king dom is a region or population over which a real king or other political figure has absolute power. These natural kingdoms are referred to as "kingdoms of the world" in the Bible. The world's kingdoms now fall under Satan's control and sway:
Again, the Devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if you wilt fall down and worship me. (Matthew 4:8-9)
John 5:19 sadly reminds us that "the whole world is under the control of the evil one".
There are two spiritual kingdoms in addition to the natural kingdoms of this world: the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. One of these two realms is home to every living thing.
All mankind who live in sin and disobey God's Word are members of Satan's kingdom, along with demons, other supernatural beings, and Satan himself. The spiritual powers of evil at play in the world today include these, in addition to the world and the body.
God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, angelic beings, and all people who live in obedient righteous ness to God's Word make up the Kingdom of God. These are the benevolent spiritual forces.
The Kingdom of God is not a denominational church. Denominations are man-made organizations of groups of churches. They have been established for practical purposes of organization and administra tion. Denominations are major church organizations like Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, Lutheran, etc. The Bible speaks of the true Church which is not a denomination or religious organization. The true Church is composed of all those who have become residents of the Kingdom of God.
At the present time in the natural world, the King dom of God exists individually within every man, woman, boy or girl who has made Jesus King of their lives. It exists communally in the true church and wherever people make this world the kind of world God wants it to be. In the future, there will be an actual visible manifestation of God's Kingdom..
As the end of time approaches it is even more important for believers to understand spiritual warfare than in the early days of church history. The Apostle Paul warned:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
(II Timothy 3:1)
In order to be properly prepared for these perilous
This invisible war is being waged on earth:
Jacob moved closer to his father, who felt him and said," Your voice sounds like Jacob's voice, but your
One of the greatest deceptions in the Bible is the story of how Jacob deceived Isaac into believing that he was Esau and stole his blessings. His plan was simple: take advantage of Isaac’s blindness, dress like Esau
The “Jacob-style” deception continues today in the church because we are blind and are unable to notice the fakers and the pretenders in our midst. I have heard people say “love is blind” but I say “love sees but lust is blind”. Even though you may be blinded by the circumstances of the time, make sure you are not deafened. Isaac couldn’t see, yet he had his doubts when he heard the voice of Jacob pretending to be Esau. Fakers and pretenders may hide some things
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
• Pastors:
You may not be able to go to his/her Pastor to inquire about him/her but can ask your pastor to interact with his/ her Pastor and solicit for informa tion about him/her.
• Teachers:
This may be difficult or in some cases impossible, but if you have the opportunity to meet his/her former teachers, ask probing questions and take cues from their answers.
• Friends:
This may not be a very reliable source of informa tion as most friends may want to cover up for their peers. But I bet you, if you listen to their conversa tions and jokes, they may let out a cat or two. Also observe his nicknames because there is something in a nickname.
Observe his/her words and you will know the condi tion of his heart. Listen carefully to his/her conversa tions with others and you can tell who he/she is.
To be continued…
O God, thou art my God: early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (Psalms 63:1-2)
Just as there is a deceiving sleep and warmth which comes upon a man who is dying from cold by freezing to death, so it is in the spirit world. There is a stupor and an unconcerned attitude when people are dying spiritually.
Religion is the attempt of man to know God. It is ritual and regulations, works and words without power. Religion brings spiritual death.
The power of God is the visible demonstration of His desire to reveal Himself to man. Spiritual power is God's Kingdom in action. It brings spiritual life.
Many have experienced religion. They have joined various cults and denominations. These organizations have lulled them into an unconcerned spiritual attitude. They have not experienced the power of the Gospel which can change their lives. They are defeated and discouraged, sick and wounded. They are dying spiritually. Their heart cry is as that of the Psalmist David who wrote. . .
O God, thou art my God: early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (Psalms 63:1-2)
These people need to experience life after religion.
You might believe that your lack of education prevents you from becoming extraordinary. Maybe you don't have any denominational credentials as a minister or you are without a skill. You can reside in a remote village where it is impossible for you to attend a Bible school or get the needed education or skill. You don't need any of these things to prevent you from acquiring spiritual strength. The Word of God is filled with examples of ordinary men and women who were used of God in mighty ways. God can equally do same with your life.
