The Benefit of Falls and Failures: Applying Strategic Thinking to Overcome Falls and Failures. Using Your Mind’s Ability to Achieve Your Goals.

By Paul Sky Berry

It is inspired by a boy living in one of the poorest communities in the suburb of Liberia. The boy’s life is seen by everyone as a failure, though some see it as modern slavery in the 21st century. Desperately in search of answers, He wonders: “in this age how could any group of people depend on using their bare hands to dig stones and crush it with a hammer to make a living?” But that’s the way life functions for a majority of people who are discriminated upon. Growing in Liberia which was destroyed by war and the recent EBOLA epidemic, he braved all the odds and was motivated to move on with the motto “ONLY THE STRONG”. In his life challenging experiences, the system promised that life will be cheaper and easier, but in reality things got more difficult. The boy failed thousands of times. Reflecting on falls and failures, he is drawn by the motivation to inspire and reassure others that no matter the condition, with determination success is assured.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Apr 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781483467504

Book preview

THE

BENEFIT

OF FALLs

AND FAILUREs

APPLYING STRATEGIC THINKING TO OVERCOME

FALL’S AND FAILURES. USING YOUR MIND’S

ABILITY TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.

PAUL SKY BERRY

Copyright © 2017 Paul Sky Berry.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6749-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6750-4 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 03/14/2018

Acknowledgement

I wish to extend thanks and appreciation to all staff at my charity foundation (Faith Foundation Liberia) in Liberia, the USA and parts of Africa. My departed Father Hon. Joseph F. Berry who inspired me by his love for humanity and charity. Daddy, you are missed by all. We will forever remember you, rest in perpetual peace. Your legacy lives on through us at Faith Foundation Liberia.

I want to acknowledge Mr. John B. Sondah and Mr. Joseph S. Mulbah of the Prime System School of Christ in E.L.W.A for adding scholastic values to our community, the elders, youth groups of ELWA Community and The Rock Church International.

Many thanks to my family for their invaluable contribution to my effort in writing this book as a motivational tool for self-improvement towards humanitarian action and charity.

Special thanks to my spiritual mother, Bishop Rosetta L. Cox and her team around the world for their prayers, and to all my friends whose contribution to my life and success will never be forgotten.

I want to extend appreciation to my colleagues, the global civilian peacekeeping staff for collectively contributing our lives through the many sacrifices and hard work for humanity.

Most especially those of us who left our families and loved ones in our various countries while we travel to carry on global humanitarian field operational support, working and living in difficult conditions in non-family duty stations, while serving in peacekeeping missions and dealing with conflict or emergency circumstances to support world peace.

Finally, I want to extend special thanks and appreciation to LULU for their effort in assembling and publishing this book; all proceeds from this project will be dedicated to supporting charities in Africa, mostly the Disabled Children Educational Fund in Liberia.

Preface - About the Book

I t is inspire by a boy living in one of the poorest communities in the suburbs of an African city, Monrovia- Liberia, around the ELWA King Gray area, near ELWA radio village, opposite the studio junction in the rock hole. Everyone in his family and community sees the boy’s life as a disarray or failure, though some see it as modern slavery in the 21st century.

The boy is always in tears and desperately in search of answers to many questions. He wonders, in this age and time how could any group of people depend on using their bare hands to dig big stones and crush it with a hammer to make a living? However, that is the way life functions for a majority of people in his ELWA community.

Here is the boy’s story and that of his family and friends. The boy name is Paul Sky Berry. Paul suffered a lot while growing up in his locality. In struggling to survive as a child, he went along with other children to dig big stones with his bare hands and used a five-pound hammer to break those stones. After crushing the rocks, it was sold to builders who used them for construction and development projects. However, that was the only way him and his friends knew how to survive and thought they could survive.

In the process of growing through his life challenging experience, he fell many times and failed thousands of times. As a grown successful man and reflecting on these falls and failures, Paul is drawn into the motivation of writing this book (THE BENEFIT OF FALLS AND FAILURES) to inspire others that no matter the condition you too can come out shinning with a success story that will make the difference.

As you read this book, you will see from Paul, his family, and friends how realizing one’s falls and failures leads to extraordinary success. Being jobless and yet the only boy child in an African family, he had the obligation of taking care of the needs of the whole family.

Growing in Liberia, that was destroyed by the civil war and recently affected by the EBOLA epidemic, Paul braved all the odds and was motivated to move on with the motto ONLY THE STRONG.

