I once told barefaced lies, for months, to loved ones in order to prevent them stopping me from using money I’d set aside for an agreed purpose, for a new idea I had for my business. Yep. I did it.
Irresponsible? Probably.
I’m certainly not proud of it!
Today, I have no need to do such a “naughty” thing. But back then I did it to keep my entrepreneurial dream alive!
All I could see were the potential rewards benefiting everyone (like they do now), and I used that to justify my actions (silently to myself…!).
For over 6 months, I invented excuses and made up stories (i.e. lies!) of all kinds to explain why I’d yet to make the payment as discussed. Each time they asked, I found a way to wriggle out.
My wife (God she’s soooo perceptive!) was never convinced. She knew something was not right, but could not be sure what it was. And she told me that much. I told her to avoid letting her imagination run wild… :-)))
All that time I was waiting for the returns to arrive. They eventually came…but not at once. I just barely managed to put it all back! Then I promised myself I’d never do anything of the kind again.
Looking back today, if I’m going to be honest with myself, I KNOW I’ll do it again if I feel it’s necessary.
Maybe this risk taking attitude comes with being an entrepreneur, or maybe it’s just me, I do not know.
One thing I’m however certain about from my past experiences is that when you choose this path, if your ultimate intention is sincere, and you diligently persist, certain forces eventually come to your aid.
Don’t ask me how I know. I just do….based on what has happened to me.
I once read a quote on Robert Kiyosaki’s Facebook page that referred to 4 different kinds of people a good leader needs to be able to identify, if s/he is to succeed.
In this article, I focus on "No. 2: A good person temporarily doing bad things. "
An entrepreneur, at different stages of his/her career may sometimes find him/herself fitting the above description (i.e. a good guy being doing bad things temporarily, possible due to pressing circumstances. And s/he may hate being in that situation, yet have no choice…till things improve.)
Not a pretty picture.
But I can tell you it happens. I’ve been there! (See my “Personal Example” above)
Napoleon Hill Discovered Some Successful People Employed "Temporary Dishonesty"…!
In Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” he noted the fact that some of the successful people he studied admitted initially employing temporary dishonesty to reach their goals.
But it was temporary. Lasting only long enough to get them to a point at which they could carry on with honesty integrity.
I guess it’s part of being human. Sometimes life throws challenges at us that necessitate resorting to temporary use of undignified outlets, just to keep going.
In one account of his life story, I read that Walt Disney admitted taking pictures of phoney bullet damaged helmets, during the war and selling them, earlier in life.
The Problem Arises When Doing Bad Things Is Allowed to Become a Habit…or Way of Life
“To be well adjusted to a sick society is no sign of good health.” – Anonymous
Many Nigerians start-ups either abandon their ideas halfway through, or go wayward in their business practice. They mostly do this out of frustration, desperation, and in order to survive.
So many bad practices in society make it hard for honest persons to grow their businesses easily and with integrity in Nigeria.
This appears to lend credence to the belief in our society, that it is not possible to achieve business success in Nigeria without being “crooked”.
My knowledge, acquired through hands-on practical experience gained by doing it on the streets, convinces me that it is very possible to run a profitable, honest and upright business anywhere – even in a society where bad practices occur in excess.
They key is to find ways to do what you do that remove the need for you to join in doing those bad things.
Each time I said this to other business owners in Nigeria, many basically told me it was impossible.
Developing Multiple Income Streams Will Save YOU!
I told them a person with multiple income streams will not view every potential client project as a do or die opportunity!
If you have passive income periodically entering your bank account for information products you sell as a financial consultant, you can say NO to any company employee who insists you give him/her a bribe before a project is awarded to you.
You will have the power to walk away – being confident that your dependants will not suffer because you choose to be upright!
But It’s Not That You Will Be Doing Multiple Different Things at Once
No. There will be no need for that: You’ll only develop multiple viable ways of making money from doing what you do.
This is what many business owners do not know is possible. And those who know it seldom know HOW to do it!
I refer here to Farm business owners, lawyers, accountants/financial consultants and many other professionals and experts.
Most of them tend to focus on the conventional ways of making money in their fields.
What a very wasteful – and WRONG – way of using their highly valuable knowledge and skills!
The truth is with a little creativity, you can take the same thing you do/know and make much more money using totally new/different strategies.
A careful study of my website www.spontaneousdevelopment.com will reveal to the objective mind that THAT is what I’m doing…with great results to show for it!
You can also develop multiple ways of monetizing your expertise to ensure income reaches you, even when you do little or no new work.
If you still wonder how this is possible, get in touch with me, and I’ll tell you more 