How the poor can become rich

                    Bayo Ogunmupe
     For the poor man to become rich he has to unlearn his wealth rejecting habits and focus on what is left. A European polling organization, Credit Suisse counts the rich to be 42.2 million in its 2018 Global Wealth Report. Divide that by the 7.7 billion people currently inhabiting this planet, and you will get about 0.5 percent. And just like you get to that percentage, we think 'getting rich' is an activity.  That it is about movement, action, struggle. It's implied but not exactly about how we use the word 'get' in how we get coffee; get a job or get to the top of a mountain.
     Though it is true that getting rich requires years of hard work; you will have to learn a lot, build skills; make the right decisions at the right time and have a whole bunch of luck in the process. But if that's all we focus on we will miss the most important factors involved in seeking riches. Understanding that you are most likely to build wealth on the back of something that grows exponentially is a huge perspective shift. But it is an important shift in perception. Otherwise, you might always be working on something, be so busy hustling that you forget to build the stakes in your ventures that can still work out after you have left them.
      However, it is harder to point out a set of wealth building patterns than it is to spot what keeps people from getting rich and rid yourself of them.  Once you have unlearned your wealth rejecting habits, all that's left is taking action and waiting for exponential growth to set in. Here are five wealth rejecting habits uncovered by research. One, stop telling yourself money is evil.  When it was discovered in the United States that those who claim that money is dirty never have any; it led to the rise of prosperity preaching, the end time religious movement. Money doesn't come in different ethical flavors because it doesn't have any flavors. It is a tool without any inherent intentions. Money can only be a consequence of ethical or unethical behaviour.
     Two, stop playing status games. Think of the most popular person in your high school. Where are they now? Chances are the peaked early and got stuck playing status games. The problem with status games is that they are zero-sum games: the only way you win is if someone else loses. Politics, fame, prestige, these are the platforms of status games. For you to move up a notch another person must move a slot down. To win at a status game, you have to put another person down. Which is why you should avoid status games in your life, because they make you an angry combative person. You will always be fighting and putting others down, to put yourself up. Building wealth by making things people want, however, is a positive sum-game: the more you do it, the better.
     Getting the life you want depends on your playing wealth games, not status games. If you are always busy trying to look good, you will have no time and energy left to actually do good. Though doing good is a thankless job, you still have to keep doing it to succeed. Three, stop rejecting responsibility. Great financial rewards are the result of taking asymmetric or great risk. Asymmetric risk is when what you stand to lose is disproportionately different from what you stand to gain. Many employees in big corporations only play games of shift-the -blame. They want to point to their boss when things go wrong. Sadly in the pursuit of riches, without responsibility there cannot be any rewards. This means when responsibility comes you must take it, taking responsibility isn't dangerous, it is only uncomfortable. In life you must stand for something.
     Better still, don't wait for responsibility to show up, just take some. Choose the right responsibilities and live up to them. Four, stop wasting your leverage. Working hard is a requirement of getting rich, though it isn't the deciding factor.

Unlearning your wealth rejecting habits

              

     


