Money follows passion with excellence, value

could do with a few extra dollars.
It is funny though that no matter how much of it we make we always seem to have room for more. Even when you think someone has self-actualised there will always be something new to invest in, sorry I meant indulge in. This is interesting. Now suppose money could talk, suppose it could walk and had a mind of its own, suppose it could look you in the face and start a conversation with you what do you think it would say let alone do.

Now Forbes magazine recently published Africa’s first top 40 rich list. It made for interesting reading. And yes we do have representation, one gentleman by the name Strive Masiyiwa, said to be a telecoms tycoon. He also got props for his philanthropic activities as well. He came in at a cool number 34 with a Forbes accounted net worth of US$280 million. I have deliberately called it a Forbes accounted net worth in that the only person who can ever ascertain his true worth is the man himself; all else is guesswork. Forbes did justice by highlighting that they had based the net worth values on traded equity as well as income from their non-listed companies. But, honestly, who takes the time to go through all the paperwork and why. My point is, it is interesting to note just how much the tycoons have amassed over the years but then what? Provide motivation? I will leave this for another day.

One thing I did realise from the list though was that for those that were self-made, their wealth took time and effort to build. We have a lot of work to do in addressing these issues. Growing up we were inspired by the media, specifically the foreign media in which actors and musicians seemed to be living it up with all they need and want and so forth, but life is not the same and we don’t all get that same set of cards. No, it’s different.

Each one of us has an inherent potential to become anything we have been called to be, so it’s more of a journey to self-discovery than anything else. When you do discover what you are good at and place effort on it effectively perfecting your skills and talent, you will get there. It may not be at the same amount of income but it should, if it is right, give you the right satisfaction.
My argument is that when you look at some of the big tycoons that started out, particularly in the international IT sectors (names that come to mind are Bill Gates, Michael Dell and the late Steve Jobs); they all seemed to have a passion for what they did. And everything else was a benefit. My good friend who I will call PSM says it this way “Provide value with a passion and the money will come”.

So okay, money follows passion. But not just passion, but passion with excellence and value. So indeed I am now convinced that money does talk and has a mind of its own. It diffuses from a place of its abode to one in which it will be put to best use through excellence and value addition. That then is another reason why money that comes instantaneously with no planning and expectation whatsoever can be lost just as fast. It comes, realises that it’s incompatible with the owner and quickly departs into another’s wallet. I am on record for having said a dollar in one man’s wallet is worth more in someone else’s.

The difference is really in the value addition; the appreciation that money is a tool that needs to be handled with care and can bring both joy and pain depending on how it is handled. But success is intentional. And so is the art or science of making money. It is deliberate and when well planned should materialise right. Now do expect to face challenges. Matter of fact, make room for failure; understanding that failure is part of the progressive process and should be treated with the same respect that you treat success. This not to say failure is welcome and should be embraced with open arms, no, only to say that when you have done all you can and made the right preparations with the right advice you can learn from it. I am sure anyone who has ever made it big has had a few stories on failure to tell.

The problem in many instances is that we see the success and forget the failure that spurred the process. We forget the days in the wilderness that businesses can go through as they try to break it out. Organising and reorganising themselves along the way. But with each time perfecting themselves into formidable entities.

So like I said last week, where is your first million coming from. Zimbabwe is a US dollar market so I am sure we are all on the same page. That is if it is on your agenda in the first place. You must understand that success is definitely intentional and will take planning and strategy and right action. Be motivated; be very motivated, but let that motivation be translated to specific steps that will hopefully result in the manifestation of your goals. Seriously, the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, doesn’t find himself across the finishing line by chance and says ” Look I just started the race and stumbled across the finishing line and at number one for that . . . “.

No it’s deliberate. He makes preparation and starts the race knowing fully well that he is the fastest man on the race track.
God says to Moses do it according to the plan that I showed you on the mountain. Even God in all His awesomeness works according to plan. Everything has to be in place. He is the master planner.

Having said that in our frail mortality and limitations we need to plan more, model and test our strategies so as to come up with the best. I don’t need to reiterate the need for this.
Don’t just be excited and build castles in the sky with no logical review of what you would like to do. Go back to basics plan. Money follows the plan. Stick to it also. Be well and blessed.