The Inspiration for Living
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HTTP://DAILYNUGGETSOFWISDOM.COM
The Inspiration
for Living Be inspired, Be motivated
Alvina Amoako
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Bibliography http://wikipedia.org
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/small-business-success-stories/
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Table of Contents
1. How to soar above your problems.
2. The power of influence and
association.
3. Fear has no dominion over you
4. Have an attitude of gratitude
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Introduction
2010 was a year of awakening for me. Awakening
in a sense that, I had allowed time to pass by. I read
some of Jim Rohn’s work in success magazine and I got
an Aha! Moment. I said to myself that life can be better
than this. What really got my attention was this quote by
Jim Rohn, “success is something you attract by the
person you become.” “For things to change you have to
change and for things to be better, you have to be
better”. From that very moment I made a major decision
to change and spend my time productively.
Ever since I made the decision to change, my life
had never been the same. I love the woman I have
become; more confident, bold and fearless. The road to
change had never been easy with three kids but I was
determined to make something of my life. Obviously, it
happened with God’s help. I was determined to succeed
no matter what.
The decision to change was not an easy one; I
had to examine my life to see where I was going wrong.
Boy! I found a whole lot of unproductive things I spent
my precious time on. What really consumed my time
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was reality shows. In order for me to get what I needed
in life I had to cut down on watching television in
general and reality shows in particular and I did. My life
is amazing right now, even though I’m not where I want
to be, I know I am headed in the right direction.
I concur to a statement by Todd Smith which
states that “The difference between success and failure is
in the little things”. The above quote sums it all up. The
little things that was eating away my time was reality
shows and I sometimes also allowed the problems of life
to get in my way. I have learned to take charge and be
responsible for my own life and I am loving it.
I have these questions to ask you:
What are the little things that have prevented
you from achieving your goals?
Why is it that some people achieve so much and
others don’t? Meanwhile, we all have the same time (24
hours) allotted to us in a day.
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Why is it that some people allow the problems of
life to get in their way in their attempt to be successful in
life?
Time is the greatest value and investment, yet
most people spend their time frivolously without even
taking into account how it is impacting their lives. Time
is highly perishable and waits for no one. There are a lot
of people who have lost precious time and opportunities
that were afforded them. However, it is better late than
never. It is possible to redeem the time and years that
has been stolen from you. Change bad habits and replace
them with good ones, educate yourself properly, set
goals, be passionate about whatever you do, be
industrious, connect with the right people, be optimistic
about life and go after your dreams with all
determination.
It’s about TIME you make all the necessary
changes that will facilitate your breakthrough in life.
God is for you and make that decision to change your life
after reading this e – book. I am rooting for you on the
road to success.
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How to Soar Above Your Problems
Two homeless people overcame the odds and
started their own company. Lucinda Yates
started a business that will raise money for
nonprofits in the U.S and globally. Even though what
she went through was horrendous, she never gave up on
herself. She was asked this question: “Were there ever
times like that when you wanted to give up?” Her answer
inspired me so much I was totally blown away. She said,
“You have to imagine your next best self, you have to
always be thinking, where do I see myself in the future”.
Ms Yates has raised more than $25 million for
nonprofits.
Dennis Anderson was inspired to start a
soap company with a $12 investment. He spent nearly a
month living in his car before he started his business.
Today, projected revenue for his business is $85,000 -
$90,000. When Mr. Yates was asked this question:
“What did you think when you realized you have to sleep
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in your car”. His answer flawed me, I said to myself,
WOW! His answer: “I basically started to feel like I had
to take responsibility for myself and take action”.
There are many inspirational stories out there but I
found this to be very unique and inspiring. Please be
inspired irrespective of what is going on in your life and
make a decision to:
1. Change
2. Be responsible for your own life
3. Take action of your life.
The problems we face in life are inevitable, as long as
we live and remain on planet earth, problems are going
to come. God has even promised in his word, that we
will go through trials and tribulations but we should be
of good cheer because he has overcome the world (John
16:33). Many at times, we allow what we go through to
adversely affect us instead of finding solutions to the
problem. Remember that every problem is solvable, just
that you may not have the solution yet.
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Personally, I am a Christian and I rely heavily on the
bible for solutions and I also pray a lot. Reading the
bible and praying has helped me a lot in the problems I
encounter. I also love to read inspirational and
motivational books and that has built me up
tremendously.
