Live Like the Greats

By Segun Ogungbemi

YOU DON'T NEED HELP, YOU NEED DIRECTIONHere is your manual to leaving regret and welcoming lifelong fulfillment. Live Like the Greats is a product of over 10 years of research into the life-changing tools and practices used by the people history remembers: world-renowned researchers, psychologists, and exemplary charact

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cornerstone Publishing
• Release date: Dec 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781952098871

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LIVE LIKE THE GREATS

9 Keys to Living an Uncommon Life

Segun Ogungbemi

LIVE LIKE THE GREATS

Copyright © 2021 by Segun Ogungbemi

PaperBack ISBN: 978-1-952098-85-7

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-952098-86-4

eBook ISBN: 978-1-952098-87-1

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved solely by the author. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy.

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Cornerstone Publishing

A Division of Cornerstone Creativity Group LLC

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www.thecornerstonepublishers.com

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DEDICATION

For Mom, who gave me the love of entrepreneurship…

For Dad, who gave me the love of putting thoughts on paper…

To Cristian, who makes me strive to be the best version of myself…

To Jackie, who has been there through my journeys…

And to all those who live for much more than themselves, this book is for you.

FOREWORD

I am incredibly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to write this foreword for my best friend’s masterpiece, Live Like The Greats. This book is destined to be an instant classic. Segun Ogungbemi employed the entirety of his being while writing this book as a gift to humanity. I have known Segun Ogungbemi for almost a Silver Jubilee, a whole generation and he personifies the traits and characteristics that he lays out in this book. Everyone that has ever been associated with Segun Ogungbemi will describe his altruistic traits among all things and his deep understanding of the human condition which enables him to put together a classic such as this book, Live Like The Greats.

My first encounter with Segun Ogungbemi is reminiscent of one of the analogies he explained in this book about Empathy using Kyle and Zach as the characters. I was 16 years old and just arrived in the United States about 3 month prior. I was stuck at work at 10pm after my supervisor at that point asked me to stay later to close the restaurant. I had no way home and did not want to make the 6.2 miles walk home in cold temperatures. I called several friends and family members, no one could spare the time with their busy schedule. Eventually, a family member sent me Segun Ogungbemi’s phone number and said to call him, he is always willing to lend a hand. Lo and behold, I called him, even though he never met me, he could empathize with my situation and approximately 15 minutes later, he was there to pick me up. He has a knack of making everyone around him feel so comfortable that it appeared that we have been brothers forever. That was the birth of our friendship and there have been countless of such situations where Segun Ogungbemi had displayed empathy and other characteristics exuded by The Greats.

Over the years, Segun Ogungbemi has always put other people first. His desire to help everyone succeed knows no bounds. He is truly one of The Greats. He has used this desire to fuel him into putting this book together. I have seen him draw into his life experiences, conduct several research and interview several luminaries in the writing of this book. He has made several revisions to it all in an effort to make sure it impacts the most people. The clarity of thought and simplicity of delivery is deliberate to make the biggest impact. As you read this book, I hope you have the intuition to really grasp the message it intends to convey. I have no doubt that this book will greatly impact your life and change it for the better. It is a book that I truly believe should be a ‘must read’ and incorporated into our public school’s curriculum. As you complete this book, please share it with your friends, family and neighbors.

Victor Lofinmakin

Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to acknowledge the love, hard work, and dedication my mother, Margaret Arise, bestowed on me. I am lucky to be your son. You taught me the importance of perseverance and adaptability. Thank you for introducing me to the world of business as a neophyte and supporting me the entire way. I love you.

My dad, Segun Ogungbemi Sr., has been a perfect example of what a person of integrity should look like, and I want to acknowledge you, Dad, for teaching me right from wrong. Your constant encouragement to write this book means the world to me. You hold me accountable in my actions, and I love you for it. Thank you.

Jackeline Herrera has been my rock from the time we met in college. You are the most patient, humble person I know, and I have learned a lot from you. Because of you, I am alive today, and you have blessed me in so many ways, including with a beautiful son. I love you for being the little church mouse that you are who doesn’t bother a soul.

My inspiration for writing this book and for being a better person in life is my son, Cristian Ogungbemi. From the day you were born, you have inspired me. You challenge me daily to be the best I can be, and I appreciate you holding me accountable for my actions. I love our talks and evening walks that are special because it’s our bonding time. I love how you can never beat me in chess but are progressing. I love how hard you work to do well in school to make us proud. I love you, son. This book is for you.

I want to acknowledge Victor Lofinmakin, Adebisi Onitiri, and Sunday Uti for being the closest friends one can have. I appreciate our talks, our accountability meetings, and our genuine friendship.

I am inspired by Victor’s self-discipline and enviable consistency. You put your all into everything you do, and it shows every day. I have learned so much from you, and I appreciate our candid talks and how you always want the best for me.

I am thankful for my oldest and dearest friend, Bisi. I admire how great you are at connecting with people and showing everyone love. You are truly an empath by your dedication to your non-profit group and generosity to us all. You have been there for both the good times and the hard times. I thank you.

I want to acknowledge Sunday for his kind, humble soul. You are always there anytime I need anything and have been there for me in many of my most challenging times. You teach me all the time the importance of friendship, and I appreciate you for that.

To my mentors, Jennifer Roy and Lola Bakare, I thank you for always answering the phone and your guidance in helping me find my way.

And lastly, to the mentors who guided me through the lives they lived and the books they wrote, I thank you.

