Becoming: The Greatest You

By Krahtay Gaylah

Packed with affirmations and practical exercises, this book will help you in pursuing your dreams or whatever you’re passionate about, evolve as a person, as well as discover your purpose and connect to destiny, thereby becoming your greatest self.

This book will further help you/or awaken your consciousness to

embrace your path and journey it without giving in to external forces;
reframe your victimhood and negative perspective to a positive outlook on the world;
tap into your inner power and authenticity;
pursue your goals and dreams with passion;
constantly evolve, become your best version, and take control of your life; and
forgive, love, and win in life.

Your LIFE is a gift. Remember this first thing in the morning when you wake up, and give yourself a warm smile.

Until then, appreciate and adore this precious thing called LIFE—breath, heartbeat, good health, and love. They’re all part of our abundance.

From instinct to passions and dreams to purpose to destiny, the challenges faced in life are the PATH to Becoming your greatest self. We all have a huge part to play in who we become—and connect to Destiny. Be receptive and brace up to MANIFEST your GREATNESS.

When passion is as deep as the ocean, it can overshadow and tower even the tallest mountain.

Is your MINDSET holding you back? What you think you become. What we put our energy and mind to becomes our reality.

Win the fight in your MIND, and I can assure you of winning the fight around you.

What becomes of your pain? Do you allow your pain to be of waste or rather make it count? Do you allow it to make you bitter or BETTER? Turn your pain into knowledge and purpose.

Your greatness is pleading for your UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. Only then can you meet her.

Accept the challenges of Life and aim for the sky. Be uncomfortable! Get out there, into the unknown! Chase that big dream! Fail big; face the challenges! It’s necessary for growth. Fall down; get back up! Learn and keep the journey going. FORGIVE, LOVE, show KINDNESS, and WIN.

As you morph, breaking out of your cocoon, that place of REDISCOVERY and self-awakening, make your rebirth count by learning how to FORGIVE and LOVE.

When you find LIGHT, shine it for others to see and find their own path.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664163959

Krahtay Gaylah

Born in Monrovia, Liberia, Krahtay Gaylah, affectionately called KT, experienced many dark gut-wrenching trials beginning at the early age of five, which was triggered by a fourteen-year civil conflict. His life experiences have allowed him to navigate a life painted with a mixture of dark and light. He believes there’s no LIGHT without darkness. Hence, he’s inspired to shine the light for others to see and find their own path. Krahtay is also a self-published author of The Power of a Mother: A Journey to Destiny Through Chaos and An Adventurous Summer Vacation. He believes there is no meaning in life without being fulfilled, and to achieve that is to serve others. As an aspiring motivational speaker, he aspires to inspire his audience in discovering or redefining themselves, as well as evolving into their best version and taking control of their destiny. As an aircraft technician who works for Envoy Air Inc., a subsidiary of American Airlines, he’s continually striving to equip himself enough to contribute to society’s problems. Krahtay is the founder of Love & Peace Apparelz (https://www.lovepeaceapparelz.com), an online clothing (T-shirts) store with the intent of reaching out (through Love & Peace Outreach) to the less privileged with some of the proceeds from the sales as it has been one of his childhood dreams. He lives in Dallas, Texas. Contact He can be emailed at [e-mail]. Krahtay would love to have feedback from this book. He can also be followed for daily motivation and inspiration on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/krahtay_gaylah_official, twitter.com/krahtayG Facebook: Krahtay KT Gaylah, Linkedin: Krahtay Gaylah YouTube: Krahtay Gaylah Additionally, you can visit his website (https://www.krahtaygaylah.com) to read articles/blog posts, and also be the first to know about any new material to be released and upcoming events.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Krahtay Gaylah.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/24/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Glance At My Story

Accept the Challenges of Life and Aim for the Sky

To Become Your Greatest Self

What’s in This Book for Me?

How to Use This Book

Part I: Destiny: The Path

Chapter 1 Breath of Life: Appreciate Life

An Invincible Enemy

Some Basic Facts

Take a Deep Breath and Sincerely Answer These Questions

Are These Your Answers to the Above Questions?

Gratitude is Elevation

Chapter 2 The Path

A Journey to Destiny

Learn Along the Journey

Chapter 3 Instinct Is an Inner Compass

Are You Living Your Life’s Purpose?

