DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS

Distraction is attraction to anything or anyone that is not consistent with your goal. The solution to negative distraction is to focus on positive attraction, as the magnetic composition of our bodies and our thoughts will always attract and be attracted to something and someone. Distractions result in many people failing to achieve their goals. The Christian walk is no exception. From my Today’s devotion,We are invited to deal with distraction that takes our eyes and minds off of Jesus, His Word and His calling. In order to better understand distraction, we need only to understand “attraction.”The Online Dictionary of Etymology tells us that both the late 14th century French word “attraction” and the Latin word “ attraction em” were originally medical terms that meant “absorption by the body” and then “action of drawing to”. By the 17th century, the meaning extended to magnetic and eventuality to personal qualities.An attraction is therefore anything or anyone that draws you to itself, catches and holds your attention, and absorbs your interest and time. When we find something or someone attractive, we are saying that person or thing is an attraction and is attracting us.
But not so fast! Is it not true that what attracts you might not attract me? Whether it is sports, movies, food, clothes, human physical structures, architecture or almost anything else, what attracts some people will not attract others. Since that is so, we are forced to agree that the power of something to attract your attention is given by you, the person who is attracted. Why does the same pornographic movie attract one person, and makes the next person vomit? The answer can only lie in the fact that the two people are different. The attractive power in pornography, as in everything else, is derived from the person who is attracted. It is true that like attraction, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
So let us turn the searchlight on to where it needs to be focused on ourselves. John 14:30 in the Amplified Bible Commentary quotes Jesus. “ I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]” Temptation is attraction to the wrong thing or person. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)If you have not as yet surrendered your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you face a major crisis of being eternally separated from God. This crisis can be averted only through inviting Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and to take up residency in your life. Full stop. However, as Christians we must , by the help of the Holy Spirit, daily work on strategically creating a mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual environment that will attract “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1;3)
To do this is simple, but will take lust-like desire, time and patience. Consume your daily limit of 24 hours in constructively fellowshiping with other Christians, reading and studying God’s Word, praying, and confessing your sin to God, and to one another where practical. Earn money to support yourself and help those in need. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, and everything else of which God approves. Viciously abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. Do this over and over every day until it becomes a habit. You will feel the attractive power of sin and evil become weaker and weaker in your life, as the Devil finds less and less in you that belongs to him. More and more you will find that what used to distract you, becomes nothing more than a trivial irritation before it hibernates indefinitely.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face…
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim…
In the light of His glory and grace!”

Thoughts from Dr Perspective

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Uhanan Mimi

GRATITUDE

Taking the time every day to recognize what you’re grateful for helps keep things in perspective. Gratitude carries you through the tough times, and gives you the strength to surpass the stress of challenges.Reflect on your family, your friends or the place where you live, and the satisfaction they bring you. Think about your good health and your mental or physical talents. Consider the pleasure you received from a phone call with a friend or a laugh you shared with your family.Look back on small and large moments – the affection of a friend, your success,or a deep and fulfilling partnership. These are all things that nourish gratitude. And, gratitude makes life worth living!

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Uhanan Mimi

ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

Follow the road map of life.”The best way to achieve your goal is to have one in the first place!As obvious as it sounds, there are plenty of people who have no real goal in life. When asked, they’ll answer that their aim is to “be happy.” But what does that really mean?To achieve what you want in life, you need to set goals. If you don’t have direction, you have nothing to aim for. Without a target, you are shooting blanks into the wind. Real desires are solid, not nebulous and vague. How can you hope to achieve if you have nothing to shoot for?Be definite! Set well-defined goals. As you do, you will discover a map to a better life. It doesn't matter if these goals are small, at first. They are still goals, and when you achieve them, you can move onto the next one with a sense of confidence.Set an achievable goal, today, and relish journeying toward your destination!
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Uhanan Mimi

TURNING MISTAKES INTO OPPORTUNITIES

“Mistakes are opportunities.”
Making mistakes are an integral part of living, learning and growing as a human being. We all make mistakes!The question is, what do you do after the blunder? As a child, if you were made to feel like a failure, you most likely feel inadequate and often give up. If you were told that mistakes were inevitable and you were encouraged to try harder the next time, you probably have a better attitude.If you feel depleted and defeated after a setback, make up your mind today to change your mind-set. Realize that mistakes are lessons in disguise. They’re your chance to make better decisions the next time armed with knowledge you didn't have before.
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Uhanan Mimi

ON FRIENDSHIP

Our friendships mirror ourselves.