Contents

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

CHAPTER 2: PURPOSE

CHAPTER 3: SELF- DISCIPLINE

CHAPTER 4: INTEGRITY

CHAPTER 5: EMPATHY

CHAPTER 6: GRATITUDE

CHAPTER 7: HUMILITY

CHAPTER 8: PERSEVERANCE

CHAPTER 9: ADAPTABILITY

CONCLUSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

I have always been intrigued with greatness. The likes of Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman, and others. What are the values, beliefs, behaviors, and thoughts of these individuals who shaped history into the world we know today? What made them who they were? Were there physical characteristics that made a person great? Or was it wealth, power, or influence? Or was it a sense of purpose?

My quest to find out what ties them together is not only to write a book about the ingredients needed to make a cauldron pot of greatness, but it is to be able to teach ourselves and our future generations what it takes to be great so that we can raise future great leaders.

So I started my research on presidents. You have to have a certain level of greatness to become President, of course that doesn’t determine the kind of President you will become as we can simply look back at history. My focus was the commonalities of United States presidents.

Down the rabbit hole I went and through research I was intrigued to learn that most presidents were tall. Looking at the data of past presidential elections the data showed that height was definitely a winning factor. Candidates that were taller than their opponents received more votes and were more likely to be re-elected.

They were also considered greater than their shorter cohorts. But we have many great people that lacked height and went on to become famous historical figures. I was easily able to rule out physical characteristics as a major player in determining the makeup of a great person.

I read Stephen Covey’s book, everyday greatness, a wonderful read with stories of exemplary acts of great men but even though it didn’t chronicle how to hone the skills of greatness, it led me down the right path by revealing the values that great men have in common.

I spent two years researching these values and how we can groom ourselves to exemplify these values in our lives and this is what the book is about. The story of Croesus is an insight into what it takes to become great.

Croesus

Croesus, the ancient king of Lydia, was visited by an elderly statesman, Solon. Croesus was delighted to host this wise sage, and he wanted to show Solon the vastness of his wealth and influence by welcoming him with hospitality that Solon would not soon forget. He summoned his servants to cater to Solon’s every need.

Once he felt Solon had been sufficiently awed by his riches, Croesus said to him, Well, my Athenian friend, I have heard a great deal about your wisdom and how widely you have traveled in the pursuit of knowledge. I cannot resist my desire to ask you a question: Who is the happiest man you have ever seen?

With great anticipation, Croesus was looking eagerly at Solon to fall into his trap and admit that he was the happiest person on Earth. Hearing Solon say this would be validation of his own thoughts about his opulent lifestyle.

But Solon, who was known for being straightforward and with no desire for flattery, bluntly said, Tellus the Athenian.

The king was taken aback, dazed and confused at such a ridiculous answer, knowing that Tellus was simply a commoner while he was a king.

Solon went on to explain his reply. Tellus was blessed to live long enough to birth five sons and had many grandchildren who were blossoming in their youth. He had enjoyed a contented life with a close-knit family and was honored to die for his country in the battlefield while routing out the enemy. He was given a hero’s burial and was remembered as a true son of Athens.

The king was still confused by this answer but was curious to know who Solon thought was the second happiest man in the world. He thought, Okay, if I’m not the first, I’m certainly the second happiest man! Come on!

Once again he was disappointed by Solon’s answer. The two happiest men after Tellus were Cleobis and Biton.

Cleobis and Biton were brothers who were beloved by the Argives because they took great care of their mother and their community. One example was when their mother needed to be taken to the temple of Hera to celebrate the goddess’s festival but couldn’t find any oxen to pull her there. The brothers took it upon themselves to pull the cart like they were oxen so their mother could attend the festival. Upon reaching the festival, their mother prayed to Hera to bestow on them the greatest blessing that can befall mortal men. After the sacrifices and festivities, the two boys laid down to sleep, and Hera granted them their mother’s prayer by allowing them to die in their sleep. Considered the greatest of men, the Argives had statues of them made, which they sent to Delphi.

At this point, Croesus was angry. How could three relatively unknowns be happier than he was? He had wealth these people could only dream about and a kingdom he ruled. Surely Solon had lost his old mind. He snapped at Solon, That’s all very well, my Athenian friend, but what of my own happiness? Is it so utterly contemptible that you won’t even compare me with mere common folk like those you have mentioned?

Solon explained to the bewildered king that yes, the rich do have an advantage over the poor—they have money—but they don’t have a monopoly on the things that are truly valuable in life: civic service, raising healthy children, being self-sufficient, having a sound body, and honoring the gods and one’s family.

More importantly, Solon continued, if you live to be 70 years old, that is 26,250 days of life a person has lived, and not a single day is like the next. Just because things are going smoothly today doesn’t mean it will be smooth tomorrow, so a rich man can be considered lucky, but the label of happy must be held in reserve until it is seen whether or not his good fortune lasts until his death.

This is why, Solon finally concluded to Croesus, I cannot answer the question you asked me until I know the manner of your death. Count no man happy until the end is known.

At this point, Croesus dismissed Solon as a fool, for what could be more stupid, he thought, than being told he must look to the ‘end‘ of everything without regard for present prosperity? In haste, he dismissed Solon from his quarters. But the truth of Solon’s words were about to manifest in a short period of time that made Croesus remember the wise words of Solon.

First Croesus’s son died in a hunting accident. After that, he reached out