Tap into Authenticity

Chapter 4 Instincts Plus Purpose Leads to Destiny

Prioritize What’s Important for Destiny

Chapter 5 Stay Awake and Flexible

The Detour of Life

Chapter 6 Invest in Yourself before Pouring into Others

Focus: Don’t Give In to the Day-to-Day Stress

The Storms and Battles of Destiny

Chapter 7 How Well Do You Know Yourself?

Only You Can Hold the Mantle

Chapter 8 It’s Possible

Chapter 9 Keep Aligned with the Higher Power

Chapter 10 Fear Is a Wimp: Overcome Fear

Fear of Failure

Identify What It Is That You Fear

Deal with Fear Head-On

Learned and Unlearned Fear

Chapter 11 A Leap of Faith

The Difference between the Two Perspectives

Chapter 12 Get Prepared for the Unexpected: You Can Heal Again

A Strange Message

Honor Your Pain

Make Time for Yourself

Stay in Touch with the People That Matter

Learn from Your Pain

Drop the Excess Baggage

Move On

Keep Your Head Up

Convert Your Pain into Purpose

Self-Validation

Solutions over Problems

Look to the Future

Chapter 13 Five Reasons You Are Held Back: How to Overcome Them

Chapter 14 Inner Power

How to Ignite and Cultivate or Start Nurturing Your Inner Power

Part II: Dreams Come with Self-Discipline

Chapter 15 Your Dream Is Your Life

Don’t Forfeit a Dream That Keeps You Restless

Don’t Settle for a Mediocre Life

Let Not Fear Paralyze You

Smash Out of Self-Doubt

You’re Your Own Permission

A Single Belief

Chapter 16 Self-Discipline

Discover Your Weakness(es)

Set Clear Goals and Execute Them

Do Away with Temptations

Create New Healthy Habits

Eat Healthy Often and Drink Water Often

Build Your Self-Discipline Muscle

Believe You Have the Willpower

Have a Backup Plan

Give Yourself a Reward

Chapter 17 Forgive Yourself and Keep on Keeping On

Chapter 18 Protect Your Inner Peace

Toxic Relationship

Social Media

Your Business Is Yours

Part III: You Are a Champ:

Remember Who You Are

Chapter 19 You. Are. A. Champion

Aim for a Win

Chapter 20 Dream Big

Chapter 21 Desire

Chapter 22 Passion

Willingness to learn

Chapter 23 Develop Extreme Confidence

Chapter 24 Work Ethic Beats Talent

Chapter 25 Little Sharks to Big Sharks

Chapter 26 Determination Plus Commitment

Takeaway

Chapter 27 Design the Right Mindset

Chapter 28 How to Maintain Productivity

Here are five things to do to maintain productivity:

Optimist vs Pessimist

Chapter 29 Craft the Right Self-Image

Chapter 30 Sacrifice Is a Part of Life

Chapter 31 Respect the Process

Chapter 32 Get over Losses as Quickly as Possible

Feel Your Emotions

It’s Good to Grieve

Get Close to People Who Care

Never Forget Self-Care

Positivity Is Key

Only You Truly Know How You Feel

Permit Yourself Some Time

Get going

Chapter 33 Keep the Future in Sight

A Parent’s Duty

Chapter 34 Surround Yourself with Winners

Chapter 35 Consistent Action

What is Your Success Story?

Chapter 36 With Faith See Rejection as Next

Chapter 37 Never Ever Quit: It’s Cowardice

Takeaway

Part IV: Becoming the Greatest You

Chapter 38 Becoming

Transitory and Reproductive Stage

What Do You Become after Your Transformation?

Chapter 39 Out of the Dark Shines the Light

Defeat Is Out of the Equation

Shift the Paradigm of Your Negative Expectations

Chapter 40 An Astonishingly Ravishing End

The Finish Line

Chapter 41 You’re a Victor

I Want You to Look beyond Your Fears; There Lies Your Freedom and Happiness

Anchor Your Faith to Hope, Believing That Anything Is Possible

About the Author

Contact

Dedication

To the Sacrifices and relentless efforts of my beloved mom, Martha Korden. Thanks for your unconditional love.

In honor of my late father, Edwin Gaylah. You helped me believe in myself. I can vividly reflect on the last words we exchanged as one of them, I believe in you, really stood out. You believed I could achieve anything I set my mind to—including achieving my dreams.

