MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 18: They are Teachable

"No height of achievement should take you to the level where you think there's no more to learn"  

Have you ever wondered why high-profile sportsmen and women keep their trainers?  Why do you think winning teams don’t do without coaches?  Well, I know that winners remain winners only if they remain under tuition.  Your potentials to be and remain great is determined mostly by how teachable you are.

It might not be easy but you have to do it.  The biggest companies in the world today are all committed to improving their staff quality through training.  Why?  There’s always more to know.  Life, at its best, is like an inverted pyramid.  Difficult to climb but at the top is wide and flat.  That’s how success is.  You learn and strive so much to get to the top only to get there and find out that the largest rooms for improvement are there.

Only teachable people remain on top.  In fact, the only thing that will stop you from learning at the top is pride.  Otherwise, it’s quite easy to do so.  I mean, the best resources are there.  The time is there and the incentive is there too.  

Follow-up on Two Major Things Part I

This morning I thought to start my day with some science-based inspiration (I do that quite often but not always). By that I mean to read or watch something that shares a profound truth with scientific proof. Usually I just think look up the first thing that comes to my mind. Now that is a bit crude and has led me to utter nonsense on a number of occassions. But I bet you that each time I find something exciting, like I did this morning, it's always worth sharing. 

For many centuries much has been said about how time is important and we should manage it, use it wisely, invest it and so on. But you hear or read very little about how our perception of time could actually influence us in no small measure. That happens to be the subject of these videos. The first is the animated summary and the second is the full talk given by Professor Philip Zimbardo. What touched me most in the presentation is how the professor shows the link between the fast-pacedness of today's society - our desire for control - and youth misbehaviour. That connection was subtly made when he presented the figures on school dropout rates in the US and how that is associated with seemingly harmless and fun-filled technologies! I couldn't help but link it with my January 26 post on the value of quiet.

  

 

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 17: They learn from Experience

Today I was preparing the next in the series on Loyalty. Somehow, I came to remember that the last time I posted on the Actions of Successful People was on last December, two days to Christmas. I don't seem to know why but I feel pressed to pause the ongoing series and resume the long-standing one. Hopefully, I will finish it this time with 7 more bi-weekly posts. If you've never read any of the previous posts I suggest you simply use the search bar on the sidebar with the text MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED. That is the standard prefix I have used for all the articles in this series.

 

 

Success comes from good judgement
Good judgement comes from experience
Experience comes from bad judgement  (Tony Robbins)

The most successful people are those who learn not to repeat mistakes.  Procedures may be worth repeating but only dullards repeat mistakes.  It’s allowed that everyone make mistakes but it’s not allowed that they make it every time. These is nothing as good as doing things right the first time.  And this is where the experience of others comes in.  You can’t do things right if you don’t know how. And you can’t know how if you don’t ask how.

Risk taking is primarily about defying the odds to go ahead. But the best risk takers (and who have pulled it off most often) are those who have seen others (or who themselves in the past did) make some mistakes in the past, and are wise enough to avoid repeating them.  In fact, the best and quickest way to learn is to observe and then repeat or avoid, depending on what is seen.  That is the default mechanism of learning built into man by God.  That is how babies learn.

Observe what others have done (or are doing) and make meaningful deductions. It’s much safer and less costly to do that. Why must you make all the mistakes yourself, even though you can’t avoid some?  That’s why Sam Adeyemi said that the experience that is the best teacher is someone else’s experience.

As it has been said, if a man cheats you once, it’s his fault; if he cheats you a second time, it’s the fault of both of you; if he cheats you a third time, it’s all your fault. Learn to make them count: what you've seen, heard and been through.

Two Major Things - Part IIa

As humans, we are incurably social. Everything we do is situated within the context of relationships and interactions. It is within this context that loyalty becomes a highly relevant virtue. Every marriage, friendship, team, army etc cannot thrive in the presence of disloyalty. Unfortunately, the world today tends to treat disloyalty as the norm and loyalty as the exception. And that is closely connected to the way we define success and honour. It is such that everything that matters is what we see, whatever is not seen does not count for much. That is why you see people investing so much in their façade - cars, houses, certificates, money, power...and they will do anything to save their faces and deny their wrongs!