I have never come across anyone yet who loves to go
through problems. Unfortunately, when everything
around us is all rosy, we tend to relax and be
comfortable. However, the problems we encounter in
life helps us to grow and be better. In my humble
opinion we should never ask “Why me, oh God!” when
going through tough times. Remember that “tough times
never last but tough people do.” – Robert Schuller. We
all need something to challenge us that will ultimately
help us to grow.
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5 Ways to Soar Above Your
Problems
There are numerous ways through which
problems can be solved. Below are five
recommended approaches that can be adopted to
enable you to soar above your problems and they
are as follows:
1. You can overcome your problems when you
develop an attitude of faith. “Faith sees problems
as opportunities”. Matthew seventeen verse
twenty say, “Because you have so little faith.
I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as
a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,
move from here to there and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.” In addition,
Matthew nine verse twenty nine says that
“According to your faith will it be done to you”.
The bible is not a fiction and you must read it
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and take it as it is. Your problems can be solved
according to your faith. Now, you don’t need
gigantic faith to start with. Faith as small as a
mustard seed will do you good, yeah! Because
faith has the potential to grow; you may begin
small and grow your faith by your experiences
and trust in God. My question to you reading this
is, ARE YOU READY TO PUT YOUR FAITH TO
THE TEST?
2. The power to solve problems is lying dormant
within you. You must know that every problem is
imbedded with a solution and you have what it
takes to solve the problem. You should also
believe that the problem is solvable. According to
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within
us.” God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower
us and help us to unravel every problem that is
staring us in the face. The power to overcome is
within you. By seeking God, we set ourselves up
to exceed every expectation to overcome the
problems of life.
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3. You must learn to surrender all to God. No
matter how big the problem is he can come
through for you. God knows the end from the
beginning. When you let God know that he is in
charge of the problem, you begin to have peace.
Scriptures that will help you to surrender:
a. Acts 17:28 “ For in him we live and move
and have our being”
b. Psalm 34:19 “A righteous man may have
many troubles but the Lord deliver him
from them all”.
c. Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able
to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, accor ding to his power
that is at work within us”.
d. Proverbs 3:5-6 says that “Trust in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your
ways acknowledge him, and he will
make your paths straight”.
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4. Your problems can make you recognize yourself
worth. Remember that we were created to solve
problems and not allow them to overwhelm us.
In the bible, Joseph ceased the opportunity to
solve the problem of famine by instituting
measures to ensure provision. As a result,
Joseph was promoted and he rose to prominence
in Egypt (Gen. 41:37-40).
5. There is an old English proverb that says, “An
idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” You must
stand guard at the door of your mind and never
allow the enemy to plant seeds of negativity.
There is also a Chinese proverb that says “You
cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying
over your head, but you can prevent them from
building nests in your hair.” Your mind is your
own and you must learn to be in charge and in
control of it. Your mind will play games with you
if it is not tuned very well from negativity.
All problems are solvable and it will begin
with your mind. Romans 12:2a “Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
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transformed by the renewing of your mind”.
You must undergo a mental shift from negative
to positive. Experiencing a positive mental
change affords you the mental lift to rise above
your problems. According to Albert Einstein
“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of
thinking that created them.” To be able to solve
the problems of life you must alter your thinking
and begin to see the problem differently from
how you initially saw it. As you begin to think
differently over a period of time, say, 21 days
(that is how long it takes to form a new habit)
you become a different person altogether. That is
to say, we are not different from how we think.
The Bible says in Proverbs 3:27, "as a man thinks
in his heart, so is he." That means you eventually
become what you think. That is to say, you
cannot think one thing and become something
else. It is therefore imperative that we dwell on
the solution to the problem and not the problem
itself. Remember that we magnify whatever we
focus on and also walk in the direction of our
dominant focus. With the help of God, the right
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mindset and the appropriate strategy we can soar
above our problems.
The Power of Influence and
Association
We are greatly influenced by our associations,
either negatively or positively. Sometimes we are judged
by our associations; it is said that birds of the same
feathers flocks together. Our success also depends on
our associations and how they influence us. Jim Rohn
said it the best “success is something you attract by the
person you become”. We attract our own kind so we
must be careful the people we allow into our lives.
According to first Corinthians chapter fifteen
verses thirteen, “Do not be misled. Bad company
corrupts good character”. You may think that your
friends cannot influence you in any way because you are
in control of your life. Wrong, think and check again,
that is why the bible says, you should not be misled,
meaning some friends can destroy your character and
also guide you wrongly.