The following are ordinary people that became and did extraordinary things in their generation.
1. Abraham. . . lied about Sarah being his wife because of fear, yet he was used of God to found the great nation of Israel.
2. Moses. . . was not a good speaker and killed an Egyptian in anger, yet God used him to lead an entire nation of over two million people to the promised land.
3. Peter. . . sank while walking on water, always said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and in the end denied he knew Jesus. . . yet this ordinary fisherman stood and gave a power ful witness on the day of Pentecost which resulted in the salvation of 3,000 souls.
4. Gideon. . . a young man hiding in fear to thresh the harvest grain was called to deliver an entire nation from oppressive captors.
5. King David. . . committed adultery, took another man's wife and had the man murdered, yet he was the greatest King of Israel and called a man after God's own heart.
6. Peter and John. . . both were poor fishermen and had no money or education, but the healing power of God flowed
through them to stir entire cities.
7. The Apostle Paul. . . it was said of him that his letters were powerful, but his bodily presence weak and his speech poor (II Corinthians 10:10).
8. Jacob. . . was a deceiver, liar, and schemer. But when God touched him, he became a "prince with power with God and man."
Despite your human failings, if God and men can entrust men like these with spiritual power, then you can too! Men and women who are typical are remarkable because God has called them. You cannot expect him to view you as you see yourself. He does not perceive you in the same way that others do. When you are empowered spiritually, God views you as the person you can become. In the Bible, "earthen vessels" are described as God's employment of common people. He does this for the following reason:
. . . that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
(II Corinthians 4:7)
God will always choose the foolish things of this word to conform the wise. Believe in Him. He can change your story by moving you from obscurity to prominence.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV says, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
You can become extraordinary!
I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.
(John 15:5)
In the natural world, life comes from the vine. The vine sends a life flow into the branches of a plant to produce fruit. The branch does not bear fruit of its own. If it is separated from the main vine, it ceases to bear fruit and eventually dies.
Jesus used this as an example to show how God's power operates in the spiritual realm. We are the fruit-bearing branches. Christ is the vine. You merely bear the fruit; you do not create it (see John 15). Peter did not perform any of the notable mira cles recorded in the New Testament. They weren't a product of Paul's labour. They were the result of God's vitality pouring through them, producing spiritual fruit in the form of spiritual branches..
These folks followed God's instructions. They shared the Word of God. The ill were touched by them. They gave demons orders to relinquish control over both men and women's lives. They followed orders and gave God the results. God will handle the outcome if you obey Him. You do not perform miracles. The source of power is God. It is up to God when you obey Him and follow His instructions. Through you, He generates the power.
.
. . This is the work of God: that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. (John 6:29)
Jesus is the One who works through you. He is the One who has delegated the authority. You do not have to work up the power by emotionalism. You do not have to "pray it down". It is the power of God working in and through you:
. . .
they went forth, and preached everywhere, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, and confirming the Word with signs following. (Mark 16:20)
Often in ministry this pattern is switched. Many try to work for God. But the method that brings pow erful results is "The Lord working with them."
Jesus told the disciples:
And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)
Leadership puts leaders to series of erratic tests from situation to situation. It presents reasoning to leaders and subject leaders to reason on the go. Yet leadership is not all about reasoning. It is also an art which will always demand mastery of emotional management and intelligence, passion and inspi ration (Thomas 2006).
This makes leadership ever demanding. So, I heard a failed leader screamed, Leadership is crazy! I curiously asked, why? How come a leader did noth ing wrong and still failed, he answers.
Then I shared the concept of the blind spot with him. Leaders don't see everything coming. When leaders gain mastery to know and feel that leader ship naturally involves the interaction of the leader, the follower and the situation, they learn to appre ciate that leadership is not about the leader.
This is the main reason why leaders need to adopt varying skills in leading teams to become adapt able to the ever-changing situation. Now let's get down to it. I don't want to be the stoolpigeon, but the fact must be established that leaders don't see every situation in the leadership space. Good
leaders with great leadership skills see more through people.