It doesn’t matter how desperately you think you need to save your face and reputation in the present, you create much more problems for your future than you could ever solve if you are disloyal.  As far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with being wrong, what is wrong is not admitting it when you are wrong. It is completely pardonable to err, but to pretend like nothing ever went wrong is what is inexcusable. If a man falls, it is wrong for him to stay down like nothing can be done. He needs to get up, deal with the issues and get going. But what we often see in today’s society is that people get caught up in errors – in short, they fall – and they pick themselves up, shake off the dust and pretend like nothing ever happened! Such men will always stop short of their ultimate destination, never reaching their greatest heights because one day, the prints they left in the sands of time will be discovered – and how lethal such discoveries are. 

Just two comparative examples: Tiger Woods was for 5 years the World’s No. 1 in golf until his marital disloyalty was discovered, mostly blown open by the many women he was involved with. In one year, the man slipped down 4 places and his entire family, let alone his wife could not help him. Dr. Ben Carson, the famous neurosurgeon, was once accused of extramarital affair by a strange woman. It was going to be a scandal because the woman claimed that she and Ben had a love affair but Ben’s wife came out to say it can’t be true; and that saved Ben.  The difference between the two men: LOYALTY!

More to come…

Two Major Things Part I

In today's world, we miss two major things everyday.

One, the value of quiet.

Everywhere is so noisy and everything is moving so fast that it is next to impossible for people to retreat daily, observe nature, take in some deep breath and savour the beauty of the one life that the benevolent Creator has given them, and follow after their purpose (or at least, spend time discovering that purpose).

It is quite unfortunate that parents and the school system contributing to the noise around. A typical child is engaged from the time he wakes up till he falls asleep at night. We are just preoccupied with work, assignments here and there, meetings and countless activities, with little or no time left for daily assessment. Not that these things are bad in themselves but there is an inherent danger in not being able to stop and think: distraction and frustration.

Little wonder life is becoming clumsy by the day and people are losing focus consistently. From an engineering standpoint, I understand that the faster a typical machine runs (and more especially if it does that with little or no break or lubrication sessions), the more heat, noise and vibration it tends to generate and the shorter it ends up living. How wise is the saying that "...in quietness and trust is your strength..." That saying of a great prophet of old ends with "...but you would have none of it." That describes our generation aptly. We just don't want to stop! And the reason for that is that most people are simply purposeless. 

Reading Rick Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life" recently, one of the profound truths I have learnt is that in the serious matters of life, simpler is always better. Why? Because the more purpose-driven you are, the less you veer off your lane, the less you get distracted, the less you will want to do, and the less will be your perceived need for speed.

Come on, you are not competing against anyone but yourself in the race of life. The ultimate standard against which you will be measured is the standard that was set for you, and you alone - and that's why being purpose-driven helps you to keep it simple. Purpose helps you to know the difference between what you really need and what you merely want. Purpose shows you the line between what matters and what does not.

Unfortunately, as important as it is, purpose is absolutely noiseless. It associates only with the quiet. Perhaps much more unfortunately, many of us erroneously believe that when we are achieving our purpose, we should generate some noise in form of ovations and loud events. That is not necessarily true - but it is not necessarily false either, only that it is more false than true! In innovation studies it is understood artifacts are not innovation themselves, they are just the embodiments required to sell the innovation. So events and activities and accolades and whatever are not purpose in themselves, they are mere artifacts that serve to embody purpose, they are vehicles through which purpose is expressed. It is rather important to pursue purpose than artifacts. A life that is purpose-driven will announce itself, taking along with it the artifacts.

What then does one do to maintain some level of quietness in this noisy age? First admit the need to cut down on your excesses as an individual. There are so many things you do each day that you can do without. Then take time off each day to do nothing but think. You have to decide on your own what to think about, but remember - good or bad, you eventually produce what you think predominantly about. Above all, be committed to your purpose, in case you have found it. If not, then that's where to begin. 

Whatever goals you set and even achieve do not count much towards your fulfillment if they don't contribute to your reason for living. It does not matter how many times you can use an axe to peel oranges, until it hews wood, it has not achieved much.  

No excuse, really

It's about 5am and I've not slept a bit since last night. Doing what? Studying, reflecting and thinking. My attention was also partly on the TV - CNN precisely. The news of the Tucson, Arizona mass killing that took place yesterday had lingered almost all night. When I heard the name of the suspect for the first time at 5:09am, I typed it into my search engine and got hundreds of thousands of hits - from the relevant to the downright nonsensical. One of the top hits had a profound effect on me. There was already a full-blown wiki page complete with detailed references! 

'How could anyone have done this so quick?' I asked myself. 

'Well, it's the information age,' I answered myself.

