Evans Akpo

Wikipedia describes Goethe as a writer and Statesman. He was so much more than that. He was a philosopher, he was a poet, he was to Germany what Shakespeare was to England. Only that is True which turns out to be fruitful… this can be interpreted in many ways. For me Goethe implied here that optimistic people who are productive can change the world for the better. They have something to show for their efforts – hence there is a truth in what they do and leave behind. As for the rest that produce nothing – they are simply forgotten. Are you following your true purpose in life?

There are two eternities that can really break you down, Yesterday and Tomorrow. One is gone and the other doesn’t exist… so live today.

Einstein – I am thankful to those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I did it myself.

Wow, wow, wow! This quote is definitely worth three wows!

I remember how many interviews I attended after graduation from Webster University, St. Louis.  Rejection letters  were as many as the bills. It was real. I dealt with several rejection letters. I volunteered my life to the point I started asking when the career path will start. It took me back to how real life was. After the rejection, I said “No”   I’ve decided from that point, “I was going to do it myself.”

When things don’t go your way, or someone turns you down, NEVER see it as a failure, but see it as an inspiration to try harder the next time. Just investigate the success stories out there, a small percentage succeeded right away – the rest struggled their way to the top. Where did they get the drive to do this? – they believed in themselves.

Remember the first time you started driving a car? It was a bit scaring, so is life when you start taking on some new task. It’s usually risky – so it appears.. Would you rather avoid risk or avoid life?

You cannot avoid risk without avoiding life. – As Henry David Thoreau once said, “When it’s time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived.” Living is a risk. Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared sometimes, then you’re not doing it right.

Don’t worry about mistakes and failures, worry about what you’re giving up when you don’t even try. Worry about the life you’re not living and the happiness you’re forgoing, as you merely exist in the safety of your comfort zone.

Give yourself permission to be one of the people who survived doing it wrong, who made mistakes, but recovered from them and grew into your truest self. Life is a risk, to conquer you must risk. The unanswered question is whether you should avoid life or avoid the risk of living.

Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your inner voice – Steve Jobs. 

Interesting, to this day, even today in 2016 people still criticize Apple Computers – yet they are the top IT company… and that’s exactly the root of the problem today. We let the jealous, pessimistic, ignorant, lazy people and losers influence us with their negativity. Stop listening to them. Believe in yourself. The only person that can stop you from achieving your own dreams is you! As an unknown author once said, “Winners are not those who never fail, but those who never quit” and Steve Jobs was proof of that! So what’s your excuse?

It’s not the finish line that matters, it is having the courage to start.

Be specific! If you have a disagreement then know exactly what it is about. Never (and we all fall into this trap) generalize! By moving from a specific issue to a general set of statements, you are taking the quarrel to another, and at times, a silly level. If there is a disagreement, remain specific and most of the time it will then remain at a disagreement. Often, the other person may not even have been aware of the issue at hand. However, as soon as you add in generalized comments and issues about the other person, you make it personal and veer away from objectivity. That’s when the real quarrel starts. Relationship quarrels are a good example here. Please be specific, its saves friendships and relationships.

Many people would like to blame idiotic political correctness issues, plus religious rights as a ground for a quarrel. The other day someone made a good point when they said to me that the more quarreling and disarray in the world, the more power the politicians have over us including a reason to institute autocratic leadership. I think this is a very true comment and way past a conspiracy theory. Think about it this way, a tree is a tree, no matter which culture you were born in and which religion you practice. So then why not stick to the facts at hand and work on identifying OBJECTIVELY what is right and what is wrong, rather than whether you or the other person is in the right or not. Focus on the event/issue at hand, rather than the person. Also, throughout all this silly media and political conditioning which clouds your judgement. End of the day we are ALL human beings with emotions and needs. We need to be loved, we need to be respected, we need to stay warm, we need to eat, we need to relieve ourselves, and we need to sleep. We need to protect our families. How much more is there. It shouldn’t bother me about what color or religion you are – these are basic universal needs. Follow these and judge according to these – then you will see the similarity and more than often find it easier to resolve issues. We are all the same underneath.

Be the first to apologize! Get rid of that stubborn streak! Be man/woman enough to apologize first. Even if in your heart you know you are right, is it worth the health risk of having a heart attack over a quarrel? If you have never tried apologizing – do so now. A quarrel leaves you irritated and tense for days. You dream of how you are going to ‘sort out’ the other person. Do you ever? By simply apologizing and walk away, your whole being relaxes and guess what… you get over it!

Please be the first to run to them in saving the relationship or friendship.

When it comes to arguments, I sometimes say, “you’re better than that; don’t follow that line. ” It’s all good and well not to raise your voice in an argument and keep control of your emotions. I know people who can do that well. However, and I actually find this hysterical… with a calm voice they can actually swear at the other person and insult them in a most profane manner. Hello – that’s as bad a shouting. Whatever you do and no matter how you are tempted – refrain from insulting bad language and profanity. If you stoop that low, you deserve what comes your way. If the other person stoops so low – do you really have to follow suite? We come back to that quotation, “When arguing with an idiot, make sure that you are not the idiot.” By stooping to their level I firmly believe you are a bigger idiot than them. Don’t follow that line, because you’re better than that.