First things first, let me define what I mean by hustling as it seems to connote variety of meanings – According to “AudioEnglish.net”, a hustler is a shrewd person who knows how to circumvent difficulties. Hustling is a state of mind and can happen to the best of us no matter how morally upright you are. In the 90s/early 2000s, the prosperity message championed by the evangelicals was a hustling mentality – where people were encouraged to acquire wealth without going through any form of process. I dare say this was the bane of Nigeria regression as oppose to the blames and aspersion given to the leadership of those times.
This particular seed bore the fruits of the calamity of our times – teenage cheating from JAMB to WAEC; corruption in every nook and corner of the Nigerian socio-economy; 419 and other related fraudulent vices and the list goes on. So far, I am sure you will think hustling is a bad thing; a big YES, It is! But don’t be deceived into believing that this write-up is not talking to you. First, let me highlight some triggers to hustling:
- Not bothering about the future implication of what you are doing today
- Not caring if you make money without adding value
- No form of justice in your dealings
- Depending on people for anything without a reciprocating any form of value
- Win-lose mentality
- Constant search for juicy opportunity
Alternative to hustling is building; building isn’t fun and most times building is not appreciated especially when it’s not finished. But a builder that has foreseen the end of the building will not be moved by the ugly snipes and comments that are thrown at him. Building is difficult and requires a lot of patience but when it is built, it can create the economic, social or political shelter you desire. As oppose to the hustler, a builder knows that every action he takes today will affect his future building. He tries to be honest in all his dealings; he knows that all his transactions with customers are never one-off so he estimates the life time value of each customer.
I remember walking to a friend’s office who was building a new business; I could feel and hear the frustration in his tone. His business does not seem appreciated and he was on the verge of dropping it. What he did not know was that all uncompleted buildings are not appreciated. I guess the problems with builders are that they do not have a picture of what they want to build on their minds and their desire to finish the building is not as strong as the obstacle they face while building. Compared to the hustlers who shy away from difficulties or obstacles, the builder knows that the secret of his long time success lies in the ability to surmount the difficulties.
A huge mistake that builders make is comparing themselves with hustlers especially those who just came into some kind of money. A hustler can easily buy a flashy car, buy a house, travel to the best of destinations in the world but a hustler can never sustain wealth. A hustler does not have the requisite skill to sustain himself economically. The ability to sustain wealth lies in the difficulties that the builder faces constantly. When a man falls, if he chooses to learn, he learns a lot about the fall that he is not afraid to fall but a man that has never fallen will never know what it is to fall. The bible describes hustling and building as the wheat and the tears, it is time that tells the difference.
Most builders that turn hustlers always blame the vehicle – the problem is not with the vehicle but with the driver. I categorically say this without any regret, there is really no business venture in this world that does not have the potential to be great – the variable lies with the desire and fit of the builder. I have seen a stark formal illiterate bathroom slippers seller in a first class seat of a plane and I have seen an oil logistic business man languishing in penury. It is not the nature of business that you do but the person seating in the driver’s seat. I also see cooperative executives that do not want to take time to build their careers but all they do is hustle their bosses.
This article was 1st published on this blog – February 2, 2011…..