You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. So, how helpful are your friends to self-growth?Are they supportive, encouraging you to strive and achieve? Do they provide a sanctuary of love and warmth when the world becomes cold and bitter? Do you love them with all your heart and is that love reciprocated?Or, are your “friends” not really friends at all? Is there a tinge of jealousy when you succeed? In hard times are they unavailable, only to reappear once the crisis is past? Do they spend their time with you talking in negative ways about others? If your friendship experience is the former, then you are indeed blessed. If it is the latter, now is the time to take stock of the negativity that you are allowing into your life.Release your relationships with negative draining people. Choose friends wisely and your life will be filled with love.
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Uhanan Mimi

CONSISTENCY

“A life consistent with your values makes you secure, confident and strong.” What do you believe in? What do you stand for? In other words what are your values?Values lie at the very heart of all you do as a woman, because values create the core of your personality and character. Only when your values are clear and you honor them, can you experience consistent self-confidence and self esteem.Think about what’s important to you. Ask yourself, “What do I value?” “To what do I aspire?” and even “What do I despise?” Honest answers to these questions make you secure, confident and strong.Do you live a life consistent with your values? If not, make changes until you can answer, “Yes!”
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Uhanan Mimi

THE POWER OF COMMITMENT

Until you are committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, and ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:That the moment you definitely commit yourself, then Providence moves too.All sorts of things occur to help you that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events, issues from the decision will work in your favour, all manner of unforeseen incidents and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come your way.Whatever you can do, or dream you can,Commitment has Genius, Power and Magic in it. Begin now.Happy New Year
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Mimee PK

FOCUS ON YOUR VISION

The sooner you focus on your visions, the sooner they will thrive.” We all know women with big ideas that can’t seem to make them materialize. Are you one of these women? Big ideas and grand visions are never enough. They must be accompanied by a sharp focus. When you focus on your visions, you gain a sense of personal power, a feeling that you are taking control of your life. Both self-respect and self-esteem get a definite boost, as you learn to consciously stay focused on the positive results you seek. Don’t waste another day! Stay true to your visions and never lose focus. Before you know it you will be living and breathing your dreams
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Uhanan Mimi

LIFE LESSONS FROM AN EAGLE

My mum has a great fascination with eagles. She loves to observe them, study them and teach others about them. If she spots one, she makes sure we all stop to watch in wonder, as we see them soaring in flight or perched on a tree.One of the most profound life lessons I've learned from the way of an eagle, is how to respond in the storms of life: I can choose to get sour or soar.

An eagle rises above the storm

Our lives are truly more defined through the storms of adversity than during the days of frolicking in the sunshine. My human nature would prefer the ease of blue skies and sunshine, but my spirit loves the outcomes of a good battle when I have chosen to rise to the challenges of life in a hard place.

James actually refers to the battle as a gift!“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”  James 1:2-4

When the storm clouds roll in and the rain begins to fall, most birds head for shelter, but not an eagle. It flies directly into the thunderstorm and it sets its wings to be carried by the thermal currents rising high above the storm. You won’t see it flapping its wings–you will see it glide smoothly, seemingly effortlessly and at great speed.My human inclination causes me to want to run and hide when challenges slam me, and to flap my wings frantically. However I have been learning that the strength to soar only rises in the winds of adversity, and so I am learning to embrace the storm.Every great victory comes after a great battle, and the secret to overcome is only found when I lock my wings in place and allow God to take me to new heights as I soar in His supernatural ability.I love those moments when I realize, “I can do this in Him–I was born for this.”When He carries me upward on His wings, my perspective and gaze is heavenward; there I can see things as they really are, not as they seem. 

