DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUP AND COUNTER COUP

The fact that there are coups and counter coups in the world - particularly in Africa - cannot be over emphasized. 

Simply put, a coup is a violent seizure of power usually planned and executed by the military or armed forces of a given region or country.

Counter coup, on the other hand, is an action taken to overthrow a government as a result of a previous overthrow carried out. The cause of this is usually frustration or anger resulted by the first coup.

THE ORIGIN OF MAN

INTRODUCTION

Man is the most gifted creature that lives on earth. He is the only creature that lives and adapt to all climates. Where the climate is harsh to him, he changes it with the use of the knowledge he has acquired. But if he cannot, he adapts to it. Man, for example adapt to cold season by wearing thick clothes. He uses heater to heat his room.

Also since it is not possible to prolong the rainy season period, he constructs dams to irrigate his farmland during dry season.

He makes and uses tools. First by sharp stones and when he gained the art of iron making, made crude implements. He has become the only living thing that destroys his type in wars and conflicts, using dangerous weapons of mass destruction. He has, with the use of science and technology, discovered some secrets hidden in the world.

He has been able to cure some illnesses which had eluded him in the past and has gone far to eradicate such diseases. In addition to all these, he has learnt to create objects transport himself to space and far beyond, made communication easier and faster, so that the entire world now look like a global village.

                             BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF MAN

Man belongs to the animal kingdom. He is a mammal because he is warm-blooded, air breathing, with a covering of skin and hair. Mammals generally have the same way of reproducing and taking care of the young. In addition, man is a primate. According to Crowder, Cootes and Snellgrove (1977), a primate is a group of mammals that have higher brains, hands and feet and have the ability to adapt to various environments. Other mammals that are primates include; monkeys and man like apes such as orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees.

                   THE VARIOUS EXPLANATION S OF THE ORIGIN OF MAN

1) Legends:

These are stories of the past told by an elderly person to the young ones at night. They are fairy tales and are fabricated. They are subject to a high degree of distortion. One of such myths or legends which attempt to explain the origin of man is the Yoruba legend which traced their origin to the east. According to the legend, they were said to have sprung up from Olorun who had a son called Oduduwa. At the dawn of time, according to the legend the earth was covered with water. Olorun, the supreme god sent his son Oduduwa down to the earth from the sky on a chain (A chain preserved in Ile-Ife to this day, is believed to be the celestial chain of the legend). He took taking clown with him a handful of earth, a cockerel and a palm nut. Oduduwa scattered the earth over the water and the cockerel scratched it so that it became the land on which the palm tree grew.

2) Scientific theory of evolution

According to this theory, as in the Encyclopedia Americana (1995) species go through some changes in their inherited form for a long period of time and that as a result of these changes, some species have transformed to become what they are today. Among their beliefs also is that all species had their origin in one life. This means that human beings and all other creatures have one common ancestor.

Those who hold this view go on to say that closely related species share more recent common ancestors, but, distantly related species trace their ancestry far into the past to find a common ancestor. That is, to say human beings and man-like apes have common ancestor as far back as 4 - 10 million years ago, because they look alike. The ancestor of human beings and reptiles, for example, lived about 300 million years ago because there is no close resemblance. They professed that the family of primates are called hominids which evolved about 10 million years ago. While human lineage evolved and separated from that of man-like apes about 6 million years back. The hominid was given a name Australopithecus. The homosapiens which they said evolved about 25 thousand years ago is according to them the beginning of modern man.

                 Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution which becomes accepted in science

3) Religious explanation to man's origin

The religious explanation of the origin of man is based on the Holy Books (the Quran and the Bible) revealed to mankind as a source of guidance. According to the Holy Books, all creatures, living and non-living are created by God in the form of life essentially as they exist today.

According to Islam, the creation of man as recorded in the Holy Quran, states that Allah created everything - including man and it reads:

He who has made everything which

He has created most good; He began

the creation of man with (nothing

more than) clay, and made his

progeny from a quintessence of the

nature of fluid despised. But, he

fashioned him something of his

spirit. And he gave you (the faculties

of) hearing and sight and feeling

(and understanding) (Quran chapter

3 verses 7-9.)

In another verse, more explanation is given in connection with the process of the creation of man where it says “Man we did create from a clay" (Quran Chapter 23 verse 12-14). Based on the position of the Holy Quran, it is to be summed up that there is one strongly held view that God is the Creator of man.