And that is really true; that wiki page demonstrates the power and speed of information in this age that we live in for two important reasons:

1. On most interest websites or information portal, someone is responsible for updating content for some pecuniary gains. On Wikipedia, to the best of my knowledge, that does not happen. It's an 'open day' so if something comes up on wiki, it must mean that an interested person simply put it there.
2. Considering that the event occurred at about 1700hrs GMT (and I am writing this approximately 12 hours later), the wiki page came up in record time, kind of.

So what am I getting at? Whatever information you need to move forward this year, believe it or not, someone has put it out there. And every piece of knowledge you require is readily available because now people talk about things as they happen. If you did not realise it before, well, I am now telling you that 'thou art inexcusable, o man.' Just look around and you'd get all the knowledge you need. But like I did with that piece of news, you've got to look; things don't just happen, people make them! So if your typical excuse is still along the lines of 'I don't know...' then my news for you is that 'you have no excuse, really.'

 

As the year begins...

'...a deadly blast, just after midnight. Nearly 72 were killed and many more were injured...'

Did you hear that? It took place in an Egyptian church! In Nigeria on Christmas eve and New Year's eve it also happened. Remember the words of Jesus in Luke 13:2,4. No one is better than anybody...'but time and chance happens to them all'

As the year begins, thank God for where you are - wherever that is - and stop complaining!

If you're dissatisfied then do something and don't just stand there whining like a kid!!!

Going...going...gone!

Happy New Year.

If you have ever been at an auction before, then the statement that forms the title of this piece is not new to you. I have heard it a couple of times before and I think I understand how it works. The person directing an auction waits for people to call out their bids in turn and when he is satisfied or a higher price seems not to be coming, he shouts 'Going...going...gone!'

During the two 'goings' a bid would still be valid but once 'gone' is said, a bell usually sounds and that's it, the price is fixed and it does not matter how high a price anyone calls, it is invalid and cannot be taken into account. Why? Because the time of bidding is gone, and in fact the item on sale is 'gone' to whoever called the last bid before the bell was sounded. A new item then comes on and everyone interestd starts to bid.

There are two important things to note here.

1. There is a time when it is too late to do anything about the outcome of an event.

2. The end of an event necessarily marks the beginning of another one. 

If you are reading this now, then you're in 2011, no doubt; but you should also know that the time that you can do anything about how your 2010 ends (or rather, ended) is gone. If you don't believe that, try to alter what you earned in November 2010 in the books and see if you would not be charged with fraud! The moral here is that once an era is ended, you can't influence it any more. That's why past history cannot be re-written. It cannot be changed, for instance, that Thomas Edison 'perfected' - and is generally credited with inventing - the incandescent light bulb. 

Someone said that you may not have a brand new beginning but you can start afresh from where you are and have a brand new ending. The wisdom here is that if you want to change the outcome of an event, the time to do that is not after the event. Does any coach change the result of a match after it's been played? So, if you want 2011 to end in a way different from 2010, then start doing things differently now. Do you realise that from 12 midnight today, the first 'going' sounded. The year 2011 is already hours short (and maybe days, weeks or even months short by the time you are reading this) so 'what you have to do, do quick', like that old poet said. Therefore, if you think your 2010 could have ended better, why don't you start doing the things that will bring about the improvements you desire now. 

I tell you this, if you repeat exactly the same things you did in 2010 from now on, you will get exactly the same results by the time this year is ending - maybe even worse due to diminishing returns! I totally agree with the sage who wrote that a definition of madness (or insanity, if you like) is to keep doing the same things and expect different results. Something has to change in your approach if the results you get must improve. Read that additional book, walk that extra distance to take that extra class, pay that extra amount to take that extra course, work a few extra hours or spend much less time lazing around; just do it, whatever you need to do to make this year different.

Believe it or not, it is never too late to start. Sam Walton was already 44 when the first Wal-Mart store opened, Larry King started 'Larry King Live' at 52, Allan Stewart was 91 when he got his LLB, Jenny Wood-Allen completed the London Maratohon at age 91, Edgar Dowse got his PhD at 93...and the list continues. For you it should not be that late, so if someone asks you what time it is, you should answer, 'It is my time!'

But the only time you've got is NOW, and remember, once it's 'gone' you can't help it anymore.

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 16: They serve

Hi. As the year 2010 draws to a close, I believe you will also be taking stock. Taking stock of the things you did and did not do, the thinks you thought and did not think, the things you said and did not say and the places you went and did not go. I am doing that and in my thinking I ask my self one critical question: For how many people did I make things happen?