 By Bayo Ogunmupe
     In the world today, one in 185 million people is a millionaire. But it is true that getting rich requires years of hard work. You have to read a lot, build skills, make the right decisions at the right time. Which means you have to hone your intuition. But if that is all you focus on, you will miss the most important aspect of how to build wealth through compound growth. This compounding happens through your choices, judgment and financial decisions. It is also affected by the assets you own, often without your being aware of it.
     Understanding that you are most likely to build wealth on the back of something that grows is a necessary perspective shift.  Otherwise, being busy working on something, might make you forget things that are necessary for your enrichment. In life, getting rich is equally as much, if not more about what you did not do, as it is about what you say yes to. At the same time, it is much harder pointing to a set of wealth building patterns than it is to spot what keeps people from getting rich and rid yourself of these habits. Once you have unlearned whatever wealth rejecting habits you have, all that is left is to take action and wait for growth to set in. Here are the wealth rejecting behaviors experts have spotted in people over the years.
     One, stop telling yourself money is evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. It isn't that money is the root of all evil. Take note that, it is the people who claim money is dirty that never seem to have any. They reject money in order to keep themselves poor. Money doesn't come with any ethical flavor. It has no flavors at all. Like the computer, it is a tool without any inherent intentions. In order to judge something as ethical, or unethical humans have to be involved.Only human intentions matter in such circumstances. Thus, money is just a consequence and amplifier. Profit or riches can be a consequence of ethical behaviour or of unethical behaviour.
     When you think someone does not deserve his money or he must be doing somethil evil; that is jealousy in disguise. With such a comment, you are the one with questionable ethics. Instead, you should be happy for them and get to work so that you too can become rich for money like water, has no enemies. It is at that point that you should focus on yourself and become rich. Two, stop playing status games. Think of the most popular person in your high school. Where is he now? Chances are he peaked early. He got stuck playing status games. The problem with status games is that they are zero sum games: the only way you win is if someone else loses.
     Politics, fame, prestige are all ranked hierarchies. For you to move up a notch another person must move one down. The India born American entrepreneur, Ravikant Wiki explains: "The problem is that to win at a status game, you have to put somebody else down. That is why you should avoid status games in your life because they make you into an angry combative person. You're always fighting to put other people down, to put yourself and the people you like up." Building wealth by making things people want, however, is a positive sum game: the more you do it, the better and richer you become. Fulfilling your dream by getting what you want depends on you playing wealth games, not status games. If you are always busy trying to look good, you will have no time and energy left to actually do good. Sometimes, doing good is a thankless job. But you will have keep doing it to succeed.
     Three, stop rejecting responsibility. Great financial rewards are the results of taking great risks. Most of the time, when the responsibility of taking a good risk comes, it isn't dangerous taking it. It will only be uncomfortable. You must stand for something, though chances are you might stand for the wrong thing. But it is rarely something you cannot recover from. Better still, don't wait for responsibility on your doorstep. Search for and take some. Four, stop wasting leverage. Working hard is a requirement of getting rich but is not the deciding factor. Good judgment garnered from experience is very important. leverage multiplies the results of your decisions. Through investing, acquisition of skills and name recognition, you accumulate leverage. These translate to money eventually.
    When someone starts working for you, that's leverage. Once your vision is sharp, you will feel comfortable focusing on specific goals. Getting rich is a game but not a hectic one. Playing it the humble way might not guarantee winning, but if you do, you are likely to succeed from a move you long forgot. And through humility, you avoid harm.