From the Bible, God in the beginning created heaven and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters hence the creation of the sea and land. After God had created everything, as in Genesis Chapter 1, verse 26: He commanded;

Let us make man in our image, in

our likeness, and let them rule over

the creatures that move over the

earth.

So God created man in His own image; male and female. He then blessed them and said to them:

Be fruitful and increase in number,

Fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis

Chapter 1 verse 28)

THE BEGINNING OF MAN FROM APES TO HOMOSAPIENS

Pre-ape Man

According to Black (1973), Charles Darwin in his origin of species by means of national selection established the fact that all species were created to each other. However, distantly, he later argued that man and the higher apes have a common ancestor. He further said our common ancestor is the one that came from modern Primates that lived about 30 million years ago, moved on all four hands have been established as our common ancestor.

The encyclopedia Americana described primate and other animals like monkeys, apes and man to typically have higher developed brain, stereoscopic vision, hands and feet adapted for grasping, and an ability to adapt their behaviour to a wide variety of environments living as primates, with the exception of man which is typically restricted towards temperate areas.

Neanderthal man

The fossil specimens referred to as Neanderthal man was first discovered in 1856 in western Germany. They are regarded as being different from modern man. They use ape like imaginary to portray them. It was concluded that, they were probably an aberrant side line that became extinct without giving rise to any offspring. Some scholars see them as direct ancestors of modern man. They suggested that Neanderthal man had greater muscularity, large teeth, jaws and related facial characteristics and that the brain size and structure had not changed at that time.

This classic evolutionary hypothesis stated that a series of homosapiens (Homo ergaster and Homo antecessor) evolved into Neanderthals (Homo Neanderthalensis formerly homo septers neandertalensis), which gave rise to modern humans (Homo sapiens).

                                    HOMOSAPIENS (MODERN MAN)

Modern man developed between 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. By this time, Neanderthal man has virtually disappeared and the homosapiens occupied Africa, Asia and Europe. Among the numerous specimen of the modern form of man, discovered all over the world, the closest studies found in France estimated about 35,000 years of age. The most popular of the specimen was the cro-magnan. The skull was said to be that of an old man who had lost his teeth. He has the facial features of modern European. It was suggested that there was a sharp break between the Neanderthal and the Cro-magnan.

It is now generally believed that there was a transition from Neanderthal man to modern man. It was suggested that the transition was very rapid in some places and gradual in other places. In Western Europe, the transition was so abrupt that most scholars believed that modern man invaded the area probably the Middle East. In South Africa, Neanderthal man and modern man appeared to have lived side by side for a short period. Only the Middle East specimens showed a series of progressive change. Starting around 70,000 years, on the basis of the present evidence it can be suggested that modern form of man, first appeared in Africa, Europe and other parts of the world.

MAN CAUGHT TURNING ATMS INTO PERSONAL CASH SPITTING MACHINES

   
A man has been nabbed for hacking into ATMs — programming them so he and accomplices could steal a quarter million dollars through a scheme called “jackpotting,” authorities said.

Eric Salazar Montano allegedly posed as an ATM technician for the plan, in which he managed to open a cash machine, and through some tinkering, turn it into a makeshift slot machine that indiscriminately spit cash. This new trick is called “jackpotting,” according to the Queens DA’s office.

Salazar Montano, 33, was caught on security footage wearing a fake uniform last Dec., fiddling with the machine and leaving, authorities said. Immediately, a line of people appeared at the machine, and without using bank cards removed $154,000 in cash.

Two days later, Salazar Montano and another person were again caught on video messing with another ATM, and then walking away with more than $87,000.

The 33-year-old was slapped with charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree computer tampering, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and computer trespass.

His cohorts are still at large.

“As society becomes more tech savvy, today’s criminals are keeping pace and finding new ways to enrich themselves illegally,” Queens DA Richard Brown said in a statement.

If convicted, Salazar Montano faces up to 15 years behind bars.

HOW GENERAL SANI ABACHA DIED

Late General Sani Abacha

This is an event in 1998 that changed Nigeria’s history. By June 1998, General Sani Abacha had ruled Nigeria for almost five years. Segregated by the West, Abacha promised elections and a transition to civilian rule by October 1998, but with just months to polls, all the political parties nominated him as their candidate for president.

