Reflection: 10 Powerful Life Lessons that Can Work for You

Like millions of my age group, I didn’t sleep all night. Like millions of my age group, I wasn't doing anything of specificity. Like millions of my age group, I was just scrolling web pages.

My night wasn't entirely unproductive, though. I had several thoughts in my head. There were new births in form of ideas. More than anything, however, I was somewhere between looking behind and looking ahead. I was on the search discovering new things; having a look at some inspiring profiles.

The result of my thinking in between the lines is what I want to share with you. These are lessons I have learnt. Things I have thought about. They are tips I hope are relevant to your story.

Make Silent Killer Moves

Social media has become the path of least resistance. There are no more secrets or personal information. I usually say “Everyone knows everything about everyone.” Now, this may not be true in its entirety. But, it is a compass to what is contemporarily obtainable.

Let go of the urge to constantly update people about your next moves. Step back from sharing unsolicited life goals. You will do better and go farther when you stop discussing your imminent moves publicly. You should have inner circles, but even they shouldn’t know your baby’s name when she is still a foetus.

Keep Searching

I believe many people like me are on the search. This is an important stage in our lives. We don’t want to waste any more time. Some of us have found what they can devote their lives or years to. Some haven’t. Some will discover themselves early on. Some would later on.

But, discovering oneself isn’t an end. As long as you live, and as long as you hope to remain resourceful and relevant, you will keep on at it. So, irrespective of the level you are, keep digging.

You will be ecstatic when you find gold. That will be a turning point. You will feel great when you find diamond. And that will be another turning point. Although finding gold was a major starting and turning point, diamond will open you up to greater realms. You will keep finding more assets and gaining greater perspectives as you dig deeper.

Follow the Procedure

In primary school, some of my teachers as well as the proprietor counseled my dad that I should write entrance exams a year earlier. This same phenomenon occurred in high school. He was against it. There are fundamental equations and principles I have learnt in that regard. Every end has a process. There are steps to be taken. You don’t want to miss any of these steps.

Be on the Fast Lane

I am not particularly a fan of hasty impulsivity. I am equally against being maniacally procedural. If you don’t take the time to process the true meanings of my words here, you might miss it altogether.

Up above, what I mean is learn what you need to know. Don’t skip the fundamentals. Right here, I mean learn fast. Be the one who learns what they need to know in a snap. Do quickly whatever you deem important.

Slow Down

I think this and the two other points above might seem confusing. This is one of the things I’m totally bad at. I slow down at times, not just enough. I’m usually caught looking ahead. Sometimes, you just have to slow down. See life in a broad perspective. Raise your horizon just a little higher. Appreciate the moment.

I have been doing this since late October. Maybe not entirely slowing down, but driving at a slow pace. Most times, ideas come when you are reflecting and gearing up for the next trip.

Look Within

Many of life’s answers, I have learnt, lie within us. We find answers to most of our challenges when we look within ourselves. You just have to be patient enough.

Remember, you don’t need to have answers to everything. You just have to be ready when the answers surface. This has been true for me several times.

Start Where You are with What You Have

I recently read a piece delivered by a former chairman of Microsoft India. He emphasised what I said earlier, “You don’t need to have answers to everything. You just have to be ready when the answers surface.”

It is imperative to keep investing in yourself. This is because unlike movies and jackpots, life is procedural. People don’t transform in seconds. There is a stage you want to reach, and it would take something. Invest in the process. There is a reason you are where you are. Start right there. Start with the resources in your control.

Ideas are worth 10 a Penny. Don’t Overthink

As a pure thinker myself, I do not like to partner with people who dwell too much on thoughts. As an executor, I equally don’t appreciate crudity. In the end, ideas are just what they are – thoughts. There are billions of them. Also, people who have lots of ideas tend to overthink. I am a victim too. But if your thinking isn’t leading to any substance, spare it! Ideas aren’t important if they are left crude. You have to do more than think, and it’s not overthink.

Then, what is it?

Ideas are Money. Refine them. Work on the Best

Refine them and execute the best. Ideas, in their very best form, can change the world. Every item you use was once an idea. I think that is an evident disclosure. Ideas are potential wealth. They are foetus. Incubate them. Bring them to life.