As a matter of fact, Hughes et al (2015) mention that leadership is about working through people to get results by organizing, coordinating and direct ing teams to behave in an expected manner. To the point, leaders have blind spots but that shouldn't lead to chronic incompetence.
Blind spots in leadership are areas leaders cannot see or they are areas leaders cannot see clearly probably due to physical obstruction or otherwise. For example, in managing geographically dispersed teams (GDTs), leaders must adopt relevant skills to get results.
Activities of GDTs will always be at the leaders blind spot. Here, leaders must use mixed approaches as delegation, internal reporting systems, technology, performance management reviews and team empowerment as powerful tools.
Leaders must be reminded not to delegate to modern day politicians clad in corporate looks in the offices who will be fanning egos. Delegate to employees who will get the job done. Delegate. Don't abdicate (Ahenkorah 2018).
A leader's thinking pattern is affected if he has a lot of blind spots to manage. If leaders fail to deliber ately identify blind spots so to deal with them appropriately as they come, they will do a lot of guess work and their directions and decisions will be flawed with speculations. Learn to use the blink. Learn to open and shut the eyes.
The only challenge in fixing the blind spot with the blink, is about timing. Some leaders shut when they have to open and others open when they have to shut. If followers intend to take advantage of your blind spots, confront the team and be asser tive about matters. Don't be aggressive. Visit and do road shows if teams are geographically dispersed. Don't enjoy sitting in the comfort of your offices.
Keep yourself awake. If you start experiencing signs of vision impairment, get your glasses on. A leader must see. Remember that the leader is always the vision bearer. Never lose that status whatsoever. Yes. Leaders would have blind spots. If leaders use the right management tools in the right propor tion, every area under management shall be subor dinated to leadership planning, management, organization and control. Leaders must learn to be continuously abreast of current trends whiles building capacities to remain relevant at all times.
BLIND SPOTS ‘Delegate. Don't abdicate’
By Benedicta Mawuena Dzandu
Ghana’s creative industry is shattered like glass into a million smithereens. Ghanaians are yearning for more content daily, and the Ghanaian child is not exempted from this. We’ve seen the likes of Ama Atta Aidoo and Efua Sutherland, who cultivated reading literacy in us as a child. They made us see reading as fun and how it ought to be. But have you wondered, in the millenni als, we lack new generations to continue the reins of our ancestors?
The Ghanaian child wants to dream of possibilities. They want to escape into fairytales and fantasy out of the “madness” of this world. Exceptional and captivating reading materials that challenge them to aspire and cause a change for their communities.
A young man rising to the occasion is Dennis Mann, a young banker who still finds time out of a tedious banking schedule to write stories for kids. I was privileged to read his first three books, and oh my goodness, every child needs to read Dennis Mann’s books.
Dennis Mann is a Ghanaian born and resides in Accra with his family. He writes for children and adults. He is the President of Wide Reading Among Kids, a social club that gives free books to underprivileged kids. I share my review for the three books.
In this novel, the author weaves seamlessly together Greek mythology and the Ghanaian history of the Atewa forest. We learn how a clean, cheerful environ ment fades as foreigners encroach on a forest to fell trees in search of mineral resources.
The story begins with a young girl waking up one morning to find her home destroyed by strangers felling trees; she calls her family. Feeling agitated, Berganda searches for these strangers to seek her revenge. The author takes the reader through Berganda’s journey of self-discovery and ancestry.
“With a forest like Basata, you could feel at home with the trees, the animals were your friends, and you could even communicate with them and play with them, she added. It was a perfect place for her child to grow without her.”
As Berganda discovers her past and ancestry, she becomes a beacon of strength, defining who she could become. This novel carries a timeless message of bravery, acceptance, and the need for community.
I particularly loved the illustrations and how they gracefully grabbed the eye and complimented the text. I also appreciated how the author uses descriptive and expressive language to write a YA novel with “clean” language and scenes. I recommend this novel to my YA and middle-grade lovers who would love to read a reimagining of “jungle boy.”
As a reader of middle-grade fiction, I think it’s a good attempt at writing a children’s fantasy infused with magical realism, with very plain, straightfor ward narration and solid and likeable characters.