With such a motivation, he realized his biggest fear, which led him to find out what mattered most. Besides, Paul often reflected at his many failures and what failure will bring out of him, if not sorrows. For him, finding visible security for his life was a very serious issue. Still, he held on to his motto ONLY THE STRONG which always gave him the courage to break more rocks and sell.

In this book, Paul Sky Berry wants you to learn that failure is not the worst thing to overcome, but the fact that one must fail and keep trying to reach a dream, learn from their failures and they will have the ability to overcome it. Paul, his family, and friends want to encourage you to understand that falling and failing are part of life, for it is impossible to live without falling or failing at some point in life. Unless you live so cautiously or you might as well not live at all, either way one fails by default, but succeeds by getting up and moving ahead with a focused attitude, this proves that you are not ordinary in mind.

In every situation, you must set goals of preparation, work hard while understanding the benefit of FALLS and FAILURES. Learning from your failures will pay off, Failure is a reality of life, and it makes you reach your full potential in achieving your goals. Never see failure as an Obstacle, because it will put you off balance, understanding the benefit of falls and failures will open opportunities for significant achievements.

Success starts with your mindset, not your strength, because even your power and strength starts from your mind’s ability to realize that your body has strength.

Background

P aul Sky Berry endured a lifestyle of difficulty and hardship in his ELWA rock hole community near King Gray around the Carver Mission School in Monrovia Liberia, and his story is just one of the stories of thousands of people who are going through similar situations in Africa every day.

His suffering and challenges proved that many places in Africa, people are fighting to survive as some corrupt African leaders are discriminating against the masses and amassing wealth for their generations, leaving the African nations in acute poverty.

Paul’s, story proves that in this age and time African leaders do nothing positive to eliminate poverty in their countries. Many of them are embezzling their nations’ wealth and sending it to foreign countries, where they are saving huge sums of their nations’ finances in Western banks. They do not care about the development, improvement or benefit of African nations and the people they serve.

Paul has set numerous goals to support his people in Africa, some of which calls for an end to violence against women and children, abuse of power and corruption within public offices. From Paul’s numerous years of experience as an International civil servant, he understands that, to strengthen the implementation and revitalization of global partnership for sustainable development, Africans need to take the lead. Their primary focus should lean on processing a lifestyle of change, in order to enhance the lives of millions of Africans, particularly in his home country Liberia, for generations to come. Some of the positive goals he has set to enrich African countries includes encouraging his people to work hard and give more assistance to poorer families, which will help less developed communities to make progress.

During a special program held in honor of his late father at Faith Foundation Liberia, Paul was asked to write an article on his perspective about building the Culture of wealth for remote localities in Liberia through his ‘eliminating poverty strategy’. This article is published in a magazine where he wrote that the culture of wealth and achieving success depends on one’s integrity and state of mind. This connects to harmony with estimated values. He promotes the culture of love for one’s nation that leads to eliminating discrimination in all African nations including Liberia. Paul wrote about unity, peace and patriotism.

Today he knows and understands that there are many challenges that stand in the way of Africa’s ability to achieve a culture of love and patriotism, but he believes with concerted efforts and dedicated action, growing wealth in Africa is possible, but it starts with our mind and integrity. As he envisions a better future and living conditions for his people in Africa, he prays for that ability to shape reality to their aspirations. Paul believes that when the gap between ambition and achievement narrows, Africans will know real happiness, their story will change and the nations of Africa will be respected among nations of the world. Once Africans have respect and honor for the achievements of others, as well as believe in our potential and essential ability to building a culture of love for ourselves, we can make a change. If our African leaders truly respect the accomplishments of each poor citizen, would they easily discriminate against civilians? Their culture or other personal achievements? I do not see it possible to believe.

For many of us Mahatma Gandhi’s invitation to Be the Change you wish to see is fundamental to creating a culture of peace and love because it truly does start within.

When a person feels a sense of accomplishment, no matter how big or how small, how poor or wealthy, they feel at peace. Peace lies in the achievements and aspirations of peoples everyday life’s, as well as their governments sharing responsibility and actively working towards nurturing individual and collective goals that transforms them into achievements.

Key Objectives of this Book

T his book will help you understand the better strategies that will walk you through the Benefits of Falls and Failures to obtaining your success. A motivational material that uses effective business communication for anyone that has dreams and is seeking ways and means of succeeding in their career, education, and business.

