This is a space of TRUTH where you can get inspiration to Impact your personal life and the life of others, I chronicle some of the things I have done, I share my failures and successes in regards to personal finance, personal leadership etc. I also share other inspirational stories of men and women who have shaped this world in this area.
Your attitude and mindsets will be reset to start believing that you were designed to do more with what you have (I call it re-writing personal finance).
Overtime we have seen people who have made it from rag to serious riches. The story of how their wealth has been made is clear and well documented. Many of these wealthy people have practiced well known principles of hard-work, delayed gratification, investment, etc. And yes they are living the life that money people crave to have.
Along their journeys of either growing wealth or being born in it, some choose to remain humble while others choose to live a life that is full of pride. They tend to close out or help humanity, whatever their choice is, it is at their discretion.
I listened to this mind boggling video and Chris Ryan, the author of 'Civilized to Death: The price of progress' says that Rich people have the tendency to distance themselves from people because pf their wealth differential. In this video he mentions quite a number of things that will cause you to "Think".
The nicest thing a wealthy person can do is to welcome people, accommodate them, share their knowledge, open their hearts, share a meal with those who they say of of low status, guide, impart, empower, and transform their lives.
I recently had a chat with my wife and we were talking about a story that has been shared countless times on WhatsApp forums. The story is about a rich man who used to give his condolences (money, here in Uganda, we call it "Mabugo") instead of going for a funeral. His money would speak for him. One day he lost someone and his gate was wide open and no one entered, the locals decided to do the same thing he always did, they sent their "Mabugo-Condolence money" instead of going to mourn with him. Why did they do that? instead of walk through his gate. This kind of alienation brings about Isolation, when it is time for mourning, more than ever we need humanity more than money.
It is written that it is better to be in the house of mourning than of laughter. In times of pain, people need a touch, words of kindness and comfort, they need warmth more than the material resources we send them and above all they need is "You"-
People comfort better than money does, people have feelings, money doesn't. People understand, money doesn't, it only facilitates many processes, as you give money, give more of yourself.
My encouragement to someone out there reading this is that as you grow, don't be far from humanity be close to it. Theodore Roosevelt once said, that, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care"
Successful people understand that every time you break the promises you make to yourself, you feed your identity as an impostor and weaken your self-confidence as a person of action. - Julian Hayes
I love sharing experiences about different things but I am drawn quite a number of times to this thing called money. Money is so crazy a thing that people will lie or work hard and smart to get it, it can be used to empower communities or to manipulate them. It continues to be one of the most talked about things, people are grinding everyday in tough economies, they go to bed thinking about how they can make more or how they can just survive or even how they use it to build generational wealth.
I am a lover of planning, lover of making budgets but I do fall short just like anyone else and many times I know that because I did those right things, they set me up to succeed in one thing or the other. The problem comes when you start breeding familiarity, when you start saying I already know what to do or when you start saying I will do the plan in my head.
Experience teaches us that it is always good to document because it becomes easy to follow up with what has been clearly written down in a defined and understandable manner. We have had this truth said before, write down your vision, so that those who see it will run with it. People who plan are people who prepare and those who don't are worse than animals who at least know what to do.
Julian Hayes makes some resounding statements in his quote, he says that successful people understand that every time you break promises you make to yourself, you feed your identity as an impostor, this got me thinking, how many times do I say I will save this amount of money, I will invest in this or that and end up not doing a thing at all.
Our desire to not follow through with some of these habits we know have worked well over time has cost us a lot, we become complacent and keep postponing what we know will definitely build bridges that we and the generations to come will cross on.
When it comes to money, I do encourage us to get back to the basics, seek to read, seek to understand, seek to make plans that you will act on, if we do that we can win and be successful. Remind yourself that you are the difference between success and failure because you are the one who will call the shots.
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and
disputing, 15 that you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world.
There
are many ways we can help this world; I believe it starts with us seeing
ourselves as problem solvers. Are you seeing yourself as light to the darkness,
arrogance, hopelessness etc.