Daily habits that boosted my income

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe
    Explained herewith is how daily habits are influential in achieving our dreams.  After witnessing live on television the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre on 11 September, 2001, I decided to quit my job as Associate Editor of Newswatch Magazine, Nigeria. Thereafter, my wife advised I should not relent in finding a new job as long as they pay regularly. This time around, I tried to put into practice my theories on  multiple streams of income. That was when I changed my daily habits. Then I went to meet my friend, the late Doyin Mahmoud, who was then the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Daily Independent newspaper. Mahmoud appointed me a part time member of their editorial board. He said that was what was possible within their organization.
    Now after 18 years of practising the daily habits, my life has changed a lot. I now wake up when I please which is one of the secrets of my enduring good health. I have added real estate agency to freelancing and blogging. I am also engaged in ghost writing, and the writing of feasibility reports for banking loans as a management consultant. All these happened based on my newly adopted daily habits. The following are salient habits of mine; I hope they will help improve your life and carry you to the next level of your career. Meditation is the first step for attaining your dreams. When you make meditation a daily habit, you will see a massive change in your life. It will help you conquer anger and stress. Your memory will increase in power. Your self awareness and self confidence will increase. The best time to meditate is before you go to bed at night. You may also meditate early in the morning if call to prayer by churches and mosques would not distract you. Thirty minutes of meditation is enough.
    Visualization is the second daily habit. Visualization will make you a manifestation magnet. You can only be as great as you imagine. You become what you think. The words you speak become the house you live in. Whatever you can conceive and believe you can achieve. All around you is trying to pull you down to second class citizen. Evade it. You won't escape mediocrity if you lacked the courage to cut the weight that's holding you back. If you were born into an environment you don't fit in; it means you were born to help create a new world. He whoever is hungrier to reach the top will always get there before the man of talent. Visualization should be practised after meditation. It should last up to 30 minutes daily.
    Gratitude journaling is my fourth daily habit. By journaling I mean writing in your daily diary all those things you are grateful for by that day. Many things you should be grateful for: food on your table; good health, the love of your spouse and for keeping your jobs. You should express your gratitude in writing in your notebook as a mark of thanksgiving to God. Write in your notebook anytime you are so minded. Do this for ten minutes or less. Reading your goals aloud is your next daily habit. Every morning you should read your short term and long term goals five times. You will be amazed to see all your written goals are achieved one by one. The best time to do this is in the morning.
    Acquiring a new skill or honing an old one is another important daily habit. When I adopted writing as the fulcrum of living, I used to write long hand for the pool typists to deliver to the editors. Not long after, almost simultaneously, all the papers retrenched the typists including half of the sub editors. Thereafter, every editor, correspondent or reporter has to write, type set and edit his report by himself. This was forced on stringers and columnists as well. That forced me to hone my typing skills which I have abandoned decades ago. Even then, it is only recently that I can type straight from the head. The adoption of my daily habits has helped me conquer  these challenges. It has increased my self confidence and doubled my creativity. You only need ten to twenty minutes daily to ruminate on new skills to conquer.
     My sixth daily habit is reading about five chapters of a book or about 10,000 words in newspaper articles or blog posts. This also includes scribbling some ten pages in diary recording of personal quotable quotes. Since English is a foreign language to me, I am compelled to read in order to maintain adequate vocabulary for my articles. Having a daily reading habit is a tough policy for many in this social media era. If you would enhance your life, the reading habit should be a fanimorous idea for every ambitious writer. Similarly, I started writing a minimum of five pages in diary keeping every day. To me writing is another form of meditation. Once you enter into that writing mode, you will be so enamored by the habit that you will indulge in it at any available opportunity.
     In conclusion, all these habits are good for your mental health, they will enhance your creativity; improve your knowledge and finally improve your finances. I firmly believe in "what you think, you become." It has brought me and abundance of health and happiness. As we're stepping into a new year, try these habits as a challenge for the new year. These new habits will kick the bad habits out of your life, helping you to lead a peaceful and joyful life filled with abundance.

