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HOW SUCESSFUL PEOPLE THINKS

What’s a successful person’s greatest resource in difficult times? Good thinking!
Good thinkers are always in demand. A person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss.
Good thinkers solve problems, they never lack ideas for building an organization, and they always have hope for a better future. Good thinkers rarely find themselves at the mercy of ruthless people who would take advantage of them or try to deceive them, people like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who once boasted, “What luck for rulers that men do not think.”
Those who develop the process of good thinking can rule themselves – even while under an oppressive ruler or in other difficult circumstances.  In short, good thinkers are successful.

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I’ve studied successful people for forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, I’ve found that they are all alike in one way: how they think!
That is the one thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful ones.  And here’s the good news.  How successful people think can be learned. If you change your thinking, you can change your life!
HOW TO BECOME A BETTER THINKER
Do you want to master the process of good thinking? Do you want to be a better thinker tomorrow than you are today?  Then you need to engage in an ongoing process that improves your thinking.  I recommend you do the following:
1. Expose Yourself to Good Input

Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out.

Read books, review trade magazines, listen to CDs, and spend time with good thinkers. And when something intrigues you-whether it’s someone else’s idea or the seed of an idea that you’ve come up with yourself-keep it in front of you. Put it in writing and keep it somewhere in a favorite place to stimulate your thinking.

2. Expose Yourself to Good Thinkers

All of the people in my life whom I consider to be close friends or colleagues are good thinkers. Now, I love all people. I try to be kind to everyone I meet, and I desire to add value to as many people as I can through conferences, books, audio lessons, etc. But the people I seek out and choose to spend time with all challenge me with their thinking and their actions. They are constantly trying to grow and learn.

The writer of Proverbs observed that sharp people sharpen one another, just as iron sharpens iron. If you want to be a sharp thinker, be around sharp people.

3. Choose to Think Good Thoughts

To become a good thinker, you must become intentional about the thinking process. Regularly put yourself in the right place to think, shape, stretch, and land your thoughts. Make it a priority. Thinking is a discipline.

Recently I had breakfast with Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta area. I told him that I was working on this book and I asked him if he made thinking time a high priority. Not only did he say yes, but he told me about what he calls his “thinking schedule.” It helps him to fight the hectic pace of life that discourages intentional thinking. Dan says he sets aside time just to think for half a day every two weeks, for one whole day every month, and for two or three full days every year. Dan explains, “This helps me ‘keep the main thing, the main thing,’ since I am so easily distracted.”

You may want to do something similar, or you can develop a schedule and method of your own. No matter what you choose to do, go to a special thinking place, take paper and pen, and make sure you capture your ideas in writing.

4. Act on Your Good Thoughts

Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date. World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker said it all when he remarked, “I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through-then follow through.”

5. Allow Your Emotions to Create Another Good Thought

To start the thinking process, you cannot rely on your feelings. In Failing Forward, I wrote that you can act your way into feeling long before you can feel your way into action. If you wait until you feel like doing something, you will likely never accomplish it. The same is true for thinking. You cannot wait until you feel like thinking to do it. However, I’ve found that once you engage in the process of good thinking, you can use your emotions to feed the process and create mental momentum.

Try it for yourself. After you go through the disciplined process of thinking and enjoy some success, allow yourself to savor the moment and try riding the mental energy of that success. If you’re like me, it’s likely to spur additional thoughts and productive ideas.

6. Repeat the Process

One good thought does not make a good life. The people who have one good thought and try to ride it for an entire career often end up unhappy or destitute. They are the one-hit wonders, the one-book authors, the one-message speakers, the one-time inventors who spend their life struggling to protect or promote their single idea. Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years. To become someone who can mine a lot of gold, you need to keep repeating the process of good thinking.

