Think out of the box  (smallbiztrends.com)

By Gbonju

I am so excited to introduce to you this column which I believe will inspire and equip you not only to stand tall even at these trying times, but come through as forces to reckon with in your area of endeavour.

A preacher was driving along a beautiful field of crops. As the farmer drove his tractor to the side of the road whir the preacher was, he shouted to the farmer, "the Lord has blessed you with such a beautiful farm".

The farmer stopped and thought for a while and then replied, "Yes He has and I am very grateful, but you should have seen it when He had it all to Himself"

You see, the farmer understood that he had been blessed with a fine farm, but it was his love and labourthat had brought it to its present state.

Each human mind is like that plot of land; it can also be compared to a gold mine or a fresh canvas in the hands of an artist.

I do not deny that some people are born or face mind-blowing challenges- physical and mental disability, financially disadvantaged backgrounds, dysfunctional family experiences, e.t.c.

However you cannot deny that we have heard and seen people with exceptional drawbacks excel beyond human comprehension, and also come across people with enviable opportunities take the route of mediocrity, failure and obscurity.

Any achievement is as a result of the extent to which the mind is used or stretched. These achievements reflect our talents, knowledge and abilities .Only when we learn to think creatively, outside the box, will we tap into our ‘mental reservoirs’.

According to John Maxwell in his book ‘Thinking for Change’, “Good thinking increases your potentials. If you keep growing in your thinking, you will constantly outgrow what you are doing and your potential will always be off the chart.”

So start with what you do right now, how can you take it to the next level? Pick up a piece of paper and a pen and write what you do as the heading. If you are not doing anything, write down what you would love to do and ‘put on your thinking cap’.

Do not disregard any idea that comes to you at this moment, even if it doesn’t sound sensible or achievable; just generate as many options as possible…just watch how you mind comes alive!

Guest columnist Gbonju is a UK based certified personal/small business performance coach & HRD trainer. Her niches include leadership, entrepreneurship, career progression, self /personal development and Christian living. For moreinformation on how you can benefit from her services, visit www.peakpeopledevelopers.comor emailgbonju@peakpeopledevelopers.com

Edited by GABRIELLA OSAMOR