Wealthy Place

Wealthy Place, Wealthy Ways and Wealthy Destination

I have been asked to do a small piece about why I wrote my book titled ‘Wealthy Place’, and share what Africans need to do to arrive at a wealthy destination.

Recently, I put up an inspirational quote on my Instagram, it says:

‘Self worth is not the quantum of your money but the momentum of your values. Don't build money, build values, values will bring wealth’-

This statement cannot be overstated by anyone looking or aspiring to be wealthy. In my working life I have undertaken many projects i.e. Professional and Business investments. I have also seen or mentored many people who desire to be wealthy. One thing that is certain is making money seems to be an obsession and a primary objective of everyone. Much as I would not argue with anyone who wants to make money (who doesn’t), my concern is, there are foundational values we must imbibe before building a financial empire. These values will sustain wealth and ultimately take you to a wealthy destination. They are the basis for writing the book.

These values are:

1.         Your spiritual foundation. Who are you, where you going and what are are you made of. What drives you beyond inordinate ambition? These are questions that would help you discover why the wealthy way. I recommend everyone must discover this foundation, and lay it properly before embarking on any business or venture.

2.         How strong is your character? How are you built? We are all products of cultivated background or personality. We are products of the sum part of how we are brought up, your parental upbringing, your society, your experiences, have shaped your character in one way or the other. Whilst growing up, you have come to know the good, the bad and the ugly. It is not rocket science, that you choose the good bits, and ensure that your character is solid. If not, you will go into business and get involved with all sorts of practices. When the chips are down and the die is cast, what would you do.?

3.         In what way have you engineered yourself? How have you built your capacity? What training do you have, and how have you updated your qualifications in the area of your strength. Those who go into business or investments without having adequate understanding are like blindfolded men looking for a needle in a haystack. Spend time acquiring knowledge, develop your human capacity, and live up to expectations. How many books have you read this year?

4.         Life learning. This is what I call discipleship, mentorship and tutorship. Many people want to be billionaires but few people have billionaires they understudy. Every medical doctors went for a systematic tutoring in the medical school, same, with lawyers at the law school. But we want to be successful and you don't have a mentor or those that can help you lift those difficult obstacles or share their own experience with you? Sorry, don't even start. Experience cannot be picked up from the sky. Speak to a mentor today.

So I came to the conclusion that the four principles above are germane to starting any business. You too can start building on those four pillars today.

I recently saw a business owner saying to his employee who commented on the owners brand new Lamborghini. He says ‘put more hours and spend more time working and next year I will buy another! That's deep. We Africans need to move away from being common workers i.e. Doing all the ‘jobs’ and getting paid pittance. We need to move from being a manager and managing businesses for others when we can manage ours. We need to become entrepreneurs, we need to become leading business persons, we need to put our hands in our own work and eat from it.

Unfortunately, with all the ingredients of making it big, like having the manpower, we have not developed it into empowerment. We have no clout even though we have the crowd, and our strength have not yielded great strategies for big business. Someone said we are like an army without ammunitions. I challenge us today to take this forum/group serious, and move beyond talking to doing. Let's turn our

Manpower into empowerment, our strength into liberation and our crowd into control and influence.

Tayo Arowojolu is a solicitor, mentor, investor and pastor.(being an article written for Business Group maiden magazine)