Kojo Brown Visits the Land of Pie is a bedwetting-themed tale. We’ve all had the experience of waking up with our pyjamas/nighties and bedsheets wet
with pee, feeling ashamed and attempting to cover it before anybody sees it, but failing miserably. Yes! This narrative aims to teach children about bedwet ting and how to address it with tolerance and understanding. Sometimes, little lifestyle adjustments, bladder training, moisture training, and medication might help minimize bedwetting.
The novel begins with a weird dream sequence of Kojo Brown playing football with his friends and ending up at Mr Pee Pee’s castle, where he is questioned about why he no longer wets his bed. The plot then shifts to Kojo and his friends fighting as Mr Pee Pee seeks to capture the individuals they care about.
It’s a strange fantasy children’s novel about a child’s dream world. The book contains illustrations that make it enjoyable to read. The reader sees things through Kojo Brown’s point of view and hears his inner monologues.
However, I found the characters’ language and actions a little above middle grade, albeit I liked how this book describes the growth of Kojo Brown from a carefree little boy to a young teen leader.
This world is indeed cruel. Sometimes, we sit and wonder why certain things happen; the earthquake that claims lives in certain countries, the hurricane and heat waves, the wildfires that the mind can’t comprehend. In this book, we see a child born as an intersex child in the heart of Northern Nigeria.
The first chapter opens a world for the reader to understand the environment where the protagonist, Hawa, lives.
“We sit under the sun; there is no shelter for us. When it rains, there’s no school. If I could sell sand for money, I would be the richest young girl in Damaturu.”
The lead character takes us on a journey as she runs away from home for fear of being married to someone older to be her father’s father and the short justification that she was eleven years old.
This story is heavy. Your heart feels troubled reading every line and line of a story inspired by an incident in Nigeria where Boko Haram kidnapped over 200 young girls.
Dennis Mann gives his reader a view of the camp of Boko Haram and his dealings.
Hawa is part of the young girls captured by Boko Haram and shares her POV from the writer’s pen. She must do everything to survive and flee away from the harm of the bullets to what she had always wanted to become in the future.
This book is worth reading for teens aged 12-18.
If you need to contact the author you can do so by reaching out to him with
Today, there are numerous voices around the world advocating for women. The voice of what some countries have referred to as "women's liberation" has been heard over the years asking for equal rights for all women worldwide. The tradition-driven calling for maintaining wom en's subordination has been heard in numerous countries. In recent times, the place of women in the Church has been the subject of intense theological discussion. Others such as psychol ogists, educators, and philosophers have all been heard on issues regarding women.
In general, concerns about women have centred on their role and status in society. Many contemporary movements that advocate for the liberation of women have overreacted to the issues and worries that women experience. The movement for women's liberation is not brand-new. It dates back to Eve, the first woman, who yearned for freedom from God's laws. However, only through faith in Jesus Christ and acceptance of the patterns and tenets of womanhood outlined in God's Word, the Bible, may women experience true emancipation.
When woman was initially made, God made her in a lovely, blameless state. All women now fall into one of two groups as a result of the sin she committed:
1. The sinful woman who has rejected Jesus Christ as her Savior and not received forgiveness for her sin is the woman who is separate from God.
multiple wives, some of them were "strange" women who followed false gods.
In the book of Proverbs, the term "strange" is translated as "foreign, alien, and adulterous." It speaks of a lady who is cut off from God and
outside of His righteousness. Since God's ideal plan for woman is that through she be part of His Body, the Church, this makes the strange woman an adulteress from God because she has turned from relationship with God to a sinful life.
Proverbs identifies several characteristics of the "strange" woman. While all of these characteris tics may not be evident, any of them can emerge in a sinful woman's life.
