GRACE, GRATITUDE & GREAT ADVENTURES

At the beginning of this year, I shared a blog-post entitled "Happy New Year - Distinguish Yourself!!!".

Patricia at the UGBS 2017 Graduation 

In as much as I was encouraging you, I was speaking to myself as well. This was a year of many

adventures and it took grace to stay committed to the cause. I am so grateful to all who have made this year such an exciting adventure. Yes, sometimes you must dare to dream and dare to be different. But through it all, I thank God for the grace to overcome the challenges, the strength to persevere, the strive for excellence and the passion to scale higher heights. Part of my 2017 new year resolutions, included my quest  to complete my highest milestone in the Toastmasters Educational Programme, give more attention to my Startup Company, complete my Masters Degree Programme in Entrepreneurial Management, and spend more time with family. I must admit that the latter is still work in progress. But to God be the Glory, I earned the Distinguished Toastmaster Award - DTM, was awarded with my Masters Degree and still working on my Startup Companies. Yes - two dreams were birthed. 

In December 2016 I took the leap of faith, left full-time corporate work to give more life and visibility to my own company, PERISSOS HORIZON. My company is focused on offering Training in Communication, Leadership and Corporate Soft Skills. Other focused services we provide, are Coaching and Mentoring for groups and individuals. We believe that these are requisite services that one must seek, to achieve their own unique set of goals and birth their Vision for life. Holding yourself accountable to someone gives you the right edge to remain focused. For anyone to set SMART goals and achieve them, it requires among other things, hardwork; thinking creatively & strategically; dedication to a cause, perseverance; consistency; commitment; focused time management; being humble to ask for help; being tactful & assertive; and knowing when to collaborate  with others rather than competing against them.

Participants at the Dec 2017 Working Brunch

For as long as I can recall, I have always been passionate about sharing my knowledge with others, guiding and coaching others to become better at one thing or the other - and simply being there to support and encourage people to aim high, in whatever they do. I love to see people fulfilling their personal development goals, excelling in their fields of endeavour, and impacting others in and around their circles too. 

I believe that is what will enable us make that needed individual  or corporate impact in our communities and the world at large. I therefore believe in being an example of what is possible. Anyone can commit to a cause, dream big, start small and work progressively to achieve excellence. I believe it serves as a magnet to attract like-minded people, to help you achieve purpose. I am glad that "The Entrepreneurs' Vista" - a training and capacity-building NGO was also birthed along the way. 

This NGO seeks to help Startups and others in the field of Entrepreneurship; gain clarity, benefit from Face-to-Face and virtual interactions with experts in their various fields of interests. We believe this would help them manage their businesses effectively for impact.  This is done via subsidised Seminars, Workshops and more. 

The desire of The Entrepreneurs' Vista platform, is to help participants learn innovative and creative ways to boost their businesses; while leveraging on their resources, to grow steadily and successfully. 

Patricia awarded the District 94 Area Director of the Year 2016-2017 & more!

For anyone - whether in business or private life - to successfully share their thoughts, opinions on issues or develop effective people skills, they must be effective

communicators and effective leaders. 

Personally, I have had the opportunity to hone my communication and leadership skills, through the Toastmasters Educational Progamme. I have stuck with it because it gives me the added benefit of paying it forward. I have had the opportunity to mentor and coach others along the way, and still do. 

I can confidently say that through my Toastmasters journey, the leader, trainer, mentor and coach in me, has been shaped to impact and influence more people, both far and near. I am grateful to the Toastmasters family in Ghana (Areas 3 & 31), West & Central Africa (District 94) and the Global Toastmasters Community, for this unique platform. There is nothing more exciting than having like-minded people, supporting you to achieve your dreams - and you having the chance to do same. Although this doesn't always come easy, if you remain true to yourself, you will attract the right kind of network around you. That is why at Toastmasters, we say, leaders are made! Have you been made?

