John 20:19. In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side.” She looked at me and said “Mustapha, I need your help. I have this great job, but I am not happy. I have a loving husband, but I am not happy. I have a fantastic car, but I am not happy. I have a one square mile…
What does success mean to you?
We all want to be successful. Most people define success in terms of accumulating a lot of money and having a tall building in the middle of the city. But is that true success? Success is being financially independent, with good health and social respect. Financial independence is having enough to meet the basics of life and remain happy. If you can enjoy basic holiday and leisure as well as fix dependents that is great enough. As you make money, you must avoid lifestyles that expose you to health risks. In Uganda just like elsewhere, the cost of quality health…
How big is the luck factor in startup success?
Luck is useless if it lands on the unprepared. As they say, if you want to win a lottery ticket, first go and buy the ticket! However, lucky you might be, without having bought the lottery ticket. There is no way you are going to win. Many successful people agree with the saying that “good luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.” If you want to get lucky, first prepare. If you want to get that dream job, express interest for it by submitting your application or going to meet the recruiter. The opportunity might be there, but if you do…
You cannot hide an elephant
One of the popular sayings in Bunyoro goes “You cannot hide an elephant.” The elephant is a very big animal. It is very difficult to hide it. If something is outstanding or extraordinary, it is very difficult to hide it. Always do your best in any setting so that you can get noticed. If you are very good, people will always notice you. One of Uganda’s former presidents, Idi Amin Dada, put it plainly “You cannot win a Whiteman by points in a boxing game. Beat him with a knockout.” Amin, once a boxer, had learnt that the only way…
Why Indians succeed easily in Africa, part 3
Know the difference between an asset and a liability. Even for some of us accountants, the clarity between assets and a liability is not so clear. For example, is a car an asset? Take the following test: Does your car have potential to increase future cash flows? Does the benefits your car offers exceed the costs of ownership in the long term? Does your car have a resale future value higher than the purchase and maintenance costs combined? Does your asset have readily available buyer anytime you would want to dispose of it? You get the idea. An asset should…
Want to succeed? Change your view!
If you want to succeed, you need to change your view. With technology, battles don’t have to be harder. And the earlier you accept that, the better for you. That saying is attributed to Ford Motors Corporation staff in the US in the early days of manufacturing where, after spending a lot of time, carrying steel, and then assembling and painting. They all sat down, and were happy. Looking at what their sweet had created, they were very happy. One of them, as a way of motivating the team for the next car and preparing their mind to it said:…