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This article is an excerpt from the introduction to my latest book, How Successful People Think. Available now from booksellers in the United States, it’s derived from my book, Thinking for a Change.
Edited and distilled down to the bare essentials, this book is designed to help you expand your thinking and achieve your dreams with the following…

11 keys to successful thinking:

1.         Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking
2.         Engage in Focused Thinking
3.         Harness Creative Thinking
4.         Employ Realistic Thinking
5.         Utilize Strategic Thinking
6.         Explore Possibility Thinking
7.         Learn from Reflective Thinking
8.         Question Popular Thinking
9.         Benefit from Shared Thinking
10.       Practice Unselfish Thinking
11.       Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking

Jonathan, Mark mourn late Olusegun Agagu

President Goodluck Jonathan received with immense sadness, news of the passing away of the former Minister of Aviation and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.
His mood was made known by Mr. Reuben Abati, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Jonathan on behalf of himself, the Federal Government and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, extends sincere condolences to Dr. Agagu’s family, the government and people of Ondo State, as well as Dr. Agagu’s friends, political associates and colleagues in Ondo State and other parts of the country.
“The President joins them in mourning the distinguished academic whose exemplary decorum, poise, urbanity, finesse and loyalty in the conduct of politics will be greatly missed by all, especially his colleagues and associates in the Peoples Democratic Party, Abati said.
“As they mourn however, President Jonathan believes that they can take solace in the knowledge that Dr. Agagu has left behind a legacy of notable achievements in his illustrious public service career at the state and federal levels which will stand to his eternal credit and honour.”
The President also prays that God Almighty will comfort all who mourn Dr. Agagu and grant his soul peaceful repose.

Also, President of the Senate Senator David Mark has lamented over the death of Agagu whom he described as a dependable ally.
Senator Mark in a reaction to the demise of Agagu said the former minister of Aviation as well as Power and Steel under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was a trust worthy politician and a forthright leader who stood to be counted when it mattered.
In a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mark noted that late Agagu neither pretended nor shied away from saying the truth no matter the circumstances, saying that he was one of the few politicians who played matured politics without bitterness.
“As a minister, Agagu distinguished himself as a goal- getter. As the then executive governor of Ondo state, he recorded impressive outing as a performing governor. As a political leader he gave his people a sense of belonging.”, Senator Mark added.
The President of the Senate pointed out that Agagu would be remembered as one of the political leaders in the South-West who craved to bring his people to the mainstream politics of Nigeria without compromising their interests.
Besides, Senator Mark maintained that Agagu was a quintessential administrator who was prudent in the management of public resources adding that he left positive legacies that would stand the test of time.
He sympathized with the government and people of Ondo state especially the bereaved family saying that Nigeria has lost one her best and fertile minded politician in Agagu.

Omotola Jalade returns to music, features top foreign acts in new album

Omotola Jalade

Nollywood top actress and mother of four, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has decided to return to music, as she prepares to release a new album this year.
It would be recalled that since the release of her first album titled ‘Gba’ in 2006, the actress has not done any major work in terms of music.

Omotola who has been kept off music by her busy schedule in the movies and most recently, her reality show, ‘The Real Omosexy’, is back in the studio with plans to feature award winning, Senegalese-born star, Akon as a special guest in the new album.
In preparation for her forthcoming album, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde disclosed she has “enlisted help from the producers of Akon’s Konvict Music.”
‘I am currently working with Grammy award winning producer Kendrick Dean and Verse Simmonds from Konvict music and we are working towards featuring a special guest’, she had told NET.

