A. M. E. ZION CHURCH IN NIGERIA
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LOCAL CHURCHES IN LAGOS-WEST NIGERIA CONFERENCE:
IDI-ORO DISTRICT
1. Alfred Dunston....Pastor Imaobong In-Charge
2. Living Gospel....Pastor Usen Effiong In-Charge
3. Holy Trinity.... Pastor Michael Effiong In-Charge
4.Hope Ibadan....Pastor Edet In-Charge.
APAPA DISTRICT:
1.Ekemam....Pastor Iquo Usen In-Charge
2.Calvary....Pastor Ime Jacob In-Charge
3. Walls.... Pastor Issac In-Charge.
PAPER PRESENTED, DURING 2ND SEMINER OF Y.M.S DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN HOME, & OVERSEAS MISSIONARY SOCIETY- A.M.E. ZION CHURCH, LAGOS WEST-NIGERIA CONFERENCE ( 8TH JUNE,2007).
THEME: Victorious Living Through Evangelism: Let go whatever makes you stop.
SELF - DEVELOPMENT
May I begin by thanking the Organiser of this workshop for the honour given me to deliver a lecture titled: Self - Development.
INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this presentation are, first, -to introduce the participants to the basic concepts of human development, seen as an all-embracing strategy of development;
-also, to device guidelines for use by the policies makers of our church for human development that can be applied mechanically in every situation but to raise the issues that must be addressed and to offer suggestions as to how these issues can be resolved.
Individual faces a unique set of problems, but also a unique set of opportunities and a unique set of feasible policies. Human development is a means that enhances skills, knowledge and productivity. What really matters is the empowerment of the youth to identify their own priorities and to implement their dreams or projects of direct benefits to them. That is,development should be seen as a process that is not just for people but a process organised, guided and undertaken by people. This is inturn implies the active participation of all members in the development process and the consequent need to construct the church that permit and indeed encourage that participation.
At the end of this programme, participants should be able to understand one¡ uniqueness and tips on personal development.
Self Development therefore,is the act or an instance of helping or improving oneself without assistance from others. Or it is a development of one's capabilities or potentials.
Before taking a look at the body of the presentation, let ponder at this wise quote:
¡§ Anything that doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.
Fear is keeping us from living our lives to the fullest, and in most cases, it is keeping us from achieving anything even close to what we are capable of. Fear is elusive,however, and is often disguised as something a bit less debilitating, which is why it is not always seen as the true culprit behind so many of our shortcomings.
I am not talking about fear as in being afraid of your life itself, but rather fear that any given situation is not going to turn out the way that we want it to be.
Let look at some instances of fear:
- may be we are afraid that the other person will not see our point of view, and will then make wrong choices because they were unable to understand what we were saying.
- May be we are afraid that the person will not see us as a valuable and needed part of their lives, and will then leave us behind.
- May be afraid that something bad will happen if you make a wrong decision.
- Many people go to colledge or some sort of vocational school because they are afraid that without "formal" education, they will not be able to get a good job.
- When someone is already working for a particular employer, they are sometimes not hundred percent satisfied with their job or employer,they stay there anyway because they are afraid that they not be able to find a better job that pays the same, or that has the same benefits as their present job.
These examples could go on and on and on to encompass every single aspect of the human existence here on planet earth.
Improving common human weaknesses. It consists of:
*Knowing yourself and accepting criticism
*Self unlimiting and self cleansing
*Intellectual development
*Physical fitness
The overall result of the above is self empowerment, happiness and success. The above processes or steps are discussed below:
1. Accepting criticism: Acceptance of personal criticism is an essential part of self development. Confidence, as will be discussed later, is of no use if we cannot accept criticism. Accepting criticism can be an essential part of self development. Confidence, if you cannot accept criticism. Accepting criticism can be an essential part of getting to know yourself and your own weaknesses. You can't possibly improve yourself if you don¡¦t even know your weaknesses!
2. Knowing Yourself: Without self knowledge, self development is folly! Spending time to reflect on what type of person you are, what stereotype you fit most closely, etc. will help you a large amount when you deal with other people. You need to know how other people see you and your own strengths and improving weaknesses. This topic mainly deals with improving weaknesses. Knowing your own strengths is in some ways less important than knowing your weaknesses.
According to Satanic Power by Vexen Crabtree;
The biggest weakness of all does not know your weaknesses and leaving them wide open for anyone to abuse at anytime. If you value your friends it is advantageous for you to train their skills, too, so that those around you admire you, and those who are not your friends admire you, and those who are your enemies fear you.
People frequently ignore or neglect their own weaknesses and this makes them more prominent. There are many differing areas that you need to know yourself: Confidence or intelligence in one area of life does not imply the same in another. For example, being good at oral speech does not automatically make you a good writer. Being good at debating in text is not the same as having the confidence and cool to do it in person. It is worth specifically testing yourself in different circumstances to see how you behave: All of us have funny quirks of character and it is better that we face them and admit them than ignore them and allow them to surface unexpectedly!
3. Confidence And Self- Change- Fake it: In Social Psychology by David Myers:
If we want to change ourselves in some important way, it is best not to wait for insight or inspiration. Sometimes, we need to act; begin writing that paper; to make phone calls, to see that person- even if we don't feel like acting.
Those who aren¡¦t naturally confident are frequently quite meek. Meekness can be combated with confidence. The main step for those who lack confidence is to fake it. This means you pretend to be confidence, or do some things in a confidence manner. People learn to be confident in a certain situations: Faking confidence means eventually you can snap into a confident mode in order to deal with situations. Not long after being able to fake confidence you will find that there is no difference between faking it and having it.
4. Physical Fitness: If you are physically unfit you suffer mentally. Your mental health includes a need to be physically fit. As your body becomes bogged down with chemicals and fat your character suffers. As you gain fitness you gain vitality of both body and mind. Unfitness burdens your mind. Since body and mind are intrinsically linked our mental state affects the effectiveness of our bodies and that positive thinking is a physical boost to our bodies.
5. Lifestyle: How people live has an important impact on health. Whether they are physically active; what and how much they eat and drink, how healthy people are and how long they will live. If you are bogged down with endless possessions then you need to purge these. The fewer possessions you own the freer your mind is from the worry of looking after them and the less time you spend looking after, organizing and accommodating them.
6. Conclusion: Question Everything:
Something most of the above points have in common is that they all start of with self- questioning, self- questing and self- doubting. Development relies on these qualities. Stubbornness limits them. You cannot be stubborn if you are in the habit of questioning everything, including yourself and your own motives, your own actions. Assumptions and character traits should be examined all the time. You should always be on the look for strange or illogical character traits and then challenge them.
To be happy you need to embrace doubt, accept life as it is and accept yourself and face your weaknesses. No one has right to be happy, it is up to yourself to make it happen.
GOOD LUCK! Brother, Udofot Ukpong
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