You probably have heard the popular saying, “For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he” (Prov. 23: 7). This maxim, taken from the book of Proverbs in the Bible, has inspired thousands of inspirational books across the ages because it contains a timeless truth applicable to everyone, regardless of faith, gender or race. Big thinking is man’s unique gift. No other created being has it.
It has also inspired my latest booklet, which I have titled, “Think Big, Grow Bigger,” from which this article was taken. I decided to share this excerpt with my readers at this most auspicious time of the year. We are still in the early weeks of the year when people, especially the young and ambitious youth, need something to fire them up for exploits.
Hello, folks, if you must soar like an eagle this year, you have to think big to grow bigger and impact your world in a bigger way than you do now. You don’t make impact with little thoughts. The size or dimension of your exploits does matter. If you make second class upper in your final year, it is a big result. But the fellow who makes first class gets the biggest applause. Who says you can’t make first class? Nobody can stop you but you! I don’t like it when young folks around me say, “I can’t.” Such self-limiting thinking is wrong and an insult to capacity.
As a youth, know this for a truth: the sky is your limit. Eagles fly against storms. Great men and women thrive in spite of storms. To the strong-willed, stumbling blocks always become stepping stones. As I write, my left arm is aching badly. Yet, I have an article to write to meet my deadline, so I still write in spite of the pain. And I am enjoying writing this piece. I wrote a page and rested, and I came back to it. This is resilience! Don’t back down. Push ahead!!
Nothing should stop you from thinking big, not even the inconvenience of pain or adversity. Some people ask: “Why should I think big when I can’t even achieve anything with modest thinking?” Summon big courage, if you want to achieve little things. But little thinking solves small problems. If you want the big break, what I call a life-changing breakthrough, you need to think big.
You need a lion-heart to confront big problems. You need supreme effort to achieve great glory. The bigger your success, the greater your capacity to bless many people. You think big to achieve bigger things so that you can become a bigger blessing to a greater number of people in your community, in your generation. Billionaires like Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu and other rich people give out billions to fight poverty and disease because they are billionaires. They would never have been able to give much if they were millionaires. Billionaires are big thinkers, so they make bigger impact, while poor people make poor impact. So, don’t glory in poverty.
A man or woman who has only a few hundreds or thousand dollars won’t be able to help beyond their families or immediate community. God gives us power to make wealth so we can help Him solve problems in the world. God has tremendous problems, in case you don’t know, you better know that now. God needs men and woman of faith who can think big to appropriate His covenant blessings of financial favour and are thus empowered to spread His (God’s) prosperity on other people who are not so endowed.
Nigeria needs big thinkers who can invent awesome things and create great technologies like the Internet, the GSM phone and other devices, which continue to bless our civilisation. We need folks who are not satisfied with the downturn in Nigeria, but rather than keep complaining about the failed politicians, upturn the situation with big, revolutionary ideas. Big thinkers do big things. God is too good. He gave us the dominion spirit.
God made man a little lower than the all-powerful angels but gave us the authority to send them on errands as ministering spirits. Can you imagine God’s love for you and I?
The animals are much stronger and ferocious devourers, yet they take a flight when they sight a man, because God has given us power to dominate animals and subdue the earth, including every creature so created.
Boy! What are you waiting for? Think big because you are bigger than your problem. Big thinkers achieve big things. Don’t go for the crumbs, go for the fattest meat; the best food on the table. Go for the prettiest wife, the best husband, the richest suitor. Be the best you can be. That’s who you are. That’s your destiny. A decree has been issued from Heaven, which says: have dominion over the earth! Obey it, exercise that power, that anointing from the Throne of Grace, freely given by the Almighty God out of His good pleasure.
Don’t be fooled, Christianity doesn’t produce poverty mentality. You have a right to be big, to be great and to make impact for God here and now, provided you do not break any rule of ethics and commit no crime. It is defeatist to be satisfied with little. That’s no modesty at all. We need you for impact. Go and think big.
Weekend spice: Godly people don’t speak evil of anyone – Bob Yandian.
OK folks, be motivated. See you next Friday.
•Ayodeji is an author, rights activist, pastor and life coach. He can be reached for mentoring and counselling on 09059243004 (SMS and WhatsApp only)