Beware of the company you keep

                   By Bayo Ogunmupe
     What most people don't appreciate is the extent to which people influence you emotionally. This spans across every strata of your life. This includes intimate relationships,friendships, colleagues, those you hang out with and family.  Who we surrounds ourselves with impacts on us beyond our habits and behaviours. It physically affects the way we feel. As we shall see later, this isn't restricted to in-person relationships alone. It has even been observed through online social media. have you ever hung around someone whose enthusiasm was infectious and inspiring? What about a person who always complains about everything? Didn't you yourself start becoming agitated and compelled to moan without any real reason? How about a relationship with someone lazy but lovable?
     This phenomenon is called emotional contagion. And nearly thirty years of research have proved its validity. Catching emotions is a real concern, especially if you are building relationships and helping others. This exercise is dedicated to showing you how emotional contagion works, where it may be affecting you and what you can do to protect yourself. As defined by Elaine Hatfield, a pioneering researcher within Relationship Science, Emotional Contagion is "the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize expressions, vocalizations, postures and movements with those of another person's and consequently, to converge emotionally."- Hatfield 1993.
    A groundbreaking study conducted in 1992 by one, Guacomo Rizzolatti discovered brain cells that responded equally when we perform an action and when we witness someone else perform that same action. In other words, seeing someone sad could fire off those same cells and create the same sensation within us. In Neuroscience, those cells are referred to as 'mirror neurons' and they have provided the foundation of studying emotional transfer ever since. According to this study, emotional contagion leverages neurons through three stages. One: mimicry- people tend to automatically mimic the facial expressions, vocal, posture and behavior of those around them. Two: feedback- people feel a pale reflection of other people's emotions as feedback. Three: Contagion- the result is that people tend to catch one another's emotions.
     When we breakdown the circumstances, it becomes apparent how important rapport and intensity of emotion are for facilitating this process. The more rapport you have with someone, the more likely you are to mimic his behaviour and feel his emotions. Likewise, the stronger the emotion, the more impact the transfer will have on you. As we move forward looking for scenarios that could be relevant in tour life, please consider that awareness is the first step for fending off mimicking bad behavior from others. In order to prevent unconsciously assimilating emotions; paying attention is a critical step in being able to prevent unwanted transference. Here are areas of life that can be affected by the unconscious spread of emotion.
     Emotional contagion occurs in relationships, romantic ones in particular. Note the strong relations prevalent in your interactions. You may be fond of your partner, despite her being inherently prone to negativity and pessimism. The question you need an answer to is whether your partner's emotions are affecting you frequently. You may be attracted by the idea of fixing people. Rather than hoping for your partner to change, why not consider finding someone whose emotions are beneficial to you? It has been established people seldom change, so never bank on changing people's behavior. Instead associate with someone whose passion, positivity and ambition drive you to be the best you can be.
     For friendships, if you love helping others, it is even more critical that you protect yourself by taking tough decisions on who you spend your time with. I have had to excuse myself from a group of friends recently. I stopped hanging out with them because, most of them have become beggars. Most of them, younger than me, lost their jobs for various reasons but from my observation, they are dishonest. They smuggle, engaged in extortion and racketeering. They shamelessly enter beer parlours expecting you to pay for them. They like to blame their incompetence on bad governance. We met at the workplace before, but they have now lost their jobs owing to dishonesty. Thus, I quit spending time with people who don't want to help themselves. You provide them with suggestions of how to move forward, but they bat them away with a barrage of excuses without ever trying anything tangible.
     In order to shut out unwholesome influence, here are what to do. Raise your energy and positivity to an overwhelmingly infectious level. Make a conscious decision to surround yourself with successful people. Lastly, allow these captains of industry to pollute your emotions. You must respect yourself by having more say in who you allow into your life. Sadly, emotional contagion isn't limited to in-person interactions. It exists in social media particularly facebook. Facebook conducted a controversial study in 2014 to investigate emotional contagion through social networks. Its results suggest that emotions expressed by friends via online social networks influence our own moods, constituting evidence for massive scale emotional contagion via social networks. It also provides support for previously contested claims that emotions spread via contagion through a network.
     In this time of global crisis and worldwide turmoil, from Donald Trump to Brexit, our feeds are increasingly full of anger, hatred, anxiety and conflict. Take an appraisal of what you are consuming. Look for more positive content to elevate your mood. Finally, emotional contagion is real and it is affecting your life whether you like it or not. Accept its existence and decide what you are doing about it. You need to review the people in your life and evaluate your consumption of social media. In life it isn't selfish to set yourself a high standard and put your needs and self first. Don't be shy to distance yourself from toxic people. Be a person who takes responsibility and who chooses to surround himself with positive, ambitious and passionate people.

Applying grit to achieve greater efficiency

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe
    To win in life, you need the indomitable spirit called grit. The Germans who are known for team spirit and hard work have grit as a concept known as sitzfleisch. The concept is taught in German schools and polytechnics. You need to imbibe this stick by it spirit. If you have grit, it means you can endure lengthy or boring tasks until they are done. The cultural association is the ability to sit still for an extended period of time to get things done. Grit is the antidote to procrastination- getting things done through hard periods of uninterrupted work. The dictionary also translated it as endurance, but it can also be called 'staying power,' that you are able to sit in one place for an extended period of time.
    Sitzfleisch describes a character trait of endurance or the capacity to sit and put up with your uncomfortable tasks until they are done. It means sitting still for the long period of time required to be truly productive. It means having the stamina to work through a difficult situation and see a project through to the end. Every worthwhile endeavor requires concentration, focus and endurance. But developing grit takes practice. Getting good at anything requires time, application, perseverance and emotional courage to to keep moving. When your ultimate goal is to write a book, manage a project to conclusion, as a coach lead a team to a tournament or improve your skill for the attainment of a major goal, the process is always the same - commit time and energy to a single purpose long enough and you will get the results you are seeking. Never allow distraction get in the way of what you must do. Work on one thing at a time.
     Then, how do you cultivate grit? You have to learn getting used to the discomfort of getting things done. To gain the best chance of succeeding when practising grit, you must recognise you need to work on your endurance. You must also have the desire to improve your productivity. You must optimise your environment for focus. Never underestimate how adjusting your surroundings can make you more productive. Thus, your immediate work environment matters much more to your personal efficiency than you might think. Prime yourself for grit by taking care of the noise, notifications, and small talk around you. Indeed, the right kind of sound can relax your mind, hone your focus and drown out distractions.
     Research has found that a high level of noise hurts creativity. Says a researcher: "Process measures reveal that a moderate as   opposed to low level of noise increases processing difficulty, inducing a higher construal level and thus promoting abstract processing, which subsequently leads to higher creativity. A high level of noise, however, reduces the extent of information processing and thus impairs creativity." If you like working to music, your personal preferences will play a part in what you choose to listen to. Optimize your productivity by making your work environment a positive, attractive and organized space. Experiment, but later stick to a comfortable work environment that supports focused work.
     Your staying power in an optimized environment helps you achieve personal efficiency. "If you feel threatened by a situation, you will become stressed," writes a professor of Creative Problem Solving Tchiki Davis, PhD. "But if instead you viewed it as a challenge or an opportunity to overcome adversity- you will be able to transform your stress into invigoration." Being able to embrace your work, as a challenge, no matter how difficult, instead if viewing it as a threat, is a way to overcome the challenge of finishing what you start. The great thing about grit is that it enables you to uncover the power and courage to follow through with your unfinished work. Grit also refers you to any task you cannot muster the courage to overcome or get done.

