Never Broke Again – Could That Be Your Story!

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“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.

See this video for more of Lisa's story

#Impact #Empower #Transform

Resolve To Succeed Financially: I now have knowledge I am not poor anymore said Amos Wekesa

Photo by From YouTube

 By Arthur Moses Opio

"If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already... Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." ~ Abraham Lincoln

A friend of mine called Moses Isiagi resolved he was going to do his Masters in University of Cape Town in South Africa. With that resolve, he kept applying and one day, he tells us, I have gotten an offer, I have been accepted. 

The daunting task now was the money for fees, ticket and many other things. For him, the key thing was to get there. He talked to a few friends and some money was raised. To cut the long story short. He found his way to South Africa, studied and graduated and is now pursuing a PhD. The journey wasn't an easy one, there were so many ups and downs, tough nights, brokenness, etc. but that did not break him, instead it gave him to momentum to resilient to achieve his dream.

The above quote from Abraham Lincoln to a young man who asked how he could become a lawyer is so profound. 

"Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing". Nothing gets going until we resolve to get started. The inner determination to say, I have what it takes to build this dream is the first step in ensuring the vision or dream gets started. 

While listening to a TikTok video with the handle @cleaningtheairwaves that has been making rounds on social media, I couldn't hold back but put this excerpt into this article as it speaks to the topic of resolve. 

The interviewee Rinah Hicks said, "It will help you so we started that journey how did you identify what do we do and he’d come we sit we talk and he would bring 2000. The first amount he bought was 5000. He used to earn part time I think when he came here, he had earned 19,000 shillings and he gave us 5000 to start his journey. He started his journey and I worked with him for four years. After four years I had grown and moved into a different department and I handed him over to a friend of mine. 2011 Richie now I am approving payments I’m now in operations and I see his a check and a request for payment and I see his name on this thing and it’s 2.4 million shillings. I called him, "Please can we have coffee? Like how did we get here. So what are you asking me? I was consistent sometimes it was 2000 sometimes it was 5000 and then I got to a job and then I just continued." This guy used to eat chapati dondo  once a day just so that he would save money but he remained super consistent. I asked myself, "My darling sister what is in your account at this point in time and I realized I had messed up again because I took it for granted what I had." And he told me he was putting a down payment for an office at Crawford Business Park. I am like what, "So he put his down payment, got a loan for the balance and he rented out and I think now he has paid it off but he has continued to be consistent to this day. Those days he was 2000, 5000, 10000 now it's 100,000 every month. Let me just tell you that one client is the reason I have money wise, one of the reasons.""

Dave Ramsey says, "Your income is your most important wealth building tool." Following through with the story Rinah shared of the man who said he was consistent and continues to be to this day. It seems he knew or knows something about using his income as seed to grow and produce more seeds. He invested, bought an apartment, the apartment continues to give him rent and he continues to invest? What have you resolved to do? 

My first job was as a cleaner. I was earning 10 dollars a month - Amos Wekesa

Amos Wekesa once said, "When I started doing business, it's about 5/6 years, every time my mother looked at me, she could shed tears. It's not until 5 or 6 years ago that she opened up. When I was born she was so poor that she contemplated killing me. She planned to kill me on a Friday not because she did not like me but because the conditions were very difficult for her." Let that sink in, poverty can be that bad, it can make us think of doing crazy things.

I watched the interview between Amos Wekesa and Wode Maya and learnt quite a number of things, he said, "I hadn't eaten meat for so many years, I looked old but I was not that old. I went and served meat and I remember walking home and I cried and told God, 'Why did you make me so poor?' that even meat is such an important thing and that day I made a renewal of my life and that if I get a chance, I will work so hard and my dream was to work so hard to eat a lot of meat."

Today Amos is the face of Tourism in Uganda, he founded PELA commodities to produce grain and he continues to pioneer in many areas in his life. His resolve to work so hard can be seen with the results of his great works through Great Lakes Safari Lodges, Elephant Plains lodge,  Primate Lodge Kibale, Budongo Eco Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, MV Kazinga (boat cruise).

"I understand poverty. I have first hand experience with poverty.  Poverty is very demeaning" says Amos Wekesa. "When we were born, I hardly ate chicken. When I came to Kampala, I went to a slum and I was paying less than 2 dollars. I had this land lady from Hell. She would go and drink and come at 3AM tell me how poor I was."

"My first job was as a cleaner. I was earning 10 dollars a month. I never used to use a car. I would walk 20kms for 3 hours, that was my normal life, I never used to question it but it was also hard, I went to a good school for A-levels, most of my classmates went to University and to be honest it was one of the toughest times finding my former school mates and trying to say, 'hello' some of them would see me from far and cross the road." Amos further says, "One thing I have discovered about life is that once you have done your best in the small job you have been given, the voice will be clear that it is time to move on. But if you go to a job and complain, you will not hear that voice. There is a lady who used to make me katoogo of beans and cassava, I would go home boil and take 3/4 in the evening and 1/4 in the morning. That was my life, from Monday to Monday because I couldn't afford anything."

