image credits – www.accknox.org
I thought I knew what I’m about to share. I had read about it, seemed to understand it, but somehow, what I practiced was different from it. 2 days ago however, I made a call to my mentor on the brink of making a decision, he challenged me, and all of a sudden it dawned on me that I did not understand this principle. Please pay attention, read slowly, re-read if you must, but make sure you don’t enter into 2011 without this timeless principle. Don’t use it alone, share it with your friends. Greatness beacons, and it’s available for all those who will plug in into this way of life.
“Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.“Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.” – Isaiah 54:1-3
I wanted to make a decision about some things about the coming year, and there is something that I have learnt. I have learnt that in the multitude of counselors there is safety. That whatever it is I wanted to do, I was safer discussing it with people more experienced then myself who share similar values with me. This sounds simple and commonsense enough, but I regularly discover that people lack counsel. Even though this is not the point today, please put this principle in your left hand, where it will not be swallowed with pounded yam.
In this phone conversation that lasted over 1hr, my initial decision was overruled! I wish I could go into the details of what it was about, but I’ll reserve that for meetings where we see face to face, so I’m not misinterpreted. My mentor challenged my way of thinking with these words -“Make up your mind to do “this”, don’t let your decision be driven by cost, never consider the cost, once you have made up your mind, put a plan together that stretches you, until you achieve it”. Those instructions sound so simple, but it was a complete violation of what I actually practiced and the underlying philosophy that guided my life and business. Now really pay attention, because, like I told you, I thought I knew this.
This approach he was recommending sounded like the truth, but something fundamental in my approach to life had gotten used to something slightly different. My guiding philosophy which on the surface seemed more risk prone than many who are currently employees, seemed to say, “Don’t start what you can’t finish, don’t commit yourself to a project that will put you under pressure, whenever you open any door, keep your eyes on the backdoor”, my philosophy seemed to say, “take small calculated steps”. “operate within, not your means today… operate within your worst case scenario”. I had developed my fearlessness not from pure courage, but from constantly ensuring I could answer the question of “what is the worst that can happen”. My optimism took flavour from pessimism, even me! I battled to understand his point of view, and he was gracious to repeat it quite a number of times -“The price doesn’t matter, make sure it’s what you want, don’t do it because it’s convenient, you could have done it 3yrs ago if it was your focus.” He went ahead to share his own examples with me, and that simply made it clear. This was the truth!
Then the words of Isaiah above came to me afresh, and are here a few thoughts that if you can make yours, will set you free in the coming year.
1. Don’t let your current circumstances dictate your song or confession. Keep joy and excitement constant.
2. Don’t judge the productivity of your future by the productivity of your past. Make declarations and goals that are a complete breakaway from your norm. The previous unproductive will produce much more in the coming year.
3. Don’t set goals that don’t stretch you. If you can see yourself absolutely achieving what you have set without a new idea or new product or innovation, cancel it and write another one.
4. Enlarge your tent – your thinking (with books), your life (with new and deeper relationships), your level (dare bigger projects), your team (with new value)
5. Use tents, curtains, cords and stakes, not walls, pillars and steel. Be flexible enough to expand and continue expanding. Don’t hammer yourself into a box – in ideas, life, thought e.t.c.
6. See yourself better than you currently do, look through the eyes of God, and see that you are a father of nations. Inside you are biological children, innovation children, productivity children and all sorts that you are birthing. Until you have a revelation of who you are, you’ll live less than it!
As you set up your tents for the coming year, if you need my help in anyway, I can be caught on skype – adeoluakinyemi or on yahoo messenger – deoluakinyemi
May God crown this year for you with goodness, and may your paths drop fatness – Amen!
