The Best Investment Secret Ever
Catchy heading with the promise of making multiple returns, right? Let me let you into the secret. Please don’t tell anyone. It is my secret sauce. Forget about Coca Cola’s recipe. Just before I disappoint you, it is a secret that is kept in the open. You don’t have to look too far. There is a machine that is a money spinner and most people don’t bother about it. It is because they are looking for the one that some else have told them about. The cash cow is readily available. Read on.
I will share this secret openly because once you know it and plug into the truth if it, you will be made for life. Some nights ago, moi and Mrs were discussing life after retirement. My first submission is that I will never retire and so that life is a myth. Will I always work to save for tomorrow? No. A time will come where the things I will be doing are ultra important to me and they will be done on my terms. If you call that retirement, then I am fine with that.
I want to introduce you to an investment that will yield in multiples and will still be producing income even when you are no more here. It is not stocks or real estate or bonds or business or assets or cryptocurrency. Those things are products of this investment.
It is an investment that we can all make. When the realization dawns on you, then you can start. It is never too late to start though it is advisable that you start early. An early start gives you an advantage because it becomes ingrained; it becomes a habit and you can effortlessly produce it.
The best investment that you can ever make is in your self. Now the secret is out. It is called self-care and development. This is how you become a person of worth and value. It is easy when done over a period of time but quite hard when you want it done overnight. Wole Soyinka did not become who he is overnight. He invested in himself over a period of time.
You are an asset. Care for the asset. That is your job. But how you may ask? How do you care for the asset? Very simple by feeding the asset. You take care of the asset and the asset takes care of you in return. Like every other thing, you have to put in the seed into the soil and then it will germinate into a big tree that gives shade from the sun’s heat, fruits for others to eat, and seed for multiplication of its type.
You are body soul and spirit. You already know how to care for the body. Eat well, exercise and get some rest. It is that simple. Stop looking for miracle meals and unnecessary vitamins. You need the body to be in good shape in order to support the other two. No matter how sharp the mind is nor how vibrant the spirit is, without a good body to accommodate both you will not be able to do a lot. Trust me on that.
The spirit is to be cared for by being a person of faith. Even if you are an atheist, you believe in something. Faith is an anchor of the soul and provides the motivation to go on when all others fail. Without faith to provide a boundary for the soul, it will derail. There are situations that will defy all you have known to be true as at that point in time, it is only faith that can shape your reality at that time. I am a Christian and my faith provides direction for my life. I do not live by bread alone but by every word from my chosen Master. I am fine like that.
The soul is the final part that has to be invested in. When you know what you want in life or have a clue about it, then you can pour yourself into seeking to know more about it. Books, seminar, networking events etc. enables you to look for people in your “blood group” who can grow your mind and encourage you in your chosen direction.
You care for the soul by the quality of thoughts that you allow, interact with and engage.
Self-care is important (please this is not an invitation to selfishness). Plan to get things for yourself, and people you care about. That gift that you bought for your boss, buy it for yourself also. Plan for something huge — Hawaii. That perfume that you only check the price and only use the oil version, that bag that you have always admired. Your body no de forbid am. You hear me so.
You can see that with this type of mindset, you will be a solution provider and a valuable member of any community that you are part of. There is no time to retire. No time to sit still. Valuable people are always in demand.
I remember my first days in campus fellowship. The pastors were students like me but the difference was that they had a vast knowledge of the scriptures. I asked one of them “how did you get to this stage?”. He told me “It is regular studies and being in the environment where scriptures are celebrated”. That was the secret. They invested time in what they had prioritised to be important and created a habitat for it. In that ecosystem, their knowledge and flair of the subject matter grew. Simple!
Finally, I will share something that my secondary school Chemistry teacher, Mrs P M Joseph, shared with me. It was a lesson in self-care. She used the illustration of what happens when the cabin on an aeroplane is depressurised and the air masks drop. You know during the safety briefing on the flight you are told to cater for yourself first before you cater for others, in the event that there is a shortage of oxygen supply on board or the air is depressurized. The reason is simple. Assuming, the father/mother caters first for the child. The child will be fine but you would have slumped and the child can do nothing about it. Without control, the child will remove the air mask. Two casualties.
But if you sorted yourself out first, then you can assist the child and then take it from there. Same applies to self investing / development. Do it for you first and then you can help others. You need to keep your vineyard before you assist others to dress theirs.
“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough”
― George Washington Carver
Invest in yourself, invest in your growth. Invest in your ability to grow your income and value. The more you make yourself valuable by the knowledge and skills you acquire, the better for you. Every top institution came out of people that developed themselves. This goes from religious institutions to corporations to schools. There are no successful accidents. People deliberately took on the task to develop themselves and invest in their abilities. The consequence of that effort is being prepared for something great.
This piece by Dr Ola Brown gives you a peek into what you need to do https://medium.com/@drola/did-teni-the-entertainer-lie-to-us-1472985f811d. Please read it.
Self-development is not an overnight task. It is something that is done over a lifetime. Wouldn’t you rather start today?
You can check other articles I have written on money/finances/ financial intelligence. They are The Money Question 2018 Edition, Saving The Pennies, I’ve Got Money On My Mind, Money & Money Management Skills, 7 Common Money Mistakes and 7 Common Money Mistakes (Part II), 10 Common Money Mistakes (Part III), 8 Money Mistakes (Part IV), Stock Market Investment Basic , Things Not To Do With Money, Yearn…Then Learn To Earn, Find A Financial Mentor, Creating A Budget That Works, 10 Tips For Effective Budgeting and 7 More Tips For Effective Budgeting (Part 2)
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Regards, Gabriel.
