Last year (2015), one of the elective courses I offered in the first semester of my final year in the University was Health Physics.
I picked interest in that because I spent two years trying to gain admission to study medicine and surgery but all to no avail. I eventually got offered Physics Education.
So I saw it as a nice opportunity to do something related to health.
From my knowledge and experience in the class, I want to share with you 3 evergreen principles that will help you consistently live a successful life which I adapted from one of the health Physics lectures.
By the way, this is not my first time of picking out life lessons from my little knowledge of Physics. I once wrote about "How to become a human telescope" and another one on " Pressure cooker your way to greatness".
First let's look at this application of Physics.
Generally, health Physics is concerned with the link between the health of humans and Physics (Both the positive and negative relationships).
So in one of the classes, we were considering Radiation Control Measures.
What are Radiations?
They are energy that travels through space, in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves e.g light, heat, X-rays, etc.
The kind of energy given off by radioactive atoms are referred to as radiation.
Without boring you with all these physics stuffs, there are types of radiations and one of which is called ionizing radiation and it's harmful to the human body. It is harmful because when a human is exposed to it, due to its ionizing power, it can change the chemical bonds in the body.
Some biological effects of radiations includes cataracts, cancer, DNA mutation, and it can also cause development defects to an embryo in a woman's womb amongst many other things.
Our exposure to radiations in our everyday life is inevitable but the problem is excessive exposure.
Hence, we were taught about external control measures for radiations which are in three categories.
1. Time: If you decrease the amount of time you spend near a source of radiation, you will decrease the amount of radiation exposure you receive. For example, the more time you spend under the sun, the more severe sunburn you get.
2. Distance: It's safe to keep distance from radiation sources. The farther away, the less exposure you receive. For example, if Peter is sitting closer to a fire than John, Peter will experience more heat.
3. Shielding: This involves placing some materials that can withstand radiation like concrete or lead so as to reduce the radiation exposure.
It's over a month since my graduation. So I recently picked up my lecture notes and I was able to relate this radiation exposure measures to proven principles that govern the success rate of people in life.
The 3 Success Principles Physics Teaches us
Without any further ado, they are (you guessed right);1. Time Principle
2. Distance Principle
3. Shielding Principle
#1. Time Principle
Well, I believe you are reading this post because you know being successful feels good. It could be business, marriage, career, studies, family , etc. If you want to be affiliated with success, then you must be committed to her.We measure commitment by the amount of time and energy you set apart for a task. You must be attracted to success. That's the only way you would want to spend more time gaining her on your side.
I love quotes! Check this out.
Nelson Mandela said
Martin Luther King also said
" We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right."
" We must use time creatively."
In line with the precautions for radiation I talked about, you need to decrease the amount of time you spend on activities that are harmful to your goals and vision.
In other words, you need to Invest more time on those things that will move you closer to your goals and vision and ultimately help you fulfill your purpose.
This is very important. It cannot be over emphasised. I believe this is how to measure your productivity (by what you spend your time on).
Remember, God commanded man to be fruitful and multiply.
Sometime in September last year, I anchored a tweetcast hosted by @Dayus4heaven on twitter on the topic "Principles of time" (Click here to read full tweet cast).
I said "A lot of people spend their time doing unnecessary things and end up complaining about insufficient time."
I have come to understand that some things may seem urgent but that doesn't make them important.
- Spend more time learning about that thing you want to succeed at. Read books, attend seminars, hire a coach or a trainer, take a masterclass, etc. You can spend at least 2 hours each day learning something new that will contribute to your cumulative success.
- Spend less time on frivolous chats, mails, texts, or even TV programs. It's amazing to know that the social media can be a very productive way to waste time. It is important to get rid all this time stealers
- Spend more time knowing God and developing your faith.
" ...but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. " -Daniel 11:32 (ESV)Study the word more. Determine to know the person of Jesus and all that he did on the cross.
- Spend real time with family. Make emotional deposit's in them. What is the point of having to pursue your dreams without family by your side.
The more time you spend on activities that are harmful and toxic to your goals and vision, the more severe damage you permit.
Question: Who and what do you spend your with?
Read: 4 common lies you tell yourself
#2. Distance Principle
The distance principle is closely related to the time Principle. This Principle reveals that the farther away you are from those activities or persons that are toxic to your goals and vision, the lesser your chances of failing.
Izaak Walton said
"Good company and good discourse are the very sinew of virtue."
Who are in your circle of friends? Do you even have a circle (for those that love being alone)? Who do you talk to? Who do you share your ideas with?
Are you involved in a constructive or destructive association?
Let me share a story with you.
A man bought a plane ticket from Lagos to Abuja. On the day for the departure, he got to the airport early. It was still about an hour till the take-off time.
He decided to the obvious thing which was to hang around. While he was waiting, he noticed a group of guys discussing football and he stylishly joined the conversation.
It was surely a good way for him to stay engaged.
After a while, he asked them what they were going to do at Abuja only to find out they were not heading in the same direction with him.
It was at this point he checked the time to discover he had spent over an hour with those guys discussing football. The end result was that he missed his flight.
The lesson here is that you should never associate with people who are not heading in the same direction with you.
- Avoid associating with people who complain and grumble always.
- Avoid associating with those who speak ill of others and proclaim negative words.
- Avoid associating yourself with anyone who doesn't appreciate your uniqueness.
- Run away from people who always discourage your ideas.
- Flee from people who want you to compromise your integrity.
- Vanish from people who always exhibit negative attitude.
You might claim to want to help them stand but have you gained your own stamina?
The closer you are to these people who emit negative energy, the higher your absorption rate of those negative energy.
Jim Rohn puts it this way:
"You will become a product of the top 5 people you associate with."
Question: Who and what do you associate with?
Read: How you endanger your life: 6 ways to protect yourself
#3. Shielding Principle
Errm, how do I explain this? Ok!
If you stand out in the rain without an umbrella or any other similar item, you will get wet. That's so obvious right?
In other words, you should know how to zone people and also separate yourself from activities that take the better part of you.
Of course, when it coming to zoning, girls are experts. I watched a comedy skit on Instagram recently. A guy was crying because he has been friend zoned for five years!
This third prnciple is linked to the distance principle. The best way to keep a distance is to set boundaries. You should know that this does not give you the license to be rude and hostile.
You have to devise means to properly zone out those people who are harmful to your God given vision.
- Shield your mind by renewing daily with God's word.
- Shield yourself by maintaining integrity. Be integrated.
As Bankole Williams will put it (BankoleWilliams.com):
"Let your goals, thoughts, and actions align."
- Shield yourself by being at the right place and at the right time.
- Shield yourself by growing thick skin to discouragements and unhealthy criticisms.
Conclusion
I believe in protecting ones goals and guarding ones vision. There are so many things that can make you lose them. I also believe that these 3 principles if consistently practised, can help you take good precautions.
Over to you
Can you relate to this post? What other principles do you know of? Did I miss out on anything. I welcome contributions, reservations, and recommendations. Please use the comment form below.
