YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE IF YOU ARE DETERMINED.
Obstacles nor persons cannot stop you unless you allow them.
Our mindset determines how we think and how we act.
When people seek a quick and easy way to make money they become gullible and vulnerable to the deceptions of unscrupulous people who take advantage of their gullibility and eagerness.
Many people believe and rely more on juju, miracles, and mallams. Some also believe in scams to get rich quickly. Their eagerness to get rich quickly and easily becomes the weakness unscrupulous people exploit.
When people are desperate for anything they easily become pliable. And so, unscrupulous people easily take advantage of their weaknesses to manipulate them. People desperate for quick wealth typically do not believe that there is no quick and easy way to become successful in life. They easily believe fairy tale fantasies about how to become rich overnight. They easily believe anything they hear from people who pose as messiahs.
In their desperation to make quick and easy money, they allow themselves to be cheated by people who promise huge and quick financial returns on their little investments. They think that they cannot succeed in life because they have little or no money as capital. Therefore, they think the only way is to take the shortcut.
They lack confidence and cannot believe that they can succeed with the little money they have. But the truth is, you can make money just as you are, even without money. You can use your hands to earn money and make a small capital to start your business.
Some people also think that their geographical locations are paramount in determining their success. However, you can become successful wherever God places you. There is wealth everywhere. Even in the desert you can make wealth if you are determined.
For a long time, Ghanaians believed that it was impossible for northern indigenes to become highly financially successful in the northern parts of Ghana. It was the notion that the northern parts of Ghana were not endowed with wealth. Therefore, it was believed that people from the northern parts of Ghana would remain poor unless they traveled to the southern parts of the country to work.
Those who believed that notion didn’t consider the fact that there were poor people, too, in southern areas of the country. Just as the prevalent notion that one must travel to Europe, America, etc., before one can make money, without considering that there are poor and homeless people struggling in Western and European countries.
We now know that it was a lie that a person could not make wealth in the northern parts of Ghana. We now know that the northern soils of Ghana also possess gold and other rich minerals. People are now mining gold in parts of the Upper East and the Upper West Regions of Ghana. Areas that were previously considered so poor. Gold mining is going on in the Bongo and the Talensi areas, and in other parts of the Upper East Region. Yet the Upper East Region was previously regarded as the poorest region in Ghana.
Lithium has been discovered in the northern parts of Ghana. And other minerals are being discovered in other areas of the country.
Success begins in your mind. No matter how poor you think you are, you, too, can become a wealthy person.
Though money makes success easier, without money you can still achieve success. We hear stories of “from rags to riches,” emphasizing that people who believe in themselves can also rise to the top of the economic ladder. Therefore, do not be limited by the lack of anything. Though lack can hinder progress, lack should not stop you from achieving success. No matter how slow you are, you can also reach your goal.
In 2 Samuel 18, we read of an interesting account. When Absalom was killed, there was the need to send someone with the information to David regarding the outcome of the battle. Joab asked a Cushite to take the message to King David.
Ahimaaz, who was a fast runner, told Joab to let him go instead. Joab told him he could take a message another day, but not the present one.
After the Cushite had taken off, Ahimaaz came again to plead with Joab to let him also run. Joab allowed him. Because he was a fast runner, Ahimaaz came upon the Cushite and passed him on the way.
Do not be angry when others are progressing ahead of you
The Cushite could have been angry with Joab for allowing Ahimaaz also to run when everyone knew that Ahimaaz was a faster runner than him. He could have become angry and heartsick to continue running when Ahimaaz passed him. He could have envied Ahimaaz for being the fastest runner, and for competing with him.
But he didn’t allow these negative feelings to destroy his confidence. Rather he believed that he, too, was relevant.
Believe in yourself.
You may not have the facilities as others have. Nevertheless, you can believe that you are also significant and that you are capable of achieving great success like everyone else. The Cushite was not a fast runner like Ahimaaz. But he had self-confidence and self-discipline.
