Sadiq GulmaMr. Shoaff once said, “your philosophy and not the economy determines your income.” I have never gotten a new perspective on financial literacy like hearing that phrase from my inspiration and Mr Shoaff’s protégé, Jim Rohn. Your income is determined by your philosophy and not the economy. Your income is determined by your philosophy and not the economy.
I had to repeat in another way twice, for it to sink in. A few times I had tweeted that, it was met with lots of disagreement. They said, it is the other way round. And I thought, they just plainly did not think about it, for them to fully comprehend it.
If you pause now, for a moment, and think about the statement again and ask yourself, is the income you currently have due to the economy or to a decision you took. Was it because you started a business, applied for a job and you got it, became a Bolt driver or what? Yes, you might say the economy is hard, your job isn’t paying you enough, and that is why you started a business. But do you know that is a personal decision you took? Do you know that there are many people out there who are living under the same economy with you, but decided not to start a business and wished for a miracle?
What do you think? See, that is exactly what you need to get your day with. With a personal resolve, whatever is going on there, you will go out and make hay while the sun shines. You will seize the opportunity that the day brings. You will give it your best. If you don’t get all that you want today, you will go out tomorrow, put more effort, and try again. Perhaps smarter and in a different way. That is a personal philosophy.
Today, thousands of Nigerian university students are sitting at home waiting for ASUU to call off the strike so they can resume session. Some of them, whose philosophies outlive ASUU, have taken on internships where they get paid and work experience. However, most of them are sleeping at home, watching Netflix day in day out, without zero growth to their professional experience or bank account. Their philosophy of waiting for ASUU to call off the strike, graduate, get a job and get paid is costing them a better future they can have sooner.
Whether inflation, unemployment and insecurity are at their highest ever mark in the country, some people, companies, businesses, etc. regardless, are out there earning income, building rewarding networks and gaining valuable experience. Whether or not those earnings are high or low, does not matter in this context. What matters is that you are not defeated to think that you will not be able to make anything for yourself, because the economy is bad.
You will not wake up in the morning daily and say that there is nothing left for you in this economy. Your fallback philosophy will either be a waiter and have someone come save you while you keep living a life you dread, with so many unfulfilled dreams, zero adventures and struck like a tree in one place. Or you get up and do something better for yourself.
Steve Harvey, in one of his Youtube videos titled “Wake up right | Motivated” narrated his interaction he had with a friend of his, John Walker, in 1979. Steve was just 21 then. The story was narrated in 2019 by Steve himself. Mr. Harvey says John called him 37 times, every single day consecutively, at exactly 5.30am when he was still asleep. The conversation has always been like this;
Steve: Hello, who is this? (In a sleepy and depressing voice)
John: Hey Steve, this is John Walker. How you doing men? It is going to be a great day today. (in the most energetic and enthusiastic manner)
Steve: I don’t know men. It is 5.30am. Leave me alone.
John: You don’t understand Steve, you don’t understand.
And John slams the phone.
The question John asks never changes. And so do the responses of Steve. Steve didn’t understand what John was trying to teach him. But on the 38th day, when John called, he spoke differently. Slowly and sad. He said to Steve, “what is wrong with you. Why you do sound like that (depressing, low, etc.) in the morning.” Steve mentioned he got laid off a few months ago and didn’t have anything to do. John said he is disappointed him. That he (Steve) has so much bad attitude in the morning, and that explains why he has a lot of bad days. He says he sees so much potential in Steve, but he is disappointed as Steve wasn’t living up to those expectations. Never have something ever cut Steve so deep like that conversation, Steve said.
It then dawned on Steve what John was trying to teach him. If he doesn’t own his day, wake up with a good attitude and claim what he wants, then he ain’t gonna get anything.
On the 39th day, Steve had already woken up before John called, and told himself it was going to be a great day. And when the phone rang at exactly 5.30am. Steve sounded like the most enthusiastic man in this world and affirmed it was going to be a great. And John hangs up.
If you don’t know who Steve Harvey is, I will tell you what he woke up to be ever since. Steve became a host of a Morning Radio Show, speaking to 1 million people in the morning every week. He is a writer, the author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, a TV host, a producer and a comedian. Steve has made it. I love watching his shows on Youtube.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t believe that phrase, I will ask that you believe me. I have never seen my income grow as much as it did in the last 2 years, the hardest period our country is facing. I did that because I told myself my income does not depend on Nigeria’s economy. And if you don’t believe, and say it is only true for me, then I must say, you are still right. Because I know about myself, I know my personal philosophies, I know why I wake up every single day. But I don’t know that about you. Why do you wake up every day? What philosophy do you live by that stops you from earning?
“If we have the attitude that it is going to be a great day, it usually is.” Catherine Pulsifer