It was an exciting moment in Lagos - Nigeria, during the November 2017 Leadership Conference. The mindset to achieve the DTM recognition, had culminated in my ability to earn three (3) major Toastmasters educational milestones. I was therefore presented with a Triple Crown recognition pin. The fulfilment of other key aspects of my role as the Area Director for Area 3, in the 2016-2017 tenure, also earned me the District's Area Director of the Year recognition plaque. This successfully earned Area 3, the President's Distinguished Area recognition as well. It is easy for some people to often discount the zeal, motivation, encouragement, guidance, teachings, reminders, etc., provided by leaders, who spur others on, to achieve excellence. 

If you also doubt the efforts of good leadership in achieving any organisation's set objectives, then try working with a leader who folds their hands and watches team members do what they want, when they want it, and how they want it; without taking cognisance of expectations and requirements from the top team or top hierarchy. I would be glad to read your comments about that kind of leader sometime soon. Good leaders lead by example, to achieve excellence; and bad leaders equally lead by example to achieve failure. Which kind of leader do you wish to be?

This year has been an adventure of varying degrees. I have had to challenge myself even more in keeping the balance as a mother, wife, student, as the Founder of PERISSOS HORIZON and Co-Founder of The Entrepreneurs' Vista. Therefore, I am so grateful for the support of loved ones, family and friends who made all the juggling seem effortless. I had the privilege of co-sponsoring the PERISSOS HORIZON TOASTMASTERS CLUB, to volunteer myself once more, into nurturing more competent leaders and competent communicators in Ghana. The vision of this club is to offer Professionals, Corporate Executives, as well as Entrepreneurs, a unique platform. This platform can build their communication and leadership competencies towards the achievement of specific goals required to scale higher heights, in the personal, business and corporate development aspirations. 

The vision of the club, just like my company is to scale higher heights - which creates the synergy required for members to remain focused and purpose-driven in their Toastmasters journey. 

As we draw the curtain on the year 2017, I am grateful for the lives of members who volunteered their time, resources and energy, as Club officers and Committee members to help others enjoy the club meetings. The transformational stories that are already pouring out, from grateful hearts, makes it all worth the time we have volunteered thus far. Next year, 2018, promises to be even more exciting. So if you are resident in Accra - Ghana or visiting for a long period and desire to join our club, don't hesitate to contact us via Perissos.Horizon@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you. 

The joy of seeing others progress and discover themselves in ways they felt was not possible, is truly inspiring and a humbling experience. When you help others find their voice, it helps bring more advocates to chart a positive cause on our various societies; it helps employers find more fulfilment because they now see the increased output and zeal by employees towards the achievement of company objectives. When you encourage others to believe in themselves, and you observe them transform and impact their world positively - the feeling is priceless.

Granted, not everyone is grateful for such opportunities, but as leaders we must be prepared for such situations and rise above it all. Never allow the few bad experiences, to spoil the lifetime of rich influence you will make on the lives of those - who truly need it. You must save the situation and always make a positive impact. When you help others through constructive feedback, to discover their strengths and weaknesses and go further to help them know how to overcome those weaknesses, it makes you better too. Certainly, not everyone is willing to take corrective feedback that readily. And not many people even know how to give corrective feedback, properly. And that is why we must always be lifelong learners. Seeking to be better, so we can help others do better - honing our interpersonal communication skills should therefore be a vital resolution for 2018. You can only improve that skill, by working with a different teams with varied personality types. 

My little advice though is to remember, that as a Coach or Mentor you also need to take time out for yourself - to care for yourself. Do not stretch yourself too thin, such that you breakdown and leave millions of potential future beneficiaries at a loss. So know when to let go of relationships that drain the energy out of you, and when to move on to other rejuvenating activities. In the meantime, keep doing the great job and keep making that positive energy flow where it is needed. Remember your creator, the source of all wisdom, strength and creativity. Have a joyous Yuletide, full of Grace, Gratitude and Great Adventures. 