 

Omotola, Yvonne Nelson, Ramsey Nouah, P-Square nominated for African Oscars – See full list

Favourite screen idols like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Yvonne Nelson, Uche Jombo-Rodriguez and even artistes like 2face Idibia and P-Square, have been nominated for the upcoming African Oscars.
The event will hold at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC on September 14 and is organised by Nollywood and African Film Critics, USA.
Here is the full list:

DIASPORA CATEGORIES
Best film in Diaspora
1. Le Silence Pure
2. Page 36
3. One Night in Vegas
4. Boys Cry
5. Unguarded
Best Drama Diaspora Film
1. Turning Point
2. Page 36
3. Boys Cry
4. Unguarded
5. One Night in Vegas
Best Screenplay Diaspora Film
1. Turning Point
2. Page 36
3. One Night in Vegas
4. Boys Cry
5. Unguarded
Best Cinematography Diaspora Film
1. Turning Point
2. Page 36
3. One Night in Vegas
4. Black Money
5. Le Silence Pure
Best Actor in leading role Diaspora Film
1. Igoni Archibong-Turning Point
2. Pascal Atuma- Secret Past
3. Egbi Perez-Page 36
4. Montel Swaray-Temperamental
5. John Dumelo – One Night in Vegas
Best Actress in leading role Diaspora
1. Yvonne Nelson –One Night in Vegas
2. Jackie Appiah-Turning Point
3. Uche Jombo- Unguarded
4. Marie Solo Peters– Le Silence Pure
5. Fatima Koroma – Nurses from Hell
Best Actor in Supporting role Diaspora Film
1. Ernie Hudson- Turning Point
2. Jimmy Jean Louis-One Night in Vegas
3. Ash Da Vito-African Connection
4. Van Vicker – One Night in Vegas
5. Michael Blackson- One Night in Vegas
Best Actress in supporting role Diaspora Film
1. Merlisa Langellier -Page 36
2. KD Hubert-Turning Point
3. Sarodj Bertin–One Night in Vegas
4. Gloria Washington- Nurses From Hell
5. Chisom Oz Lee – Unguarded
Best Director in Diaspora Film
1. Mitchel A Jones–Boys Cry
2. John Uche-One Night In Vegas
3. Robert Peters– Le Silence Pure
4. Don Okolo-Page 36
5. Bethels Aguomoh-Ungurded
NOLLYWOOD & AFRICAN PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
Favorite Actor
Benedict Johnson
·2. Joseph Benjamin
·3. Majid Michel
·4. Emmanuel Mensah
· 5. Chamberlyne Okoro
Favorite Actress
·1. Ify Hollywood
· 2. Omotola Ekehinde
· 3. Fatima Jabbe
· 4. Monalisa Chinda
· 5. Queen Amina
Favorite Director
·1. Kunle Afolayan
· 2. Prinze Whyee
· 3. Ibrahim Ceesay
· 4. Pascal Amanfo
· 5. Kathryn Fasegha
Favorite Screenwriter
·1. Emem Isong
· 2. Andrew Campbell
· 3. Pascal Amanfo
Best Actor in leading Role
1. Majid Michel – The Price
2. Ramsey Nouah-Weekend Getaway
3. Adjetey Anang – The Hunters
4. Jim Iyke-Blood or Wine
5. Anurin Nwunembom-Ninah’s Diary
Best Actress in leading role
1. Beverly Naya-Alan Poza
2. Jackie Appiah-The Hunters
3. Iretiola Doyle– Torn
4. Mbufung Seikeh-Ninah’s Diary
5. Genevieve Nnaji-Weekend Getaway