Ask and you shall be given

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe
     Never underestimate the power of your thoughts. What you think you become. Therefore, always hold the highest vision of yourself. What you believe of yourself shapes your life, experience and your future. If you think yourself unworthy and inferior, perhaps because of previous bad experiences; your mind will look for circumstances to confirm that belief. However, when you are full of confidence, knowing that you are profoundly loved  and worthy of being alive; that makes you much more powerful. With such confidence, you will never be influenced by the opinion of others. Which is why you will never get what you want, if you don't ask for it.
     The world is full of advice regarding how to get the most out of life. Opinion is the cheapest commodity in the universe, everybody has an opinion. All of which is worthless if you don't treat your curiosity with responsibility and give your intuition with the respect it deserves. People may laugh at you but nine times out of ten it is your lack of courage to pursue your dream that keeps you small; helping your advisers to feel big. The moment you allow the opinion of others stop you from taking action on your dreams; that's the you must kiss them goodbye. This fact of life is my first law of success. Never rely on unsolicited advice, to do so is to weaken your ingenuity.
     Two, the fastest way to improve your own life is by doing something to improve another person's life. The best way to get out of your cocoon is by doing something that can place you in the hearts of others. The words "When you give, you get" are a cliche for a reason. They are so because they are grounded in truth. Three, you will never get what you want, unless you ask for it. A recovered heroin addict sat down at his computer and drafted a message to the chief executive of a billion dollar company. He signed of by asking the chief for a meeting. A month later the reformed addict took the stage to talk to the chief executive's employees about the tactics he used to turn his life around. Today, the man is giving talks all over his home country, Ireland. He just wrapped up his first book backed up by a mainstream publisher.
     Some people described the actions of the reformed addict, Brian Pennie as brave, even ballsy. For me it is common sense. We get only one shot at this life and if you don't pluck up courage and ask for what you want, one day you will wake up and realize that Tuesday looks a whole helluva like Monday. Four: if you don't learn how to play ball with others, you will never accomplish anything. People don't care if you are smartest person in the community. Nor do they care that you are the strongest or the fastest. But they absolutely do care whether you are good to them or not. What this means is that you have to be polite. It means you have to respect other people by showing up at designated places and fulfilling your promises by doing what you say you are going to do.
     Learning how to play well with others means you have to be interested in other people's lives and do whatever you can to leave your acquaintances better than you found them. People spend time and do business with people they like and trust. How many days have you wasted being angry at someone who let you down? People will always let you down. As long as he is a human being, he is going to let you down. They're going to annoy you. They are going to lie to you. You unconsciously do exactly the same thing to others too. Then, you have either of two choices: you can continue thinking you don't ever do anything wrong. Or, you can forgive people and get on with your day. However, the older you get, the more you will realize that the more hard times you spend with people, the closer your relationships will become.
     Your ideas will never fly unless you know how to properly communicate them. This is my fifth law of success. When we speak about successful people, we think about words like "passion" and "grit." These words are the hallmark of greatness. But such attributes lose significance if you are not taking the steps to be an effective communicator. The happiest people are good communicators. After all, communication leads to connection, and connection leads to trust while trust leads to everything good. Nobody wants to hear your excuses so don't mention them. People who make a dent on the universe don't prevaricate, instead, they discover or invent something.
     Six: you cannot be valuable if you don't understand what other people value. What you should do to succeed is to listen to the people around you; taking time to identify how your strength can help other people overcome their weaknesses. Meeting the needs of people is the way to add value to them. Finding that sweet spot where your skills intersect with their needs is proof you understand what they value. Finally, you are the company you keep is the seventh law of success. If you spend time with negative people; it is only a matter of time before you follow suit. On the other hand, if you spend time with kind and supportive people, it is only a matter of time before you rise up as well. Who you spend time with is the most important decision you will ever make. With a collection of right friendships, everything else in life will take care of itself. The secret of success is found in good company.

