3rd December, 2012
The encounter between my mentor and Dele is gradually drawing to a close. My Mentor excused himself to freshen up while Dele and I used the opportunity of his absence to reflect deeply on the steps to financial freedom he shared with us. It was clear that getting to work out the steps would take some time. We were still on this when he came back and started to talk again.
“My friends, what I have just shared with you are all you need to work out your financial freedom but only if you are willing to pay the price. My advice is that you take some time out and separate yourself to work out the steps. This is the starting point actually. You need the separation session, a retreat, to work out your financial miracle. All the successful people I have either met or read about take this aspect very seriously. This is the stage at which the intellectual and the spiritual aspects of this exercise fuse. Bill Gates, one of the world’s richest men, goes to one of the Oriental countries once in a year for a separation session, to receive fresh instructions and flow of ideas from Divine Intelligence. Our Lord Jesus Christ had to go into the wilderness for forty days to receive instructions for his earthly mission. Without the inspiration that flowed into Him during this period, it would have been difficult to make much impact”.
“So, a separation session is vital if you want to achieve the steps I have articulated in the guide to financial freedom. Without that I would suggest that you don’t embark on implementing the financial freedom plan”.
“The main goal of a planned, prolonged quiet time or a separation session, if you like, is to enable you to recharge your system for better performance thereafter. This is the rationale. When you truly work, you continuously give out of yourself. A separation session is a way of drawing back into yourself life’s spiritual force. Working continuously without regular separation sessions is an open invitation to multiple crises. But unfortunately for most of us, our days are full of activities without quality progress. We wake up very early in the morning, jump on the road, chat idly with friends, bury ourselves in activities and eventually retire in the night, too tired to plan for the next day, for the next week, for the next month and for the next year. No time for relaxation. No time to play with family. And unfortunately we are also too busy to hear from God. This is where the seed of crisis is usually sown.” He paused and waited for us to fully take in his words”.
How to Plan for a Separation Session
“Have a focus. First, before you embark on a separation session, determine very clearly what issue or challenge you want to tackle. Don’t take along with you so many issues; otherwise you may not achieve much. Since this is your first time, I suggest you use the separation session to develop a personal plan for yourself. Use the period to work out how you will achieve all the dreams and goals you listed in the steps I have explained to you. I also suggest you use the time to set goals in these areas: finance, spiritual, health, career and family. That was what I did after my Mentor had shared his experience with me. Use such occasions to reflect on your personal purpose and mission on this planet earth. The issue at stake is beyond money. As Bishop David Oyedepo once said: “If you make prosperity your main goal, you are likely to end in abject poverty, but make posterity your focus and you are set for breakthrough in all areas of your life, prosperity inclusive”. How true! You may discover that you have been doing what God has not called you to do. You may need to change career quickly after such sessions. In developing your personal mission, you may consider using the following theme questions: What are my dreams? What is my area of assignment? What would I like to achieve if money is not going to be a problem? What resources do I have to achieve my dreams? Who do I know that can work with me to achieve my dreams? What skills do I need to develop to achieve my dreams? What are the likely obstacles that may stand in the way? What are the milestones that would remind me if I am moving towards achieving my dreams? What are the motivations for striving to achieve my dreams? What are my strategies for achieving the goals I have set for myself? Ask other probing questions. Answers to these questions may lead you to develop a good draft that can be worked eventually into a plan.
“Plan for it. Also, you need to plan for the separation session. Look for good books and cassettes. Interact with people who have gone through similar exercises. Assemble all the materials you may need for the exercise, including all the steps we have treated so far. Spend about a week or two to prepare. If you have a lap-top, I suggest you take it along”.
“Be quiet, in and out. Furthermore, study to be quiet, internally and externally. This is where adequate preparation comes in. I have found that you can be in a quiet environment, but inside there may be a lot of noise, technically referred to as a psychological noise. For instance, some people may get to the venue of the separation session only to be preoccupied with routine affairs of life. This is the time they would remember that they have not paid the children’s school fees, that they did not close their windows, that they did not put off the gas cylinder, etc. In this state, concentration is difficult and it may be preferable to pack your materials and go back to your house because you cannot achieve quality results. The message is that not only must you maintain quietness externally; you must also shut off your mind from distractions”.
“Finally, after the first session, cultivate the habit of going on a separation session without fail once a month. Use this period to draw up strategy to achieve your plans”.
“Let me, however, warn that if you do it the way it should be done, you are likely to offend some people. In my own case, after preparing my personal plan, it became obvious that I had to cut off from some friends who no longer fitted into my circle of influence. It was painful, but I had to let go. You may also notice that some people may label you as arrogant, because you may no longer allow them to disrupt your schedules”.
“Let me leave you with this line from Mike Murdock: “Stop frantic push for success. Take time to taste the present. The fire of desire will always rage within you. You must dominate the rage and focus it.” A separation session would help you do just that”.
NUGGETS
o Set aside a weekend to brainstorm with yourself on any issue of concern to you
o Prepare very well before you embark on the retreat
o Make personal retreat a part of your life
o Write to me if you need information on resources you can take along
PPS: Did you miss the welcome FREE bonus I gave some time ago? To receive yours, text the following information in the format below
PMMONEY*Your Name*Email*Status*Location 07054638883
E.g: PMMONEY*Dele Taiwo*[email protected]*biz owner* Abuja to 07054638883
PPPS: Do you have any money questions bothering you? Send it to the money doctor at [email protected]