Dipo Tepede

There is nothing that hinders success more than the reminiscent of the success of yesterday – we refer to these successful times as the good old days. These good old days depicts in our minds a sort of pseudo happiness – a time when things were quite easy. The thought of these “good old days” comes to our minds when we are facing difficulties – a troubled marriage inspires the thoughts of honeymoon; a man that has not gotten ahead in business thinks of the time when he was working his white-collar job and wishes with all his heart he could find himself back at work; a jobless lady remembers vividly her undergraduate days when she was respected and revered; a guy who lacks cash flow remember the days when his bank account was reading millions.

Let me reveal a secret to you; life is in stages – you can never move from one stage to another if one single thought of your previous success comes to your mind. If you are in the business of succeeding, you must never speak, think, dream, reminiscent or sleep the good old days. No matter how bad you perceive your situation to be, your situation now is far better than your previous situation. The bible puts it this way; the path of a just is like a light that shines brighter and brighter. No matter where you find yourself, it is far better than where you were because your path shines brighter not dimmer.

This may sound strange to a man who just lost all his money in a business deal or a lady who just lost her job with no visible hope in sight. Worst still, a couple going through a divorce or a woman who just lost her baby. This is neither actually a motivational write-up nor a rev-up sermon; this is actually a reality check of the truth found in a bunch of books that has survived twenty centuries. Trust me; I am not insensitive to the plight of people or what people are going through but strong assertions from the bible cannot just be wrong and coupled with life experiences, I have also come to the conclusion that the present stage is always better than the stages before it no matter how painful it presently is:

I remember my ordeal in Arithmetic in high school; I was very good with Algebra to the point that I did not study for exams before clinching an “A” but the next term was a totally different ball game; it was Trigonometry and Geometry. I just did not understand it and I nearly failed Arithmetic that term despite studying for the exams. I kept telling people who cared to listen how great I was with Algebra but this talk did not solve the issue I had with Trigonometry and Geometry. This particular issue with Trigonometry and Geometry persisted till the end of my high school when I was kicked out of the boarding house for something I knew nothing about;

It was an unfortunate time in my life but it turned out to be fortunate for me because I realized the only way to get out of the shame of being kicked out was to get a straight “A” in my SSCE. This goal forced me to look at my Arithmetic the second time and because of this goal I really saw my Arithmetic text book in a different way; Trigonometry and Geometry became a piece of cake. I actually came out with a straight “A” save Economics which ironically was the easiest of all the subjects. There were many lessons I derived from this experience but chief amongst them was that there really is no challenge that cannot be surmounted. The challenge exists in the mind not in the situation.

When one has no choice but to get something, the person actually gets it. I mean the person actually has no choice; he either gets the goal or he is doomed. I knew that the only way of getting past the shame from my family and friends of being kicked out of the boarding house was to get a straight “A”, something changed in my mind, I started seeing things clearly; I did not mind staying all night to understand Arithmetic because of the goal I had. I totally forgot I was good in Algebra, the bigger goal in my mind shifted my perception; it was this perception not the challenge that was my greatest enemy. When I gave up my job to start my business, I knew I had to change my perception of being an employee to being a business owner.

This particular shift in perception is not an easy thing to accomplish but when you have no choice, your perception starts changing. First, I had to lose most my employee friends (at least the ones that think like employees); they are buying new cars when I am thinking of a new business to acquire; they are going to holiday in London to shop when I am thinking of India, South Korea or Vietnam to do business and shop; they are complaining about salary increase when I should be bothered about smoothening my process to avoid fraud or theft. I remember how upset I was when a close employee friend of mine did not believe I was sleeping at 9am on Monday when he called me; he thought I was screening his call. It’s not that the perception of an employee is bad, it’s not just feasible to embrace it as a business owner.

Let’s take it to a different level: It’s not as if exploiting the patterns of your success in the past is bad but hanging on to your past success is ineffective in your present situation. Things like good work ethic, excellence, effective prioritization that made you excel as an employee is needed in business but telling yourself that being an employee is better than being a business owner will hinder your progress as a business man (Remember, you are telling yourself; no other person knows). A business man that thinks being an employee is “the good old days” is definitely a deal breaker to his successful business career. My inability to solve Trig and Geometry as a boarding student was not feasible because I had a choice but as a day student, I had no choice but to gain the ability in whatever means I could.

Pouring a new wine into an old wine skin is not feasible because the wine skin would burst; the same thing happens when you think of the past as your best days, you would not have enough space to acquire the right information that would get you from your present predicament. The very first step to any kind of freedom be it financial or otherwise is to renew your mind. Renewing your mind is definitely not an easy process; imagine that since 20 centuries ago, the Jews do not still believe in the power of Jesus despite the fact that he originated from their tribe. Psalm 1 explores the possibility of the companions you keep as a pointer to good success. If you are going through a challenge that does not seem to go away, I would advise you to take a step back and renew your mind.

I would be given my dear readers FREE of charge some important resources that would assist you in renewing your mind towards financial freedom:

1. How to write a Business Plan: This is a book for every aspiring business man whether you are an employee or self employed. Almost everyone would go into business one day so it is important to get the right knowledge on the best practice business plan. This particular business plan has helped a lot of successful business guys I know today.
2. Money Mastery: 10 Principles that will Change your financial life forever. A 312-page book that would change the way you think about money and show you how to master your finances. This is another best seller that would change the way you think of the money you have. This is a must have for everybody.
3. Financial Audio Book for Dummies: Audio Formats are one of the best ways of renewing your mind. These particular format is in MP3 which means you can store in your iPod or MP3 player, play in your car while driving to work, listen to it while in the gym and the list goes on. These financial audio books are bundled pack with Investing for Dummies, Personal Finance for Dummies, Marketing for Dummies and Selling for Dummies.
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad Audio Book: I am sure you all know the famous Rich Dad, Poor Dad book but having it in an audio format makes the principles stick. It is a 70 minute audio that would affect the decisions you make about the money you make. I have read the book like 3 times but listening to this audio version was a mind-renewal.
5. Cashflow 101 E-game: This is a must-have for every serious person interested in being financial free. Games are actually a mind shifter; they act as simulation to what you would do in real life and can help you change the bad habits that are stopping you from being financially free. This game teaches you how to fill your income statement and balance sheet and teaches you the modus operandi of investing in some asset. The aim of the game is to get out of rat race and buy your dream project. All you need to do is install it in your work station or laptop and you would be in a different world. There are very limited copies so book fast.

ALL INTERESTED IN THESE FREE RESOURCE MATERIALS SHOULD CONTACT ME BY CLICKING HERE BEFORE AUGUST 1^ST, 2009.

Have a wonderful week!

Listen to this podcast