Increase Your Capacity to Receive

To whom much is given much is expected. He who seeks to receive must first create the capacity to receive that which he seeks. Too often than naught the tendency like I observe, reclines towards asking first to be given rather than creating the capacity to receive. The unfortunate eventuality with the first is that we get what we want but may never have/keep it or make best use of it. Eventually the much you receive is only tantamount to the capacity you have created to receive. It all revolves around the principle of first thing first. It’s like the lady who dearly sought for job, but lost it as soon as she got it. The reason is obvious, not that she asked what was too much for her to handle but that she did not first create the capacity to receive what she wanted. You risk losing what you ask when you get it, if you don’t first create the capacity to receive it. If it turns out that you are not fit for the job you have undertaken give it up and find another, better still refine yourself or adjust the job until it comes within your capability while you work on your competence, or else you will get progressively less suitable. A pilot may not be able to change the direction of the wind but he can very well adjust the positions of his ruder to maximize the dynamics of the wind for his movement. It answers much in drawing closer to the idea that opportunity abounds plenty not only to receive but to increase efficiency, to make far reaching impact because you have first created the capacity to receive. But it begins with a paradigm shift, from seeking what you can get to asking what you can give.

It’s funny sometimes how people think of giving when it’s talked about. I have never seen one give what one does not have. The golden rule of giving tells us that it’s always coming back to you what you have given. So the question you should be asking is; what have I given myself that I can give back to others? If you are sincere with this question you will learn to give more time to the improvement of yourself not for what you want to get but what you want to give. You owe a responsibility not just to yourself but to your immediate surroundings and possibly a wider community to improve yourself, because whether you know it or not another’s improvement and eventual success is tied to you living up to your responsibility improvement wise.

The world wants to meet you. If a man write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor said Emerson, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door. Here is a summary of all that has been said.

1.       There is plenty opportunity to increase your capacity
2.        Ask what you can give first and let every other thing find its place
3.        You can’t give what you don’t have
4.        Give yourself such that you can’t hold back from giving out that which your have
5.        The much you have is the much you have created capacity to receive
6.        There is no lack of opportunity for service, only lack of ability to serve
7.        Be a channel not a container. You put a limit to this capacity the moment you start thinking and functioning like a bucket rather than a hose.

Ask first what you can give, not what would be given you and you will open yourself to a wider horizon of opportunities.

Handling Boredom By Purposeful Engagement and Conscious Mind Control

If life were a race, it would be a marathon not a sprint. But in this case, you race with none other than yourself. This is however not the case today. People rather see themselves as opponents that must be defeated to win life's race. The key to purpose discovery is realizing that every individual must discover the portion allotted them to work it, develop it, produce and grow with it as well as impact meaningfully using the same channel.

Human beings are dynamic creatures full of contradictions, experiencing troubles, conflicts and fear as well as boredom and satisfaction. When the mind is in its up-time the whole being usually follow the same hue. boredom is more of personal choice and less related or dependent on external forces and situations. Someone said “I will be bored if and only if all the problems in the world have been solved”. You can read any meaning into that statement but know that the presence of problems alone doesn’t take away boredom there are many people surrounded by tons of problem begging for attention yet they wallow in boredom. It’s all about attitude and orientation to improvement. There are people who can't continue at ease without finding a way to improve the status quo around them. For them it has become a habit and philosophy that things can always be improved upon. Hence the presence of problem does not take away boredom, what most certainly does is the willingness to do something about the problem. Here are some tips you may find helpful.

1. When boredom begins from the mind: situations will occur when a bored mind would result to a bored being, the reverse is also possible but this time only worse. When the former is the case one thing you have to your advantage at the initial stage is an active body, get yourself engaged with something purposefully interesting. The mind usually withdraws from what it has lost interest over, restore interest in a bored situation by being dynamic. Identify a problem you can solve quickly within that short period to excite your mind again.

2. Active mind but weak body: The mind can be raring to go but that will only amount to little when the body is bored or tired. In cases like this (but seek to know the cause of the tiredness as tiredness is not boredom), you have to get refreshed - usually a cold shower will do but in work environment where this might not be quickly obtainable, you can surf the net for something interesting or work out you mind and hands on a game (I learned that the fingers can influence the state of boredom...hm).

3. Highway to constant boredom: An express way to boredom is not by cutting off all contact with humanity. You can be surrounded with a hive of humans and still get bored. Boredom is cutting yourself from creativity and productive work. The presence of these can create social interaction, growth, motivation, sense of purpose which eventually eliminate boredom.