1. INSINCERE: The strange woman uses flatter ing speech, giving insincere praise with a wrong motive. Proverbs teaches such a woman should be avoided:
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words. (Proverbs 2:16)
To keep thee from ...the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. (Proverbs 6:24)
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. (Proverbs 7:5)
2. A DESTROYER: The strange woman seeks to destroy others by drawing them into her sin: For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. (Proverbs 6:26)
3. IMMODEST: The sinful woman dresses immodestly:
And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot... (Proverbs 7:10)
4. CONTENTIOUS: "Contentious" means to be argumentative, always involved in controversy: The contentions of a wife are a continual drop ping. (Proverbs 19:13)
A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. (Proverbs 27:15)
5. It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman. (Proverbs 21:19)
6. ADULTEROUS: The sinful woman may be involved in adulterous physical relationships.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman... (Proverbs 30:23)
7. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the
bosom of a stranger? (Proverbs 5:20)
After describing the strange woman through out the Proverbs, the writer closes with a glori ous contrast of the virtuous woman. The discus sion opens with a question and a declaration: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)
What is the secret of the virtuous woman? How can she achieve all of these positive traits? She fears the Lord! All of her righteousness, all of her wonderful positive character traits spring from her right relationship with God. Fearing God involves more than respecting Him. It includes acknowledging Him as God, recognizing and confessing your sin, and accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior. As you become a new creature in Jesus Christ, all the old things are done away with:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17) The virtuous woman was once affected by the sin which came upon all men and women through Eve's original sin. The difference between her and the sinful woman is that she is no longer sinful. She has been cleansed by the saving power of Christ.
Your life may be ruined by sin. You may have many of the characteristics of the sinful woman evident in your life. Right now, through Christ, you can be transformed from a sinful to a virtu ous woman. You can restore your relationship with God and then let Him develop these beau tiful, virtuous characteristics in your life. All you have to do is confess your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. If you have not already made this commitment, pray to God in your own words and do this right.
Read Proverbs 31:10-31 which details the charac teristics of the virtuous woman. Keep your Bible open to this passage as you review her person ality traits. Remember, just as the sinful woman may not exhibit all of the traits of the strange woman, the following characteristics may not all be apparent in a Godly woman. They can be attained through spiritual growth, however, and are God's picture of the ideal woman.
One verse provides a concise summary of what Proverbs teaches on the subject of women. It is the final contrast between the strange and the virtuous woman:
Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)
The fascinating story of Ethiopian marathoner, Abebe Bikila, who won gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics cannot be forgotten in a hurry. My fasci nation with his story is not so much because he was the first sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal but because of the circumstance in which he won the medal.
It’s ironic that Bikila was not part of the Ethiopian team that was initially selected to represent the nation at the Olympics. He was called up as a last minute replacement for the injured Wami Biratu who had broken his ankle.
Although Bikila had run barefooted during some training sessions back in Ethiopia, he never hoped to run the biggest race of his life barefooted. But when the footwear given him for the race could not fit comfortably, he was left with two options: quit the race and return home with an excuse or run barefooted and return home with an experience –he chose the latter.
When asked why he decided to run barefooted he told journalists, his mission in Rome was to repre sent his nation. As an ambassador on the track, his goal was to put his nation on the world map, so not having running shoes was an excuse not good enough to keep him out of the race. “I want the world to know that my country has always won with determination and heroism”. This was the winning mindset that got him to the finish line.
Daily, on your journey towards Becoming, the obstacles and challenges you must overcome; the tolls you must pay to Become your dream are often impossible to anticipate from the outset but your resolve to keep moving forward; to keep paying the price life has placed on the prize you desire is what gets you to Become.
Scientists assert that you denied over 40 billion other ‘you’ the opportunity to come into this world when you won the Sperm Race as a sperm cell to fertilise your mother’s egg.
In the light of the above, you must view yourself as an ambassador for the over forty billion other you whom you outrun. What are you becoming with this incredible opportunity to represent over forty billion ‘people’ in your life’s race?
Will your ‘people’ be proud that you ran your race with determination and heroism in spite of the hell and high water that were against you or will they say you chickened out with a flimsy excuse of not
having the right ‘running shoes’?
Why go at all if you are not resolute in going all the way?
Why waste invaluable oxygen to compete if your desire is not to win?
Why waste your youthfulness depleting your parent’s and nation’s meagre resources in school if you don’t have the heart to get an education?
Why ‘pretend’ to diet and train hard to get in shape on the world stage only to gorge yourself on junk food when no one is watching?
