“If we all did what we knew we should do, we would all live better lives.” Adeolu Akinyemi

I believe that all of us understand most of the basic things about life, and all of us fall short of applying what we know fully. I guess, he that knows what he ought to do and does it not is human :). We call it common sense, it’s unfortunate that it’s not as common.

Many of us get so carried away by the tide of life, the hustle and bustle of our towns, the noice and the crowds. The days move so fast, the clock is out of sight, time flies. We get so busy and so chocked up that we don’t have time to even apply the things we know. The first step into becoming that STAR is to STOP!

STOP!!!

When was the last time you saw the moon? When was the last time you listened to a bird sing, when was the last time you took a pause and admired the beauty of nature? When was the last time you paused, when was the last time you stopped! Isaac Newton a renown physicist is quoted as stating in his first law that, “a body will continue in a state of rest or motion except an external force makes it do otherwise”. This law has many implications, but the one of note today is that it requires a force to start, and a force to stop. It is not something that happens naturally, it needs to be forced. By all means stop, look for a good time and rest. Relax! You’ll be amazed at how much ideas your mind is capable of, STOP!

I have a friend who usually seems amazed at some of the things I say at times. He is a successful friend, he presently lives and works in the UK. He is also very bright. We practically grew up together. From time to time when we talk, he’ll ask me, “When did you have time to think about these things?” That question usually amazed me, until I realized lately, that we don’t all take time out to think. So, the next step is to THINK!

THIMK!

Yeah, the mistake was deliberate. It makes you spend a little longer looking at the word. You need to spend quality time thinking. It’s a great man/woman in the making who has the ability to stay alone in a room and think! All great men are great thinkers. Ideas don’t drop into idle minds, they are the products of actively engaged minds. You’ll be stunned how many unscientific quotes are attributed to Albert Einstein. A great mind stops, and then thinks. Do you know how to think? Don’t think that’s a stupid question, thinking requires know how.

If you’ve crossed the second hurdle and you venture to think, don’t stop there. Great thoughts require great action to bring them to pass. You need to ACT! “Responsibility is the price of greatness”- Winston Churchill

ACT!

The code word is MALT – More Action Less Talk! When you build your castles in the air, it’s action that you need to put the foundations under. Don’t brandish your great thoughts, act on them. When you stop to think, the product must be Action. There once was a great man, who never acted out his great thoughts, do you know his name? I bet you don’t, neither do I.

In order to make the process self developing, Stop, Think Act, and ofcourse REVIEW!

Never take your present level as the ultimate. Never settle for less than the best. Put yourself into the cycle of continous improvement. Stop.Think.Act.Review. Stop.Think.Act. Review. Keep going on and don’t stop. Don’t waste time comparing yourself, your real competition is you. Before you know it, you’ll be there…far enough from the average, bright enough to shine, way up in the clouds. You’ll be a STAR! You have the makings already, just STOP, THINK, ACT, and REVIEW. Head for the skies, the ground is too crowded.