Success is for those who really deserve it. God reserves success for the people who really want to be successful. People who truly desire to be successful will go all out to achieve it. Self-pity will not bring you success. Respect whatever you have and believe that you can make something great out of what you have.
Jesus told a parable of three persons who received talents from their master. One received five talents, another two, and the third received one. While two believed they could achieve success with what their master gave them, the third who got one talent did not have faith that he could achieve something worthwhile with his one talent.
The one who had two talents believed he could achieve some success just as the one who had five talents. What you do with what you have is important. It is not how much you have. It may take a longer time to get rich, but you will make it.
Most of my achievements happened gradually. They grew slowly to become great achievements.
If the one who received the one talent had also invested his talent, he would have gained another one. And it would have continued to multiply if he continued to re-invest.
Many people want to be successful, but only a few will do what it takes to be successful.
Work diligently…. Persevere against the odds… Believe in yourself and in God.
In fairy tales, people become rich instantly. But even in fairy tales, those who suddenly become great or successful first went through trials. After going through trials, good luck then comes around in the form of a fairy and makes everything to work out easily and smoothly for them.
Real life is not a fairy tale though. Unless you were born into a wealthy family, you will take the hard road to reach success. You must make conscious efforts and must have the determination to reach success.
Many start but do not get to the finishing point. They are the ones who say it is not possible to reach success by doing right. Yet some of us are making it despite such claims.
People easily believe sweet words of “quick and easy returns.” Francis Bacon said, “Men prefer to believe what they prefer to be true.” So, some people believe in fairy tales of getting rich quickly without sweating.
If someone tells you to invest your money for quick and easy returns, especially when the returns are fantastically huge, about fifty percent profit within a couple of days or months, think twice before you leap. Do proper calculations, a proper check on the person, and do not be satisfied with what others may tell you. They may be spreading rumors.
While you are waiting for that miracle to happen in your life, start something. You can be expecting your miracle to happen, but don’t be idle. James tells us that faith must be accompanied by work. If we claim to have faith then we must prove it with action. Faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with action, is dead, (James 2:14, and 26; ISV).
There are two ways of making money… the bad (or wrong) way and the good (or right) way... working hard or diligently, which is the long and narrow way, and the quick and easy way, which is dealing in evil ways, cheating, drugs, prostitution, etc.
When people are in debt, they usually want the quick way out… some will cheat, steal or borrow.
When you borrow, you create a huge financial burden to carry for a long time. Debts are difficult to get off your back. When you pay with what you earn, you are left with nothing, or you have little left. And you feel like borrowing again to survive.
Therefore, learn not to borrow unless you are in a life-and-death situation, or in a real emergency.
Get rid of your debts so you can breathe well to continue with the journey to success. And you must determine to want to come out of debt before you can come out of it.
Don’t daydream! Don’t wish… Put your plan into action!
- Consolidate all your debts and work out a plan to pay in monthly installments.
- Take a percentage of the money you earn, (however small) for savings.
- Increase the percentage of the savings when you clear or pay off some of the debts.
- Use part of what you used to pay those debts that you have cleared to increase the percentage of the remaining ones that you are still paying so you can pay off the remaining ones quickly.
- Determine to cultivate a habit of savings — be frugal and persevere.
People usually see the negative side and will tell you that you cannot achieve the task. You must see the positive side as well. Every coin has two sides. Don’t focus on one side only. Believe that the other side can override the side that you are seeing now.
People who think all is negativity look at themselves, and they think you, too, are like them. Therefore, they think you, too, cannot achieve because they have not yet achieved success.
I read about a highly successful businessman on the internet who was asked how he managed to achieve so much. He replied that he grew great by dreams. He said he turned his mind loose to imagine what he wanted to do. On his bed, he thought about his dreams. In the night he dreamt about them. And when he awoke in the morning, he saw the way to make his dreams real. While people were saying that it was impossible for him to achieve his goals, he was well on his way to achieving what he wanted.