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The following steps will help you to determine
your association and influences:
1. Evaluation: you must evaluate your life this
very moment to see where you are in life.
These are questions you must ask yourself to
evaluate your life: what are the people
around me doing or thinking? Guess what! If
they are on a good course, kudos to you and if
they are on a bad course, I will suggest you
run for your life. What books are they reading
and what cd and audios are they listening to?
This question may not matter to you but it is
imperative to take into consideration what
the people around you are reading, listening
and watching. You must be selective of the
books you read, audios and cd’s you listen to
and the videos you watch because they all
have influence on you.
2. Make a list: this may look so simple. Make a
list of what your associations, thus friends
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and how they have influence you. The list can
be in a form of a table and this will make it
clear for you to decide whether to continue to
be friends with that particular person. An a
example of the list may look like this:
Emily
How has Emily shaped my life?
What do we talk about?
Where am I in this very moment of my life?
Is Emily optimistic or pessimistic?
Do I have written goals for my life?
You don’t necessarily have to follow the same
type of questions in this e-book. This is just
to serve as a guide line.
3. Be willing to form new associations: after
making the list and seeing where you are in
life, the hardest part is letting go of a friend.
It’s always never easy and I have been there
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before. If letting go of a friend is going to
build you up and make you a better person,
then I strongly suggest you must let go and
attract new ones. Another example is, if you
have a very close friend and every time you
meet it is all about getting drunk, then you
must know that your life will not get
anywhere. Deuteronomy chapter thirty verse
nineteen states that, “this day I call heaven
and earth as witnesses against you that I
have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Now choose life, so that you and
your children may live.” Remember that the
power to determine the direction of your life
is vested in you. We have been given the
power of choice and how we exercise it in
choosing our friends will determine what
becomes of us.
This is what Les Brown wrote on his
Facebook page on 05/20/12. I read it and I
was inspired. I will love for you to read it and
ponder on it:
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“Make yourself risk adverse… Create a
back – up and bail – out plan for your
own life. Decide and appoint your own
personal board of directors … the people
in your life who will be present to ensure
that you … as a business … as a brand …
As a CEO of your own life … will not only
survive … But will thrive. Who has your
back? Who can you count on? Who
should you count out?”
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Fear Has No Dominion over You
Second Timothy chapter one verse seven says, “God has
not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love and of
sound mind.”
Most of the time, the problem you go through in
life can intimidate you and open the door for fear to get
in you and that can cripple you from living your best life.
Fear is a spirit and it seeks to take dominion over your
life if you allowed it. In 2 Timothy 1:7, you notice that
God said, he has not given you a spirit of fear but of
power, love and sound mind. You must take this word
as it is and believe it. Don’t allow fear to have dominion
over you because God has given you power to trample
over whatever you are fearful of. God has given you a
sound mind and you will come out of your problems
victorious. According to Psalm 34:19, “A righteous man
may have many troubles but God delivers him from
them all.” That means as long as you remain righteous,
God is obligated to deliver you no matter how many
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problems come up against you. This is another word for
you to be encouraged and have a sound mind, God is
with you.
I remember when I first started driving; I will
never drive on the Garden State Parkway or the New
Jersey Turnpike, because I was so fearful. Any time that
I have to drive on the state highway I will park the car
and take the train. One afternoon, I had to be
somewhere and I needed to drive on the Garden State
Parkway. I sat in my car and this time after an initial
apprehension, I mastered courage and made the
decision to drive by myself on the Garden State
Parkway. Guess what! Nothing happened to me, I took
dominion over my fear of driving on that day and since
then I have been driving on the GSP.
“Fear is
F = false
E = evidence
A = appearing
R = real”
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Most of the things you fear are imagination,
thoughts and events appearing real and it may never
happen. Yet you hold yourself bound to these fears and
live your life in misery. Fear is so powerful and that is
why God calls it a spirit and it can immobilize you from
fulfilling your life purpose.
Fear is also part of human existence and is not
going anywhere. Lisa Jimenez in her book “Conquer
Fear” says that all people are born with three inborn
fears. These fears are: fear of falling, fear of loud noises
and fear of abandonment. These were given to you to
monitor what goes on around you. The three fears are
also intended as a means of protection, not as a means
of destruction.