We
live in a world where everyone is pointing a finger at the other. They say you should
have done this or you should have been doing this. Often the complainants have
no solution to the underlying problems. Instead of being problem propagators,
why not think? As problem solvers.
Often
people will blame their money problems on the government, on high taxes, on how
the rich are unfair and don’t want to share their piece of the pie, on how they
did not get the best education. All this holds some bit of truth but I believe
that when people come to their senses, then nothing can stop them.
The
first solution to our everyday problems is to firstly accept that there is a
problem and you are part of it. You find the person with a poor mindset talking
about how he or she wants to drive the latest car, they are talking about how
they want the biggest house and how they want to be just like that rich person
in the village. They don’t talk about how they can get wisdom, understand the
value and ethics of work that those whom they are admiring are adhering too.
You find such people even plotting on how they can go rob such a person, they
want to get rewarded where they haven’t worked.
When it comes to money, someone will tell you, "I can't budget" that stuff is for stone age. They will tell you, I will start planning for my future when I get that big break through. Some will say, ah! For me parents are already rich, why do I have to work, others will say I can't afford, my money is too little. When they fall into deep trouble, they remember and start regretting. Choose to be wise and walk like wise people
Two stories of women who are solving
problems in this world
Ephesians 2: 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them.
Esther Kalenzi’s story
“I realized that the children’s needs became
my needs and I was always on the move trying to get funding for my new family”
– Esther Kalenzi
When
I think of problem solvers in Uganda, I can gladly mention people like Esther
Kalenzi. Esther Kalenzi is the founder of Forty Days over Forty Smiles
Foundation, a local NGO that helps the needy; especially children and youth.
From her story, helping the needy is a passion that was first shown when she
was a student in Agha Khan High School. She raised funds to pay school fees for
fellow students. She says that she looked at the spending pattern of students
and realized that they had more than enough pocket money. She was reported by
fellow students for what she was doing, she was summoned and it turned out that
the school administration offered the student a scholarship.
If
we all had an eye to see that we can solve an issue, then we can make the world
we live in a better place. Today people are longing for inspired action, not
just mere talk that is full of emptiness, no vision and no purpose.
Recently Esther was recognized, her works moved the queen Elizabeth II, Click this link for more.
Malala’s Story
“I
told myself, Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life.
Don’t be
afraid — if you are afraid, you can’t move forward” - Malala Yousafzai
Another
person with a great story is MALALA Yousafzai
I believe we have all heard of her. She is the girl who stood up for EDUCATION and was shot by the Taliban.
These were her words, “I don’t want to
be thought of as the “girl who was shot
by the Taliban” but the “girl who fought for education.” This is the cause
to which I want to devote my life”. She demanded that girls be allowed to
receive education. How many of us can put our lives on the line to see a dream
come through? I guess it takes more than just surviving a bullet, weathering a
storm, I believe it takes purpose.
There
is so much to write about the life of Malala, All I can say is that her, Esther
Kalenzi and many people out there who are solving problems are in the bracket
of those who are Fixing issues and not the ones throwing blame. The question I would ask is, "What Problem Are You Solving?"
We
read about levels of poverty rising every day, we see reports that the poor are
getting poorer, probably you and I fall in that bracket, but on my side and the
side of my friend Edward Yosia Hire, we want to teach financial literacy, we
want people to win, we want to hear a new song that will be sang by the media
of how people are changing their lifestyles, becoming more purposeful with
money. A story of hopelessness turning into one of hope. A story of people who
are seeing opportunities in problems and doing something about it.
We want to liberate
and change mindsets, we want people to believe that God has given us wisdom to
create wealth and do it the right way. We want to see ventures that are created by people to serve people, better schools, better health services, better education, better systems of justice, better leaders of integrity etc. Please read Never Broke Again to be inspired more. #Impact #Empower #Transform
“Don’t
be committed to the physical environment,” Nichols said. “Be committed to
what’s in your mind. I fed my son possibility even when we didn’t see a lot.”