Many people have heard of John D. Rockefeller and his achievements. John D. Rockefeller was not from a rich home. His mother struggled to keep the family surviving.
However, John D. Rockefeller, as a youth had two great ambitions… to make $100,000 (at the time that was a huge money), and to live 100 years.
According to accounts, at 20 his business grossed $450,000. He did not stop pursuing his ambitions. His seriousness projected him to become a millionaire. He established universities, and businesses, including Standard Oil, Rockefeller Foundation, etc.
By 2007, according to reports, the legacy Rockefeller left behind was estimated at $336 billion.
He died in 1937, in just two months he would reach 98 years; almost the 100 years of his ambition.
God told Gideon, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:14)
If you think you cannot be free from debts, then you will continue to be saddled with debts. And that will make you continue to borrow. You will continue borrowing because you think borrowing is the answer. The Bible says the wealthy rule over the poor and the one who borrows is a slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).
Learn to borrow when it is only necessary to borrow. I have learned to live without borrowing. I used to borrow and buy things on credit. Then I realized that was not the way to success. So I cultivated the savings habit. It was not easy. I had to discipline myself to cultivate the habit.
Proverbs 18:14 says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”
Many let their spirits break down when the going becomes tough. When that happens, only the tough continue moving on.
The poor do not save because they feel they earn little. However, if you discipline yourself and save a percentage, no matter how small, you will eventually make capital out of the little savings.
Nothing comes easy. Many people want to achieve the easy way. However, the rich will tell you that they labored to build their wealth.
Whatever you earn, you can save part. No matter how little. Little drops of water, they say, make the mighty ocean. In Ghana, it is cedis and pesewas. In the USA it is dollars and cents, while in the UK it is pounds and shillings. Whatever your currency, just a little and a little, and it will eventually grow big. For instance, in Ghana, five cedis a day x 6 days in the week gives you 30 cedis. Multiply that by 52 weeks and you will get 1,560 cedis; multiply that by 5 years and you have 7,800 cedis.
Though it appears small, 7,800 cedis is capital enough that you can use to start a small business. You need only a little patience and perseverance. Some people in Ghana go in for only 1,000 or 2,000 cedis to start businesses.
On the other hand, if you can save 10 cedis daily for six days a week, it will become 60 cedis at the end of the week. Multiply that by 52 and you will have 3,120 cedis for the year. You can use that for a start-up business. On the other hand, if you want more and you are consistent for 5 years you will have a total of 15,600 cedis. You can use that as startup capital without going in for a loan that attracts interest.
Therefore, you can come out of your debts, and you can be successful if you really are determined.
Don’t envy those who have made it in life. Don’t be angry when no one is helping you. If you want to be angry, then be angry with God. But then, too, you would be wrong. Because God gave you the potential to become successful.
God will not help you when you will do nothing for yourself. God is waiting for you to start and then He will meet you on the way to direct your steps to success.
That “good luck” you are waiting for is ahead of you. You will meet him on your way as you start doing something. Start utilizing the chance available to you now and you will attract good luck and success.
I was penniless and had no one to assist me. However, I was determined to succeed. Therefore, I labored, sacrificed, and saved for my future. My friends who would not do as I did, are still struggling.
Don’t faint in adversity.
Our world is full of deception, violence, hate, and all kinds of evil. Envy is eating and destroying us. People are sarcastic and evil-minded towards fellow humans. The human heart is full of evil and planning destruction against fellow human beings.
C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
So, start from where you are and make a brand-new ending. Don’t succumb to pressures and give up. Don’t let people dictate to you how to live your life. You are the commander of your destiny with God by your side. Let people say what they want. They may see you the way they want, but you can prove to them that you are not a failure.
Remember that no one will make your life for you the way you want it. You will have to make it yourself. Furthermore, do not be angry when people despise you. Instead, use your energy to improve on how you climb your ladder of success.