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Uhanan Mimi

LIFE LESSONS FROM A DONKEY

This is story of donkey which teaches you a lesson. One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well . The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided that animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to save the donkey.He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.A few shovel loads later, the farmer was astonished at what he saw.With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up.As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed to see the donkey step up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off !

MORAL
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone to higher success.We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up ! Shake it off and take a step up
Remember the five simple rules to be happy.
Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries – Most of it never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less from people but more from God.

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Uhanan Mimi

SUCCESS

The greatest desire of every human being is to attain success in every aspect of their life; be it in the home, in one’s career, academics, finance and other areas. Everyone wants to do well. However, one common factor that both the rich and the poor have in common is the ability to fail. Everyone is bound to fail in something in life.
But you can choose how to react to that failure. Whether you get up, clean yourself up, move on and try to achieve something substantial, or you decide to stay behind to lament and mourn over lost glories, is what makes you who you are today.
My main reason for writing this article is to help you get up and move on after a downfall; help you realise your hidden potentials and maximise them in order for you to be successful. It is to help you to fail your way to success.
Abraham Lincoln is a practical example of someone who failed his way through life. He was a man born from a poor family, a man surrounded by sorrow. Lincoln’s mother died at age 9, his elder sister died at age 20 during childbirth, his first love Ann Rutledge died, his son Edward died of tuberculosis, and his other son Thomas died of heart failure. His life shows that you can’t control where you start but where you end. Lincoln ended up being who many people consider best President of America because of the abolishment of slavery and other deeds. Many great men and women of course, are made from troubles, problems and sufferings they go through. My dad always says to me “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger”. However, many of us don’t want to strive or suffer to get to that point of happiness. We all want a smooth road without challenges. In my opinion, there is nothing like a smooth road in life. I think one of the most essential things we lack is patience. We are never patient enough to realize and make our dreams come true. Let me share a story with you: A man spent millions of dollars buying equipment for digging gold in a particular area of land which he also bought. He dug, and dug, but still didn’t find the gold so he finally gave up, sold all the equipment and the land area which gold was meant to be to another man and went on to another project. But the new owner began to dig and surprisingly gold was found 4 inches away from where the other man had stopped digging. He made millions of dollars from it. The first man lacked patience. Patience is one of the key factors for a successful life.
One man I admire for his patience and persistence is Les Brown, an African-American motivational speaker. I was lucky to hear the story of this great man when he came to Nigeria for a seminar. Mr. Les Brown’s life is more complicated than most of you reading this, and indeed myself as well. Brown and his twin brother Wesley were dumped by their biological mother on the streets, but a woman picked them up and took care of them. Les was always called the dummy twin, even nicknamed ‘D.T’ because Wes was more brilliant and more friendly. One day Les’s teacher asked him a question and he couldn't answer; all his classmates started shouting and telling the teacher, “No sir! He’s not the brilliant twin, he’s the dummy twin,” and Les said to the teacher “Yes, I’m the dummy twin” and the teacher replied, “People’s opinion about you shouldn't be your reality”. This stuck with Les and from that day on he realized he could shape his own destiny.
Now Mr. Les Brown is a multi-million dollar motivational and inspirational speaker & author of books like Live Your Dreams, the famed audio book, The Power of Purpose, and It’s Not Over Until You Win: How to Become the Person You Always Wanted to Be, No Matter What the Obstacle. Mr Les Brown is a man that I would say failed his way to success. It doesn't matter how bad academically you are nor how financially unstable you are now nor how dumb other people consider you to be. Success is on the way, so far you continue and strive to be the best in whatever you do because your failure is the failure of millions of people.
How can we help ourselves become better, you ask?
Hold on to your dreams. Robert Hiyosaki said in his book “The Conspiracy Of The Rich” “Take away a man’s dream and you take their life. Make sure you keep your dream alive because dreams are the windows of your soul.
Maximize your talents because life is a market place where you have to trade what you have to get what you want.
Have a goal, dream & desire because in life something has to drive you to what you are seeking out of it.