Philippians 3:13 NLT "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this
one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,"
Ever
been in a place where you are at the edge. There are people who have lost
everything and been written off, there are people who have been to the darkest pit and had no one to help them but themselves. Has that been your story or
have you seen someone who has gone through it and still see them come out? Indeed,
the light at the end of the tunnel is there for everyone to receive but some
people choose to allow the worst of circumstances get to them, some give up and
say, “I will never amount to anything”.
My
dear reader, I want to share with you the story of Lisa Nichols. This story sent
chills through my spine. I know I have seen some situations that are similar
but can anyone come to their senses and declare, “I will never be broke again”
some say these things and do nothing about them, others say these things and
have it on their wishful list but still keep hoping and never get out to act.
Every
problem is a gift — without problems, we would not grow - Anthony Robbins
“Most
people want the convenience of transformation without the inconvenience required
for transformation” – Lisa Nichols
Lisa Nichols Story –
Never Broke Again
“Your story is not meant to be your fortress but your fuel” – Lisa Nichols
In
a nutshell, while growing up she relatively had a good upbringing but she was a slow learner in school and her teacher told her that she should never speak in
public because she wasn’t good. She got pregnant while young and the father of
her child went to jail while her child was 8 months old and she was left to
fend for herself and her son, she was on welfare and as time went on, she
realized that she was unable to provide pampers for her son as she had $11 42 cents and she had to wrap him in
clothes for two days, this was her turning point and she told her child, “Don’t
worry baby, Mummy will never be this broke or broken again”. She
continues to say in this interview, that that day what shifted from me, “I
was willing to completely die to any form of me that I had been so that I could
birth the woman I was becoming, the reason why a lot of people won’t become who
they want is because they have been attached to who they’ve been” This story reminds me, You Are Not Less Than What You Ought To Be.
“When
I go study something, I learn it and own it” – Lisa Nichols
She
was willing to become a student, she was willing to let friends go, she was
willing to come out of what wasn’t working, come out of the company of people
who weren’t pushing her forward. The problem with many of us is that we stick
to the same company of failures and expect different results. The definition of
insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. Remember to study, it is a good way to invest in yourself.
In her book No Matter What, she shares a lot about some of the things she went through. Lisa
got a wake-up call when she wasn’t able to provide one of the most basic needs of
her child. In her story, while ravaging through life, she had a dream, even if
she was a good writer, she kept writing, she kept volunteering and speaking to
youth, there is a time she wasn’t able to pay for a conference that she knew
would greatly help her, she decided to offer to do some work by cleaning and
that would pay for her dues. But she chose to be a lifelong learner until the day she got a call to go speak on a show, she couldn’t believe such a moment
had come in her life. She asked her prayer partner to pray with her and his
words in prayer spoke so deeply to her that she knew that as an imperfect
person, she would be helping other imperfect people.
You can rise from any
pit
Our
greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
—Confucius
There is no pit no one can fail to rise from,
someone might want to say show me how but I would say get inspiration from the
stories of those who have been to the darkest pit. The bible tells us of
Joseph, Job, and many others. Never lose focus, never keep your eyes off your
dream, some people will laugh at you but who knows if what you are doing won’t
come to their rescue.
Let your problems be
a springboard for you to rise up
"Problems
are only opportunities with thorns on them" -Hugh Miller
We
all face problems at various levels, some are devastating, others just suck the life out of us. I strongly believe that anything can be conquered, I believe
that with God nothing is impossible, I believe God gives us the wisdom to sail
through any storm. I believe problems are an opportunity to become innovative,
to bring out our creative drive, and to enable us to bring long-lasting solutions
to issues. I know with changing environments and new technologies; new problems
will come but some of the old ones we know must be dealt with so that we can
face new things.
When
I resigned from one of the jobs that I had, I knew that life wouldn’t be easy.
