I can't forget Mr Lawal. I spoke about him twice this week.
He was one of our drivers at work around 2003/2004.
A Thread
He was one of our drivers at work around 2003/2004.
A Thread
I was going on a sales call that morning. I was seated at the back- the 'owner's corner'. Mr Lawal, a very humble man who always called everyone 'Oga mi' (my boss) was driving.
We passed an area called Akobo- Ojuirin in Ibadan and Mr Lawal said while pointing, 'Oga mi', Ile mi niyen' (my boss, that's my house). I asked if it was built by him and he answered in the affirmative. At that time, I didn't even own a single block not to talk of a plot of land.
Yet, this man who was a widower, had 3 children in school (one was at a College of Education then). My salary was multiples of his.
He was so disciplined. I never saw him eat- he told me he eats at home before coming to work.
He was so disciplined. I never saw him eat- he told me he eats at home before coming to work.
Anytime we offered him food or asked him to join us at a restaurant, he always told us humorously that he preferred the cash. He had a personal car that he brings to work- the same car that he uses as a 'kabu kabu' (cab) after work.
Many folks who earn low wages or income are able to maximize it better than those who earn far higher income. They live far below their means and cut their clothes according to their material.
They don't embark on frivolous spend and have learnt the principle of delayed gratification. I have seen too many people earning good money who can't actually survive beyond a month if their current income is removed.
Mr Lawal taught me that:
1. It's now how much you earn that really matters. What you do with what you earn is even more important.
1. It's now how much you earn that really matters. What you do with what you earn is even more important.
2. With careful planning, you can maximize your current earnings. There are 3Ms of money- Making Money, Managing Money and Multiplying Money but the greatest M is Managing Money. If you make money or multiply money without managing it well, you'll soon be missing money.
3. The higher you earn, the greater the tendency to be wasteful, to spend money on what does not really matter. That is the time you suddenly discover that you can no longer stay at Yaba but Magodo or Lekki.
Starting on a low income is not necessarily a bad thing. Learn how to maximize what you have. You'll develop capacity along the way. But remember, if you can't handle N20,000, you won't be able to handle N2m.
The End
The End
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