Why spend seventy years on earth driving in low gear while you consume the same fuel it would take you to fly?
Why live in your comfort zone when it is actually a death zone for your dreams and aspirations?
Inky Johnson says “Perspective drives perfor mance. How we view what we do affects how we do what we do.” Regardless of the challenge you face, how you view it affects how you act and react towards it.
When you view your life on earth and the role you have to play from the perspective of an ambassa dor, excuses would lose their glitz and glamour and the need to Become would become your sole obsession. And if your magnificent obsession in this life isn’t to Become the greatest you can ever
be, then what’s the essence of being alive? What are you Becoming with your life? If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?
WTBS: “...No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
The Writer, D.K. Techie-Menson, is a God-lover, Titi-Ofei inspired Dream Weaver, Transformational Writer and Speaker, Tragic Optimist and Student of Life.
“If You Aren't Going All the Way, Why Go at All?”
–Joe NamathMindshift Avenue with the Dream Weaver
Customer support is essential for customer satis faction and retention in any business.
In many companies, especially within the field of technology, the responsibility for customer support is placed on the customer service team to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
Customer support is an art. For any art to be prop erly executed, there is a need for an artist. The customer support executive is that artist.
As a support executive, having the right state of mind should be your major priority to great customer satisfaction. Passion is vital.
You need to understand that your customers are giving you a unique opportunity to create a mark of distinct artistry. Once a customer likes a service and is satisfied; you can be sure he will keep coming back and refer others to your product or service. However, if the service is poor, the custom er is less likely to work with you again.
Here’s how to give greater customer support;
Be Nice.
Everyone, including customers, want to be treated nicely. Treating customers with respect, person alised attention, greeting them with enthusiasm and going beyond to resolve any problems and issues will keep customers coming back.
Customers will always recall a good customer expe rience as well as a bad one. Give them a cause to come back continuously. Happy customers help spread positive word-of-mouth to family and friends. (Nicole Long: http://smallbusi ness.chron.com)
We all can tell when someone is not being sincere to us. In mastering the art of customer support, sincerity is key.
It is also important that you save numbers of your customers in order to address them by their names in successive interactions with them.
Once you mention a customer by name, he begins to feel important, acknowledged and respected. He is then able to see you as a friend and tell you specifically what his issues are without doubt.
Customers are not always happy. They can be irrita ble, frustrated, disturbed or very worried. It is need ful that you are consistent in both verbal and
non-verbal ways of communicating with them. For support services where you physically meet customers on a daily basis, your non-verbal actions really matter to the customer. It is a giveaway to whether you are empathetic to the customer’s needs.
The tone of your voice and speech when speaking to customers is equally needful. For instance, “.
I am very sorry about that, but not to worry I am here because of you. As soon as I am done assisting you with this, you will be fine.” is surely better than ‘I will get back to you when I deal with it.
There are other matters to deal with. These customer service secrets will help make customers happier with your brand.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowl edge Him, and He shall direct your paths. ~Prov erbs 3:5-6. This very quotation made some sense to me after I countered a situation.
Couple of weeks ago, I travelled to one of our Oper ating Countries with another Senior Colleague to discuss and plan for a project.
We started brainstorming on a very clean sheet by just putting a dot on the board and after 5 hours, we ended the meeting with a solid plan.
We left the room for lunch, the OpCo lead and many other people came in to have other meet ings, they looked at the board and all the detailed designs we had put there but didn't understand
After lunch, we briefed the OpCo lead and his team about what was on the board. They all laughed after the presentation and confessed that the writings had really confused them.
On the flight back to my base, I smiled as I thought of how the others couldn't understand what they had seen on the Board without the authors
This applies to our lives, we are not the starters and finishers of who we are, you might look at your life and not understand what is happening to you now
People might even see you and wonder what sort of life you have. However, if you need clarity, direc tion and purpose of your life, best person to ask is the man who created us and who has plans for us,
God.
It is confirmed in Isaiah 55:8-9: which reads “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Never depend on your own thinking, constantly focus on God and He will lead you. Remember, your ways are not HIS ways.
Stay bless.