For 6 months I looked here and there and there was just no sign that I would
come out of joblessness. I did not give up on doing what I was passionate about
and trained to do. I kept telling myself, this is an obstacle along the way, I will
get past it someday. I kept telling myself, things will change for the better.
My attitude changed and this was one of the most important things that happened
to me. A job opportunity came and it wasn’t paying like the previous jobs I
had, from earning something fairly good, it was like as if I was just starting out as a fresh graduate. I humbled myself and sailed through. I kept saying that, one of the reasons I
should work is so that I can prepare for the future better, learn so much now,
invest wisely, and be free of working for people. I am still on my journey and I
know that am preparing myself for many things ahead, I still need to climb one
mountain, maneuver the valleys and climb more mountains – I will get there.
Lisa
Nichols said this in one of her books, one of the main mistakes I see people
make is forgetting to put their thoughts and desires into action. They believe
that thinking about something really hard or talking about it a lot will make
it happen. Sadly, those things are not enough. Desire thought, and action all
have to be present for transformation to occur. Without action, it’s just a
great “aha!” Action is the most pivotal step—it’s the catalyst for change and
movement.
Focus on your goals,
not on your worries
When
you focus on your goals instead of your worries, you can begin to live more in
possibility and peace and less in fear of deprivation, scarcity, and lack. Bad
things may happen, but they won’t determine the outcome and the quality of your
life.
Poverty
can be dealt with, sometimes we need those who have been hit hard to wake up,
dust themselves and do what they have been called to do by accepting where they
are, accepting to learn and accepting to grow through every hard bit in life. Don't blame everything on witchcraft, some people run so fast to say, so and so was bewitched, yet they are just lazy.
My
dear friends, financial education is one thing I am pushing for, Lisa kept saying that she was going to FUND HER DREAM, are you doing anything in regards to that, are you consuming instead of investing. I am tired of
seeing debt take over the lives of people, I am tired of seeing people go to
school, get good grades, and have no jobs. I am tired of money not being talked
about by parents at the dinner table, in the cars, in the market. This
discussion has to come to every sphere, the church, the media, etc. There is a
lot of truth that can help many. Our television sets are full of soap operas,
these things try and push an idea of a life of laziness, rage, unforgiveness,
lust, etc. We need to emulate the nations that are pushing the agenda of growth,
entrepreneurship, love for the nation.
“The
only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision” – Helen Keller
In
his book, “Vision less life, Meaning less
life” Dr Sunday Adelaja talks about a lady who broke the barriers of
adversity. Her name is Hellen Keller.
Helen
Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Keller was born
with her senses of sight and hearing, and started speaking when she was just 6
months old. In 1882, however, Keller contracted an illness - called “brain
fever” that produced a high body temperature. Within a few days after the fever
broke, Keller’s mother noticed that her daughter didn’t show any reaction when
the dinner bell was rung, or when a hand was waved in front of her face. In
simple terms she became deaf and blind.
In
1887, Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with
her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904.
This
is a unique story. It is unique in many ways because her parents and teachers
did whatever it takes to enable this young lady sail through life. She was so
determined to learn and she became a worldwide sensation moving from one nation
to another inspiring people with her story.
She
was given a thunderous round of applause after speaking to an audience of many
people. Everyone was eager and waiting
to hear every word she was going to say. The room was dead silent; you could
hear the drop of a pin. After her speech, it was time for questions. Her
translator shared the questions with her and she was able to answer. The
question was, “What would you prefer, being deaf or blind?” her answer was that,
“The
only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision”. Her
response was like a knockout blow that came from nowhere.
A
woman who lost her sight and hearing at childhood overcame this enormous challenge
and achieved much more than those who had their two eyes and ears.
Dr
Sunday Adelaja writes and says that, “Hers was an incredible life. Beyond
words, she had truly proven to her audience and to the world that ‘the only
thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision” and that she has
shown that vision is the greatest possession of a man, not eyesight.