Keep away from demeaning friends. Your life is like a rainbow with different colors and you should know by now that those who don’t add more color to your life of rainbow, don’t only crawl away from them, walk away, runaway and, if you have wings, fly away from such people.

Pay Attention. ‘If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, in life all you have to do is pay attention.’

Read inspirational books. Books that will boost and elevate your life because you are moulding your tomorrow based on what you read today.

Some say life is too hard; here’s my advice to them: ”I believe that life is a journey often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are all equipped for it only if we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them blossom”.On the road to success,

Age is not a factor because you are never too old or young to set another goal or dream a new dream. An example is Ted Williams, a 54 year old man found on the streets of America. ‘The Man With A Golden Voice” got a video of himself speaking on Youtube and today he has done several voice-overs for American TV shows. At the moment, he is struggling with addiction, but hey!, the road to success isn’t smooth, and our choices do have consequences.

Gender is not a factor if you do not define your goals by your gender. If you are a woman and you believe it’s a man’s world, it’ll continue to be because you already have that mindset. A great example to look up to is Oprah Winfrey. Who would have thought that an African-American woman would rise to global prominence? She’s one of the richest women in the world and moves with likes of the Obamas and the Clintons.

Religion is not a factor. Neither is height. A local example is Aki & Pawpaw, the Nollywood acting duo. They’ve managed to succeed in the Nigerian movie industry irrespective of their height.
Disability is not a factor - Stevie Wonder and our very own Cobhams Asuquo are practical examples. They were born blind, but that didn’t stop them from getting what they wanted out of life – solid careers and building families of their own.
Beauty is not a factor. Some complain, “I am not beautiful/handsome. My eyes, ears and nose are too big,” etc. Such people are not going to move forward because they believe they are not presentable.
Life is all about risks and risks are also meant to be taken to be successful at times. Remember life would throw things at us that seem rather unfair, but you can fail your way to success by maximising your goals and doing everything you possibly can to walk the path of success.
Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

FORGIVENESS

I am pretty sure we all have one or two people out there who we would rather have nothing to do with due to events which had occurred in the past and has left us with feelings of dread, hate, annoyance, disgust.You name it anything you like! The key here is that there are some people out there that you need to forgive and the question is; are you ready to forgive and move on to your wellness and wellbeing?

Forgiving others can be one of the most difficult things to do in life yet you will derive outstanding benefits once you go through the process. Forgiveness is the driving force behind an apology; it has been described in the dictionary in many different words such as let off, pardon, clemency, compassion, kind, tolerance, merciful understanding allowance and many more. The question is which of these wonderful words best described you? New researches are now looking into forgiveness and its relationship to our physical health .This is to say, the world I believe is now paying attention to its importance. A lot of the many benefits however have been linked to our emotional, mental and spiritual well being Some benefits include to reduced stress, improved sleep pattern, more energy (Because you are not wasting energy getting angry anymore), better outlook to life, peace of mind and an immune booster.

I can you give tones of ways on how to forgive and there are lots of information out there but the most significant aspect here I believe is to be prepared to forgive! And please don’t take too long; it only hurts more; I have been there, done it,worn the tee shirt! Mental pain is just a blessing because it is telling you that something is wrong with the way your life is going. It is a sign that something needs correction whether it is the way you think about the world or what you are doing in the world or both by (Susan Jeffers, 2007). So when you feel this pain remind yourself it’s time to forgive and enjoy life. So here are two key points to set you on your journey to forgive and live life to its fullest.