Best Actor in Supporting role
1. Adjetey Annang-Letters to My Mother
2. Eddie Watson-Letters to My Mother
3. John Ijie-The Hands of Fate
4. Kofi Adjorlolo-The Price
5. Uti Nwachkwu-Weekend Getaway
Best Actress in supporting role
1. Kalsume Sinare-The Price
2. Patience Ozokwor – American Mama
3. Ini Edo-Weekend Getaway
4. Beverly Naya-Weekend Getaway
5. Monalisa Chinda-Weekend Getaway
Best Child Actor in a Film
1. Oley Saidykhan -The Hands of Fate
2. Elijah Kondeh-Boys Cry
3. Boakai Kimbo-Boys Cry
4. Ceareh Hamilton–Boys Cry
5. Marisha Nayee-Angel & the Mailman
Best Director in a Film
1. Charles Novia-Alan Poza
2. Pascal Amanfo- Letters to My Mother
3. Tom Robson-Mrs. Somebody
4. Desmond Elliot –Weekend Getaway
5. Victor Viyuoh-Ninah’s Dowry
Favorite Male Artiste Diaspora
· 1. Koby Maxwell
· 2. Sky J
· 3. Dacapo
Favorite Female Artiste Diaspora
· 1. Katumbella
· 2. Twissa
· 3. Soleil Diva
·4. Uba Unwudiwe
Favorite Artiste of the Year
1. Yemi Sax
· 2. 2Face Idibia
· 3. P Square
Favorite Song of the Year
·1. Flavour
·2. 2 Face Idibia
Favorite Video of the Year
·1. Timaya
·2. P Square
·3. Flavour
GENERAL CATEGORIES
Best Film
1. Alan Poza
2. Ninah’s Dowry
3. Weekend Getaway
4. One Night in Vegas
5. Le Silence Pure
Best Indigenous Film
1. The Blessed Curse
2. The Hands of Fate
3. Le Silence Pure
4. Deceit of the gods
Best Drama
1. Alan Poza
2. The Hunters
3. Le Silence Pure
4. Weekend Getaway
5. Ninah’s Dowry
Best Comedy
1. Alan Poza
2. Mrs. Somebody
3. American Mama
4. Wife for Ozobia
5. Unguarded
Best Docu-Drama
1. A Wish-Brest Cancer
2. The Hand of Fate- HIV
3. Boys Cry-Bullying
4. Ninah’s Dowry-Dowry
5. Le Silence Pure
BestTV/Online Series
1. Wife for Ozobio
2. African Connection
3. Adams Apples
Best Short Film / Trailer
1. Fetus
2. Unspoken
3. Hungry For You Honey
4. Five
Best Cinematography
1. A Wish
2. Alan Poza
3. Ninah’s Dowry
4. Weekend Getaway
5. One Night in Vegas
Best Screenplay
1. Letters to My Mother
2. Boys Cry
3. Alan Poza
4. Ninah’s Dowry
5. One Night in Vegas
Best Editing
1. Weekend Getaway
2. Alan Poza
3. Ninah’s Dowry
4. One Night in Vegas
5. Boys Cry
Best Sound
1. Page 36
2. Ninah’s Dowry
3. Turning Point
4. One Night in Vegas
5. Boys Cry
Best Original Score
1. America the True Dream-The Fetus
2. Crazy World-Somewhere in Baltimore
3. Zahara Loliwe-Pink Poison
4. False Engagement-False Engagement
5. Pariwo-Mind of the Enemy
Best Visual Effects
1. The Blessed Curse
2. One Night in Vegas
3. The Hunters
4. Temperamental
5. The Fetus
Best Costume
1. The Price
2. Unguarded
3. Page 36
4. African Connection
5. Le Silence Pure
Best Makeup
1. The Blessed Curse
2. The Fetus
3. Temperamental
4. Ninah’s Dowry
5. The Price