See this video of her story
Don’t Despise or Look
Down On Yourself
My
dear reader, I hope by now after reading about Hellen Keller, you will sit back
look at how blessed you are and get rid of all the excuses. We have so many
excuses about why we can’t do this or that. There are many stereotypes we have
labelled on ourselves. Some of us have even said that, “These things are for a
chosen few”. I want to believe that in the uniqueness that God has created you
with, he has a purpose for you. Everybody has a significance, all they have to
do is find their significance, that
is what Noeline Kirabo would tell anyone she is inspiring.
"You can live for more if you dare to dream beyond your wildest expectations. Dreaming is free but success comes at a cost. Dare to dream and live for more" - Noeline Kirabo
I
still want to remind someone out there, that no disability, no lack, no
hindrance can stop them from fulfilling their purpose in this life. Be like
Hellen Keller, go out and study, go out and inspire, go out and do what seems
impossible. Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done”.
Stir Up the Gift
Within You
In
the Bible, Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him. Sometimes you
need to be reminded that you have value within you, that you are a world
changer, that you have the solution to the underlying problems. We only get
better when we convert our time into tangible results and use it wisely. Have
you been dreaming about sorting out the mess of corruption in this world,
helping street children find homes, feeding the hungry in this nation (Probably
doing farming at another level). Are you tired of our education system, what
are you doing about all these things? When you start getting disturbed about
some of these things, those are signs that you need to deal with them.
On
a personal note, I have seen how the issue of personal finance is a big issue
to individuals, families, churches etc I have seen how people are indebted and
it bothers me, I believe there is a solution, that pushed me to self-educate
and apply the principles I learnt in my life, and this is because I wanted to
first see change in my life. Now I can fully share and help people where I have
failed before. I am a long life student, learning doesn’t stop after one
success story. I have and continue to invest time in learning, I have found
truth is God’s word and books have read, it is so revealing how truth sets one
free.
Proverbs 24:5 NLT The wise are mightier than the strong and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. You want to get stronger and stronger, don't sit back, seek knowledge, seek truth and be transformed by it
This
is what Michael Althsuler had to say about Time, “The bad news is time flies. The good
news is you’re the pilot”. King Solomon said it best, “Yet
another thing I observed under the sun is that races aren’t won by the swift or
battles by the strong, and that food doesn’t go to the wise or wealth to the
intelligent or favor to the experts; rather time and chance rule them all”
Eccl. 9:11 (CJB).
I believe Hellen Keller is a product of using her time well,
instead of complaining about her state, she embraced who she was and God used her to inspire and empower others.
Let me end by saying this, “You aren’t less
than what you ought to be, you have been made for more.” Be visionary like
Hellen Keller, you don’t need to see with your physical eyes, all you need is
insight from God on what he has purposed for you to do on this earth.
There are many other examples of those who never chose the status quo, who never chose to become victims of circumstance, they believed that all things work out for good, they let their lessons of hardship fuel them to achieve their dreams, and they have become a blessing to many. The story of Lisa Nichols on Never Being Broke Again is one that will propel you to wake up.
“The
greatest discovery in life is self-discovery. Until you find yourself you will
always be someone else. Become yourself.” - Dr Myles Munroe
Identity Crisis
As I continue from where I stopped
in part one of this subject “You Are Not Less Than What You Ought To Be”.
I want to delve into the importance of "knowing our Identity".
My dear reader I strongly believe that when you
know who you are, no one can manipulate you and it puts you in a position to
rise above every challenge. Joseph was thrown into the pit and sold into
slavery but that did not deter what he would become. He remained a faithful servant even when he was jailed. He had already had dreams
and conceived the revelation who was and what he would become, this is an
amazing story that is told over and over and it reminds us that there is so
much at stake but we need not fear but rise to the occasion.