To my kids, Shelton and Christian, I love y’all. You’re the reason I keep improving and pushing my limits to be a better father and, to me, for my uninterrupted efforts and sacrifices thus far.

In memory of all those who lost their lives to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

And most importantly, to all those on the path of rediscovering themselves, trying to evolve, as well as the dream chasers—trudging through life despite the towering challenges of life to align with their true calling/or divine purpose.

Acknowledgments

To Victor B. Tiah, a father figure and a mentor, thanks for accepting me back then at Life Village Orphanage and being a part of my life. I believe I wouldn’t be who and where I am today if you weren’t a big part of it.

To the missionaries, Mark and Kimberlyn Butler, who risked everything to serve humanity, the Life Village family and I remain grateful for your sweat and sacrifices.

Dr. Theophilus Bessman, his wife, Felicia Bessman, and Thomas Miallie, you’ve all played a gigantic role in the person I have become. Thanks for the support, pieces of advice, and words of encouragement.

Mamie, Hustine, Histine, Larissa, Sandra, and my little nephew, Junior, what more siblings would I have asked for? You’ve all challenged me to push harder in life.

And how can I forget a very selfless and good friend turned brother? Titus C. Paygar, you’re more than a brother. If it’s not a call, then it is a message. The distance has separated us, but the bond remains strong and unbroken.

I forever remain grateful.

Introduction

You will all have an opportunity to inspire someone

around you. Never ever miss that opportunity.

—Admiral William H. McRaven

• Retired United States Navy four-star admiral

• A former chancellor of the University of Texas System

A Glance At My Story

This preposterous journey of mine had begun three decades ago at the age of five when I survived what would be a fourteen-year civil conflict in Liberia and another civil war sporadically. Ultimately, I would live in an orphanage, along with my siblings, not as an orphan but as a less-privileged child when my mom (a single mother) couldn’t afford to care and cater to us (three boys and two stepsisters), and most importantly, to see her children acquire education and excel in life, as she was deprived of hers. To ensure that, my mom put the boys in an orphanage. Her awe-inspiring and astonishing decisions would eventually pay dividends.

Having done some odd jobs to sustain us in exile, Life Village Orphanage was a village of hope—a safe haven, where my rebirth took off as I began to redefine/or reinvent myself. Soon after high school, an opportunity came knocking, and I would respond to it by immigrating to the United States.

The rush of fresh air filled my lungs as my hope of achieving my childhood dreams hit the ceiling. I knew now and then that only in America that these dreams of mine stood a vivid chance of coming to fruition. I am a firm believer of When you want something, the universe conspires in helping to achieve it. It’s called Destiny. It doesn’t come quite easy: it’s made of setbacks, rejections, detours, heartbreaks, and so forth.

It gets increasingly difficult to know the final destination of these incredible journeys, as we live in a world where the yellow brick road has many forks to change the trajectory of our lives.

Coming from a war-torn country (Liberia) that was battered by fourteen years of civil conflict, killing approximately 250,000 people and displacing thousands more to exile including me, my mother, Martha Korden, and siblings, I have always known even before my feet landed on the great soil of America that I have a story that would inspire or motivate someone to pursue their dreams with passion no matter the circumstances or how big the odds may be stacked up against them. I am of the belief that this is only possible in the United States. I am indeed indebted. God bless America!

This is a second chance for me that I don’t take lightly for which I have authored The Power of a Mother: A Journey to Destiny Through Chaos, unfolding the civil conflicts we were able to survive and the impact it had on me and my family. In my quest to inspire and motivate, I have also authored An Adventurous Summer Vacation (a short story), intended to motivate teenagers, blending gratification and hard work in pursuing their dreams.

Accept the Challenges of Life and Aim for the Sky

Life is not void of challenges, but what we become in the face of them determines our strength of character. And as a man, I have gone through my own fair share of life trials - being able to survive three civil conflicts, hardship, disappointments, heartbreak, in as much as I have done the same to others. We knowingly or subconsciously do things sometimes not knowing the positive or negative impact it could have on someone.

