Basic Keys to Achieve Success and Greatness

By Selata Nkwane wa’Nkwane

Within all of us lies the potential to achieve whatever we choose to achieve. All it takes to resolve this is personal responsibility and courage. We have got to have self-esteem and to believe in ourselves.

Yes, you too can be successful and achieve greatness. You do not have to come from the Rockefeller family, the Kennedys, or the Mandelas. You do not have to possess the royal blue blood as Queen Elizabeth of England or King Goodwill Zwelithini of the mighty Zulus.

All that is needed is that you got to come from the human family.

From the book Basic Keys to Achieve Success and Greatness, the first key is to believe in yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728383118

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© 2019 Selata Nkwane wa’Nkwane. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/04/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8310-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8309-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8311-8 (e)

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements and Dedications

Glossary

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 First Key: Believe in Yourself

Chapter 2 Second Key: Live Each Day as Though It Were Your Last!

Chapter 3 Third Key: Choose Good Habits and Make Them Your Way of Life

Chapter 4 Fourth Key: Put Love First

Chapter 5 Fifth Key: Persevere

Chapter 6 Sixth Key: Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

Chapter 7 Seventh Key: Whatever a Man Sows, He Reaps

Chapter 8 Eighth Key: Action Speaks Louder Than Words

Chapter 9 Ninth Key: Whenever You Travel, Make Your Luggage Lighter

Chapter 10 Tenth Key: Rely on the Power of Prayer

About the Book

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATIONS

I dedicate this book to my family: Nomakhosazana ka’Kunju, Reitumetse, Motlalekhotso, and Nthabiseng. You are the main reason for writing this book. Thank you.

I also dedicate this book to all my siblings: Moss, Mathew, and Phil, as well as Amina, Gideon, and Julia, who have since passed away.

As the saying goes, A village makes the boy. I am who I am because of you.

I owe my being to the Nkwane clan and to Phalaborwa as a whole, its people, and the *Shokori and Salati rivers, which supplied me with drinking water.

I owe my being to the land from where I got *morogo like *monyaku and theepe, *mothanare trees that produced protein-rich *mashonja, the hot sun that seemed to rise from the back of *morula tree, which quenched my thirst with its *mokhope drink every autumn.

I owe my being to Mashishimale and Sebalamakgolo schools, where I cut my teeth, and to the Lutheran Church at Tlapeng, where I was baptised during my youth days.

I further dedicate this book to my father, Lebedi wa’Fasetere—Motila, Motila wa’Masilo, Masilo wa’Phokele, Phokele wa’Masetholele, Masetholele wa’Ramaboya, Ramaboya wa’Phasha a’Nkwane, and to my mother, Renicca Mmamaruping Mmatsatsi wa’Mokhithi, both of whom have since passed away. May their souls rest in peace.

To Mike Lipkin, Eric Parker, Dale Carnegie, Steven Covey, and OG Mandino: I do acknowledge the great wealth of information and knowledge that I acquired by reading your books. You inspired me big time, and it is because of your teachings that I decided to write this book as well.

Lastly, to Jehovah God, the Creator of all things, the omnipotent and the omnipresent, I thank you so much for giving me life and for guiding me all the times!

GLOSSARY

1. Shokori and Salati: two rivers in Phalaborwa that pass through our native village.

2. Morogo: Sesotho word for vegetables.

3. Monyaku and theepe: a type of wild vegetable that native people in Phalaborwa used to harvest and eat.

4. Mothanare: a type of indigenous tree, also known as mopani, found mainly in the low veldt of Limpopo.

5. Mashonja: larvae that feed on the leaves of mopani tree (also known as mopani worms). These larvae are the second stage of a lifecycle of a butterfly. First stage: egg; second stage: lava/worm; third stage: cocoon; fourth stage: butterfly. These larvae are harvested and eaten by people.

6. Morula: an indigenous tree found mainly in the low veldt of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, South Africa.

7. Mokhope: a traditional beer made from the juice of morula fruit.

PREFACE

It is said that life without a goal is like a journey without destination. Imagine a traveller who sets out on a journey without deciding where he is going. Such a person will keep on travelling and shall not arrive anywhere because he is going nowhere.

When you plan to embark on any activity, you should begin with the end in mind. Life is an activity, and thus, we must not live and aimless life, like a traveller who set on a journey without deciding where he is going. It is for this reason that I want you to lie back for a moment and meditate. Ask yourself the following questions:

Why were you born?

What are you living for?

Why were you not born a dog, a bird, or even a tree?

If you die today, what will the world remember about you?

Are you living to be great, or is it just great to be alive?

What is it you want in life that will make you be contented with yourself and say, Yes, I have succeeded in achieving what I want in life?

Is it a house?

Is it a car?

Were you born to love and to be loved?

Is it business, and the status and wealth that go along with it, that will make you happy?

Or did you simply come into the world just to eat, mate, and make babies and then die, giving way to the new generation, who will in turn engage in the same activities before they too pass away?

Is that all you are living for?

The questions above are aimed at prompting you to meditate deeply about your purpose for life. Try to answer all these questions honestly before you turn to the first chapter. As soon as you manage to identify what you really want to achieve in life, you will take one step closer to successfully defining your goals.

This book is an attempt to interrogate you on the questions above so you can understand the reason for your very existence and perform a self-search regarding your goals in life. It also provides you with ten keys which every person must have to unlock the doors of success. The keys are presented to you as a gift; if used correctly, they will help you shut the doors of failure, misery, and despair behind you while opening the doors of success and ushering you toward insurmountable greatness.

It does not matter who you are or where you come from: young or old; able-bodied or disabled; black, white, or whatever, you are destined to succeed and to be a great human being—as long as you can follow the advice contained in this book.

I do not only say that you should succeed; I say that you can succeed!

I do not only say that you can succeed; I say that you will succeed, provided you use the basic keys to achieve success and greatness.

Take these keys and use them to your benefit.

Now!

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of Life

Sleeping time is moment of relaxation and dreaming.

Every evening when you go to bed and retreat to the serenity of slumber, your subconscious mind begins to take centre stage. This is the time when you start dreaming of all the good things you always wanted to possess in life. You may dream of having a mansion with swimming pool and magnificent furniture. You may dream driving a new automobile of the highest standard. You may dream being a millionaire. Those who are still single may even dream of meeting their ideal partner, the kind of a lover who can melt stones with a mere smile. You may dream of getting job that will command respect in your community. If you are business-minded, you may dream of running your own businesses as an entrepreneur. On the other hand, some wish to ascend to the corridors of political power and rule the world.

All these wishful thoughts are a natural phenomenon common in all human beings.

During my teenage years, the most sought-after profession was that of medical practitioner. Every young person of that era wanted to go to medical school to study and then practice medicine as a doctor. Even our parents used to encourage us to pursue medical careers. To my surprise—and I believe you will