The URL of Exponential Success: from Self-Actualization. | Akomaye Ugar | TEDxUniversity of Calabar

The Importance of Dreams and Principles

• Akomaye Ugar emphasizes the importance of having a dream and pursuing it. He states that a dream sets the pace for life's progression and creates the space for life to flow into.
• Ugar introduces the concept of principles as fundamental laws that govern function and behavior. He asserts that accessing principles makes life predictable and empowers individuals to create their desired outcomes.

Building Capacity and Intentionality

• He highlights the need for building capacity to achieve one's goals, comparing it to the difference in broadcasting range between local and international stations.
• He emphasizes the importance of intentionality in life and shares his experience of mentorship at the age of 17, which taught him the value of reading books.

The Power of Reading and Self-Assessment

• Akomaye Ugar describes how he and his friends shared books to read, allowing them to access a wide range of knowledge despite limited resources.
• At 19, he conducted a self-assessment and realized the need to be more intentional about his learning and development.

The Impact of Reading and Destination-Specific Decisions

• He decided to focus on reading and watching content that added value to him intellectually, spiritually, and socially.
• In six months, he read 24 books, which significantly expanded his worldview and fueled his ambitions.
• He emphasizes the importance of making destination-specific decisions, which are informed by knowledge and experience.

The Influence of Early Experiences and Thought Patterns

• He credits his early exposure to Jesus at age 16 and his subsequent reading habit for shaping his life and worldview.
• He highlights the power of thought patterns, stating that "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
• He encourages self-reflection on one's thinking patterns, as they determine the direction of one's life.

Preparing Locally with Global Standards

• He emphasizes the importance of preparing locally with global standards in mind, citing his own experience of training himself for international audiences.
• He warns against missing opportunities due to a lack of preparation and communication skills.

Continuous Learning and Unlearning

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and exposure to a wide range of information, even outside one's field of study.
• He argues that university degrees are just a starting point and that true success lies in developing one's unique talents and skills.
• The speaker highlights the need for "unlearning" outdated or unproductive ideas and "relearning" to gain a deeper understanding of knowledge.

Applying Knowledge and Staying Informed

• He emphasizes the importance of applying knowledge to achieve desired results and suggests that if something isn't working, it might be because it hasn't been learned deeply enough.
• The speaker uses the example of the medical field to illustrate the constant evolution of skills and knowledge, urging individuals to stay informed about the latest advancements in their respective fields.
• He encourages individuals to research and prepare for the future, emphasizing the need to adapt to changing trends and technologies.

Success Requires Proactive Action

• Akomaye Ugar emphasizes that success doesn't come from simply being laid back or even working hard. It requires proactive thinking, preparation, and adaptability to stay ahead of the curve. He uses the example of green architecture in the field of architecture to illustrate this point.

Continuous Learning and Influence

• Ugar stresses the importance of continuous learning and personal development. He shares his own commitment to reading, aiming to read 40-60 books per year, and encourages others to prioritize learning.
• Ugar believes that influence is earned through preparation and proactive engagement. He highlights his own experience speaking to diverse audiences, including oil and gas professionals, professors, and global organizations, and emphasizes that he has always been invited back due to his preparedness.

The Power of Habits

• Ugar emphasizes the power of habits in shaping our lives. He uses the analogy of a fish in water to illustrate how our environment and habits influence our behavior and success.

Forming Good Habits and Wisdom

• Ugar advocates for actively forming good habits, even if it requires incentivizing them. He shares his personal approach of paying his children to read books and memorize scriptures, recognizing that these habits will lead to long-term success.
• Ugar concludes by stating that a life filled with wisdom makes failure impossible.