By focusing on critical communication skills used in this book, individuals or organizations at any level can learn to communicate effectively with internal and external audiences. The primary requirements for everyone is an open mind, good listening skills and the ability to focus on goals. Seriously learn the skills that signal you understand Falls and Failures. The powerful part that active listening plays in your communication ability and behavior towards others.

You will learn: How

• This book will make a profound and lasting difference in your life as you formulate critical and constructive feedback guidelines which will assist you in achieving an extraordinary life style;

• The keys to effective conflict resolution;

• Coaching to consistently improve your working relationships;

• Communicating the message, you want with proper body language, eye contact, voice tonality and gestures.

• Finally, this book is a preparation for the mind, the heart, and the soul. It is the most positive, life transforming experience you will ever have.

Dedication To my mother - Bishop Rosetta L. Cox

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T his is a dedication to Rev. Mother Bishop Rosetta L. Cox in honor of her exceptional support in the restoration of hope, education, and dreams to us. Bishop Cox is a humanitarian giant and an extraordinary woman who must be given recognition for the many contributions and sacrifices she offers to the world, mostly in the USA, Asia and Africa.

This part is a resource for all those out there who are just like me, irrespective of their age, and who are curious about the whereabouts of someone who was also supportive and what they have become today. Take a moment to choose someone you have heard of and look through this window into his or her soul. Search for who they were or what they are today, or what they have done to add value to society.

By all means, help yourself by thanking them for all they have done to add value to you and others. Every day in my life signifies a day for special prayers for this great woman Bishop Rosetta L. Cox whose story I tell and celebrate as I travel and work around the world. Bishop Rosetta L. Cox in my existence sparked the beginning of change in my life and contributed tremendously to my vision of giving back through humanitarian support and provision, in order to add value to the educational goals for society.

As Africans, we believe in the importance of publicly recognizing, or honoring individuals and groups who demonstrate commitment and passion for advancing education, humanitarian support and gender promotion in our land. To further this core value of recognition, an award program is being hosted in honor of recognizing Bishop Cox contribution to humanity. In the case of Bishop Cox, announcing her recognition for the many contributions she made to humanity worldwide is not enough. Being very instrumental in establishing a passion to save the children in Liberia during the war, mostly myself, I will continue to say thank you to her.

I will never forget, the day when the civil war got intense in Liberia and people were being kill on the streets of Monrovia. I asked her mother Cox, why can’t you go back to the USA and wait until the civil war is over then you return to Liberia and continue your support to the church, schools, and children rescue program? Her response to me that day was Paul I am not leaving this country until the philosophy which got those child soldiers from their schools and put arms into their hands to fight the war is completely discredited and permanently disbanded. Until the fundamental human rights of equal education are guaranteed to all of you without discrimination, I will not leave Liberia.

She also said, I will not go anywhere because you all need education, medication, food, water and safety. I will not leave without the protection of those homeless children who are living in displaced camps with no home. They live in tents without food and medicine as they do not get the opportunity to medical treatment, clean drinking water and other supplies. Bishop Cox, despite the odds said, I will stay with all these children. If you all will die, I am ready to die with you, but I would not leave, I am here to support and give my life so that you all will live.

Each time I asked her, what motivates her to do all what; she is doing for the less fortunate, she said, it satisfies my soul to see people’s lives change because I know their change will touch another person’s life to change also. This way we will change the world and give opportunities to those that will lead the world in the safe and right direction. This touched me deeply, and from then on I never forgot her love and sacrifice for us.

Now as an International figure, I still find ways to promote humanity. Since the UN announced its annual program to recognize women, literally thousands of celebrations are staged all over the world in promotion and motivation to women as they share their successes. I am using this stage to share part of Bishop Rosetta L. Cox. I see from huge events to local gatherings; a commemoration day where women are honored for their achievements. This book gives me an opportunity to retrospect on some of the atrocities women have suffered. However, more importantly, it instills in me the vision to celebrate the positive impact Bishop Rosetta L. Cox is making towards humanity.

Bishop Cox dedicated her life to work and make a change in under developing countries where illiteracy has been on the rise, education and communication remain critical, ensuring women and children understand their rights, and providing protection against violence and discrimination. Through education, she has worked hard to fight the impunity of victims of violence, mainly for women and children.