Don’t Waste Time And Money Reading Motivational Books

Most, if not all of us, are getting fooled by so-called motivational speakers and writers. We spend enormous amounts of our hard-earned money attending their seminars or purchasing their books and tapes, with minimal or no results. Quite often, the outcome may be catastrophic.

I am one of those who readily lap up every book and video on motivation.

Positive thinking encouraged me to put up pictures in my two-bedroom apartment of the seaside villa and Lamborghini that I would be owning one day. Instead of the usual second-hand shops that I would frequent for clothes and other accessories, I dared to enter and buy from boutiques and branded apparel shops. I paid a fortune to join exclusive clubs where the rich and famous gathered to play golf or party. Go all out for it, the motivational experts kept telling me. Change your way of thinking and you will become wealthy.

I invested in stocks that immediately tanked due to one catastrophe or another. If it was not due to a hurricane, flood, or political tensions, COVID-19 ensured that my portfolio remained, and still remains, in the red. Futures, options, and binary options, I have tried them all with more losses than any real success. Business after business that I started ended bottoms up. Week after week, for the past ten years, I bought lottery tickets from all over the world. My maximum earning has been three dollars when I matched three numbers in a Texas lottery. I have tried selling chocolates, soaps, e-books, online courses, coaching classes, real estate — you name it — I have done it all. Income — zilch. Lost money — yes, yes, yes. Burnt fingers — plenty of times.

I still read success stories, watch YouTube videos and salivate over multimillion-dollar mansions, but, of late, I have found that my enthusiasm is gradually ebbing away. I am sick and tired of reading the life stories of Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk — and being told that they have less than average intelligence. They do not. Each one of them is a brilliant genius who knew how to take ideas and problems, work on them, find solutions and shape them into money-making machines. Incidentally, each one of them has changed the world for us and made it a much better place to live in.

I ended up going to a palmist the other week, who shook his head and said that I would have just enough money in this life to put food on the table and live comfortably. He advised me to drop my fanciful ideas and just continue in my 9 to 5 job till retirement. In short, I would never be a millionaire, much less a billionaire. I was so put off by this that I almost left his office without paying him.

Slowly, the realization is dawning on me that I was am just not cut out to make money. In fact, I have lost a good amount trying to emulate the success stories of Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos. There are many smart people out there who know what to do to advance any business, who consistently beat the stock market, and who can sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo. I am not one of them. Me, I consider myself lucky if I can retain my current job without getting fired as part of the retrenchment plans of my company.

The Lamborghini posters on my walls have faded. I cancelled my membership of the Rotary and other clubs, sold off my stocks, albeit at a loss, and stopped buying lottery tickets.

Best of all, I chucked all the motivational books that I had in the bin. I consoled myself with only one thought — at least I tried.

It's better to have tried and failed than to live life wondering what would’ve happened if I had tried — Alfred Lord Tennyson

It took me well over thirty years to achieve this state of tranquillity. Yes, everyone must strive to attain great heights. A few will make it through sheer grit and determination. But this is not enough. You need to have the foresight to know what people want and smart business acumen to bring your idea to fruition. The rest of us fall by the wayside. In the latter group, there are people like me who, for the love of Mike, never succeed in any venture. I am happy that I tried. I am also happy that I gave up trying, thus saving money and, most important of all, enormous stress that was taking a toll on my health.

When you have tried and lost, not just once, twice, or any number of times, be graceful enough to admit defeat. With every failure, step back, and assess. Is it achievable? Do I have the requisite knowledge, training, skills, and finances to continue without plunging into poverty? A friend of mine, a general practitioner, lost his entire bank balance trading penny stocks. He had to sell his house and now, his family lives in a caravan.

My pension is just about enough to pay for my bills, health insurance, and daily necessities. Having given up striving for anything, I am now writing stories for Vocal and other blogs just to kill time waiting for my Maker. I am not going to stress out on this.

But the best part is — I am currently at peace with myself.

Are you?