There is an Identity crisis and this
is something we shouldn’t shy away from. There are young or old people who
still haven’t discovered who they are. They have modeled their lives on
someone else’s life (the way they walk, talk, dress, act etc). The peril of comparison is fueling this more than ever, because people have refused to be content with how they were created and aren’t
appreciating their uniqueness. They are copy cats and that's a bad thing.
When you search the internet, you
get to find that people are spending billions of money to look a certain way,
women are doing plastic surgery to change the way they look, I happened to
stumble on a video of a person who spent millions of dollars to look like
Angelina Jolie and another to look like Brad Pitt, these so called stars have made
their own names and done whatever it takes to take their craft to greater
heights that's why they are celebrated, others are trying to emulate them but they are doing it the wrong way by photocopying.
In part one of thearticle, I said this, “Sometimes we need to show people their worth and
tell them, what others do, they too can do and only do it better".In telling them so, we are igniting a fire and a passion for them to rise
up from the pit of despair to the top of the mountain of possibilities.
Story of Arthur G. Gaston, Black Titan (Making of A Black American
Millionaire)
In this book, the
authors Carol Jenkins and Elizabeth Gardner Hines wrote; -
Some of the men you see
and cannot see are convicts, leased out by the state to bring in revenues; some
are war veterans, newly returned to face few opportunities and ample disdain.
Nevertheless, one of these men, bruised like all the others by the demands of
his working life, is on the verge of taking his first step in the direction of
becoming a bona fide millionaire—one hundred times over.
Before this man is
through, he will serve as an adviser to President John Kennedy. He will play a
pivotal movement. One day he will even be likened to the great giants of
American industry—Rockefeller, Morgan, and Carnegie among them. Like just about
every other black man in Alabama in the early part of the twentieth century,
Arthur G. Gaston started with next to
nothing: His mother was a cook in the kitchen of a prominent white family; he
never had more than a tenth-grade education. After the war he had taken his
position in the mines as a means of survival—only to emerge utterly determined
that his life was worth more than what the mines were offering. In Summary, he
broke the status quo, he undid stereo types in a time of high slavery, he
traded the path that many did not walk, he was involved in (banking, insurance, motel,
restaurant, real estate, construction, funeral homes and cemeteries, radio
stations, senior housing, and a business college). He was involved and
supported the civil rights movement lead by Martin Luther King jr, he supported
financially and in many other ways.
“What I did any man can
do, if he has willpower, determination and a plan” - Arthur G. Gatson,
From the story of this man, we get to
understan
He was a product of the
slave parents and being a slave means so many things, less opportunities, oppression
etc.
He never had a tenth
grade education.
He worked in the mines
as a means of survival.
To read more about Arthur G. Gaston, you can get this book from Amazon.
Knowing who you are pushes you to discover your purpose
His story doesn’t stop there,
while working in the mines for survival, he gets a revelation that his life was
worth more than what the mines were offering. Such revelations come to this who
view themselves differently, those who get to really know who they are. I am
stretching the point of IDENTITY, what can stop you if you get to know who you
are, I believe nothing. When you get to know who you are, it pushes you to
discover more of yourself and in doing so, you eventually get to know your
purpose.
Believe in who you are, focus on who you are, don’t live somebody
else’s life – you are unique, embrace it
Have you looked down on yourself, have you believed that you
were just created a biomass and for nothing, have you believed that you have no
purpose, all those thoughts are lies, you were made for more and the dreams you
have had are valid, the ideas you have thought about to solve problems of this
world are valid. As much as you haven’t started to work your dream out, it
doesn’t mean you can’t start now. My dear reader, you are valuable, you have so
much worth, so much potential, choose to empty yourself and let your god given
talents and abilities begin to flow. You are not less than what you ought to
be. I read this somewhere, “If you are a
fish then don't spend your life trying to climb trees, you will never be great
at it. Just keep swimming”. Check out part 3 #Impact #Empower #Transform
Generations come and go.
Some people set the pace for hundreds of years while others destroy the future
for many. Our actions are a direct proportion of what we sow for our
immediate, near, and long term future. Blessings flow through generations because
of acts of obedience and curses flow because of acts of disobedience.
