What is your perception; is it one you built for yourself or is it one you had others build for you?.

Humans, you and me, we react to happenings in different ways. There is no one formula for how to react when you lose a loved one for example, fail an exam, have your first business fail, lose money, feel stuck, and any of the hundreds of stuff that are possibilities by virtue of our being human alone..

We grew up under different conditions; while some had parents who consistently told them they could be all they wanted to be, others had parents who were not shy to tell them they would never amount to much..

School, with friends, with family, at the Mosque and Church, in the fields, your relaxation centers, you constantly find people who freely share their opinions about happenings, about people, about the country’s situation, about YOU..

Yes, about you. Because they say things like; “after 40, there is less opportunity to do so much with your life,” “If you don’t go to a good school, it will be almost impossible for you to succeed o,” “You want to have a manufacturing business? Let me just tell you, you can’t make money in this Nigeria, you’ll just kill yourself,” “Your business is already doing so well, what are you looking for again? Hian! You better stay in your lane and be contented.”.

These people who are not you; they define your limitations based on your age, your type of education, the “Nigerian situation”, and what they think you should be contented with..

But that’s not the sad part. The sad part is that you actually BELIEVE them. You are on a journey going to nowhere in your 30s because you believe when you clock 40 years old, your life will hit a pause..

You shrink in gatherings where people who went to certain schools are speaking because you believe you don’t belong there and they are better than you. You leave the business you want and go into a saturated industry because you allowed someone pass their fears onto you. You stay in the same place in your business because ‘they’ said it should be enough, even though you want more for yourself, even though you have the capacity for more..

You allow these people into your mind, and give them the permission to mould your mind-set..

Dr Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University explains that our view of self was likely formed during the early years of our lives. At that age, we internalize the things we hear, believe them and fashion our lives after them..

The good news is that although we all have certain mind-sets, they can be changed. Human intelligence is a fluid thing. As you expose your brain to more information and dare to challenge some of the things you already know and believe, your brain cells will begin to make new connections. This is what we mean when we say someone now talks differently or they appear smarter. They simply exposed themselves to new information..

No wonder Jesper Mogensen, a psychologist at the University of Copenhagen found that it is in fact possible to grow your brain. According to Mogensen in 2012, the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and learning prompts neurons in the brain to grow new connections..

The world is changing at the speed of light. Sometime in the future that is already here, cars will operate like phones; have batteries you charge when low and then you’re good to go. No petrol, no diesel..

Some jobs will cease to exist as the world evolves; some businesses will solve no problems and so will be obsolete. The ONE thing you can control will be your mind, and it will in turn create the life that you desire..

If you have not registered for the Business Growth Masterclass: Mastering the inner game, you should do so now at www.talealimi.com/businessgrowthmasterclass. Some people referred to it as a deliverance session. Come get your own deliverance on Saturday, February 17 2018..

The business and life you desire is possible. But you have to take the right steps towards it..