I can count a handful of those but as I reflected further, I came to the conclusion that making things happen for people is probably not the most important thing. Of much greater importance is making people! How many dreams have I helped to realise? How many people have I slowed down? How many people have I inspired or discouraged?

I am still taking stock and I reckon you want to do the same. For that reason I have put up the 16th part in my series on personal success. I have chosen this time for this because I strongly believe that it's all about service, whether we will find fulfillment or not. So I charge you to look back and see how well you've served and take a decision to do better in the coming year. 

What follows is the post MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 16: They serve. In it I have placed a few books that helped me and that I think might help you too. The quotes in the post do not necessarily come from those books but they are by/about the same men whose quotes I have used. Feel free to leave your comments or questions. See you on the other end!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

‘None have one chance in a billon of being thought of as really great a century after they’re gone except those who have been servants of all’ 

(Harry Fosdick)

True success is in service: Being for others what you want others to be for you. Your willingness to serve others determines how much others will be willing to do for you. You will never find anyone who will do anything for you if you never do anything for anyone.

‘Life is a lot like the game of tennis. Those who do not serve well end up losing’ (John Mason)

Believe it on not, the more you desire to serve (and the more you actually serve) and serve well, the more you will be served.  Whoever you are, you must put others before yourself if you want to amount to something.  Imagine a manufacturer thinking of profits from the sales of his products before thinking of what his consumers will like.  You know as well as l do that his business is headed for disaster. 

Happiness and satisfaction come from knowing that you are making someone better.  Albert Schweitzer got it round when he said that the only ones who will really be happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.  Greatness, according to Martin Luther King, Jr., is truly measured in servant hood. ‘

' The measure of life is not in its duration but in its donation,’ says Peter Marshall, ‘everyone can be great because everyone can serve.’

‘The greatest secret of success is to find a need and fill it’ (Robert H. Schuller)

So long? Yes. Too long? You decide...

"In his overall 53 years in broadcasting, King amassed 50,000 interviews, 6,120 shows in CNN's archives, 10 Cable ACE Awards, an Emmy, a Peabody and an entry in the Guinness World Records for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot."

-Michael Martinez, edition.cnn.com (December 17, 2010)

This is like a story and a commentary. In 25 years, this 77-year-old man interviewed thousands who - in the words of one of his last guests - 'made us laugh, made us cry and made us think'. He said himself that 'I never thought it would be last this long or come to this'. He announced in June this year that he was going to be stopping his award-winning interview show this month. And true to his words, his last show was aired on December 16, 2010.

I hoped that someone would talk to him about how he got to where he is but I really didn't get it. Looking at his profile, I realised that Larry King is where he is today - with the awards, the niche, and the style - simply because he wouldn't quit!

I'll tell you why.

He was born to a Jewish-American man and a Belarusian immigrant mother. Not with a silver spoon. Neither of his parents wore a blue or white collar. King was young when his father died and his mother had to support him and his brother. Partly due to his father's death, Larry stopped wanting to go to school, and occasioned by the family hardship, he had to start working after high school to help support his brother.

Having been always interested in radio, he saw an opportunity when a CBS announcer told him about openings in Miami. And the rest is history; but it is from that history that the morals of my story lies. Take time to read through.

1. In my experience, many times we know we have big dreams but given our circumstances, we are compelled to start small. Does that sound like you? Please don't quit. Most people do not know that he had to change his surname because his General Manager thought his original name, Zeiger, was too ethnic. What does that mean? Larry was too low on the 'food chain' that he had no choice but comply for him to keep the job! Of course we could also talk about personal interests and all but under the circumstances, it was hard for him to resist. And what was that job that took his name away? He was hired to clean and perform miscellaneous tasks in a Miami radio station for 55 USD a week.

2. If we stay on long enough, a break will come one day. Larry got his first airtime when an announcer resigned. Same station, same pay! That was on May 1, 1957 when he was DJ from 9am-12noon, cast the news twice in the afternoon and later did a sportscast. Little, isn't it? But it was still an opportunity, isn't it?

3. Larry's first interview was done for another radio station in Miami. What he had to do was to take on anyone who walked into a particular restaurant. Guess who was his first guest? A waiter at the restaurant! He did that job conscientiously until one day, a famous singer who had heard Larry's interviews on radio walked in...and that was the first celebrity! If you do that little thing well enough, one day a celebrity will come visiting. It may not be a singer or a public figure. Your celebrity could be the woman you should marry or the job you should do or anything that is to move you forward. For Larry, it was Bobby Darin the singer. It is said that it was that radio show that turned him into a local star.