When I think about
Abraham, his decision to live his family and follow what God had told him to do that is something of great faith. He left and went to a place the Lord would show
him. Getting to the unknown by a God who knows, is a pure act of faith, He trusted in God's ability to lead him to the promise that would come after many years.
We have seen corruption
eat up the wealth of many people, it has disadvantaged and ravaged the lives of
many. Many of the corrupt decisions have left many hungry, poor, and with services
broken down. We have seen over the years that our direct actions have a bearing
not only on our lives but on the lives of those attached to us (family) and to
the community and nation at large. When a road is made where there was no way,
it doesn’t only benefit one person, it benefits generations. When a well is
dug, it benefits generation (Case in point are the wells Abraham dug, Isaac
came and had to dig them up again and found water). Reflect on every decision
you make; it can shape or break the future.
While checking through my
WhatsApp messages, Andrew Odoch Umahtete sent me an audio message. It was I
think one of the best messages I could listen to as I ended the month of
January. I am passionate about re-writing family history and doing things that
will enable the future of not just my family but those I come in contact with
being better. I am sold out to share my life with young people and tell them that
they don’t have to repeat my mistakes but learn from the lessons of others. I am about
Impacting, Empowering, and Transforming.
The message I listened to
was about generational thinking. I searched the internet to find out who spoke
about it and found out it was Dr Mensa Otabil, He is a man from Ghana who leads
the International Gentral Gospel Church.
The message was so empowering I thought I could write an article to highlight
a few things that caught my attention.
A Story About Tetteh Quarshie
In his Sermon, he talked
about how Ghana became the leading exporter of Cocoa.
In the early 1800s
he went as a plantation farmer (almost a slave), left the shores of Ghana, undertook
a voyage to the Spanish colony Fernando Po (now Bioko in Equatorial Guinea). About six years later he returned
to Ghana with several cocoa beans (the Amelonado) and made history.
Dr. Mensa said that
he wasn’t a mid-level or high-level worker, he was just a worker
With the few Cocoa
seeds with him, he settled in Mampong,
He planted his
first seeds in 1879 but did not have much success very early. At that time two
bags were exported. The export of Cocoa
from Ghana began in 1891, and the official export in 1893 (two bags exported –
source Wikipedia)
It is written in
Wikipedia that soon other farmers followed suit and that Basel Missionaries
stepped into the picture by importing large quantities of the cocoa seeds into
the country.
Between 1910 and
1980 Ghana was the world's largest exporter.
In Ghana Cocoa
industry became foundation of the economy
More than 40% of
export earnings come from cocoa
He said the reason why he
was giving these statistics is because One Man Carried the Economy of the Country
On His Shoulders
In regards to what is
written about, Dr Mensa Otabil Points out that
A Generational Thinker (Visionary): -
Is able to sow
seeds for the future.
Is not only someone
who is committed to what he wants to enjoy today but someone who says if I run with this race, I must make sure
the next generation doesn’t run my race but its race in a better way.
Doesn’t think only of his personal needs.
Must plan for four
generations ahead of him or think of the next person on the line.
For everything he
or she does, he must think of the person coming after them. They should find it
easier and greater than the way it was.
Invest in the
future – he talked of things like saving for your children so that they can
have a starting point.
Buys land, not
just for themselves but for their children and children’s children.
Carries their own burden,
so that someone else doesn’t have to carry theirs.
He said, “If we are going to take charge of the future,
we have to be generational thinkers”. He also mentioned that “We cannot neglect personal responsibility in
building the future of our families, society and the nation at large, if we all
play our part, we can prepare the future in a better way for many.” Mensah
said that we wouldn’t be fighting some of the battles that we are fighting
today. Fights of unemployment because of decisions based on corruption, fights
like not renting for a long time but leaving a rental after 5 years and going to your
own place or buying your own apartment.