Keep Scaling Higher Heights and have a Glorious 2018 - More Joyous Celebrations Ahead!

PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM

FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON

Perissos Horizon Facebook Page

Instagram: @Perissos.Horizon 

Twitter Handles:

 @PerissosHorizon 

 @TheAkosuaDzifa 

My blog - TheAkosuaDzifa

Understanding Our Choices & Its Impact On Prioritisation

This is the Part two (2) on how our individual dispositions, can impact on our time. You may read earlier post here, before returning to this page. In this piece, I draw attention to how our individual Values, Goals, Principles, etc., affects the Choices we make; and its impact on how we prioritise activities and by inference, use our time.

We all need to understand that there is just so much that we can achieve at each point in time. We need to take certain critical decisions, to help us make effective use of the little time we have available. So how do we then make a choice between which tasks or items on our "To-do List" must be done immediately, re-scheduled, pass on to someone else, or erase totally from our calendar. You will get to understand what tasks should be on a list of "Do, Delegate, Decide or Delete", as you read through this article.

Time may not be controlled or prevented from moving, but everyone has a "will" or "desire" to control what they see as "important" or "urgent" - this is in our control and hence we owe it to ourselves, to take the right decisions at all times. That forms the crust of the choices we make and how that impacts on what we give the highest attention or priority to. 

Basically, when you are offered two or more options but don't have the luxury to have everything done at once, you need to make a choice. So choices are made when we go through the process of selecting between two or more alternatives, or choosing from more than one possibility.

One can have several choices made, regarding different things. For example, one may have a choice of keeping more than one SIM card from different Telcos. But out of these choices, the individual may rate one Telco as more important to them and hence can be reached more often that network than the other. It only means that at that very moment, you have made that easy-to-reach line, your high priority line.

You could have the choice of accepting a job offer that gives you more income, or another that gives you possibly less income. But underlying factors like proximity to your home, your children's school, etc., can make you choose the lower paid job, as opposed to the higher paid one. In this case, giving priority to the issue of proximity to home or kids, etc.

Our priorities are therefore our basic decisions, made regarding what we see as more important than other factors, at each point or stage in our life. Again, before one can be in the position to give average weights of what's more important in their lives, it is based on their individual vision, mission, value, goals, etc., at that time of their lives. And these consciously or unconsciously impacts our usage of time. For someone diagnosed with a serious health issue, getting back into shape or shedding off a few pounds at the gym may take a higher priority than hanging out with friends at the restaurant. 

As Employers or Employees, we all have this same conflicting demands placed on our time. There are activities we wish to complete on a personal level, and what is required of us by our Employers too. No one ever has enough time on their hands - we must all manage to do what is required at each given period. And that is why most people also regard the term "time management" as an irony in itself. Because in reality, you can only manage yourself and control how you perceive or judge what is "important" to you or what is "urgent" to you.

Why would some people always be on time at a function, or event while others don't? Why would some people always be noted to appear just at the nick of time? Our Values as individuals also determines the kind of guiding principles we abide by - resulting in the personal forms of behaviour or standards that one creates for themselves. To them, they want to be seen or viewed as such. And so it shapes their actions, reaction or proactive ways in dealing with situations.

It is not so much about whether or not you value time. Because time would not wait for you anyway. But the actions we take before, during, or after a specified period would determine whether we are able to achieve our desired goals, missions or vision in life.

In the first post on Time Management, we understood that those with a strong judging personality type, are prone to plan ahead. And hardly get taken by surprise. But their weakness is also from the fact that, they can end up juggling too many things all at once - the proverbial multi-tasking -  leaving them stressed or burnt out.

We also realised that those with a strong perceiving personality type usually want to give room for options, make way for "the what if he or she comes back to change their mind", etc. Hence they end up waiting around for so long, and in the end get stressed up because several deadlines are starring at them in the face.

So how do both personality types work around this issue?