4. He did many things thereafter but I'd only focus on my morals, the last of which is his consistency. When a man consistently performs high, it is only a matter of time before he rises to the top of his world. I am rolling two things into one here: Consistency means that you do the same thing for a long time and you don't give up (make sure that thing is right because the longer you do a wrong thing, the more confused and unhappy you become); and consistency means that you perform well all the time. That describes Larry, the man that would not quit. At the age of 52, Larry King Live started on CNN. And that is what we celebrate today. Most of what I have written in points 1-3 you probably did not know, but you will most likely know Larry King Live. At 52, most of us would already be dreaming of retirement, believing that it's too late. Today Larry is 77 and he is a name that will stay on the screen and in the air for a really long time.

If I have to say everything in one sentence, it will be: Why would you quit? It may be so long, but do you think it could ever be too long?

Finally, I make an important caveat: Please quit immediately once you realise that what you're doing is not right for you; but be careful how you determine what's right or wrong because THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM.

PS: A new programme anchored by Piers Morgan will take the place of Larry King Live from January but I have a feeling that for many months after now, many will still tune in expecting to see Larry!

So long? Yes! Too long? I don't know. You decide...

"In his overall 53 years in broadcasting, King amassed 50,000 interviews, 6,120 shows in CNN's archives, 10 Cable ACE Awards, an Emmy, a Peabody and an entry in the Guinness World Records for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot."

-Michael Martinez, edition.cnn.com (

For 3 great, great things

O God, the Lord that brought me here

For being my Guide, the One in all

The only God who lives above

And says the things He wants to do

None of which will not be done

I choose this space and day and time

Three great, great things to thank You for:

Oluwatosin, who completes me

And adds much meaning to my life

Oluwasemiloore, the real 'big girl'

The child of the God of Psalm 50

And me, of course, a local boy

Whom you're leading to be great!

So much for 30 days

Exactly 30 days ago today, I took the riskiest step of my life so far. One that will define my essence for the rest of my life. It's very personal and highly costly so it's only natural for me to take account as I move along. What I stepped into will occupy me for the next 3 years, and toady the first month ends...

I look behind and count the days

"When did these pass?" I ask myself

And then my answer came,

so frank yet calm and still:

"When you were climbing up and down

Taking steps both right and wrong

Those 30 days took them all in

And passed the way of those before;

For pass they must - and go they will

if you have not planted in them."

O Lord my God help me I pray

In every day something to plant

That even though the day does pass

It grows my seed, that I may reap

Hmm...so much for 30 days!

Innovation Systems and Capabilities in Developing Regions by Willie Siyanbola, Abiodun Egbetokun, Olumuyiwa Olamade and Boladale Adebowale

Innovation Systems and Capabilities in Developing Regions by Willie Siyanbola, Abiodun Egbetokun, Olumuyiwa Olamade and Boladale Adebowale

You want to acquire and read this book when it comes out. For a long time now, much planning has been done by nations in developing parts of the world on the basis of 'received theory'. Believe me, this is not going to take us anywhere. On the basis of this understanding, this book collects hard empirical evidence from researchers across several continents to show, among other things, the lessons that are relevant for innovation policies in developing countries.

Waiting Patiently, Waiting Right

I did not pray or read my Bible before leaving the house today. I knew that was wrong so I promised myself that I would do that first thing in the office, and I did. The single verse I read was from James chapter 5; simple yet with profound meaning for me.

⁷My friends, be patient until the Lord returns. Think of farmers who wait patiently for the spring and summer rains to make their valuable crops grow. (CEV)

That verse admonishes 'friends' to be patient until Jesus comes back again. In that context, a friend would refer to those who are of a common faith that the Lord Jesus walked teh face of this earth, died to save lost man and ascended physically to heaven only for him to be on his way back sometime in the unknown future (all we know is that the future is now nearer than ever). Are you a 'friend'?

The point that struck me most, however, was the parallel drawn from the farmers' expectation. Upon careful thought, I understood the following:

1. No farmer has any reason to expect anything if he has not planted anything. In other words, whether the rains come or not, it makes almost no difference for the lazy farmer who placed no seed in the ground. So, while we await the Lord's return, part of our waiting activities should be that of sowing, that we may have something to look forward to. Are you planting?