"For my third job, I became a Tour guide." says Amos Wekesa, "That's when I discovered my gift." I guided the dutch people and I was earning 1 dollar a day and God is my witness, "For my first trip we were doing a camping trip and I guided these guys for15 days, my boss gave me 1,000 Uganda Shillings. I sat in the car and I cried and I said man, after 15 days."

Cutting Water Melon Story: Resolved To Never Ever Be Poor Again

Amos says, " The last day, we had bought watermelon from Lake Bunyonyi. The Tourists asked my boss, 'Why aren't you giving guys something to cut watermelon?' I remember the boss saying, ''You see that guy, I am paying him almost nothing but he can never do better than this in his life. That day In front of Tourists, 'I stood up and I said, but in my life, I will never ever work for you again and I can promise you, I will never ever be poor, I am leaving you today and I will never work for you again. I am just tired of the same stories. The tourists were shocked, they knew I was poor, 'I said No! I now have knowledge I am not poor anymore, I knew my gift and I knew I  was good with tourists and with Tourism as a subject. I went and got my last job where I was a desk guy and earning 35 dollars a month.' So I worked for a year and saved up 200 dollars. On 22nd April, 2001, I registered for Great Lakes Safaris. and 23rd April, 2001 I started Great Lakes Safaris. I looked out for opportunities for weddings on Thursdays, I would show them I have cars for weddings. I would make 5 or 10 dollars. Everyday by 6AM, I would be at the washing bay to make sure the cars were clean and I hand them over for 9 months and that's what made me survive, then I saved up for my first office under a stair case. It was a good location. My first employee was earning 20 dollars a month but it was hard and many voices kept coming."

We all know who Amos Wekesa is. His story highlights how he resolved against all odds to not be poor ever again, this reminds me of a story of a lady called Lisa Nichols echoed a similar statement, “I will never be broke again”. 

We must resolve, that's the starting point. You can tell yourself, "I will save 5, 10, 20m in one year, I will reach half a billion by 40, I will save and invest 'x' amount of money every month, I will study financial education so that I can make better money and investment decisions, etc."

In the interview Amos shares a line that says, "When I think about poverty and how much I went through poverty, I do not waste any resource that I get as a person. In fact, a day of a hungry man, should be a day of inspiration for him."

Abraham Lincolns Story:

Digging a little deeper into the story of Lincoln, From his book, "How To Develop Self Confidence and Influence People by Speaking." Dale writes, "Lincoln walked to borrow every book within fifty miles of his home. Log fire was kept all night in his cabin sometimes he read by the light of the fire. As soon as it was light enough to read in the morning, he rolled over his bed of leaves, rubbed his eyes, pulled out a book, and began devouring it."

We wonder why Lincoln had some of the best speeches but it goes back to his resolve, determination and thirst for knowledge. If he could walk within fifty miles to read, have a log fire to read, wake up and read, then what he pictured himself becoming allowed him to embrace the pain of the process.

How do the above insights and stories from my friend who went to study in SA and Lincoln speak to us about our personal finance. Some people sit back thinking it's too hard to attain what the high fliers are attaining. The high flyers are up there because they went an extra mile. They did not just stop at believing or saying, "I wanted to be wealthy." They acted on their dreams inspite of the hardships they faced. 

• It is possible to get out of debt, you must resolve;
• It is possible to start investing and living a debt free life but you must resolve.
• It is possible to attain any kind of education without excuse but you must resolve.
• It is possible to fund that dream, company, factory from your savings and investments but you must resolve.

 “Fuss has never led anyone to success.” says Julian Wilson. With your determination and plan, get yourself rolling. As Amos Wekesa kept growing, he kept saving and investing for his next goal just like he did to register his company, to rent his first office space under a stair case, to buy his first car for business, etc. 

I conclude this by rechoing what Amos said when he resolved he would never be poor again, He said, "I said No! I now have knowledge I am not poor anymore, I knew my gift and I knew I  was good with tourists and with Tourism as a subject."

We can see from his experiences, he kept gathering knowledge and every experience contributed to his growth. Knowledge is important and many people perish for lack of it. This applies to any discipline including financial education. Dr. Sunday Adelaja says,"Your pocket might be empty today, but if your mind is filled up, then you are not poor. It is just a matter of time before your filled mind will cause your pocket to be filled up." and Benjamin Franklin says, "Take the money out of your pocket and put it in your mind."

Let us resolve to be great and grow in our financial knowledge because as Abraham Lincoln told the young lawyer, "Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." Those who learn, earn. Resolve today to get that big hairy financial goal. Resolve to have financial peace, freedom, investments, etc.