Some of us may be familiar with the Decision-making matrix. You can also watch this video to understand how to use a Decision-making Matrix, or read this article.

Whether it is 4-D or 5-D it actually requires practice to make it perfect.

Steven Corey through his research made the Eisenhower Decision Matrix very popular, for those who desire to make effective use of their time, this can be quite simple for you to use. Dwight Eisenhower a former US President developed a working plan around 4 Quadrants, that helps you to judge what is "Important" or "Urgent".

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And in his own favourite quote, he created another oxymoron that makes us realise that it is actually our own values, mission, and goals that can best help us in determining the best fit for what. 

And I quote, "What is important, is seldom urgent, and _what is urgent is seldom important" - Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The best way to manage our time effectively is to work in the Q2. or the 2nd Quadrant much longer than the rest.

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You may be wondering, how to determine which of your activities falls into Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4. That is why you must start with a review of how you are currently tracking, in relation to your usage of time. It is said that you need continuous practice of 21 or more to form a habit.

This means you must ask yourself each time -"which is more important to my organisation or employer or can help achieve the objectives that are most critical to my team". This can be applied in the same way you look at your individual vision, mission, values and goals, in order to make a choice. 

For those working with Microsoft office Tools, these tools have been factored into the software programming and can help you manage your Tasks, track progress, sync with your Calendar, and do so much more.

All personality types must learn to say NO, to activities that are not important, and not urgent. Simply Avoid them and Delegate from your schedule. These can include informational emails from shopping sites, that are no longer relevant to your immediate tasks. It could also be general messages sent widely through a broadcast that may appear on several other platforms you join. Learn to delete such activities or trivia.

Do not take on more than you can handle. Even if you have a strong judging personality type and can handle it. I have learnt over the years to do this efficiently. Delegating does not mean relinquishing the final responsibility, it only means someone can complete that task at least 75% or more and you can review the rest and ensure the activity meets the desired expectation of whoever assigned it, where necessary.

It gives you an opportunity to train others, if you find no one can do it as best as you can.

The fourth quadrant, or Q4 is where a lot of us find ourselves nowadays. In the rise of Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc., it is so easy to get lost in the images or videos that do not have any direct relationship to your achievement of your goals, mission or vision. These are time wasters and don't add value to your end goal. Delete them - once you have identified them as "Not Important and Not Urgent".

If you have only 24hrs, and decide to stay tuned in to 24-hour news channels  or watch Series of movies at the expense of pending tasks needing your action; then you are wasting valuable time. Sometimes we all need a break to relax and de-congest the mind, but when it becomes a habit of scrolling through page after page on Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, 24hrs without it adding value to your mission, vision, goals, etc. is a Q4 for you.

Bare in mind, that for the individual who is delivering goods, taking orders, etc. via these same tools and receiving "Mobile Money Transfers" or "MoMo in their wallet", for them it is a valuable use of their time.

So the next time you are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or on Whatsapp, ask yourself, which Quadrant am I working in right now?

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In conclusion, we simply must operate with a Focused Time Management Mindset and not simply want to manage time. For the person who has planned effectively in Q2, and nailed that major contract; they can decide to go on a 2 weeks’ vacation to relax and de-stress at some point. And that might be a very valuable use of their time. Because at a particular time, they focused, and worked to put many things in place. What you fail to handle in Q2, is what actually comes to haunt you as approaching deadlines, crisis management, always on the run, etc. in Q1. So most Q1 issues can be prevented if we are proactive, instead of reactive. If you train more people to learn to do, what you do; you enjoy the benefits of Q3. This means you can delegate to responsible people, which frees up more time for you to invest in your relationships, family and leisure.

PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM

FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON

Perissos Horizon Facebook Page

Instagram: @Perissos.Horizon 

Twitter Handles:

 @PerissosHorizon 

 @TheAkosuaDzifa 

My blog - TheAkosuaDzifa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ patriciamensahlarkai/

How Your Personality Type, Impacts Your 24hrs

In reality, we are all promised 24 hours. Whether it is from a watch, clock, or other technological device that is used to track your usage of the 24 hrs we have within each day- it really does run out at a point. 