Professor Sadiq Suleiman Wali, General Sani Abacha’s personal doctor, recently revealed the details of the Abacha’s sudden death seventeen years after his mysterious death.

Professor Wali describes Abacha as “a quiet person, calm person. He could be really firm on some issues, but normally he didn’t talk much”.

Professor Wali served as physician to the three previous Nigerian Heads of State after being reluctantly recruited in that role in the early 1980s. He considered himself politically neutral and lived outside the sprawling heavily guarded presidential complex known as Aso Rock in the capital Abuja. But he was always in the presidential entourage.

Professor Wali says Abacha’s health was not so serious  before his death. “Abacha was generally healthy though he had some health issues, he was treated, he’s responded [to that treatment] very well. He didn’t have any heart-related diseases at that time.”

                                           Professor Wali, Abacha's personal physician

On the 7 of June, 1998, Wali had been with Abacha, as he hosted the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat and all seemed well. The next morning General Abacha was due to fly to the OAU summit being held in Burkina-Faso and Professor Wali was due to go with him.

Professor Wali recounts that “around 6 am I had a phone call from his security officers, and they said, "Please come, come to the villa, come urgently!"  Before I even could get ready, they came and picked me. I had no idea what it was all about.”

The car carrying the doctor sped towards the presidential villa through a special entrance – a shortcut which only the president was allowed to use.

The doctor realised something was seriously wrong.

“I arrived and met the Chief security there and he said “doctor come in, please, come in!” We all rushed and I just saw the president. There was another doctor who came earlier, resuscitating him. Abacha was in the sitting room. He was on the couch. He was in his normal work clothes. I didn’t panic. I’ve seen a lot of serious problems before in my practice, but to affect him was very tough, definitely. I joined and we did as much as we could to resuscitate him. But I realised that he was dead because he was fuming. We just continued resuscitation and even injected some things, but it didn’t work.”

After 40 minutes trying to resuscitate the stricken general, Professor Wali said General Abacha had died. “I said, sorry – there’s nothing we can do”.

There was no immediate public announcement, in a country prone to coups, Abacha’s head of security Major Hamza Almustapha first increased the guard around the presidential complex and then called the heads of the armed forces to gather to decide on his replacement.

“Immediately the security officer took over, and he invited all the service chiefs to come to Abuja, by then most of them were based in Lagos,” says doctor Wali.

When the service chiefs arrived, some of them asked to see the body to pay their last respect to their former leader.

“They wanted to make sure that he is dead. And some of them were crying” – says Wali.

Finally, the Professor broke the news of the Head of State’s death to the First Family. But, obviously, the sudden death of the apparently healthy Head of State raised a few questions.

In a piece published by CKN Nigeria, it was said that late General Abacha was in the company of two Indian prostitutes who were sent to poison him. The Nigerian government officials however stated another reason, a heart attack.

However, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late General Sani Abacha, narrates the last moments of the Abacha's death and what preceded it, clearly disclosing what really happened to the former country leader.

"When I got to the bedside of the Head of State, he was already gasping. Ordinarily, I could not just touch him. It was not allowed in our job. But under the situation on ground, I knelt close to him and shouted, “General Sani Abacha, Sir, please grant me permission to touch and carry you.

Contrary to insinuations, speculations and sad rumours initiated by some sections of the society, I maintain that the sudden collapse of the health system of the late Head of State started previous day (Sunday, 7th June, 1998) right from the Abuja International Airport immediately after one of the white security operatives or personnel who accompanied President Yasser Arafat of Palestine shook hands with him (General Abacha) I had noticed the change in the countenance of the late Commander-in-Chief and informed the Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Col. Abdallah, accordingly. He, however, advised that we keep a close watch on the Head of State.

Major Hamza Almustapha - Abacha's Chief Security Officer

Later in the evening of 8th June, 1998, around 6p.m; his doctor came around, administered an injection to stabilize him. He was advised to have a short rest. Happily, enough, by 9 p.m; the Head of State was bouncing and receiving visitors until much later when General Jeremiah Timbut Useni, the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, came calling. He was fond of the Head of State. They were very good friends.

They stayed and chatted together till about 3.35a.m. A friend of the house was with me in my office and as he was bidding me farewell, he came back to inform me that the FCT Minister, General Useni was out of the Head of State’s Guest House within the Villa. I then decided to inform the ADC and other security boys that I would be on my way home to prepare for the early morning event at the International Conference Centre.

