What would you do or think if at the age of 46 – at the prime of your life – you got burned beyond recognition in a terrible motorcycle accident and just 4 years afterwards became paralyzed in an airplane crash?
I am sure you would think there was no other reason to stay alive anymore. I’m even more convinced that you would never imagine yourself becoming a millionaire, respected public speaker, a happy newly wed and a successful business person.
You would never even think along the lines of running for political office or engaging in dangerous sports like white-water rafting or even sky – diving.
His name is W. Mitchell. He was able to achieve all of the great feats mentioned earlier on. He was involved in an accident that left his face deformed. After several surgeries, he was left fingerless and his legs so thin and motionless that he was confined to a wheelchair. The accident also left him unable to pick up a fork, dial a telephone or go to the bathroom without help. You can just imagine how hopeless his situation seemed at that time. But Mitchell, a former marine officer never believed he was defeated.
Hear what he said “I am in charge of my own spaceship. I could choose to see this situation as a setback or a starting point.”
6 months after the accident, he was piloting a plane again. He later went ahead to buy himself a Victorian home in Colorado, some real estate, a plane and a bar.
Then he teamed up with 2 friends and co-founded a wood-burning stove company that grew to be a major employer of labour. After recovering from another plane crash, he as elected major of his community.
Mitchell later ran for congress turning his odd appearance into an advantage for him with slogans such as “Not just another pretty face.”
Despite his shocking looks and physical challenges, Mitchell began white-water rafting, he fell in love and got married, earned a master’s degree in Public administration and continued flying and very active in public speaking.
Mitchell’s strong positive mental attitude has made it possible for him to appear on popular TV shows making him a superstar even in the midst of his troubles. He was quoted to have said “I tell people that I had 2 big bumps in my life. If I have chosen not to use them as excuse to quit, then maybe some of the experiences you are having which are pulling you back can be put into new perspective. You can step back, take a wider view and have a chance to say “May be that isn’t such a big deal after all.
What an amazing story!
Dear listener, its not what happens to you, its what you do about it that counts. Please consider the man in our story who despite his daunting challenges rose high and accomplished greatness. What are you currently going through? You can rise above it and succeed.
This man lost most parts of his body yet overcame his problems and succeeded. There are millions out there who have every part of their bodies functioning yet are failures. There are blessings in those challenges.
I want you to think about this for the rest of today.
And then…we will continue tomorrow.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
You are more than this - Part 3
Today, we shall continue what we started on Wednesday.
I hope you have enjoyed it and learnt a lot as well.
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In Disney’s animated classic – The Lion king, Simba who did not know his worth, was living in exile until he was confounded by a vision of his father, King Mufusa. He said to Simba; “Simba, you have forgotten who you are. Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become”
My friend, congratulations on your new job! It’s exciting that you are going to be paid N2m per annum! But wait a minute, is that your total worth? Don’t you think you could get more than that on the discovery of your actual worth?
You are more than that abusive relationship. No one has the right to treat you so shabbily. Get out of that relationship before you kill yourself!
A wise man once said and I quote: “We don’t need more strength or more ability or greater opportunity. What we need is the strength to use what we already have.
Please note this: You are rich or poor according to what you are.
“It’s not what you pay a man. But what he costs you that counts.”
In his book, “understanding your potential”, Myles Munroe said “All men are sent to the world with limitless credit, but seldom draw to their full extent” he added, “there are many selves within you that lie dormant, untapped and used.”
You need to also know how to increase your current value. The following are ways by which you can increase your value:
1. Acknowledge what is good in you. A lot of us only acknowledge what is good in others while we neglect our strong points. Remember people will always treat you exactly the way you treat yourself.
2. Read: Only readers become leaders.
3. Learn all you can about your chosen field. You need to learn chosen field. You need to learn or you will be lean in your purse.
4. Walk with the wise: your company is the proof of your content. That age – old saying; “Birds of a feather flock together” is true.
5. Keep pushing and praying until something happens. It is only in the place of prayer that you can discover fully who you are and what you are worth.
It is a new day for you. You are more than this.
I wish you a grace filled day!
Tunde Afe
I hope you have enjoyed it and learnt a lot as well.
--------------------------------------
In Disney’s animated classic – The Lion king, Simba who did not know his worth, was living in exile until he was confounded by a vision of his father, King Mufusa. He said to Simba; “Simba, you have forgotten who you are. Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become”
My friend, congratulations on your new job! It’s exciting that you are going to be paid N2m per annum! But wait a minute, is that your total worth? Don’t you think you could get more than that on the discovery of your actual worth?
You are more than that abusive relationship. No one has the right to treat you so shabbily. Get out of that relationship before you kill yourself!