How to Forgive
Be Prepared In anything you want to do in life preparation is usually the key. You just need to think of want goes on in your mind each time you think about whatever it is that has put you in that position where you feel you cannot forgive. Then ask yourself how do I feel? For most it’s an unpleasant feeling; so then would like to live with it? Or release those horrible feelings….. Yes! Please you need to do this it certainly would help you make a life changing decision cum Choice here .I laugh!! Whatever you do here is based on choice even if you decide not to make one. Now ask yourself how you are going to address the issue. Do you approach the person involved or who had put you in that position of feeling hate, unforgiveness or whatever emotion it is you feel? I generally say speak to that person and let them know your perceptions of them and if needed apologise even if you feel you have not been in the wrong, it makes you a better person.
If you are struggling with the above points sought help from forgiveness programmes, churches, meditation, prayer, talking to loved ones etc. What I have learnt through experience is that it could take some people years to get over forgiving; hence the reason forgiveness has been described as a process. So use the above information to see you through and make it quite pleasing-life is too short. Tap into the wealth of resources out there which tells how to use acknowledgement, positive thinking, making a list, applying empathy and visualization. My point and contribution to forgiveness is you need to be prepared and I can’t help but overstress my point that it only hurts more the longer you leave it! I agree with Mahatma Gandhi- “The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is an attribute of the strong”.
Conclusively, a lovely quote from Doc Childre and Howard Martin- For you all Forgiveness means that you’ve decided not to let it keep festering inside even if it only comes up once in a while.
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 Uhanan Mimi

APPRECIATION, A MUCH VALUED REWARD

It doesn't take a lot of time to say a few words to appreciate someone, yet it can make them happy for a long time. Think about how a simple yet enthusiastic and heartfelt ‘Thank you’ from someone leaves you smiling for the day. It is in our nature to feel needed and important and to know that our efforts make others happy. It is also our nature to usually depreciate our own efforts and hence, we require others to appreciate them.

However, the words to appreciate that you use do not matter as much as the tone of these words. You can write a whole letter filled with appreciative words and send the same one to all your employees and it will be much less effective than a one-liner sent to them individually, appraising each of them for a unique personality trait or on a project they worked on.Most of the time, we tell ourselves that we cannot appreciate everyone because it will take a lot of time. All we need to remember is that you don’t need to write an entire page filled with words to appreciate someone. It is not the words, but the effort that counts the most. People will feel more valued if you personally say a simple ‘thank you’ rather than receiving cards from you that they know you didn't send yourself.

It is not just other people you should learn to appreciate, but also the finer things of life that you have. You should feel gratified for all the blessings you have in life even if you are going through a tough phase. Counting your blessings and appreciating them can actually help you to fight depressive thoughts. A few words to appreciate the healthy lifestyle you are leading can give you a sense of contentment.Even at this moment, you can stop and look around yourself. There are a lot of things you have that others can only dream of, even some of the basic necessities. You have relationships that others may not have. You may have people who take care of you or facilitate you in your life. So, just make a note of these things and write a few words to appreciate them.

Appreciation is undoubtedly one of the best rewards you can give someone in return of their efforts. It will make them feel valued and important, and give them a sense of motivation. A simple pat on the back or a one-line note of appreciation is enough to do the trick.

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Uhanan Mimi

BEING SELELTIVE

There is nothing wrong in being selective. I must admit, I'm a selective person...for a good cause and reason. It is through good and bad experiences that you will learn what is best for you. You will be able to discern which friends are keepers, which job suites you, which mate is best to date and so forth. I feel that people associate negative connotations with being selective. That if your selective your too conceited or too picky. But, I beg to differ and choose to change that definition. I believe a selective person is one who knows what they want (due to trial and error) and does not apologize for it.

You need to be selective in different ways. When it comes to the company you keep, be selective. When it comes to the men or women you date, be selective. When it comes to the internships or jobs you want, be selective. When it comes to way you dress, be selective. There is a calculated and strategic reason behind your decisions. Because you have experienced bad company, dated the wrong man or woman, chose the wrong profession...those experiences have taught you to know exactly what works for you. When you choose to be selective, you decide to put yourself first. Not in a selfish or self-centred way but in a loving way. Realizing the things that are needed to take you to your level and destination. Like I stated before, its okay to be selective. It shows how much you love and stay true to yourself. 

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Uhanan Mimi