We can be poor managers of our time or very good at doing so based on our personalities. In an article by Lauren Zander, entitled "5 Personality Time Management Personality Types: Which Are You?" we realise that by nature, we are all wired up to act, feel, think or function in a certain way. And this impacts on our use of time. These personality types can also be noted in the Myers Briggs Psychometric Tests that determines which personalities are best suited for certain workplace roles or can be best at delivering results on various tasks. 

The good thing is that, in as much as we cannot keep time from passing by, we can, by nurture and through conscious effort, make profitable use of our time. An interesting thing research has discovered, is that based on our different personality types/traits, we tend to look at time usage through different lenses.

I will focus on research done by the Myers & Briggs Foundation and highlight aspects of the Myers Briggs Type Indicators, in explaining how we all manage our time or have the tendency to misuse our time.

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There are 16 types to note according the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI. All the indicators have their pluses and minuses. So the import of this post, is to help us all mitigate the bad tendencies, and know how to enhance the positives.

In order for us to understand this better, I picked a few definitions from the online Dictionary in defining what time is.

To measure the speed, duration, or rate of something e.g if you tell a shop attendant that they should pick up their phone before or by the third ring, you are communicating to them “a time frame within which they should act”. In the same way, if you visit a restaurant, “the time it takes one waiter / waitress to serve your food, might differ from how another would act” – in this instance their rates or speed differ.

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As a noun, time is seen as system of sequential relations that any event has in relation to another – so the past, present, and future time periods. An individual based on a past experience, can decide that it would take them a certain amount of time to complete a task, and hence might adopt same methods as before in executing that task. Other personalities would perceive every event as different, and treat it as such.

And the last I want to look at, is time in relation to apparent time, mean-time, Greenwich meantime, or different time zones. So we usually talk about time zones, and as business minded individuals, it is important that we work with "time zone consciousness" rather than the my time mentality.

In communicating with others, we need to be clear on the meanings we are applying to our use of the word time. It is important to gain clarity from both superiors, colleagues, subordinates, etc., when they make reference to time. You may be given a task based on a fixed duration. Yet your understanding of it, might be based on the rate or speed at which the activity must be completed. This can create conflicting responses. So let us delve into the personality types according to Myers-Briggs, to understand how we are wired.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicators are based on the following:

E - Extraversion

S -  Sensing 

I - Introversion

N - Intuition

T - Thinking

F - Feeling

The last two indicators we would look at, are the J and P - the main influences on how we use our time.

J - Judging - If you fall into this category, it means you tend to adopt a planning, organising or well scheduled approach to life. Sometimes to a fault.

P - Perceiving - They tend to be flexible and quite spontaneous, in their approach to life. The prefer to keep options opened.

An individual with a P-indicator would therefore love to go with the flow, play-it-by-ear, etc.

After knowing about these indicators, it doesn't end there. These are graded in Very Clear, Moderate, Clear, Very clear categories to determine your combination of the above. You may need to take a test to identify your true personality type. 

By picking the various letters, E, I, S, N, T, F, J, P in various combinations of 4-Indicators, results in the 16 MBTI types. For most HR Specialists, these are employed in aptitude or psychometric tests - to understand how individuals would act or respond to diverse situations.

How then does your personality type influence your time management abilities?

When working on a task, an individual who is more of a J-Indicator type, would usually plan ahead, think through the tasks,  they would hardly second-guess their actions, because naturally they would "dot their I(s) and cross their T(s)".

Hence they hardly waste time on their activities, but have the tendency to ignore the next best alternatives. That is a downside.

The P-Indicator types would naturally love to weigh lots of options before taking a decision. Hence they may require some frequent reminders in order to keep them working within your desired timelines. - as opposed to a J who plans ahead, noting where they want to get to, planning how to get there - all well in advance.