Family cries foul as 3-storey building collapses in Enugu

Collapsed building

A three-storey building collapsed at the early hours of Saturday in Enugu after a heavy downpour.
The house, located at No 16 Nnobi Street, Uwani Enugu, in Enugu South Local Government Area, contains a penthouse.
DailyPost correspondent who visited the site, which is few metres away from the private residence of Governor Sullivan Chime of the state, gathered that the building was completed two years ago.
However, no casualty was recorded as it was yet to be occupied.
As early as 10 a.m, officials from the state ministry of land were already clearing the rubbles with bulldozer.
Some of the witnesses said that they heard a heavy sound as well as people shouting at the early hours of the morning.
One of the witnesses, Mr Chukwuebuka Okonkwo, said that when he heard the bang around 5.30 a.m., he ran out with the members of his family.
“When I heard the sound and people shouting, I thought that it was a bomb blast and I asked members of my family to run for safety.
“When I came out I saw that it was the uncompleted building near my house that was collapsing,’’ he said.
Another witness, Miss Kanayo Enemkpali, said she was shocked that a building nearing completion could collapse in such a manner.
Enemkpali thanked God that no life was lost in the incident.
A family source who spoke on the incident said foul play could not be ruled out as government authorities had allegedly threatened to demolish some part of the building in recent times.
“The commissioner for lands, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam visited this place recently demanding that some portion be demolished for car park.
“Not long after that visit, the building collapsed, so as far as we are concerned, we suspect foul play”, he alleged.
He insisted that apart from having a Certificate of Occupancy, approval was equally given by relevant agencies before construction work commenced in the building.
However, reacting to the development, the commissioner for land who was at the site faulted the claims from owners of the building.

According to Ujam, “I don’t see a situation where an approval will be given and the structure would collapse unless an act of God; this is just a clear example of where approval wasn’t given and therefore we are vindicated for the reasons why we didn’t give approvals and you have seen that the building has now come down naturally.
“If you look around, there is a design for the area; it exceeded the number of floors for this particular neighbourhood; there are master plans in place and this clearly exceeded that provision.
“The number of floors in the first instance was exceeded because before they started, they brought drawings and even drawings were not approved. The plan for this area is three floors maximum but they decided to do four floors and a pent house. And you can imagine, building four floors in such a neighbourhood, there was no provision for parking and no consideration of the neighbors.
“At that height, you are already blocking sunlight to the neighbouring properties.
“There were notices served on the owners severally and they even came to my office pleading but I refused and clandestinely they continued with the building because during the day they won’t do anything but at night they start the construction”.
The commissioner said the integrity of the structure was in doubt, adding “it is possible that shoddy materials were used on the onset but then there is a natural alignment in building a house to the size of land that it sits on; clearly something has gone amiss”.
“Obviously in matters like this, a full scale investigation would be carried out; a panel will be set up; that will be done immediately; as you can see, senior officials of government are here and have taken a serious view of what is going on; we also hope that this will serve as a deterrent to others. We thank God there is no loss of lives”, he noted.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development, Mr Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, said that government would commence full investigations into the incident.
He said the investigation would unravel if professionals and standard materials were used in the project.
“We will identify all the people involved including the owner, the contractor and architect in the investigation because from all indication, it is a clear case of structural defect,’’ he said.
Ugwuegde said that his officers had not seen the owner of the building as all efforts to reach him failed.
A construction company, Arab Contractors, and the state Fire Service were also on ground to remove the debris.

Benue lawyer catches wife in bed with okada rider

A lawyer, Terkula Pepe, has dragged his wife, Joy, to a magistrate court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, over infidelity and lack of respect.
Pepe told the honourable court led by Magistrate Felicia Ikyegh that he caught his wife pants down with a commercial motorcycle rider, otherwise known as okada right inside his matrimonial home.
He said, “My wife never had respect for me throughout our marriage. She brought in her lover, an okada boy, who usually conveys her home and they were making love right inside my bedroom.
“Despite all these, I still opened a mini shop for her with N550,000 but unfortunately she ran the shop down.”
The magistrate said, “It is very clear from the evidence before me that the respondent, apart from being unfaithful to the husband, committed so many other atrocities.

“It is also a shame that she deceived herself and her husband for three years on the pretext of schooling at the Benue State University. She never attended a single lecture but was collecting schools fees for the said years.
The magistrate noted that the wife, “whimsically agreed to have a divorce – without denying the allegations.”
Terkula said, “Throughout our marriage, I was subjected to severe mental and psychological torture by the acts of my wife.
“My legal profession is currently under threat by her numerous atrocities and her refusal to be trained or developed educationally or vocationally since our marriage.”
Consequently, the court dissolved the five-year-old marriage.