You could be a
generational thinker and a hero like Tetteh Quarshie. Be The Hero of
Generations to come just like Martin Luther King Jr, Billy Graham, Wright
Brothers, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Henry
Sampson, Kwame Nkrumah, Arch Bishop Janan Luwum, etc. Please listen to the video over here
Proverbs 21:6 Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.
The pursuit of wealth, if not
directed under the guidance and stewardship of God can be very very dangerous.
My dear reader it has been clearly written that the love for money is the root
of all evil. We need to note clearly that it says “The love for money and not that
money is evil”. Loving money
is different from lacking it but also those who lack it can be pushed to limits
to do whatever it takes to get it. It is both dangerous to love money and to
lack it, that’s why we need to know the truth behind this thing called money,
you will find that there is so much about this thing that the bible even says
it answers all things.
During the course of 2016,
someone told me and my friend that we would amount to nothing, the person
mentioned that it was hard to do deals with us because we are "Christians". He
also said that we could never grow rich or wealthy. In my heart, I declared that
I am richer than the money in my pocket or in my bank account. I know that I am
rich in values and virtues that are strongly apart of my everyday Christian walk.
I know that the God I serve owns everything and that he gives me the power to
create wealth. God’s power to create wealth is genuine, it isn’t corrupt, it
isn’t extortion.
His word talks of how when you are diligent in work and what God has called me to do, it leads to
wealth and also talks of how laziness brings about poverty. All I need to know
is how to use these God-given skills and truths in a full application in my
everyday life.
I know that without goods and services to people, money won't come to me, I also know that if I don't engage in the production of anything that adds value to the lives of people then money still won't come, I know for a fact that God has to be my number priority to guide me in my everyday affairs, I also know that I need to show that God has called me to fruitfulness, not just claiming a good life of cars, nice houses, etc without applying due diligence, people covet, claim, wish and do nothing about working, they will even tell you I don't have to work, I am already blessed, otherwise, we wouldn't be using the internet to share all these things, if the inventor sat back and did not do what he was inspired to do the world wouldn't be connected on the web.
We wouldn't be using cell phones If Henry Sampson, the inventor of Cellular Phones also sat back. It is because of this man that I can talk on my phone from Uganda to anyone in the Southern Pacific or deep down in Switzerland. We need to create products, services that add value to the lives of people, when people are in need of them, you get paid. We should engage our minds to think and avoid the concept of things coming freely, yet we can work and be fruitful as God requires of us.
I happened to sit in the counsel
of an elder. She told me a story about her workplace. In her workplace, people did
not like her because of her faith. She was a very integral person who kept her
books of account very well. She was very hard to bribe and she was even
threatened with death countless times. One day one of her colleagues asked her
to do the wrong thing and she vehemently refused. This man she was telling me
about had been extorting money of people by creating accounts with names of people who don't exist, some long-dead (ghost employees). He stole enough
money and money from those who were also still alive.
He set out to build his
house and while his was constructing. It is said that the house was built in
such a way that the builders did not use the right measurements. They actually
stole from him as well what he stole from people. As his house was finished he was
bidding his landlord farewell, no sooner had he entered his new house than it
came crumbling down. He had left his rented place and also had no where to stay since his house was no more (Double Tragedy).
David Cameron, British PM at the
time said, "If the
amount of money stolen out of Nigeria in the
last 30 years was stolen in the UK, then the UK would not
exist again". This is a strong statement and it shows that our actions
if not sanctioned can lead to total destruction.
I think what the writer says in Proverbs
21:6 is so true wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a
deadly trap. This man lost his money and his house, what a way to be repaid?
I want to encourage us to purpose
to grow but grow little by little. Get rich schemes, conning, bribing people,
killing people to extort money are some of the deadliest traps that can happen to
a human being. You would rather be what Proverbs 19:1 says “Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and a fool.” It is written there is a way that
seems right to a man but its end is destruction, follow the way of
righteousness and not your own ways.