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“A word is enough for the wise…..”

 

Every time I am about to speak at a youth gathering, I always have to go back to the rudiments of what makes one a winner because it is the basic, if implemented that strengthens your foundation to any form of success. I got this mail from an MTN staff straight in my official mail and I became curious; scanning through it, I immediately concluded it was basic stuff just like ABC of success but when I remember that there are people out there who may have never read or heard of this ABC of success; I decided to post it and encourage writers like this to keep pouring out their inner leanings. If you are blessed from the write-up, please show some love to the writer by leaving a comment. Since I am not sure he wants his name to be publicized; let call him MR. Goodwill. Happy Reading……. 

The shrill in his voice cut through my bone marrows like a chain saw ashe narrates his ordeal over the phone. He had just lost his youngerbrother in an accident a month ago, his wife just gave birth, inaddition he caters for his other five siblings and a week after he wasfired by the organisation for which he has sacrificed nine years of hislife. Bugzy got fired last week; he could not even pick his personalfiles from his PC. 

  

This piece is not about Bugzy, it’s about us, you and me. Let’s pausefor a moment and put our selves in Bugzy’s shoes, did I hear God forbid?Yeah! Bugzy would have said that a week ago but reality has set in.whether Bugzy was unfairly sacked is not what I want to discuss but whathave we to learn from it? 

  

We work in the 21st century where technology is fast claiming good oldjobs, my dad used to be a cable expert at NITEL, he reveled at thesingle fact that he’s so good at the job, he was indispensable, but themoment the idea of GSM was being mooted, he was such a smart man that heresigned and started some other business but his colleagues stayed onwith expectation of the usual monthly pay perk, then came the big bang,256 NITEL Technical staff sacked, my dad was still being paid hispension after taking his gratuity. Technology we love so much isbecoming our competitor, organisations are fast automating theirprocesses, we are being replaced by machines, it’s now a war of man vs.machine but man is fast losing the battle due to that tacit support ofthe capitalist machine. 

  

Yes, the capitalist machine, that greedy behemoth, never satisfied withlittle. Due to globalization, companies are spreading more than ever,are consolidating more than ever and profits are rising more than everbut jobs are lost more than ever. You may ask why, the reason is; theyhave found alternatives and they are machines. Companies cut jobs atevery little provocation, losing ones job is as easy as a phone call oran SMS, hurray technology! When organisations want to cut costs, theydon’t sell computers and softwares, they sack people. 

  

Like Bugzy, we have come to work today, to earn our pay, but are wereally sure we will be here when the salary will be paid? I am notNostradamus but I can give a little advice on how to live in thisperilous times. I may be sounding too negative but permit me to drivehome my points. Do we have the I-quit-money? Majority of us just spendand spend till we drop dead, hoping to earn an unearned salary. We shop,drink, party away, take loans to consume luxuries over income we are yetto earn in the next three years. What if after this, we get sacked andnothing is left in our accounts? We get frustrated and feel worthless.Please, let’s save and save and save and then invest, invest and investagain but wisely, let’s invest in landed properties, stocks, bonds;invest long term and short term for we will fall back on them in therainy days. At least let’s set about 30-40% of our income aside forinvestment and savings so when it happens we can comfort our dependantsand keep their hopes alive instead of killing our dreams and theirs dueto our wrong choices. 

  

A job should not deter us from having a plan B, one of the best ways tomake a plan B is to learn some very practical skills aside from what wedo at work, let’s learn some skills. The truth is in some years fromnow, people like Bugzy might be thankful to the organisation for sackingthem as they might become more successful by going into personalbusinesses or doing something that will bring income far above whattheir paid jobs offered. Can you sing? Try developing that skill, learnto sew, learn hair dressing, make use of that ability to cook thatpeople have always praised you for, are you good at programming? Trydesigning software, teach if you can, learn something, anything, itcould be your saving grace after you receive that call. These arederided skills which wiser people have converted to cash. Talk about theMr Biggs, Nandos, Tiffany Ambers, Frank Oshodis, Tufaces, Bill Gates,Steve Jobs of these world and you talk of people doing ordinary thingsin special ways and making serious money. 

For those that can still apply to study pleaseintensify efforts, it increases your market worth and you can call thebluff of any employer when you need to A word is enough for the wise, let’s do these things so we can smile anddrop our letters with joy when we are called to do so. These things callfor serious discipline, what else differentiate success from failure ifnot discipline and determination? 

  

If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk, but please keep moving.Don’t sit in your comfort zone because there is nothing as such, it’s an illusion. 

Thank you.