Consequently, I had long lived in the dark, playing the blame game (that my late dad, Edwin Gaylah, had neglected my mom, Martha Korden, and us after the civil war). May his soul rest in perfect peace and light perpetual shine on him. Not only that, my dark had been living in bitterness and resentment of both my past and present, languishing in self-pity that all the odds there are in the world are against just me, living in regrets that I have made a lot of wrong decisions as a young man even while still in high school, at age twenty-two, when I welcomed my first son to this beautiful world (not fully accepting it was a gift and a blessing), blinding my eyes to all the great decisions I’ve made and happy moments, graduating high school, forging on to college and obtaining my associate’s degree and certificate, and all the many beautiful things the universe has bestowed upon me.

But all this would change after I must have changed one thing, knowing that I have a purpose that must be fulfilled. All along, this had not made any sense to me when Mark Twain said, The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. Dr. Myles Munroe also once asserted, The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose. I started reading personal development/or self-help and inspirational books, as well as listening to self-development audios and videos.

It was at this point that the best thing ever happened to me—A Change of Mindset. It was a total shift of mindset. I had to let go of negativity. It had ruled me for far too long, partly from the orientation of my childhood challenges. I changed the way I see and look at things both from the past and in the present, knowing they were and are messages preparing me for what I have to offer now—my contribution to the world. All I needed to do was to change my thinking and perception of the world. And never forget that my firm belief and faith in God are also contributing factors. If you change the way you look at things, Wayne Dyer said, the things you look at change.

To Become Your Greatest Self

If you do not take full responsibility for your life and stay firm in faith, life will do anything and everything to knock you down to your knees.

I am not here to tell you you’re going to win everything in life. Impossible! But I am here to guarantee you more wins and how to overcome life’s trials, making you invincible through it all and become your greatest self once you adhere and implement the tips I’m going to unfold in this book. Marcus Aurelius once said, Our life is what our thoughts make it. What we think we become. What we put our energy and mind to becomes our reality.

We all go through life juggling between laughter and joy, pains and sorrows—and being a thing of human nature, we tend to easily forget, if not most, all the good things that we’d experienced and rather shift our attention on the negative events of our lives. You see, Destiny is a complex thing that we do not have total control of, but do have to play our part to connect to. Understanding the underlying message in every ugly past or negative event, and believing that every storm you’ve been or going through is part of God’s plan in connecting to true purpose and eventually Destiny, you would see those challenges as a gift.

To become your greatest self entails embracing your path, pursuing your dreams in the midst of fears, self-doubt, criticism, setbacks, detours, rejections, leaning on those who understand, love, and support you, tapping into authenticity and your inner core to bring the best out of you. It means holding passion in one hand and taking a leap of faith, making God part of the grand plan, self-love, and love of others, being compassionate to yourself and to others, staying hopeful for better days, allowing time to grieve and heal, turning your pains and adversities into purpose, and shining the light on others. It necessitates having a winner mindset, respecting time and overcoming procrastination, taking action and calculated risks, for which life is all about, being disciplined, focusing on the present, and shaping your future to obtain the deserved freedom and happiness. Becoming is the willingness to constantly evolve, to become your best version and take control of your destiny.

What’s in This Book for Me?

If I were the one to pick up this book to read, I would ask myself: what will I get from this book? As you leaf through this book, you will gain a large number of practical ideas and pieces of advice you can apply to improve your circumstances.

This book covers a broad spectrum of situations, scenarios, or example stories, so at any given time and any given circumstance, you could profitably reference it and find something useful that will improve your life, your attitude toward a situation, those around you, and your perception about life. This book will help you change your negative mindset to a positive one, realizing you’ve been holding yourself back far too long for the breakthrough, happiness, and freedom you truly deserve.

You’ll further find a collection of methods—practical exercises, life-changing questions to ponder over, affirmations to use as a daily mantra to gain control of your life, as well as direct your actions more effectively. Affirmation works. It is one of the proven methods that brings to fruition or reality goals and dreams. It speaks about the power of self-approval because it’s transformative. Affirmation is a faith booster. This material will help you stop reliving the past and start living the present—which shapes your future. The pieces of advice and ideas in this material will help direct your actions so that the things you are passionate about, your dreams, and your goals will be more likely to happen. You owe it to yourself.

How to Use This Book

As mentioned earlier, this book consists of questions and answers—some questions you’ll have to ask yourself and find answers to—and other practical exercises, affirmations you will have to pick one or two every day to affirm or use as a mantra to gain control of your life, your self-approval and situation, and scenarios and example stories illustrated to help you see a vivid image in your mind that could be related to your circumstance. For example, the story of Thomas Alva Edison is told, and at the end of it, there is "Takeaway. The Takeaway" relates to said story to help readers grasp one or two ideas or knowledge as it resonates with them. In another case, a comparison is made of two scenarios, for instance, the Wright brothers and Samuel Langley, who had similar situations but produced different outcomes/or results.