Thoughts on Nigeria's Fatal Neglect

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe

    A lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, Dr Jacob Medubi is the author of Nigeria's Fatal Neglect: Thoughts on Nigeria's backwards in science and a call to embrace research - The Only Hope. In the book, Medubi opines that Nigeria is scientifically challenged. Although Nigerian leaders ignore the cultural belief systems into which they were born; but they are caged by abysmal ignorance leading to the escalation of poverty and backwardness among its people.

    Nigeria's failure in science and technology is the reason why it is at the mercy of other races and is the victim economic backwardness. People of other races design and make airplanes, automobiles, the global system of mobile communication, the computer and robots, sadly, all we do is consume these products. Without a quick course redirection to the study of science and technology, Nigeria and indeed Africa will be so cut off from the jobs of the future that we will be unable to liberate ourselves from being the poverty capital of the world.

    Due to its large- 200 million strong population, its poor scientific enterprise  and adherence to primordial beliefs, Nigeria is standing in the way of Africa's progress and emancipation. Published in 2018 by Etchwise Consulting Limited, Lagos; Nigeria's Fatal Neglect is in paperback. It has 360 pages; 11 chapters, a preface, an introduction; 12 Frequently Asked Questions, six pages of appendices and nine pages of notes. In his preface to the book, the author, Dr Medubi explains the reason  why he wrote the book by quoting the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy who said:

    "If the pursuit of learning is not defended by the educated citizen, it will not be defended at all. For there will always be those who scoff at intellectuals, who cry out against research, who seek to limit our educational system. Modern cynics and skeptics see no more reason for landing a man on the moon which we shall do than the cynics and skeptics of half a millennium ago saw for the discovery of this country. They see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing."

    But the educated citizen knows how much is there to know. He know that "knowledge is power"- more so today than ever before. He knows that only an educated and informed people will be free people; that the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all; and that if we can, as Jefferson put it "enlighten the people generally ...tyranny and the oppression of mind and body will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of the day." And therefore. the educated citizen has a special obligation to encourage the pursuit of learning, to promote exploration of the unknown, to preserve the freedom of enquiry, to support the advancement of research and to assist every level of government the improvement of education for all Americans from grade school to graduate school."

    Thus, that Africa is running out of time to remedy its backward position in the world is the issue Medubi addressed in this book. He is therefore calling on Nigeria to embrace scientific research, otherwise there will be no hope of our breaking out of poverty for us now, nor the future. Subsequently, I am breaking the review into three sections. Section one covers chapters one to four. This means covering from: Measuring how far behind we are, the questions we're not asking to This side of the divide and The giant paradox. While the Nobel winning physicist, Albert Einstein correctly figured out that there isn't any ultimate frame of reference when considering motion in the observable universe; so, measuring a people's progress is a matter of relativity.

     However, if we looked hard enough, we can tell who is actually moving forward from those who are stagnant. It is known that Africa has fallen behind in science and technology causing widespread poverty, and economic stagnation. Unfortunately, we've refused to ask why. Courage and foresight are required to ask appropriate questions and proffer answers. In posing the correct questions, we must be guided by the fact that our ancestors didn't arrive on the planet later than the Europeans. They have outflanked us in various aspects of human life because we have mostly produced bad leaders who devoured our resources. The fault lines aren't cut along any biological differences but in the different approaches by which each race has chosen to live its life.