At about 5a.m; the security guards ran to my quarters to inform me that the Head of State was very unstable. At first, I thought it was a coup attempt. Immediately, I prepared myself fully for any eventuality.

As an intelligence officer and the Chief Security Officer to the Head of State for that matter, I devised a means of diverting the attention of the security boys from my escape route by asking my wife to continue chatting with them at the door – she was in the house while the boys were outside. From there, I got to the Guest House of the Head of State before them.

When I got to the bedside of the Head of State, he was already gasping. Ordinarily, I could not just touch him. It was not allowed in our job. But under the situation on ground, I knelt close to him and shouted, “General Sani Abacha, Sir, please grant me permission to touch and carry you.” I again knocked at the stool beside the bed and shouted in the same manner, yet he did not respond. I then realized there was a serious danger. I immediately called the Head of State’s personal physician, Dr. Wali, who arrived the place under eight minutes from his house.

He immediately gave Oga – General Abacha – two doses of injection, one at the heart and another close to his neck. This did not work apparently as the Head of State had turned very cold. He then told me that the Head of State was dead and nothing could be done after all.

I there and then asked the personal physician to remain with the dead body while I dashed home to be fully prepared for the problems that might arise from the incident. As soon as I informed my wife, she collapsed and burst into tears. I secured my house and then ran back.

At that point, the Aide-de-Camp had been contacted by me and we decided that great caution must be taken in handling the grave situation.

Again, I must reiterate that the issue of my Boss dying on top of women was a great lie just as the insinuation that General Sani Abacha ate and died of poisoned apples was equally a wicked lie. My question is: did Chief M.K.O Abiola die of poisoned apples or did he die on top of women? As I had stated at the Oputa Panel, their deaths were organized. Pure and simple!

It was at this point that I used our special communication gadgets to diplomatically invite the Service Chiefs, Military Governors and some few elements purportedly to a meeting with the Head of State by 9a.m. at the Council Chamber. That completed, I also decided to talk to some former leaders of the nation to inform them that General Sani Abacha would like to meet them by 9a.m.

Situation became charged however, when one of the Service Chiefs, Lieutenant General Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi, who pretended to be with us, suggested he be made the new Head of State after we had quietly informed him of the death of General Sani Abacha. He even suggested we should allow him access to Chief Abiola. We smelt a rat and other heads of security agencies, on hearing this, advised I move Chief Abiola to a safer destination. I managed to do this in spite of the fact that I had been terribly overwhelmed with the crisis at hand.

But then, when some junior officers over-heard the suggestion of one of the Service Chiefs earlier mentioned, it was suggested to me that we should finish all the members of the Provisional Ruling Council and give the general public an excuse that there was a meeting of the PRC during which a shoot-out occurred between some members of the Provisional Ruling Council and the Body Guards to the Head of State

When I sensed that we would be contending with far more delicate issues than the one on ground, I talked to Generals Buba Marwa and Ibrahim Sabo who both promptly advised us – the junior officers – against any bloodshed. They advised we contact General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (former Military President) who equally advised against any bloodshed but that we should support the most senior officer in the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) to be the new Head of State.

Since the words of our elders are words of wisdom, we agreed to support General Jeremiah Useni. Along the line, General Bamaiyi lampooned me saying, “Can’t you put two and two together to be four? Has it not occurred to you that General Useni who was the last man with the Head of State might have poisoned him, knowing full well that he was the most senior officer in the Provisional Ruling Council?”

Naturally, I became furious with General Useni since General Abacha’s family had earlier on complained severally about the closeness of the two Generals; at that, a decision was taken to storm General Useni’s house with almost a battalion of soldiers to effect his arrest. Again, some heads of security units and agencies, including my wife, advised against the move.

The next most senior person and officer in government was General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was then the Chief of Defence Staff. We rejected the other Service Chief, who, we believed, was too ambitious and destructive. We settled for General Abubakar and about six of us called him inside a room in the Head of State’s residence to break the news of the death of General Abacha to him.

As a General with vast experience, Abdulsalami Abubakar humbly requested to see and pray for the soul of General Abacha which we allowed. Do we consider this a mistake? Because right there, he – Abubakar – went and sat on the seat of the late Head of State. Again, I was very furious. Like I said at the Oputa Panel, if caution was not applied, I would have gunned him down.