Also remember that this book is not written in any particular order; each chapter stands out on its own, and you can leaf to any chapter you would want to read at any time.

There is so much in this material that you might not want to read in any particular order but can browse to a certain chapter of interest at a moment. You can always come back for more at some other time. As you read and reread, remember some quotes you can live by, affirmations you can highlight or mark, then affirm them every day to help change the course of your situation or your life, as well as help shift your perception of the world positively. Additionally, as you read each part and chapter, you’ll come across quotes that might resonate with you as relevant—they’ll answer a current need or situation in your life. When that happens, copy the quotes or principles (stated at the beginning of each part, chapter, and title, or at the end of a chapter) onto a card and carry it with you for a few days or up to months and practice to live by them or put them to use.

Or peruse the book before you go to bed each night to find an advice, principle, or an affirmation you want to practice the next day. Write it down and begin practicing it first thing in the morning. As you exercise this procedure, your subconscious mind becomes aware of your new adopted habit. Positive self-talk—simply talking to yourself in a confident, reassuring, positive, friendly way—makes a whole lot of difference.

Another important way to use this book is to reference it (and also to a friend) when facing the day-to-day challenges of life or when having a down moment. It’s always at your convenience for reference when frustrated, worried, and stressed or any other negative emotion. Leaf through to find the chapter that can help you with that, and mark passages that impact your life.

One final thing to bring to your attention is that things we learn are not etched on stone—hence, they’re subject to change as new ideas and knowledge are discovered with years that come and go. A year from now, some ideas in this material might have been buried in new ideas in the memory of our mind. Stuff we learn or know fades and is less available to our working memory, except some that are used repeatedly. That’s what this material is for, to refer to what really serves you. Remain open to new ideas and knowledge—it’s what makes the human species more powerful than any other species.

Expect to see important words—fear, for instance—appearing more than once, but used in different contexts. There is power in repetition as it helps us to remember things faster than when we come across something just once. You might have read or might be acquainted with most of the things elaborated in this material. However, this is my little input to add to those who have gone before me.

This book is divided into four parts to help readers leaf through any one of them they find interesting first if they don’t feel the need reading in any particular order. It also comprises affirmations and practical exercises. What we speak gives life to our reality.

My intention for this book is simple: to impact your life, to help you overcome your challenges in life, as well as help you evolve as a person. And to help you achieve this, I’d like you to do me a favor. I want you to be receptive to the ideas, pieces of advice, and knowledge to gain from this book. Look beyond the individuals whose stories are narrated in this book, the challenges they overcame, and their success—and NOT necessarily the individual themselves if you want to gain something of importance from the material to apply to your life. Get set, ready! Now, let’s get to work. Read on.

You cannot get to the other side of glory without

passing through the night of challenges.

* * * *

1.jpg

Love & Peace

Love uplifts; Peace attracts

Part I

Destiny: The Path

The storm is needed to toss you to your destiny.

—Krahtay Gaylah

Until then, appreciate and adore this

precious thing called LIFE—breath,

heartbeat, good health, and love.

They’re all part of our abundance.

* * * *

Chapter 1

Breath of Life: Appreciate Life

Tomorrow you could die and become an ant, and

someone will be setting traps for you. But today you are

precious and rare and awake. It ushers us into grateful

living. It makes hesitation useless.

Grateful and awake, ask what you need to know now.

Say what you feel now. Love what you love now.

—Mark Nepo

• Poet, Author

• Spiritual advisor

It was about 2:15 p.m. on a fateful day in January of 2020. A wet afternoon it was, but the rain had shortly ceased and subsided, and the sun was now finding its way back in the sky. Working as an Aircraft Technician for Envoy Air, a subsidiary to American Airlines at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, I was running late for work, and I must get myself at the employee south parking lot to board the employee’s bus in time—2:30 p.m. at least, the best timing I had set aside in order to punch in at three o’clock promptly, considering being late when someone clocks in a minute after 3:00 p.m.

The traffic was jam-packed on TX-360 north. After sitting in it for about thirty minutes,