    Nigeria is a nation of paradoxes. The gap between the resources at our disposal in wealth and human material beats the imagination. The reality of our incompetence is mind boggling. Every national endeavor is a living witness to our tardiness. The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos supposedly the single largest, most heavily funded biomedical research institute in Africa; which ought to be one of the top 10 in the world, has consistently continued to underperform as a regional scientific institute. We may produce a thousand Wole Soyinkas able to correct grammars of the English language, yet that will not change our status as a technologically challenged nation. Which is why we have to take science and technology seriously.

    On the other hand, when we're able to produce one Nobel laureate in Physics, Chemistry or Medicine- who has not spent a day in a foreign laboratory, that will attest to our arrival on the stage of global competitiveness that will give us the respect that will transform this generation of Nigerians. Indeed, Medubi is angered by every racial insult meted on us by the Europeans. Sadly our poor performance in political leadership, science and technology has not helped matters. Thus, proceeding on section two, where Medubi justified his position by showing proof of Nigeria's neglect of leadership in politics, science and technology. The author provides proof that our performance is far beneath our size and financial resources. The author contends that if Africa is to leap out of poverty, it must embrace scientific research. In his view, knowledge is  precious and more  powerful than anything else in the universe.

    Medubi believes that the reward of curiosity is the pleasure of knowing and that the benefit of knowledge is the capacity to harness nature's energy to power our world for the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Our neglect of science is so pervasive that we're unable to harness scientific knowledge to give us uninterrupted power supply. Reliable database is at the heart of the application of knowledge, strategic planning and a nation bereft of up-to date batabase has blind folded itself  and will grope ling in the pit of underdevelopment. The author considers Nigeria a great shame she could not produce stable power supply for the past 20 years.

    Finally, Thoughts on Nigeria's Fatal Neglect, concludes with The Power of Advocacy. Thus, the author points out that his mission is to wake Nigeria up to the onerous task of adopting science education without any further delay. He points out that science is our hope for the future.  The author, Dr Jacob Medubi holds a doctorate in Anatomy from the University of Ilorin. He is currently a senior lecturer at the College of Medicine, the University of Lagos. Nigeria.

Your habits determine your destiny

                    By Bayo Ogunmupe
     Your habits determine your destiny. So, don't give up your power to shape them. Everybody has habits. Habits are certain behaviours you repeat everyday of your life. For you my reader, one of your habits is reading. Everyday after getting out of bed, you brush your teeth, dress up; eat and drink, leave house, use the internet through your phone or laptop and then later, repeat variations of that sequence in reverse. The outcomes of your life are determined by your habits. The patterns of your behaviour dictate your destiny. These are patterns of action, patterns of emotion and patterns of thought. But they are all patterns, they repeat.
     It is this repetition that steers you, like a pair of invisible hands towards certain destinations. Your habits lead you to fame, fortune and success. They can carry you to love and happiness. Your habits can also drive you to depression, loneliness and anxiety. They drop you into poverty, darkness and suicide. You might not think about your habits at all but your habits don't just matter- your habits are everything. How happy you are is the result of your habits. How much money you make, how much money you have, how much money you can keep is a result of your habits.
     How healthy you are compared to how healthy you could be; how many friends you have, even how long you will live, all of these are determined by your habits. And if you failed to pay attention to these habits, if you don't observe or assess and consciously shape patterns of your habits, they will drive you into penury. Understanding this takes more than nodding acceptance. It is about grasping, accepting and truly living a meaningful existence, for habits are your only weapon in your lifelong search for meaning, happiness and purpose. The age of believing is over, we're now in the age of knowing. You have to examine the veracity of a statement for it could be a myth.
     In life you have to choose a life path or vote for who you wish to become. You have to say yes to a dream. This best explained by the movie, Yes Man, where Jim Carrey plays a bitter divorcee - Carl, who stumbles into a self help movement which is all about saying "yes." The leader of the movement forces Carl to make a vow to say "yes" to any and every request. This gets Carl into instant trouble. First, he must give a homeless man a ride to a remote place. Then, the guy drained his phone battery and asks for all his money. After walking to an interminable gas station, however, Carl's luck turns better. A cute damsel offers him a scooter ride, leaving him with a goodnight kiss.
     However, identity change is to truly change your behaviour. But humans don't think of habits this way because, usually we're focused on goals- a certain outcome or result. The reality however, is that, first, we have to become a person that can achieve an outcome, for it is only if you aim at becoming a doctor, that you can become one. Thus, the goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner. In the course of the movie in question;  that's exactly what happens to Carl.
     There are many variations of the word "no" in the script, most of which were dropped in the first half of the film. What follows is a series of 94 yeses, by the end of which Carl has become a different person. Carl has become a guy who says yes to what life has to offer. You don't expect your small choices to have much impact, let alone change who you are, but they actually add up. Therefore, every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become. Having a cigarette once in a while isn't bad; but it's destructive because each take sends a signal that says, "I am a smoker." Later, you might find yourself buying a pack a day.
     Just as new habits slowly change your self image, a slow change in your self image will lead to new habits. That's why initially, it's best to focus on a small identity change rather than a big behavioral change. Every action is a vote for who you want to become. You are voting whether you like it or not. The habits we choose today will determine what actions we will take tomorrow.