Whether you plan ahead, or take last minute decisions, it surely impacts on your usage of time. Meeting timelines at a comfortable rate or rushing through a task just to beat a deadline, all stems from our personality type. 

Have you ever worked with a colleague, superior or subordinate whom you found really hard to get along with, because they wanted to get every detail in the tasks, projects or other activities you were involved in? How did that make you feel?

What about that colleague in the office or your association, who tends to go in for every task that comes through the door, yet never gets to finish them on time?

Did you ever work with a superior who would simply nod at every suggestion you make, just so the work gets done, and he doesn't get roped into a long conversation about how you are going to move from Point A to Point B? 

It's all about identifying where our strong tendencies lie and trying to be better team members. Making better judgements regarding the 24 hours in our time bank, and how it impacts on others around us.

It is more beneficial to nurture the abilities to be more focused on our use of time, rather than just thinking about managing time. When you get work done, it equals more time to rest, rejuvenate, learn more, and perform better. That is why for some institutions, they strategically and consciously build teams, after aptitude tests are conducted.

Before I participated in a Myers-Briggs personality test, I felt aptitude tests were just to test your knowledge and skill-sets for the job applied. But I realised over the years, working with teams that in fact it's more than that. As an Employer, or Employee, or Team member, knowing your own type and that of your team members, helps you manage how you relate with them. The way you manage your time, and that of others impacts on total output - so you are able to determine who to delegate what tasks to and who would need a little more help to stay on track. But we have the power to manage our personalities and let it work for us; instead of against us.

 

In summary, knowing our personality types enables us to understand others better. It helps us to know how they use their time, and how we can help each other to ensure that we are all putting our positive sides to work better for our organisations, homes, associations, etc. At the end of each day, what do you need time for? It is to get something done! At the end of the day, did you procrastinate? Did you over-exert yourself, leading to a stressful day? Did you accept too many tasks instead of scheduling and learning to say No? More of that in part two of this post, on Time Management.

PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM

FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON

Perissos Horizon Facebook Page

Instagram: @Perissos.Horizon 

Twitter Handles:

 @PerissosHorizon 

 @TheAkosuaDzifa 

My blog - TheAkosuaDzifa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ patriciamensahlarkai/

COMMITMENT PAYS WELL

Have you been faithful to a cause and felt at a point in time, that it was not worth it? Have you given all your time and attention to something that turned out to be a mirage? In some instances one may find themselves in the above situations. But I firmly believe in what the NIV Bible says in Proverbs 22: 29, Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. My understanding of this scripture is likened to staying committed to doing something on a regular basis, such that you have refined your skills, you have improved on it, and you have garnered an expertise in that field of knowledge - so much so, that you become the go-to-person when deep inquiries are being made. This surely sets you apart, and leads you into the arena of kings or great men that seek such wisdom to guide their affairs.

If you have dedicated your time, resources, and yourself to acquire knowledge, gain understanding, and receive wisdom to steer the affairs of a specific endeavour, I want to encourage you to stay committed. Commitment pays well. Commitment will lead you to higher places. In brief, if you are diligent and committed to a cause, your wealth of experience, knowledge, skill-sets and know-how in that field you're working in, would enable you to scale higher heights. Simply be like clay in the potter's hand, ready to be broken, remoulded and re-shaped. But most importantly, make a positive impact in the lives of those you encounter. 

Keep up the good work, don't give up, because the refiner's fire can only make you better. Those who criticise you wrongly, would actually spur you on to your next higher level, if you're willing to proof them wrong. But be grateful to both your good and bad critiques, they all have a part they're playing in scaling you higher. The constructive feedback you receive from your critiques must be used as building blocks to refine you. If you decide to learn from the constructive feedback, and neglect the abusive feedback, you can only mature and age well.

