My mom was an enterprising woman whom I grew up marveling at her level of tenacity. Back in the day, when people say to me, “Seun, you are such a tenacious woman!”, I always respond by saying, “wait until you meet my mother”. While growing up in Abeokuta (aka Rock City), my dad decided to set up his clinic in Lagos. This move led to us having to adjust to living in Abeokuta while our dad juggled between Lagos and Abeokuta. Those were uncertain times given the economic condition in the country coupled with the fact that many workers were underpaid and salaries were left unpaid for multiple months per time. If you lived in those times and could afford the basic necessities of life, you were one of the few privileged ones.
Despite the hardship, there was never a time that my mom held her head down – she constantly found ways to explore different ideas on what she could do to increase the family income.
One day she came up with the idea of starting a retail shop where she’d sell everyday items that families need to get by. The idea sounded great but the major challenge was how to raise funds to get started. We had no money stacked up somewhere nor were there any financial institutions that were willing to invest in such at that time.
Still, I saw my mom, daily, making preparation for the business as though she had the needed capital. One day she returned from the market and held a black plastic bag in her hands. The bag was so small but it had contents inside it. “Mom, what do you have in the bag?”, I inquired with a curious look on my face. “It’s the items we are using to start the retail shop”, she responded.
“You are kidding me, right?” I asked again. At this point, she ignored my question, walked toward the portable refrigerator close by the window in our dining room, and started arranging the items in the bag on the refrigerator.
I was utterly stunned by her act of faith and the fact that she proceeded without caring what anyone thought of or said to her. Needless to say, she spent 30 NGN (the equivalent of modern-day $10) in purchasing those items, the situation looked like trying to build a mountain out of a molehill. It seemed unrealistic but because she was my mother, I had to go in the mood of “we shall see”.
Would you believe it if I told you that from starting with a meager 30 NGN on a refrigerator by the window side to converting our garage into a shop and moving to multiple stores around town, my mom built a sustainable business against all odds?
Building a Mountain Out of a Molehill
My mom’s story and her journey to success is one that inspires me to do more and be more. She was a woman of unshakable faith who did everything she could to keep “lack” at bay and proceeded to build a mountain out of a molehill. In more ways than not, many of the values that contributed to shaping me into the woman I am becoming today, I got from my mom.
What’s that idea you have? Have you held back because you think you do not have enough resources to start? I say to you today, “launch regardless”.
Nothing Moves Until You Make a Move
Are you the type that wants everything set in stone before you launch? Think again! Nothing moves until you make a move. Many of the ventures or initiatives I have started or championed have been from my willingness to “move”. The same will apply to you. If you have an idea or are trying to achieve a goal, refrain from allowing your desire for perfection or the lack of capital or resources to keep you from stalling on your dreams.
Be Prepared to Take a Detour
When you launch, there will be times when unanticipated obstacles show up in your path – don’t panic! Take a detour, instead. Detours may seem long but if you follow through, you’ll eventually reach your destination. My mom wanted a big retail shop but life’s detour made her start on a refrigerator. Did she achieve her dream ultimately? Yes, she did and even accomplished so much more
Keep the Naysayers At Arm’s Length
If there is any set of people that’d always show up when you are trying to launch or forge ahead, they are the naysayers. They usually come in form of friends, neighbors, strangers, and even family members! Some will assiduously work to see to it that you are unable to take off while some will come on board with you with the sole mission of making you crash right after taking off. You must be discerning to keep naysayers at arm’s length.
Maintain Your Integrity
As you think of launching, building, and progressing in business, career, or life, one thing that will help you in flying smoothly is maintaining your integrity. I’ve seen firsthand how having integrity opens doors that are otherwise shut to those devoid of it. Integrity simply means people can trust you. If you have no integrity, sooner or later, you’ll find out that you are unable to soar into higher altitudes and that’s if you are able to take off at all.
Launch Regardless
When it comes to your dreams, don’t wait for perfection. Start where you are with what you have. The moment you launch regardless of the circumstances around you, things begin to fall into their place. You’ll also get more ideas, opportunities, and resources to help you spread your wings and fly.
What idea have you been thinking about or working on? It’s time to take that step of faith and launch regardless!
παρακάτω ιστοσελίδα