By Amos Wekesa
As a young man, I was told only a very small percentage of people are born in privileged positions. In other words, they are born in less hustle environment. A circle of a president, a king or a wealthy businessman is a small one.
The rest of us(worldwide by the way)have to hustle and the earlier one recognises that, the better. If you come from a background like mine, the short term ultimate goal is to work for basics and that includes food, shelter and clothing.
It’s almost impossible to have a serious impact in society when still struggling for food, shelter and clothing. You must graduate from struggling for basics for a higher calling. The struggle for basics is to self. Most people will strive and achieve that short term goal and yes, most again will remain in that circle for life due to acquired habits and those habits can be over drinking, obsession with luxuries and that range from phones, expensive cloths etc to as high as luxury cars. That affects long term thinking which comes through strategic saving (saving without a purpose is useless).
People will then say but life is short, why not enjoy it? Trust me, we are all tempted to think so. I have on many occasions thought I shoud be driving the latest car since life is short and yes, on several occasions saved towards that only to change my mind at the last minute. Denying ourselves certain stuff in the short run can help us create opportunities not only for ourselves but for those around us as well long term.
Thankfully, I also know that driving the latest car or owning a big family mansion or even the lack of it won’t make me happy. I drive a 14 yr old landcruiser, well kept(real looks nice) but I have to still choose to be happy.
In fact, some of my best moments are when I tell my driver(don’t try to make me feel shy, these are privileges I have worked so hard through God’s help for a long time) to drive home as I walk the 14kms to home from my office.
Life isn’t a lit candle that burns out but a torch that we pass on when death strikes and that’s why it’s said, that we continue living through others by what we gave while still alive.
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