One of things I love to see is the success of the Kenyan entrepreneur. It is always a blessing to see that our economy is doing well and has been shaped by the men and women who labour hard on building their businesses.

One of the major factors in the growth of an economy is its entrepreneurs. From the small-holder farmer to kiosk owner to bank shareholder, all these people contribute greatly to the success of our nation, Kenya.

Let’s be Optimists

We always hear the negative things on the news like people raiding private property, high-costs of living and high unemployment. These are all serious problems that need to be solved. However, they are overemphasised and I believe that they cause more harm than good. They are self-fulfilling prophecy. If we say that our government is always corrupt and treat them as such, guess what they will continue to be.

More than ever, our country needs optimisim. The kind of optimism that drives action and makes people have hope in a better tomorrow. I once had a conversation with my parents about prosperity. It is a word that is thrown around quite loosely by politicians looking for votes. They promise this vague and intangible thing called prosperity but I doubt that they know the meaning of it. From the conversation, we concluded that prosperity is not about the big car or the nice house that you own. I believe that prosperity is the assurance that tomorrow will be better than today. You can have a big car and nice house, but if a civil war breaks out, all of it is meaningless and can easily be taken away from you.

Rid yourself of the negative

Our nation needs people who can cultivate prosperity. It is not a destination, it is a continuous journey that never ends. It has ups and downs, lefts and rights but it is always the same. People need to feel that tomorrow will be better than today. Hope and optimism have to be the order of the day. The Kenyan mindset is too negative these days. We see someone successful and think he is the exception to the rule. When a friend is doing well, they will claim that they are doing badly so that other people don’t feel challenged or envious. It is not a virtue to be pessismist, we should treat it as a sickness. Why hate when you see someone’s success? Take a look in the mirror and accept that you are not as successful as you want to be. However, you must know that you can do something about it. You don’t need to hold a minute grudge against the guy in the Mercedes. Ask yourself how I can get myself a Mercedes Benz. Rid yourself of this victim mentality of thinking that all rich people hurt you because they are rich.

Money Opens Doors

The solution is simple, stop being poor. Of course, the devil is in the details. It is not easy to get rich but it should be a goal to have. Having money opens so many doors for you. You can get good healthcare, wear nice clothes, take your children to good schools, enjoy leisure and so on. Money is good and no one should lie to you that money is the root of all evil. No, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. However, as you progress in your journey of being rich, you will slowly come to learn that money is not the goal but a means to get what you want. As I said before, money opens doors and there are many doors to choose from. Your job is to choose what door you want to open with that money. You can use your money to go on holidays or buy land or start new businesses or spend it on drugs. You have the choice on what to do with your money.

Provide Value

How do you get money? Well, the solution is simple as well. Provide a product or service that is valuable to someone else. When you help someone do something that they cannot or don’t want to do, they will give you money in return. Learn a valuable skill that you can charge people for. It can be plumbing, coding, fixing cars, balancing accounts and so on. Hone that skill, practise it everyday and offer it to the people. Market it to your friends, family, colleagues and any other people that you come across. Post it on the internet or apply for job opening for that skill. Take the risk of putting your skill out into the world. The more afraid you are to do so, the more you care about it and that’s a good thing. Show the world what you can do. The saying goes, “If you give the world what it wants, it will give you what you want”.

Providing something valuable is a great way to make money but it does so much more. You develop the millionaire mindset, that turns you into a force to be reckoned. You become a better person in how you think, work, live and breathe. Even your walk changes and you see yourself as someone capable in society. No one can take that away from you. Your self perception becomes one of strength and competence. Competence breeds confidence. When you walk into a room, people will see it in your stride, the glean of your eye and the sway of the shoulders. They will see quality and they will do nothing but respect it. They will see a rich man who knows his worth and is not afraid to show it. This is why you should pursue money because the benefits are something that even money cannot buy. It has been built by your own desire.

Conclusion

This is why I love the Kenyan entrepreneur and his success is my success. When I see the GDP figures, basis points and the testimonials on the Business Daily, I am happy because that is a reflection of the self actualisation of our nation. As men and women work their asses of to grow their businesses, they are providing value and taking our economy to great heights. If you don’t see these things are progress and just show pessimism without solutions, then you are lost. You are the problem. Instead of working your ass off, you are busy being negative and saying that Kenya is a failed state. The nation has failed because you have failed in your own mind. You reflect your mental state on the world and have it confirmed by a few cases here and there. In all of this, you are also not building something for yourself or expressing your dreams into the world. Do you not see that you are in need of psychological attention? You have let negativity colonise your mind, the only place that you should protect from negativity at all costs. Sure, things can be going wrong but if you don’t believe that things can be better, you have no hope of making it out.

Rid yourself of your negative state of mind. We need you to express yourself, work hard, spread positive word, uplift your neighbour, create value for your society and lead a nation to prosperity. Take us to a place where we know that tomorrow will be better than today.