When tough times arise, when the breaking moment is nigh, rest assured that your breakthrough is closer than you can ever imagine. Sit still, do what you do best, serve the purpose for which you are in that space. Sooner or later, the right moment will arrive and you will be escorted into your place of reverence; where kings require your services. Commitment is a good "reward-er" of our diligent efforts.

PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM

FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON

Perissos Horizon Facebook Page

Instagram: @Perissos.Horizon 

Twitter Handles:

 @PerissosHorizon 

 @TheAkosuaDzifa 

My blog - TheAkosuaDzifa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ patriciamensahlarkai/

WHAT IS YOUR ICEBERG ILLUSION

According to Judy Garland, "we cast away priceless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed upon illusion, and put to death by reality". When I read this statement, it sent me into one of those thoughtful moments. Truly, how many of us have sat down; day in and day out, simply gazing into the skies thinking to ourselves, "Oh when I grow up, I will be a.....", "Oh if I had a million Ghana Cedis, I will build a..." or "If I were from a rich family, I could have become a....", etc. We waste priceless time which is cast away just daydreaming and making wishes without taking any action. These dreams are surely born of our imagination because we create those vivid imagery in our mind's eye and feed it with illusion. In the end, if we do nothing about those dreams, the flakes drop out of our eyes and we finally realize that alas! we have killed our dreams simply because we did nothing to bring it to life. 

Patricia in a pose with Mr. Michael Cobblah

What are these illusions that we feed our minds with, which makes it impossible to act upon our dreams? The Cambridge English dictionary defines an illusion as an idea or belief that is not true. It was wise to have joined my EMBA Strategic Management Class for a Corporate Round Table yesterday, ably organized by our Lecturer Mr. Bennet Kpentey. We were fortunate to have our special guest of honour, to grace the occasion. He was in the person of Mr. Michael Cobblah a Director at C-NERGY GLOBAL HOLDINGS. He is one of the few Certified Valuation Analysts in Africa (just like my lecturer) and for my readers in Ghana, you would recall that he managed Ecobank Capital for 8 years, changing the face of Investment Banking and more. He presented to the gathering at the La Palm Beach Hotel, on the topic, "The Bird's Eye View", I garnered a lot of strategies in action which I would be applying and also sharing with those who attend my coaching or mentoring sessions. He rightly noted, that being successful at what you do, definitely does not come from luck but by the favour of God and your own determination to learn and overcome your failures. In several of my blog posts, I have had the occasion to mention a few of these illusions. But I love how the "Iceberg Illusion"  he mentioned, puts all of these illusions in a pack. 

And so let me share just four of my own stories on how I face these hurdles, yet keep moving.

The iceberg illusion is simply trying to let us all understand that Success is an iceberg. What we all see, admire and desire is the glitz and glam after one has succeeded and is basking in the spotlight. But there is the unseen under-currents at the tail of most successful people. At least the ones that I have come across. And I liken it to the Biblical quotation that "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap". Hard work pays. Before one can achieve great success, there is a price to be paid. That price is what people don't see or pretend not to see. They simply love and want part of your success. But as Christians we are reminded to desire to see Christ and Him crucified. Yes, He had to pay the price for us and now He is glorified. There is the need to be Persistent, Dedicated, Hardworking, Disciplined, Overcome Disappointment, be ready to Sacrifice, rise from Failure (s), the list cannot be exhausted here. And certainly that leap of faith and prayer will help you launch into the deep.

When I joined the Toastmasters International Organization, through the Accra Toastmasters Club in Ghana, I positioned myself to gain knowledge, to understand what they have that makes leaders. I fell in love with the tagline - "Where Leaders Are Made". But again, to my fellow Toastmasters, we must not be under the illusion that everyone who joins or passes through our clubs would be made leaders. It is those who are ready to pay the price. It is those who would not be under the illusion that beneath the success is luck. Beneath the success is all you see in the above image. So are you ready to pay the price? If yes, then success is yours. The glitz and glam comes after the action, cut, it's a wrap. Please ask the Hollywood Stars how long they spend on set. 