Tyler Perry said,
“It doesn’t matter if a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you ‘no’. If you get one YES from God, that’s all you need.”
Don’t take so-called shortcuts. Don’t listen to people’s bad advice. Don’t cheat and don’t steal to become successful.
Others are living in the same community or in the same environment as you. Yet they have chosen to remain honest. They have labored through the same challenges that you are complaining about. But they are persevering with determination to do what they must do to achieve their goals.
Jesus said that God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust. What each does with what God makes available determines each one’s success or failure. Therefore, God has given everyone what we call “good luck.” How you use it determines what you will become.
In Ephesians 4:22-29, we read that we should put off the former behavior by renewing the spirit of our minds; we must renew our way of thinking and behaving. The mind processes what we feed the brain.
When you perform an action, the brain registers it as a pattern of behavior or action. Repeating the action eventually makes it become ingrained and a habit is formed.
You can become rich or successful by forming the habit of saving a percentage of what you earn. How long it will take you to get what you want will depend on the percentage or how much you save. And perseverance will make it possible. It may take a longer time if what you are able to save is small. But you will reach there someday if you persevere.
Be focused and patient. Change your thinking and you will change your situation. Renew the spirit of your mind by feeding the mind with positive thoughts. Determine to be a winner and you will be a winner. Determine that you will not steal, or cheat. Practice that until your mind is renewed by adapting to the new honest and persevering attitude.
Don’t be angry when others have made it in life, and you are still struggling. Don’t engage in armed robbery to make it in life.
Cain was angry with his brother Abel when things did not go the way he wanted. He envied his brother Abel. But God told him he was wrong.
6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7; NKJV)
Nobody is preventing you from prospering. Search your heart and be sincere with your yourself.
We read in Proverbs 5:21-23,
21 For God is closely watching you, and he weighs carefully everything you do. 22 The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. 23 He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly. (TLB)
Work and focus on doing what is right in God’s sight.
Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise,” (NKJV).
Note that the passage says that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise. The passage also mentions ‘endurance.’
Our mindset, therefore, determines our actions. Every action we take begins in the mind. We must have the will to practice what we want to be.
Willpower is determination, self-discipline, self-control, and self-regulation. Practicing will renew your mind and enable willpower to operate in you. Self-control is a necessity for survival and achievement.
Many want to achieve success the easy way. However, honest rich people will tell you that they labored to make their wealth.
Angry people cannot wait and think over an issue before reacting. Angry people have little or no patience. Angry people want to be in control.
Some people have risen from grass to grace by dint of hard work, saving the little that they earn and using that to start businesses.
Winners win because even when others have passed them, and they are alone, they continue running; they do not give up. When they find themselves in hostile environments or situations, they do not lose their composure and confidence. They press on. They don’t give up when the going gets tough. They keep feeding their minds with ideas of success as they face difficulties.
Frustration is an emotional response to opposition. Some people deal with frustrations through physical engagements or verbally assaulting their opponents. An individual suffering from frustration may feel powerless to change the situation and may be pushed into anger. He may react in several different ways; some of them negatively. Some people vent their anger by attacking the person that is the cause of their frustrations.
It can be very frustrating and painful when one person is doing everything to make a marriage or relationship work and the other is doing everything that will derail the relationship. That can make some people to get angry and explode. Often, the one who is causing you to have these feelings does not bother how you feel.
We read in Ephesians 4:26-27,
26 Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.
Furthermore, Proverbs 14:29 says that the man who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the impulsive person exalts folly.
Whatever you aim at succeeding, remember that you will encounter difficulties of some sort. There will be hills and mountains, and there will be valleys along the way.
However, no matter the circumstances at any point in time, never give up. No obstacle will be able to defeat you unless you allow it. The obstacles may slow you for a while, but they cannot completely defeat you. Do not let any obstacle you encounter discourage you. Let them serve as incentives for you to work harder.
