The 10-star life: The mantle

In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, the hallmark of any priest or prophet was his girdle, otherwise known as his mantle. Symbolically, it represented the very basis of his power and authority. It was what, apart from the anointing upon him, earned him the necessary respect and recognition as a prophet. The mantle represented the token or his power of attorney to function on God’s behalf. It was the primary proof of his calling.

In contemporary terms, it is safe to say that every assignment or “meaning” has corresponding “mantle” or tools that give it an edge and a distinct pattern of manifestation. It is impossible to talk about Moses in the Bible without the rod. With it, he did wonders. In our days, you cannot mention Bill Gates without mentioning Microsoft. Steve Jobs is synonymous with Apple. When you say “Jack Ma”, you might as well say “Ali Baba”. Jeff Bezos is Amazon and Amazon is Jeff Bezos.

The mantle can be likened to the resources essential for carrying out the mandate on one’s life. Without the mantle, a man’s life and function will be ordinary and commonplace and so, unable to convey or deliver value to the places that matter. Even if they tried, their voices would not be respected.

If your assignment (meaning) is the prophecy of your life, the resources, platform and strategy required for execution can be regarded as your mantle.

The first material you require to give your assignment the required clout is to identify, define and embrace it in a spiritual context. Every one of us is an offshoot of a divine essence, whether we know and acknowledge it or not. Every religion underscores this. No matter which religious persuasion you subscribe to, they all acknowledge a divine essence in relation to our human existence and function. To deny that is as good as denying the existence of the sun and the moon! A connection with the divine essence of your being connects you effectively to the core of your message and determines the specific type of mantle you require or carry. Through prayers, meditation or whichever means we know, that connection is essential.

On the physical plane, you need sound health and a sound mind. In addition to those, you need sound education. By that I don’t necessarily mean the acquisition and accumulation of certificates just to make a point. I am talking about education relevant to your assignment. In many instances, when the assignment appears like an unprecedented one that makes you function as a pioneer, there is a tendency to assume that there is not much to learn. Truth be told, even if you are the pioneer in a particular environment, there is always someone somewhere who has done or is doing something similar to what you believe you are called to do somewhere. Be willing to eat humble pie and learn. Whenever the student is ready, the teacher shows up.

Never operate with a closed mind. Read. Invest in knowledge. Attend seminars and conferences relevant to your field. Become a voice and a go-to person and be reckoned among the best in your sphere. Jeff Bezos pioneered online book sales, but through constant reinventing and innovation, he has grown Amazon to the world’s largest online marketplace where one can buy almost anything that can be shipped!

To succeed significantly in any venture, you need to devote time to it. You are not worthy of reward in a venture that is not worth your time and effort. Too often, we give up too soon because we are impatient with process and its attendant risks. The microwave mindset seems to be on the ascendancy and is driving many people, especially the youth into all sorts of criminality just to “make it”. The dictum that rules in life is, “pay now and play later or play now and pay later”! The greatest investments you can make in the manifestation of your mantle are those you make on personal development and quality of time devoted to your meaning.

The word ‘prosperity’ is no doubt one of the most abused words in the English language today, especially in religious circles. True prosperity however, is never really about materialism. It is first and foremost an internal abundance dynamic that signposts a healthy success or satisfaction index for fulfillment. In the original context, the Hebrew word “tsalach” means “to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive): – break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable”. In the Greek, which is the language of the New Testament, to prosper, “euodoo” means “to succeed, have a prosperous journey”. It translates to success in attaining desired objectives in a way that is comfortable and conducive. It is far from materialism and obscenely displayed opulence.

Material resources, a.k.a provision, are supplied in line with the magnitude of the vision or assignment. Money is the reward that we get when we resolutely pursue the journey of purpose. We all need money to fulfill our desires. However, money is only called currency because it has energy and it flows; usually in the direction serving as reward for those who are preoccupied with creating value for or adding value to others. It is not called provision for nothing. It is not the vision and is never a good substitute for it. It is “pro” “vision”, not a vision or a pursuit. The tragedy of undiscovered purpose is what makes men pursue wealth for wealth’s sake. If your desire to consume is greater than your desire to contribute value, you set yourself up for frustration. Your reward is in the quantum and quality of service you render to others.

Results reflect the quality of strategy. People and projects fail because of the weakness of strategy. Strategy is what decides whether the battle you are fighting will be won or not. One of the dimensions of an effective mantle is the strategy by which it connects the value it represents to the people who need it or who can significantly help it to move forward. Where effective connection is lacking, the best of ideas will fizzle out. How are you connecting to your market or the people that need what you have to offer? What is the point of starting a good business without first identifying the beneficiaries and how to make connection with them in a way that makes them want the projected value?

It is not enough to connect with an audience or market. You must also position your brand in their hearts. Patronage of any product or brand is first an emotional decision before it is an economic one. It is essential to connect with people’s hearts before you can effectively connect with their pockets. In the Bible, Bartimaeus, the blind man, used his voice. Zacchaeus the despised tax-collector used the sycamore tree.

In our days, we have social media, word of mouth (aka referrals), giving of samples, advertisement. Four buzz words rule the space of today’s highly choked and choking marketplace. They are uniqueness, content, presence and consistency!

Wanna play? Let’s see your mantle!

Remember. The sky is not your limit, God is!