Who allowed him to sit on the seat of the Head of State?

The revolution the boys were yearning for would have started right there. The assumption that we could not have succeeded in the revolution was a blatant lie. We were in full control of the State House and the Brigade of Guards. We had loyal troops in Keffi and in some other areas surrounding the seat of government – Abuja. But I allowed peace to reign because we believed it would create further crises in the country.

Subsequently, we followed the advice of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and the wise counsel of some loyal senior officers and jointly agreed that General Abdulsalami Abubakar be installed Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces immediately after the burial of General Sani Abacha in Kano. It is an irony of history that the same Service Chief who wanted to be Head of State through bloodshed, later instigated the new members of the Provisional Ruling Council against us and branded us killers, termites and all sorts of hopeless names. They planned, arranged our arrest, intimidation and subsequent jungle trial in 1998 and 1999. These, of course, led to our terrible condition in several prisons and places of confinement."

General Abdulsalami Abubakar - Abacha's Successor

For those familiar with history, General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian Army officer who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. He attended the Nigerian Military Training College and Mons Officer Cadet School before being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1963.

Abacha was commissioned in 1963 after he had attended Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England. Previously, he had attended the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna.

Abacha's military career is known to be distinguished by a twine of successful coups. He was by some records the most successful coup plotter in the history of Nigeria. When he was a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna, he took part in the July 1966 Nigerian counter-coup from the conceptual stage. He might have allegedly been a participant in the Lagos or Abeokuta phases of the coup the previous January as well.

Abacha was also a prominent figure in the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état which brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power, and the August 1985 coup which removed Buhari from power. When General Ibrahim Babangida was named President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1985, Abacha was named Chief of Army Staff. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Defence in 1990.

In 1990, Abacha became the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full General without skipping a single rank.

On 17 November 1993, Abacha overthrew the short-lived transitional government of Chief Ernest Shonekan. In September 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts, effectively giving him absolute power. Another decree gave him the right to detain anyone for up to three months without trial.

The Abacha administration became the first to record extraordinary economic achievements in the history of Nigeria. He oversaw an increase in the country's foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997, reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997, brought all the controversial privatization programs of the Babangida administration to halt, reduced an inflation rate of 54% inherited from the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to 8.5% between 1993 and 1998, all while the nation's primary commodity, oil was at an average of $15 per barrel.

Despite the achievements, Abacha's government was accused of human rights abuses, especially after the hanging of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Oputa Commission;  Moshood Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo were jailed for treason, and Wole Soyinka charged in absentia with treason. His regime suffered opposition externally by pro-democracy activists, most of which were Nigerians. He however supported the Economic Community of West African States and sent Nigerian troops to Liberia and Sierra Leone to help restore democracy to those countries.

Early in 1998, Abacha announced that elections would be held that August, with a view toward handing power to a civilian government on 1 October. It soon became apparent, though, that by April 1998 he had strong-armed the country's five political parties into endorsing him as the sole presidential candidate.

Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential villa in Abuja. He was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. This fueled speculation that he may have been executed extrajudicially by way of being poisoned by political rivals via prostitutes. The government identified the cause of death as a sudden heart attack. It is reported that he was in the company of two Indian prostitutes imported from Dubai. It is thought that the prostitutes laced his drink with a poisonous substance, making Abacha feel unwell around 4:30am. He retired to his bed and was dead by 6:15am.

After Abacha's death, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, was sworn in as the country's head of state. Abubakar had never before held public office and was quick to announce a transition to democracy, which led to the election of President Olusegun Obasanjo a few months later.

General Abacha was married to Maryam Abacha and had seven sons and three daughters. He left fifteen grandchildren: eight girls and seven boys.

Late Abacha's Signature

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THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS 181-200

181. Study the following evidence of high character:

• Precision & clarity of thought and speech

• Refined and gentle manners

• The power and habit of introspection

• The power of personal growth

• The power to achieve your goals & dreams

182. "Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. People grow old only by deserting their ideals and by outgrowing the consciousness of youth. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul... You are as old as your doubt, your fear, your despair. The way to keep young is to keep your faith young. Keep your self-confidence young. Keep your hope young." - Dr. L.F. Phelan

183. Explore the healing powers of Chinese herbal medicine and similar Eastern strategies for maintaining a state of perfect health (consult an expert at all times and take a formal course on the subject to gain powerful insights into this most useful area of healing).