Everyone is Multi-talented. You Inclusive

I specifically chose this as the last point. Many people in my circle would have heard me say this several times. I believe in the parable of the talents as told by Jesus. I believe everyone is talented. More so, I believe everyone has multiple talents. This implies that there are several things you can do and excel at. They may not be millions, but they are more than one.

If one thing doesn’t work, look around for something else. No one’s destiny is tied to a single thing. If you sit down and write down those things you can do, you will be amazed at the unique talents you possess.

PS: A man’s gift opens door for him – King Solomon

Last Words

I didn’t intend to write this. I didn’t plan to have a ten point listicle. The ideas came and I poured them out. Eventually, the points reached a round figure. I hope you have taken some points away. 

Book Review: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

I do not hope to read Malcolm Gladwell's book anymore. This may be a bad statement to make in public, but I mean it.

Although enlightening, this book was largely boring. The title is so catchy that I kept reading the book because I thought I could still learn some stuff. The chapters are equally eye-fascinating.

This is barely a 300 page book. Gladwell spent about 50 pages talking about Sesame Street -- a kiddies TV show -- that has little to do with his audience.

Since I do not intend to write only the good stuff about books I read, the above is crucial. However, I also love to talk about the good stuff in the books I read.

One of the reasons why I think the book doesn't live up to my expectation is because I saw it as a business book. The book intended to tell why and how some things become sticky or viral and others don't.

In the business realm, this book is mediocre. But for generalists, for the sake of understanding things from many perspectives, Gladwell's research and the manner he documented his findings are top quality.

I think it is similar to The Outliers in many ways. In fact, it is possible for you to think you are still reading the Outliers. This is because the books have some common grounds.

It's been months since I finished the book. I can still remember some things, just not many. Divided into eight chapters (conclusion inclusive), one great lesson I can take from this book is that people are dynamic. We often change our beliefs, and our actions many times do not correlate with our words.

The Tipping Point isn't a book I'll recommend for business folks.

If you are looking for a book that exposes your mind to interesting things around the world, history, life in different parts of the world, how commercial ads form, and a beautiful mind travel, perfect.

Book Review: Outliers (The Story of Success)

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Most people say I read ‘motivational’ books. But, I always counter that notion. I do not read motivational books. Nope. The essence of reading motivational books is to be motivated, right? To me, “If you need motivational books to succeed, it means you are not motivated to succeed.” On occasions, you’ll need inspiring stuff, but motivation should largely come from the inside.

This book, Outliers, is a perfect example of the books I love to read. It is not fiction. It is a real life analysis of what is. So, don’t ask what books I read anymore. I don’t read fiction. I don’t read motivational books. I read books that teach me something new. Self-help, how-tos, most especially (auto) biographies, and eye-opening notes are my faves.

If they are doubly motivational, why not?

Split into two parts and nine chapters, Malcolm Gladwell seems to confirm what I had been thinking prior to reading the book. The major plot of the book is that you can be hugely talented, but you need to be around the right people, be birthed in a favourable year, come from a rich or mid-income background, put in 10,000 hours’ worth of effort, and from a culture that embraces social liberty to be successful.

It may look complex on the surface, but Gladwell analysed every of those elements above. And I must say he is largely right. You may not share the same perspective; but if you sit down to analyse most success stories, you’d see the fruition of some or all of these elements.

For better comprehension, he made comparisons between Chris Langan (a man with more IQ than Einstein who is largely unknown) and Robert Oppenheimer (the physicist who headed the American nuclear bomb effort during WW II). Gladwell showed that their family backgrounds and social class had an influence on their direction. More examples include Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Asian math whiz, Jamaican story, et cetera.

I have some reservations. Gladwell wrote the book with a pre-conceived idea that success stories have more to do with social connections and being at the right place at the right time. The book is a 365 page stretch of his preconception.

He didn’t specifically downplay hardwork in the content of the book, but he did in his mind. I am a firm believer that hardwork pays. However, like Gladwell, I believe the hardwork invested by software billionaires, superstar athletes, finance moguls, famous pop stars, and renowned actors is nothing compared to the number of hours peasant farmers invest.

Life isn’t fair, really. But, hardwork alone isn’t the answer to success. It never has been. And, it is increasingly becoming obsolete because you have to work to succeed, anyways.

One more reason to recommend this book: Malcolm Gladwell has an ‘Igbo’ lineage. How? Just buy and read.