Can you Pay the Price (Part 1)

 

Many young people want to be rich and enjoy those who are rich and are making it. But the fact is that many cannot pay the price.

To be a successful rich person, there is a price to pay. I mean if you want to make real wealth and rain wealthy. Here are just some of them:

1. Hardwork: We are living in a society where hardwork to many doesn't pay. They tell you that hardwork doesn't pay and many young people want quick riches. Even in the western world, it is now shifting from hardwork to smart word. Whether it is 'hardwork' or 'smartwork' each of them still have

the headword 'work.' It means you still have to work if you want to be rich and successful. Lazy people can't rich. If they become rich, they cannot sustain it as it would soon vanish away. I heard Adekinle Gold in one of his songs saying, "Dangote o Lori meji." Na lie. Dangote has ten heads. None of us could even match in the shoes of those rich men. Prof. Pat Utomi many years ago once ent a tex to Dangote around 2am and He replied on a split of a second. And Prof. Pat replied, "what are you doing at this wee hour of the morning?" And Dangote replied, "Exactly what you are doing?" Many of us can sleep on water if given the opportunity, yet wants to drive the fastest luxury car or even own private jets. But can't pay the price to deny themselves just three hits of sleep.

2. Value Money: Money is blind as our people in Yoruba describe it. That is why some people are called, "money miss road." Money is like a guest that can visit anybody. Sometimes fortunes smile on the indolent. If this Mr. Money happens to visit you and you treat him well, you are likely to make more money. I mean this guest will stay with you. What that means is that you have to be prudent in your financial resources. Some people have come across money for the first time and they have killed themselves. For some who just suddenly stumbled on wealth, they have injured themselves. For some, the money they are looking for is to lavish on women and to gain respect of ladies or to be the talk of the town. If you are one of such, you can't make lasting riches. You might just be rich for sometimes and then the money vanish away. I am sure you understand the difference between being rich and being wealthy. A rich person can be poor but it is very difficult for a wealthy person to be poor. It all depends on the financial  I.Q of that person.

3. A Good Manager of Resources: One thing I have learnt about wealthy people is that they don't waste resources. It is only the poor people that do so. Another thing common among them is modesty. Wealthy people don't buy something they don't need just to show off. They buy what they need. The other time I was listening to Dangote saying that he doesn't have a house in Abuja. I am sure no one would believe that. He said he doesn't need this because it comes with a lot of expenses. For some boys who just suddenly have small change in their pocket, they would want to hire aides that would carry their phones for them. See how one of the small boy "Were Adugbo" is misbehaving just because of some small change in his pocket.  

I have also learnt that people who are really successful in life have been able to do one thing successfully well. Let me ask you, "what can you say you have done well in your life or in your career?" It might be where you have worked before or what you are doing presently. Can you say you have achieved something or add this to your CV? If not, it is doubtful that you will really be successful or be rich in the real sense of the word. Some people don't even know that wealth is given to us by God. No wonder Jesus said, "if you have been unfaithful in the unrighteous Mammon, who shall commit unto you the true riches?" In Jesus' days money is called the 'unrighteous Mammon' because it is usually ill-gotten. People in those days acquired it illegally. For example, Zacchaeus, who was a tax-collector was ready to make his restitution when he met Jesus. Matthew who was also a custom officer would have made a lot of money as a custom. Jesus alluded to this fact about making money that faithfulness is needed if you want to be really wealthy. If you are working in a bank or as an account officer in a company, and you are always stealing money from where you work, you can't be rich. Yes, you might might make money for sometime, but one day, the nemesis will catch up with you and all that money will go. The fact is, you can't be rich by stealing from other people or cheating other people. It would only take a short time before those wealth you have built for yourself will disappear (when you are stealing from your place of work as an employee or you are outsmarting other people).

4. Have a Midas Touch or know how to count your beans: I am sure you have heard it times without numbers that you cannot be rich by working for other people. I will advise you to read one of my best books on wealth, "Parable of Dollars" by Sam Adeyemi. I am sure you will come and thank me later. If you want to be rich, you should have some side-hustles. Don't just depend on your salary alone. If you are drawing your monthly salary, you can think of other small businesses to do in order to make money. There are many things to sell online. You can also use your skills like teaching, music, computing, driving, etc. to make extra income. Most teachers complain that apart from teaching, there is not much to do to make money. It is because those teachers haven't really looked inward. There are many things to do as a teacher to make money. Even the teaching profession has not been fully explored. So, try to get another stream of income apart from your regular job or engagement.

5. Save, Save, Save: If you want to be rich, you cannot eat with your ten fingers. When you are getting a good salary that is the time to save big. If possible, try to be saving half or thirty percent of your salary. Put that in the account that you don't have an ATM. If the bank asks you to take it, tell the bank you don't need it. For some people, they always have their ATM with them. They see Shawarma, they buy. They see suya, they buy. They are very charitable people. If you are the type that is a spendthrift, you can't be rich. Just forget it. Or you are always visiting the beer parlour or have chains of girlfriends. This would be your ruin in terms of finances if you are used to such a lifestyle. I have not seen a guy who wants to please ladies and won't spend on them. To be rich requires self-discipline, because money won't stay with you if you are always spending on niceties or the non-essentials. Or, if you don't you plan your finances. You would have spent be you plan. I pity you!

Just before the COVID, I made some money and I don't know what to do with the money. So, I decided to invest in printing my books which were in high demand then. I spent less printing the books and after COVID, there were high demands and I made some cool money. I still sold some copies of the books last month and I made about five times more than what I invested in printing the books. No wonder the Bible says that a child that sleeps in the summer is not a wise son. I listened to a song on radio, "just dey play." To those of you who wants to blow without hustling, I say, "just dey play." See you in Part 2 and have a wonderful weekend.

 

I will stop here and only continue with part 2 of you really want it and have learnt something from this. I would appreciate your comment on this!