184. Be certain to organize your time around the true priorities of your life. As Stephen Covey has noted, "it is easy to say no when there is a deeper yes burning within."

185. Slow down your pace of life. In this complex age, we are running our lives at a frantic pace. Focus on what is truly important and start undertaking activities that will slow you down and rekindle the natural, calm within us. Sit in the grass and watch the blue sky for half an hour - at first, it is not as easy as one would think and the urge is to get up after only a few minutes of such useful relaxation. Once you are used to a healthier pace of living, with regular periods dedicated to the simple pleasures of life, every other activity will become more efficient and enjoyable.

186. Try eating only fruit and milk for a full day. Fasting is a powerful success strategy of the East that millions use regularly to maintain peak health and mental clarity. By trying this simple practice every few weeks you will notice a surge in your energy level and a lightness in your walk. Big meals require a significant amount of energy that could be better directed toward more productive pursuits.

187. Value your spouse's laugh and keep your partner's picture close by your work desk for inspiration and pleasant thoughts throughout the day.

188. If you are married, have your partner's initials and your own engraved on the inside of your wedding bands along with the date of your marriage. This is useful not only in case the rings are lost but to provide you both with personalized keepsakes that may be passed down to successive generations.

189. The mind is like a garden - as you sow, so shall you reap. When you cultivate it and nurture it, it will blossom beyond your wildest expectation. But if you let the weeds take over, you will never reach your potential. What you put in is what you get out. So avoid violent movies, trashy novels and all other negative influences. Peak performers are meticulous about the thoughts they allow into the gardens of their minds. You truly cannot afford the luxury of a single negative thought.

190. Do a hundred sit ups a day and do not break this habit. Strong abdominal muscles are very helpful to ensuring that you enjoy peak health and injury free days. They also maintain your appearance and confidence level.

191. Be the most honest person that you know. Be trustworthy - worthy of the trust of others.

192. Curb your worldly desires and you will strengthen your will. He who is deeply bound to material things runs into difficulty and unhappiness when they are taken away. Happy people enjoy worldly objects but do not become bound or wedded to them. Live a simple, uncluttered and productive existence. To simplify your life today, consider selling your television, stopping the junk mail, spending less, learning yoga, selling your car, practising meditation every morning and unplugging your ringing phone once in a while.

193. If you have not laughed today, you have not lived today. Laugh hard and loud. As William James said, "we don't laugh because we are happy, we are happy because we laugh."

194. Read The Charisma Factor - How to Develop Your Natural Leadership Ability by Robert J. Richardson and S. Katharine Thayer. It is a superb book for any aspiring leader, or a current one, who seeks to advance to the next level.

195. Travel often. The perspective offered by visiting new lands is important and allows one to appreciate the existence that we generally take for granted.

196. Each month set a physical fitness goal for yourself. Start to swim in July or learn to ski in January. The key is to arrive at a goal for the month, write it down, consider how to execute it and then, as the NIKE ad says: "Just Do It!".

197. Things are always created twice. There is always the mental creation which precedes the physical creation. Just as plans for a house must first be set down on paper before the house is started, so too should your day be planned within your mind early in the morning before the day begins. Visualize the wonders you desire this life to bring and they will materialize as your subconscious mind starts to focus on the attainment of goals. This is a true law of Nature.

198. Walk to work and notice the wonderful beauty in Nature.

199. Sleep less, spend less, do more, live longer and be greater.

200. Read this post over and over, check this blog regularly and share it with others! 

THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS 161-180

161. Each day, do two things that you do not like doing. This may be the preparation of a report you have been putting off or shining your shoes. It does not matter how small the task, just do it! Soon these chores will not seem so bad, your personal power will increase and your productivity will soar. Try it because this is an age-old technique for building strength of character.

162. True happiness comes from only one thing: achievement of goals, whether they are personal, professional or otherwise. You are happiest when you feel you are growing. When you feel that you are contributing and advancing in the direction of your dreams, you will notice that you have boundless energy and vitality. Time spent on activities which offer little reward aside from a fleeting feeling of relaxation (television watching is the best example), is time lost forever. Relaxation is essential but chose the most effective means of renewal and spend your time in productive pursuits that will slowly move you along the path of accomplishment. Happiness comes from doing - not sleeping.