A wise man once said and I quote: “We don’t need more strength or more ability or greater opportunity. What we need is the strength to use what we already have.
Please note this: You are rich or poor according to what you are.
“It’s not what you pay a man. But what he costs you that counts.”
In his book, “understanding your potential”, Myles Munroe said “All men are sent to the world with limitless credit, but seldom draw to their full extent” he added, “there are many selves within you that lie dormant, untapped and used.”
You need to also know how to increase your current value. The following are ways by which you can increase your value:
1. Acknowledge what is good in you. A lot of us only acknowledge what is good in others while we neglect our strong points. Remember people will always treat you exactly the way you treat yourself.
2. Read: Only readers become leaders.
3. Learn all you can about your chosen field. You need to learn chosen field. You need to learn or you will be lean in your purse.
4. Walk with the wise: your company is the proof of your content. That age – old saying; “Birds of a feather flock together” is true.
5. Keep pushing and praying until something happens. It is only in the place of prayer that you can discover fully who you are and what you are worth.
It is a new day for you. You are more than this.
I wish you a grace filled day!
Tunde Afe
Thursday, February 26, 2009
You are more than this - Part 2
When the character became such a sensation, Jerry and Joe asked DC comics for a share of the profits. They got fired. They not only lost superman, they also lost their jobs! After a series of lawsuits to recover their creative property failed, the men lived out the rest of their lives in near poverty.
Jerry worked as a typist in
In 1978, after the first Superman movie became a box office hit, DC Comics bowed to public pressure and gave each man a $20, 000 per year annuity. In their final years, the 2 childhood friends lived within blocks of each other in
These 2 friends could have become some of the richest men of their time if they had only recognised the value of their creative property. Jerry and Joe would not have sold their rights to the Superman character for as little as $130 if they had fully understood their real worth.
It is sad and pathetic to see many people exploited because they, too, are under-utilising their assets, underestimating their market value and selling themselves too cheap.
My dear reader, you must recognise that this story is a pointer to the fact that there’s more to you than you have discovered of yourself. This is the time to go on a full-scale journey of self-discovery so that you will come to terms with your actual worth. This way, no one will ever be able to sell you cheap.
A wise man once remarked: “what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”. Find out what is inside of you and every other factor- behind and before- will give way. Yet another one observed and I quote “the most delightful surprise in life is to suddenly discover your own worth”.
It is shame to go through life and at the end of your time on earth, there would still be a large part of you that you haven’t come to terms with. It’s never too late to start. If you are able to discover your actual worth, I suggest that you go ahead and give it all it takes.
You need to know that you are more than what you see in the mirror everyday. There’s much to you than good looks and phonetics.
ENJOY!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
You are more than this - Part 2
Jerry and Joe were bosom friends who went to the same high school several years ago.
These two friends were experiencing rejection in their lives at this time. Jerry had been having some day dreams and he confided his best friend – Joe.
Joe didn’t have Jerry’s talent for story telling but he was a very good artist. He could draw just about anything and make it look like it was just about to walk off the page.
Together, the 2 friends spent a lot of time thinking up fantastic stories, and Joe would illustrate them with vivid drawings. They went on this way for some time after graduating from high school until finally, the complete picture of what the boys had been working on emerged.
The character possessed super human powers. Jerry imagined the character was being born on the doomed planet – Krypton, arriving in a spaceship as an infant and being discovered and raised by a childless couple.
When the boy grew up, he hid his super powers from others by working as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter.
Joe sketched out the character as fast as Jerry wrote about his adventures. After sometime, the character emerged as SUPERMAN. They became excited about their creation and began to send proposals and the illustrated story of superman to publishers.
But, they were disappointed as the publishers only sent back a pile of rejection letters.
In 1983, the superman stories landed on the desk of the publisher of DC comics who was impressed, he bought the exclusive rights to the superman character on the spot and then gave both young men jobs at the company. Jerry and Joe felt on top of the world! Here they were, only 23 years, employed full time with the leading publisher of comic books. It was a dream come true.
As we all know, the super man character became a huge hit with the American public. Since its debut, Superman has generated untold profits from comic books sales, licensing deals, television series feature films, and more. The first superman movie alone made more than $100m.
The monetary value of the superman character since its inception in 1938 must be in the billions of dollars.
But the painful thing is that Jerry and Joe were paid only $130. why? Because they underestimated their value signed away their rights to the superman character worth billions for a measly $130. That’s $65 per person!
That is painful, very painful.
Don’t ever underestimate your value. That is the summary of today.
We will continue on this topic in the next edition of fresh motivation.
ENJOY!
These two friends were experiencing rejection in their lives at this time. Jerry had been having some day dreams and he confided his best friend – Joe.