MY DETERMINATION

I had to drink deep the Pierian springs of Toastmasters, guided by what Alexander Pope once said:

A little learning is a dangerous thing ;

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring :

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,

And drinking largely sobers us again...

And so I read the monthly magazines that were sent from the USA Headquarters regularly. I visited the official website to acquaint myself with the educational materials and resources. I had to put my dream to the test and remain committed to my Toastmasters Promise. I then noticed the title of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), which happens to be the highest recognition for those who actively pursued the Communication and Leadership tracks of the organization. So I focused on both tracks and did not limit my growth opportunities.

MY DISCIPLINE

I had to discipline myself to attend meetings regularly. I had to pay the price by sacrificing time and money. Ensuring that speeches were drafted, rehearsed, constructive feedback well taken to hone the next speech delivery, etc. There was the need to engage with the wider West African Toastmasters too, and so financial resources were required to attend District conferences periodically. It was through this discipline, planning and commitment I believe, that Mr. Moses Cofie became my mentor. He would nudge and encourage me to go further and take on leadership roles at the District level, time and again. 

MY DISAPPOINTMENT

You would think that everyone wishes you to excel. Please do not be deceived. Just remain conscious of the fact that, delay is never denial. I encountered several disappointments along the line, when opportunities that could have made me a Distinguished Toastmaster early on, passed me by. But through it all I remained dedicated to the cause. We win some and we lose some. Don't be too hard on yourself. Pick up the pieces when you face disappointment and move on. 

MY SACRIFICE

I had to sacrifice time, energy and resources. I had to be resilient and persistent as I kept my focus on reaching the goal. There were several years, where I had to attend meetings with my little daughter. That weekly routine was to dash down to her school for pick up, pass through the house to get her out of school clothes and to get food, to turn outside lights on at home (at the time, my dear husband was out on a peacekeeping mission in a neighboring country and I was alone with our little girl). And when I rush down to the meeting venue for the Accra Toastmasters to play my role, it was because I knew I had committed to it and I wanted to ensure it was done. That is what leaders do - they keep their word. In that same period, I pursued a weekend degree programme, so stop the excuses and be kind to yourself. There's more you're capable of achieving, if you truly want to make a difference. Over the weekends, I had family and friends to lean on, because they would be away from work. But this added to my challenge and excitement. I had the opportunity to hone my communication and leadership skills. I took on the Secretary position of the Club, when Mrs. Yawa Hansen-Quao went on to scale higher heights. And later took up the hot-seat as the Vice President Education when Mr. Gideon Tsike had served his turn. This was the period Ghana hosted the premier conference & gathering of the West African Toastmasters family, now known as District 94. The teamwork, the coordination, and organization of this event was nothing short of miraculous.

It was a great learning experience under the presidency of Mr. Moses Cofie. I availed myself at every opportunity to act in multiple roles. And I dare say, that it has been of immense benefit to my growth and knowledge.

IN CONCLUSION

Do not feed your dreams with illusions. Face the reality. You must be ready to work hard, be disciplined enough, to stay dedicated, rise up from the failures, overlook the disappointments, support and mentor others to scale higher heights, and stay focused on your goal(s). Yes, you must celebrate your milestones. Don't always wait too long to tell your own story. Because not everyone would want to celebrate your achievements. Just as you encourage yourself through those tough times, be sure to celebrate YOU at each milestone. Your success is possible - Believe it and know that all successful people faced similar if not more challenges. Only if you are ready to pay the price, you too will make it. Do not be envious of the success of others. Celebrate them, for by so doing, you might learn a thing or two for free. I hope when my book is finally out, you would grab a copy for yourself and learn from my experiences, my mistakes, my success stories and all. And I look forward with glee to share with you, more news on my journey through Toastmasters and more. 

PATRICIA DZIFA MENSAH-LARKAI, DTM

FOUNDER, LEAD CONSULTANT - PERISSOS HORIZON

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