2. No farmer would expect to reap something different from what he had sown. That is common sense! It does not matter how much and how long the rain falls, one who has planted corn cannot reap onions. That tells me that the type of seed sown is the type of plant that will grow and the type of harvest to be gained. While James 5:7 does not expressly mention harvest, you and I know that the main reason why farmers want to see their plants grow is so that they might have assurances of a good harvest. What are you planting?

3. I then saw that there is a season of the rains. James 5:7 calls it the 'spring and summer'. Every farmer must have planted before then, otherwise they would not be waiting for the rains to make their valuable crops grow. The message is then simple: Plant now, before the rains come!

What’s value?

As I watched the coverage of the UK’s much-talked-about Royal Engagement on CNN earlier this evening, I just could not help asking myself, ‘Where will this end?’ Forgive my unholy curiosity but if you know what I know, you will most likely ask the same questions. The last royal wedding in the UK cost so high. Even though the total expenditure was not reported, we now know that the engagement ring was worth £30,000 in 1981 (the equivalent of today’s £85,700). How large is the ring? Just the size of a walnut. What is it made of? 14 small diamond pieces surrounding a sapphire. Who made it? London-based crown jewellers, Garrard & Co. The wedding dress, with a 25-foot train, was worth £9,000 in 1981. That’s roughly equal to £25,700 today – £4,700 more than what many a full wedding would cost today. Today, the average cost of a complete wedding is estimated at £21,000. That is clearly extravagant and shows, to me, some misplaced priority. The day of the wedding was declared a national holiday in the UK; and the whole world watched in awe (the estimated live audience for that wedding was over 750 million) as the world’s most famous royal family took among its ranks a beautiful damsel by the name of Diana Frances Spencer. Fifteen years and two months later, the marriage, despite its extensive celebration, ended in divorce. The story here begs a plain question: rather than spend that much on the pomp and pageantry surrounding the wedding, shouldn’t much more investments have been made into fidelity and honour on which the wedding should rest?

Well, a reflection of values it is!

In case you don’t know, the world is beginning to talk about the cost of Prince William’s wedding and where the money will come from; and somehow, the Royal accounts are not smiling. Pundits say that if the queen is not careful about dipping into the reserve fund built for her in the 1990s, it will run out by her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. To that end, total Royal Household spending is to be cut by 14 per cent in 2012/13 based on the Queen’s agreement; the £50,000 Christmas Party of Buckingham Palace has been cancelled and demands are being made by The Department for Culture for a 25% cut in maintenance costs for the palaces and Royal travel costs (this maintenance cost alone costs the Culture Department up to £15m annually). To make matters worse, the Royal Wedding is expected to come much ahead of the Queen’s jubilee, adding pressure to the government's depleted purses and further threatening the Queen's reserve funds. I can guess what you’re thinking: Can’t they simply reduce this spending? Must the wedding cost so much?

Well, I don’t know but it’s a question of value systems.

Earlier this year, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria married her personal trainer Daniel Westling. The wedding took $11.4m of Swedish public funds – even in the presence of economic crises and the ongoing debate in the country over the future of the monarchy.

What do you make of all of these? For me, it’s a simple question: what does value mean to you, to me and to them?

Supported with material from http://www.channel4.com/news/prince-williams-wedding-who-will-pay and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrard_%26_Co

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 15: They Prize Counsel

‘Sometimes, a single conversation with the right person can more valuable than many years of study’. (John Mason)

Counsel does not mean advice. Most people take them to mean the same thing. They may be synonymous but they’re not the same. While advice is the adviser’s opinion, counsel is simply the counselor’s analysis or appraisal. Advice comes in pieces but have you ever heard anyone speak of a piece of counsel? An adviser tells you what he thinks you should or could do; a counsellor shows you the options and helps you understand them, then the choice is yours to make!

Anyone who is serious about success will care to know that the most important things are not people’s opinions (honest or not) but their sincere analysis or appraisal of you or what you do. That’s why sportsmen keep coaches. Imagine you are a sprinter. You just ran a race and came last. You meet your coach and all he has to say is, ‘You should have run faster.’ Days turn into weeks and he says nothing more. I can bet you won’t keep that coach.

But if he approaches you and says, ‘You didn’t make it out there because you didn’t run fast enough. Your steps were stiff and your thighs didn’t pump high enough. Again, you were landing flat footed.’ And then he goes on to tell you how to correct those errors. I bet you’ll keep that coach.

By now you should know how counsel differs from advice. People don’t succeed on only pieces of advice - just like you can’t live on pieces of food. You need meals. You need counsel. Your peace depends on it.

‘In the multitude of counselors there is safety’ (King Solomon)