The New Year Has Started

The pictures below are those of our new school site at Okuokoko, near Warri.

In the last few weeks, I have met two of my friends who told me to make sure I enjoy my money. I tried to ponder over why they talk to me like that. I suspect it is because of the way I dress.

One of them was a medical practitioner, obviously a junior colleague because if he is still in paid government employment, he must be my junior colleague. He did not realize that I was just coming from an airport. I had been billed to stay in a five-star hotel at Abuja, but I refused to board the flight because the organization that was to host me failed to arrange for my transport from the airport to the hotel. Their protocol officer and, maybe, the organizers of the program thought they were doing me a favour by inviting me to Abuja and booking that hotel for me. However, I had stayed in that hotel for three days in August, all expenses paid for.

I had agreed with my wife, years back, that we were going to prudently invest our resources such that we would not travel to preach because we needed the honorarium. That doctor was still reporting on duty as a civil servant but I go to work when I want to and I enjoy my freedom.

I am not rich, but I enjoy financial freedom because I invested early. Being a medical doctor never fascinated me. Being an entrepreneur and building family businesses were more fascinating.

Most probably, he was expecting me to be dressed like him, with a tie and a suit, sweating under the African sun. I have always wanted to dress the way I felt was comfortable for me. I usually don’t spend my money on what others pay for enjoyment; others pay for them. My productivity and value to humanity pay for my pleasures. Moreover, I have simple tastes, but I have big dreams.

When you invest early in life and produce what people are ready to pay for, your clients pay for your enjoyment or your businesses pay for your fun. You enjoy on the profits of your profits.

The other person was a Minister of the Gospel. I was dressed the same way I am in the pictures in this post. He came tightly dressed. He is a bishop. I am not a bishop. I am not a fashionista.

According to my wife, don’t spend your future on two B’s: your belly and your body. Instead spend your money, time, and future on your brain and your businesses.

I preached with him severally, but he was more interested in his belly and his body. He was getting more monies than I but I was investing my time and resources on my future. He made mockery of my dressing, then, and even now.

It must be emphasized, though, that I bought what am were in this picture and yesterday were bought from Australia. I paid more than Half a Million Naira for tickets for that missionary trip from my investments.

Guess what? The bishop who was insinuating that I was not enjoying my money came to consult me on areas he could invest in.

I know myself. I know what I want out of life. I know what I consider as enjoyment. Your standard of what is called enjoyment is not my standard. I derive joy from investments. I like seeing my products in the hands of people. I like providing employment opportunities for people. I enjoying building buildings and businesses. They don’t necessarily mean much to me in terms of wealth, but the thrill of each stage of the building gives me orgasmic fun. I don’t do extramarital sex. I don’t like ceremonies or outings; public gatherings usually stress me.

This holiday period, when people are scrambling as if the world is coming to an end, is when I start my new year like I wrote in A New You In A New Year. This is when I build, it’s the time for projects and projections. It is the time for mental and spiritual preparations. I have bought the paper to publish 8 books in January. It will be cheaper then because people will be broke from over-expenses.

I am not usually carried away by the excitement of the season. I practice contrarian enjoyment. Moreover, I have salaries to be paid early next year. For me, the new year has started and I am running fast into it.

Addendum: Some days back, my wife asked me if I remembered Christmas years back, and I said yes. Many years back, during Christmas season, we would not have enough money to buy chicken, so we would buy a few kilograms of the necks of chicken, the legs and the wings. My wife would use them to cook tomato stew and rice. We would take some to our parents all the way from Aba to Otokutu. When we came to Ughelli after selling the hospital, the first few years were not too different. We would send the children to my mother-in-law at Okuokoko, where they would, at least, be sure of decent meals. We would stay at Ughelli alone managing what we had. That was then. This season, we are selling broilers from our poultry. You can read some posts on the poultry here, here, here, and here.

That’s the way life is.

God bless you.