There are many different types of fear and I will
focus on three of them:
1. Fear of public speaking: it is said that the
most common type of fear is fear of
public speaking. This is very interesting,
so people are afraid of public speaking
than death. You must ask yourself, why
you are afraid of public speaking. Are you
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afraid that the audience will eat you, not
possible, are you afraid that the audience
will laugh at you, laugh with them, I think
they will see that you have a sense of
humor.
2. Fear of failure: the fear of failure keeps
you from achieving success and also
prevents you from living a good life. Fear
of failure can result from a need of
acceptance and approval by those
important to you. Those who were raised
in an environment where they receive
little praise for their hard work are prune
to fear of failure. Fear of failure leads to
lack of success because when you have
failed so many times then you are no
longer enthused or have the confidence to
work on your goals to achieve success,
you adamantly expect failure.
3. Fear of rejection: the fear of rejection
comes as a result of being rejected by
friends; love ones, husbands and wives.
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When you have been rejected so many
times you develop fear of not forming
new relationships with the notion of
being rejected. Some people go to the
extent of not wanting to be married or
date because of previous rejection.
Have an Attitude of Gratitude
Many at times we fail to give thanks to God for
what he has done for us. We find ourselves grumbling,
nagging and complaining when in dire situations
forgetting that God who had been there and delivered us
from many hopeless situations will do the same all the
time.
An example of not showing gratitude is when
God brought the Israelites out under the dictatorship of
Pharaoh; they were in the desert of Shur for three days
and couldn’t find water to drink. All hell broke loose and
they started to grumble at Moses their leader, forgetting
all that God did for them in Egypt. Exodus 15:22-25
states that, “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea
and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days
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they traveled in the desert without finding water. When
they came to Marah, they could not drink its water
because it was bitter (that is why the place is called
Marah). So the people grumbled against Moses, saying,
what are we to drink? Then Moses cried out to the Lord,
and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it
into the water, and the water became sweet.”
Another scenario where an individual showed
gratitude is when God healed ten people with leprosy
and only one person returned to show gratitude. Luke
17:11-19 says, “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus
traveled along the border between Samaria and
Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who
had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and
called out in a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on
us! When he saw them, he said Go, show yourselves to
the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed. One
of them, when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus
feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus
asked, Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other
nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to
God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, Rise
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and go: your faith has made you well”. All ten were
healed but the one who returned to show gratitude got
the total healing.
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4 Reasons to Have an Attitude of
Gratitude
1 It will open more doors for you, when the leper
returned to give thanks to Jesus, he received
total healing.
2. God appreciates it when we give him thanks.
3. Giving God thanks is also a sign of humility and
appreciation.
4. Giving thanks distinguishes us and separate us
from others, Jesus noticed the leper because of
his attitude of gratitude.
My heart smiles as I have concluded this
inspirational e – book and I know it will touch many
lives. Many people go to and fro in life seeking the
wrong things in life, instead of allowing God to be in
charge. Many are the problems people go through but
God is ready to step in only if we allow him. God doesn’t
need your assistance, he wants you to trust your life with
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him and until you learn to surrender, you will be going
round in circles looking to wrong places for answers.
In Matthew chapter six verse thirty three, it is said,
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well”. This is a
personal question you must answer for yourself, “Are
you seeking God”? God is the answer; I will beseech
you to surrender all to him and allow him to take
control. Many successful people have credited their
success to God, below are some examples:
John D. Rockefeller was an American industrialist
and he gave God credit for his success. He served God,
gave his tithes and also gave money to schools and
charities. He penned a poem to sum up his life and this
is what he wrote:
“I was early taught to work as well as play. My
life has been one long happy holiday. Full of
work and full of play. I dropped the worry on
the way and God was good to me every day”.
Conrad Hilton was the founder of Hilton Hotels
chain, his mother encouraged him to pray and go to
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church. His mother told him; prayer is the best
investment he would ever make.
Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
said, God first, family second and career third.
S. Truett Cathy, founder of chic – fila - A, attends
church and he has been teaching Sunday school for 50
years. He said the bible is his guide book for life. His
company is closed on Sundays, to allow employees to
spend time with families and also attend church. When
he started out, he use to work multiple shifts six days a
week and never worked on Sunday because he wants to
honor God.
Here you are my dear friends; it is my prayer that
your life will be changed for better after reading this
inspirational e –book.
Enjoy your journey.
Be Blessed!
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