Kamara - The drive to aim high: seven powerful mindsets proven to guarantee your success

THE DRIVE TO AIM HIGH:

SEVEN POWERFUL MINDSETS PROVEN TO GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS

AL KAMARA

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book in the memory of my mother, Miatta Kamara, for her wisdom and courage to send me out into the world.

Also, in the memory of my beloved stepfather, G. Marcus Kelley, without whom, I wouldnt be who I am today.

The Drive to Aim High: Seven Powerful Mindsets Proven to Guarantee Your Success

by Al Kamara

Digital | 978-1-944027-17-9

Soft | 978-1-944027-14-8

Copyright Networlding Publishing, 2019

All Rights Reserved

Contents

INTRODUCTION

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.

Gautama Buddha

What are the chances that a boy born into sheer poverty in a village in Africa, who didnt learn to properly read or write until the age of fifteen, would graduate from a university, become a successful entrepreneur, and eventually write a book?

I know, it sounds like a fairytale, and, it is truly my fairytale.

I was born in a small village northwest of Monrovia in Liberia. The population at the time of my birth was approximately 73 residents. The county where my village is located was a center of iron ore and diamond mining until it was destroyed in the Liberian Civil War. But, even before that, it had no streets, no streetlights, no electricity, no roads, and no running water. The houses were built from red mud with thatched roofs crowning their tops. We had no schools or hospitals.

As was the tradition in my village, my father practiced polygamy. Consequently, he had a total of seven wives in his life. My mother was his first wife, and as such, became the head wife of the family. She gave birth to my older brother and me. Later in life, when I revisited my birthplace, I learned that I had nineteen brothers and sisters, making us a family of twenty children.

But, I always knew I was special because I believed my mother who constantly told me, You will become a big man. The English translation means, You will become a successful man.

It was a tradition in my village for people like my parents, who had no formal education, to hold strong beliefs in prophecies or words spoken by the elders. The eldest male ruled the village and made decisions on many matters the families of the village brought forward to him.

In my case, the prediction about my future came from the town chief, the eldest man in our village. His proclamation regarding my destiny was more than sufficient to trigger an everlasting belief in my mothers mind that I would indeed become a success. She took ownership of this prophecy, which she began repeating to me at a very early age. I only learned from my mother later as an adult that her belief in me becoming a big man came from the chief, my namesake, upon my birth.

Those four words inspired me to become the person I am today. They are powerful words, not because they contain any special wisdom, but because they made me believe in myself. My mothers trust in this prophesy that I would be successful empowered me to work through any failure that came my way. Her powerful belief in me has created a series of foundational mindsets that enable me to explore, learn, develop, and constantly overcome the challenges that life presents to me - to all of us.

Over time, these mindsets became real and useful tools for me - tools that helped me excel in school, university, my first job, the start of my company, and throughout my life with my wife and my children. Many others throughout history have used various mindsets to their advantage. I have adapted my own in ways that have served me well, and through this book, I hope they will help you take them to heart. During my research for this book, I also discovered that a number of famous people have benefitted by letting go of small mindsets, and, instead, adopting powerful mindsets that helped them break through lifes roadblocks to achieve great success.

Take Kevin Hart, the successful comedic actor, and what he says about how he broke through to success: No matter what, people grow. If you choose not to grow, youre staying in a small box with a small mindset. People who win go outside of that box. Its very simple when you look at it.

Harts insight implies that people choose their fates based on their mindsets. He has seen, as many have, that when you hold a small mindset you dont leverage the opportunities that come your way. This could look like youre living your life from a reactive versus a proactive mindset. In your work life, this looks like youre working to avoid losing versus working to win! But, you have a choice . You can get on the path to success on a daily basis. Using your God-given interests and talents, combined with hard work, why not focus on developing mindsets that will steer you to success? I know you have that potential and ability when you tap into big (rather than small), powerful mindsets. Let me show you how.

Ive spent years identifying, developing, and implementing seven mindsets that will give you a unique toolset to meet and exceed your personal and professional goals. They are:

1. Observation Mindset
2. Possibility Mindset
3. Resilience Mindset
4. Passion Mindset
5. Courage Mindset
6. Persistence Mindset
7. Legacy Mindset

These mindsets have given me the courage and strength to develop my business. They have made me more resilient and better able to reject failure as the end route to my dreams. They have developed my passion for all that I do, and a strong belief that good results are bound to happen if I believe in myself. And they have helped me grow into a wise man, and together with my wife, raise my two talented sons, encouraging them to dream and believe in their abilities and go after their dreams.

This book invites you to tap into these seven mindsets, which can help you achieve your potential and meet your challenges head on, no matter where you live or what areas of your life you choose to focus on, whether its personal, family, sports, or business. In each chapter, I will showcase one mindset and share how I applied it to overcome specific challenges. At the end of each chapter, I will offer takeaways for you to quickly implement that particular mindset. This will enable you to focus on an effective path to your own success.

There is no question that the seven mindsets have helped me meet every challenge in my life. I am confident that after reading this book, you, too, will be able to employ them in your own drive to aim high!

THE OBSERVATION MINDSET

Amos Bronson Alcott, father of author Louisa May Alcott, and a visionary leader in educational reform, once said:Observation more than books and experience more than persons, are the prime educators.

It is well documented that children learn best in a safe and loving environment. It may not look like the one you imagine, but it can still provide the nurturing environment and relationships that help children develop into adults with great values and behavior. Children learn by observing and copying the people they love; people who are warm and nurturing, and/or the people who are important to them, like authority figures (in the family or the community).

Many times, children will observe the actions of adults without them knowing, and then they often imitate them. Further, if what these children saw has an emotional impact, it will stick inside their memory and later activate in their adult life, often without them even realizing the genesis of that emotional trigger.