163. Napoleon III of France had a special ability to remember the names of all those he met. His secret was to say "so sorry, I missed your name" after being introduced to a new person. This would cause the name to be repeated and reinforced within his memory. If the name was difficult, he would ask for the proper spelling.

164. The sages of China have held a basic life philosophy for thousands of years: develop an indomitable spirit along with courtesy and integrity. The repetition of these three traits will make you an exceptionally powerful individual respected by all. Exert your effort and personal influence to attain these qualities.

165. A valuable technique for defeating negative and self-limiting thoughts that can hamper you from attaining peak performance is the mental interrupt device. When a negative thought enters your consciousness, first you must become aware of it and have a strong desire to remove it for good. To do this, interrupt the negative train of thought by doing something to break and banish the self-limiting pattern. When the bad thought enters, you may pinch yourself and say, "I am strong and weak thoughts are gone", or you may shout out loud or do anything that will divert your attention and remove the negative focus. By practising this technique, you will see a marked decrease in the negative thoughts that most people have, paving the way to the mindset of a true winner.

166. Taking time from your busy work and family schedule to focus on personal growth activities is essential and is never to be considered a waste. Taking one hour from your hectic morning to watch kids playing in a nearby park or to take a brisk walk might seem like a poor use of time to some. But by making more time for life's simple pleasures and bringing more balance into your day, you will make the remaining hours far more productive and effective. You cannot do good unless you feel good. When you are serene, relaxed and enthusiastic you are also more productive, creative and dynamic. This is something that has been proved time and time again and yet we consistently get caught up in the apparent immediacy of our routine and fail to see the forest for the trees.

167. Read more, learn more, laugh more and love more.

168. Pick five relationships that you desire to improve over the next six months. Write out the names of these people and under each name detail why you want to improve the relationship, how you plan to do so and in what time frame. This is simply another facet of goal setting - the practice which will always yield excellent results in any of life's fields. Be committed to being a better parent, friend and citizen. Be creative in the steps you take to show your appreciation and respect for your loved ones. Sending notes is fine but consider unique and thoughtful measures ranging from a romantic picnic in the country with your partner to an early morning fishing trip with an old friend.

169. Remember the power of prayer.

170. An excellent investment in your personal growth is the six tape series of Reverend Norman Vincent Peale entitled "The Power of Positive Thinking". Get it and listen to it over and over. It is packed full of strategies and techniques that, without fail, will ensure that you live a long, happy, productive and prosperous life.

171. Consider purchasing a pocket organizer which may prove to be an excellent tool for scheduling, recording your commitments and keeping the responsibilities of your life in fine order. One can be purchased at a reasonable price.

172. Browse second-hand bookstores every few months searching for lost treasures of character-building books. You will find gems on public speaking, improving your habits, time management, personal health and other important subjects for low prices. Some of these older texts are the very best and come from an age where every young person was under an obligation to develop discipline and good life habits regularly.

173. Read The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol. It will allow you to release the powerful forces which most certainly exist in your mind but may presently be untapped.

174. Be known as someone with a cool head, warm heart and great character. Your presence on this earth will long be remembered.

175. It has been said that doing something for others is the highest form of religion. Every week, out of the 168 hours available, spend a few in service to others. Many say that such selfless service soon becomes a key focus within their lives. Give your time at a seniors home or to needy children. Teach someone how to read or offer to give a public lecture on the subject of your expertise. Simply take action and do something to leave a legacy.

176. Fill your home with bright, fresh flowers. This is one of the best investments you can make. Let the sounds of great music, loud laughter and good fun fill the oasis of your home.

177. Get to know and enjoy your neighbors. They make life more pleasant and can provide helpful resources when you least expect it.

178. Recognize the power of mantras and the repetition of positive, powerful words. Indian yogis have employed this technique for over 4000 years to live tranquil, productive and focused lives. Create your own personal mantra which you can repeat daily to enhance your character and strengthen your spirit.

179. When the breath is still and strong, so is the mind.

180. Use the following visualization from time to time. Sit in a quiet place and picture that you will be on the earth for only another day. Who would you call, what would you say and what would you do? These questions will give you some important insights into what outstanding actions you must endeavor to complete.