What is the best way to engage knowledge for personal success?

Taking a break over the last two weeks was a decision I had to make. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, I had to choose between creating content and creating accurate content.?

These two may not sound different, but they are two separate things entirely.?

The internet is full of content. You can stumble on answers to almost any question about any topic you probe. Interestingly these answers come from both well researched and opinion based sources.?

The researcher has as much value to offer as the opinion master.?

The researcher picks his perspective from the writings, experiences and experiments of other people and puts a touch of his opinion on it. Other people, in this case, are persons perceived as knowledgeable, intelligent and well learned on a topic of discussion. He brings perspective to matters from a broad perspective and hopes to proffer solutions that apply to multiple cases.?

The Opinion master writes based on what he affirms as good. These are usually a mix of his experiences and education, which informs his mindset - his mental position about a topic. This education and experiences are subject to the influence of his environment, culture and many other contexts. These contexts are not always applicable in many cases.?

I discovered from my brief history of reading and studying that you need a mental balance of both of them to build a sound mind. A sound mind is a bedrock for making informed decisions. I usually recommend an 80:20 ratio for the consumption of research and opinion based content. That is 80% research and 20% opinion!

You should approach knowledge to draw out insights that help you formulate accurate beliefs, systems and methods that align with your vision and purpose as revealed by God. Learning to find prototypes that you can duplicate in your life is a deadly approach to knowledge. Your intention should be to furnish your mind with experiences from others and develop a system to keep your life going in the direction of your vision.?

This approach is not for the lazy. It requires a commitment to personal development - intentionally constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing yourself.?

Amidst your busy work and fun schedule, you must be willing to practice solitude and give yourself to all forms of thinking.?

• Furnish your mind with your experience and other people's experiences in any given situation.?
• Settle in an environment that allows you to meditate clearly and put your thoughts in writing.?
• Begin by showing gratitude to God and recounting his goodness. Gratitude helps your mind settle from the day's work. I recommend that you practice gratitude in the morning. It positions your mind to look towards the goodness that fills the day rather than the evil.?
• Bring the matter before God in prayer. Wait! Avoid skipping this part and tagging it as religious. Creation is not at the mercy of itself. It is at the mercy of the one who made it and delegated the levels of authorities in it. If you must live holistically and apprehend true success, your journey must begin and continue in Him.?
• Begin your thought and decision-making processes. If you want me to write about thinking and decision-making processes, let me know in the comment section.?

If you give yourself to this practice, you will live with a great sense of ownership. I'm talking about ownership of your financial, career, academic, marital and relationship decisions. You will also be more responsible for the successes and failures you encounter. You will know on any occasion that you only need time to find solutions to your challenges.?

Everyone has a uniquely designed life. We are all men, but we do not have the same identity, purpose or vision. Two persons may share matching vision statements, but if you look deeply, there are many differences.?

Therefore, you must be willing to put your hands in the hands of your maker and drive your life in the direction that He wills.?

I wish you another week filled with success stories and launchpad failures.?

Shalom Shalom.?