Your habits determine your destiny (2)

                     By Bayo Ogunmupe
     The age of believing is over. We are now in the age of knowing. Which is why you have to verify whatever you are told, for, if it turns what you are being told is a myth, it will hinder your success in life. Your knowledge creates the habits which in turn mold your identity. And this has profound implications for how you interpret the universe and events in your own life. Your habits determine your identity and your identity informs you on what to interpret the world. Your habits also decide how you see others, and how they see you.
     By shutting yourself up, avoiding work, you become a loner which in turn, make you perceive your boss as annoying. The small, daily actions you take ultimately decide what to explain to yourself on what's going on around you.  The more you think of yourself that you are worthless, stupid, or ugly, the more you condition yourself to interpret life that way. You get trapped in thought loop. The same is true of how you think about others. Once you  adopt the habit of seeing others as angry, unjust, or selfish, you see those kind of people everywhere. This sends an important message or warning, as well as a call to action. Though you didn't feel your behavior emanated from your habits, you feel you are in control of your worldview.
     Your habits determine how you interpret the events of your own life. By the time they happen, it's too late to change. You will react based on who you are in the moment. If you are not already " a non-smoker" when that Friday night cigarette is offered you, you are unlikely to turn it down. On a long enough time scale, however, you can change what perspective you defer to when confronted with any given situation. And you do so less by talking to yourself than by working on your habits. What you do when you don't have to, will determine who you will be when you cannot help it. Be the person you aspire to be, when you can, so you can continue to be that person, even when you think you can't.
     Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Without attention, time doesn't matter. Back to our movie: Yes Man: Every morning, Carl grabs a coffee at the same cafe. Each time he lives the building, there is a guy handing out flyers for a concert. Of course, Carl's canned response is"no." But after starting his deal with the universe; he had to collect the flyer  and agree. And behold, who's the singer of the band? the girl that kissed him after he got stranded. Thus, our most important asset isn't time but attention.
     The quality of the experiences in your life doesn't depend on how many hours they are in the day, but in how the hours you have are used.  Though time indeed is limited, with attention it can be diluted to expand beyond most other people get out of the same quantity. Which is better? A life of 80 years spent in half- conscious daze, or a life of 40 years, spent in intense focus on what matters to you? Time is just a measure; having and spending more of it provides no indication of quality. Without attention, time doesn't matter. It is with your habits that you can influence the world and others. Habits also determine what happens with your time while you don't control your attention. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.
     Just as your habits shape your identity, interpret the events of your life, your attitudes and beliefs, they shape your perception as well. Therefore, you should pay attention to habits because they direct your attention. Good habits maximize how much life you can absorb and where you go when you are not looking. Try to cultivate good habits, they determine your impact  on the universe. We go where we look. Without attention, you cannot choose where to go. Your identity, your interpretation of the world, and your attention: your habits steer you to achieving greater focus. So, be the architect of your habits rather than their victim.