Human beings are dynamic creatures full of contradictions experiencing troubles, conflicts and fear as well as boredom and satisfaction.

Succeed in Service by Humility

Did you know that humility can work in you, through you and for you towards success? Humility is not a trait of weakness. Only the strong can be gentle, it takes a great deal of self worth, character and understanding to be humble.

The first action line of humility is personal, it concerns itself with improving ones mental frame, and it equips one with the understanding of who one is. We know what we are to ourselves, it’s not the same with what people see of us. It’s necessary we see ourselves also in the light of how people see us. Humility helps us in this aspect. It not only helps us appreciate or show concern, it makes us see value in people. When you don’t value people, it’s hard to see any good whatsoever in their opinion or contribution even if they have the perfect solution.

A master piece is not produced only by the skillfulness of the craftsman alone, flexibility is required on the path of object of work. As much as we want to be flexible to change, we equally desire to be agents of the change we desire. That’s what humility does, it reeds you of rigidity.

we are yet to realize and utilize the potential of possibilities we are capable of. Humility is a key virtue in making one a ready agent of impact, change and empowerment. These can only be achieved by service.

To be humble you must not only conquer pride but self. If you can conquer and control self, you can possibly conquer anything. You are humble not because you don’t realized who you are, but the correct idea about is; you know who you are so you must be humble.

Success Must Bestow Humility

Success is a desired achievement. Humility is a great virtue, contrary to what people think of it. But are these two compatible? There is always that temptation to be proud when one finally attains that enviable height of preferment. Even one from humble beginnings could be tempted to forget their roots, cast out every element of humility and become otherwise (humility is not necessarily associated with humble beginnings though). This phenomenon does not take away the truth that true success cannot expunge humility from its prided virtues. Humility is a character issue. Both success and humility share quite similar but different path to attain.

Humility is the ability to recognize that you are human. It’s the ability to be humble when you have opportunity and right to be proud. It is common place that pride is mostly associated with wealth, outstanding talents and the likes. If you noticed, I didn’t use the term success when referring to pride. Why? You may ask. It brings us back to the “all important topic”; WHAT IS SUCCESS? I wrote exclusively about success, if you read it, it will help clear out the misconception between success and riches. Success is definitely not riches however, it‘s an aspect of it that cannot be ignored. Happiness is an important part of success as success means different things to different people at different points in their life.

Humility comes from a great deal of self understanding and self worth. Humility is a wonderful personal virtue that many relegate to the background. These days I seem to talk a lot about the easy things, pride is one of them. It’s a no brainier to be proud once you attain a level of preferment. The easy stuff doesn’t usually stand you out. Beware of effortless attainments, for as much as I know, all worthy accomplishment are not without there fair share of difficulty and uneasiness at their initial stages. If your journey is without effort or opposition, it could be you are going down the hill. Here is something to consider about humility.

1. Humility brings you to terms with who you truly are. Pride on the other hand does the very opposite, it masks you from your true self and sets you aside not just from others but from yourself and you true values; it makes you build confidence around fetish hopes rather than gain it from internalized values. Every need has an ego to feed – Bob Marley. But I say, “Every cruelty or unpleasant character has a weakness it shields”.

2. Humility opens you up to opportunities around you. This is a neglected aspect; I believe that there is opportunity where you are. Pride lifts the head so high that it doesn’t allow one to see the possibilities and danger below.

3. It is easier to gain trust and association, with humility. A proud man is so concerned about only himself; he appreciates his qualities so much he barely has time for the greater good he can do to humanity.
One guaranty about pride is that it will surely lift you up. Who doesn’t want to be lifted up? Everyone wants to, but before you take the lift pride offers consider clause. The only reason why pride lifts you up is to let you down. “A man’s pride shall bring him low….”Prv 29:23

Every success has a level of pride attached to it. But any person of character learns to be humble and human irrespective of achievement. One pivotal key to overcoming pride is service. Service is a key calling in nature. Inasmuch we are born to win we are called to serve. Unfortunately pride can’t serve, should I say it can’t serve effectively. The moment you stop serving, you start losing relevance. The saddest thing that can happen to anyone is to know how irrelevant one has become to loved ones, the society and humanity. Humility creates opportunity for service. Conquer pride with service. The richest companies and people in the world are the ones that provide you service on a regular, consistent and satisfactory basis. There is no reason to be proud when you know you are at service.