Joe didn’t have Jerry’s talent for story telling but he was a very good artist. He could draw just about anything and make it look like it was just about to walk off the page.
Together, the 2 friends spent a lot of time thinking up fantastic stories, and Joe would illustrate them with vivid drawings. They went on this way for some time after graduating from high school until finally, the complete picture of what the boys had been working on emerged.
The character possessed super human powers. Jerry imagined the character was being born on the doomed planet – Krypton, arriving in a spaceship as an infant and being discovered and raised by a childless couple.
When the boy grew up, he hid his super powers from others by working as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter.
Joe sketched out the character as fast as Jerry wrote about his adventures. After sometime, the character emerged as SUPERMAN. They became excited about their creation and began to send proposals and the illustrated story of superman to publishers.
But, they were disappointed as the publishers only sent back a pile of rejection letters.
In 1983, the superman stories landed on the desk of the publisher of DC comics who was impressed, he bought the exclusive rights to the superman character on the spot and then gave both young men jobs at the company. Jerry and Joe felt on top of the world! Here they were, only 23 years, employed full time with the leading publisher of comic books. It was a dream come true.
As we all know, the super man character became a huge hit with the American public. Since its debut, Superman has generated untold profits from comic books sales, licensing deals, television series feature films, and more. The first superman movie alone made more than $100m.
The monetary value of the superman character since its inception in 1938 must be in the billions of dollars.
But the painful thing is that Jerry and Joe were paid only $130. why? Because they underestimated their value signed away their rights to the superman character worth billions for a measly $130. That’s $65 per person!
That is painful, very painful.
Don’t ever underestimate your value. That is the summary of today.
We will continue on this topic in the next edition of fresh motivation.
ENJOY!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Take your life out of neutral - Part 2
Now, I want you to know that there is a big difference between taking risks and taking foolish chances. The reality however, is that everything in life is risky. According to John Maxwell, if you want to avoid risk, then don’t do any of the following:
1. don’t ride in any vehicle because they cause 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. don’t travel by air, rail or water – 16 percent of all accidents results from these activities.
3. don’t walk in the street-15% of all accidents occur there.
4. even when you stay at home, you are still taking a risk because 17% of all accidents occur at home.
In life, there are no risk free zones or activities. Helen Keller, a blind woman that achieved greatness once asserted that security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than out right exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
People who have put their lives in neutral are experts at giving excuses. A Jew out there. A Jewish’s proverb states that “the lazy person is full of excuses, saying, I can’t go outside because there might be a lion on the road. Yes, I am sure there is a lion out there.
Everyone who is going nowhere and with no plan for moving forward always has a bag-full of reasons to explain why. Giving excuses to explain why one is not doing much in life is a chronic disease and the best way to be free from this disease is never to see reasons strong enough to prevent you from making progress. One other mark of people who have put their lives in neutral is procrastination.
A Jewish proverb says that if you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. The most important time of your life is now. Procrastination is a robber of destiny. Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Create your own condition.
Please note that as long as your life is in neutral, you end up becoming a spectator in life. It is time for you to attempt something significant. When you die, I wonder what will be written about you. You must live your life in such a way that when you die, people will cry not because they have lost a breadwinner but because they have lost someone who has made maximum impact.
Before I go, let me remind you that the greatest decision is to make a decision not to give up on your dreams.
It is well with you today.
Have a good day!
1. don’t ride in any vehicle because they cause 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. don’t travel by air, rail or water – 16 percent of all accidents results from these activities.
3. don’t walk in the street-15% of all accidents occur there.
4. even when you stay at home, you are still taking a risk because 17% of all accidents occur at home.
In life, there are no risk free zones or activities. Helen Keller, a blind woman that achieved greatness once asserted that security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than out right exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
People who have put their lives in neutral are experts at giving excuses. A Jew out there. A Jewish’s proverb states that “the lazy person is full of excuses, saying, I can’t go outside because there might be a lion on the road. Yes, I am sure there is a lion out there.
Everyone who is going nowhere and with no plan for moving forward always has a bag-full of reasons to explain why. Giving excuses to explain why one is not doing much in life is a chronic disease and the best way to be free from this disease is never to see reasons strong enough to prevent you from making progress. One other mark of people who have put their lives in neutral is procrastination.
A Jewish proverb says that if you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. The most important time of your life is now. Procrastination is a robber of destiny. Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Create your own condition.
Please note that as long as your life is in neutral, you end up becoming a spectator in life. It is time for you to attempt something significant. When you die, I wonder what will be written about you. You must live your life in such a way that when you die, people will cry not because they have lost a breadwinner but because they have lost someone who has made maximum impact.
Before I go, let me remind you that the greatest decision is to make a decision not to give up on your dreams.
It is well with you today.
Have a good day!
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