ELEVATED THINKING.

As mankind our emotions are very powerful. Our emotions basically are expressed through the way we feel towards different things and situations. We are sometimes happy, sometimes glad, sometimes sad; sometimes miserable, we get angry sometimes and some other times indifferent. At every point in time in our life, we are exhibiting one or more of the many emotions we’re capable of expressing as human beings.

Our emotions, most times determine our actions. Many of us act most of the time based on what we feel. Our good deed or bad deeds are all informed and influenced by how we feel at that point in time. This implies our emotions play a critical role in the unfolding of our lives every day.

As people, we’ve lost great friends, great relationships, great opportunities and advantages based on our emotions, actions and reactions. And we’ve gained great people, privileges and advantages based on how we expressed our emotions to certain people and in certain circumstances.

The terms “self-control” or “maturity” simply implies the ability not to act according to how we feel but the right way. It simply means we shouldn’t let the way we feel determine the things we do. This is because over time, it’s become apparent many things done out of emotions have negative and unpalatable repercussions and regret, hence, the counsel to control ourselves, control our emotions and not let our feelings get the better side of us.

The way you feel about a matter is fully determined by your perception and interpretation of the subject matter. How you think about someone, see someone and interpret your relationship with that person will determine how you feel about that person. The value you attach to a person will determine if their actions, opinions or words can hurt you or not.

Many of us today are perhaps very unhappy and very upset about many things happening in our lives.
Today, I hear and see many people angry over the state of their finances and socioeconomic well being. I hear anger, I see anger and feel anger from many people around because things have become more difficult financially and socially. The street is not smiling and in their minds, our political and societal leaders are responsible for everything.                                                                                                                                               
Of course, leadership have got critical roles to play in any nation to create great infrastructures and avenues for wealth creation and financial well being for citizens and dwellers,  but more critical to your personal success is your own responsibility in taking advantage of what is available – either in excess or in shortage, to upscale your own condition and life quality.

Many today, have perhaps focused too much on blaming the leadership, the system and various institutions for their crisis that they have completely ignored and relinquished their own roles and responsibilities for personal improvement and success in life. To become successful and great in life you sure need other people and a conducive environment, but much more than all these other people and the environment, you need you. Without you, no one can really help you.

My dear friend, I have a question for you. If you pick up a calculator and sum up all the amount you’ve earned as salary or profit since you started working, how much do you think has passed through your hands? Just, pause and think about this.

For many middle class people, over 100 million naira has passed through their hands in the last 5 to 10 years as salary or income from business and today they have zero bank balance or worse still, they are in debt.

For other average people in career or business, you possibly have earned tens of millions in the last 5 to 10 years and today, you have nothing. Sincerely speaking, I don’t think you can blame anyone for this situation but yourself. You need to think correctly and fairly of your own role too to dissipate the right emotions in this matter.

I submit if money earned yesterday can’t feed you today and tomorrow, you probably ate up your seeds and wasted your resources. Resources, no matter how much, won’t profit anyone who is not really resourceful.

Many of us have wasted so much money over the years simply because we couldn’t draw a clear line between our needs, our greed and our dreams. When it comes to cravings and desires, human beings by nature are insatiable; we’re never satisfied. That my friend, is why many of us are broke.

The ability to be satisfied with what you have is a habit you create deliberately. It never comes natural. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m an advocate of honest, decent and responsible pursuit of great wealth. I’d love to be a billionaire and I have no apologies for that, I hate poverty not just in my life but in the lives of billions of people all over the world. My personal pursuit of great wealth has a purpose that’s beyond my personal needs.

Dear friend, poverty creeps into your life disguised as care for self. It points your attention to all you lack and all you need and all you can get. Then through this thinking, you develop a needy mentality and once you realise you can’t get all what you want as you want it, the way you want it, you develop a victim mentality. Then the emotions you emit is of bitterness and anger towards those you think are responsible for your lack.

Many of us today carry a “help me” mentality. We spew out our needs, problems, and crisis to anyone who appears like a helper. Hardly do we give a thought to those who also need our help and our support and our generosity in this life.

Real victory over poverty, insufficiency and lack is a mentality of “who can I help? Where can I help, with what can I help”. The day you begin to dream of the possibility of being useful to others and to your nation, your anger will vanish, your bitterness will diminish and your progress will commence. Your thinking will change and your emotions will align.

Dear friend, true value is not in what you gather or own, it’s in what you give or release to other people and your society. That’s what makes you valuable in life.

Most of us today are in financial crisis because we didn’t invest in our future – we didn’t invest in our capacities, knowledge and relevant skills for our tomorrow. Our self-centered thinking and vain competition made us squander and waste our wealth of yesterday and today, we have nothing much to show hence, we’re in crisis, yet we hold others 100% responsible.

I suggest, you take a tour round your house today and see the very many things you bought that you really didn’t need. Think back to all the parties and drinks and gadgets and clothes and women you spent so much on and today adds up to nothing. Remember all the huge sums you donated and gifts you gave to your pastor your imam, your church or mosque based on religious politics, vain competition, vain glory and the will to impress and oppress others and has today, produced thorns and nothingness for you.

Dear friend, to help yourself, you must take responsibility as well, elevate your thinking and deal with that biased emotion. Is your anger fairly channelled? Stop blaming the government, your employer that fired you or slashed your salary or the landlord or schools that increased their bills too. If you really want to progress and do the right thing, get angry at you first, then forgive yourself and everyone and then move forward. Dear friend, elevate your thinking.