Another kind of restructuring
November 25th, 2006 Ogbuotobo Chuks || chuks@stockmarketnigeria.com
Ogbuotobo Chuks
Mike Tyson, former world heavyweight boxing champion is broke. In fact, he has filed for bankruptcy. This is in spite of the fact that he became a world champion at the age of 20 and earned a whopping $470 million! Why should he go broke after earning such an amount of money? In our part of the world, we could attribute it to the diabolical work of witches and wizards. However, a close look will reveal that Tyson’s undoing was his mind-set. Psychologists call it cognitive restructuring. Tyson grew up in the slums of Brooklyn , New York . The slum has its own culture (prevailing way of thinking). Unfortunately, when he began to earn millions of dollars, his old way of thinking remained with him. He did not invest in stocks or in real estate. He did not know how to start and run businesses. His mind, instead of being an asset, became a liability.
Tyson’s story holds a big lesson for you and I. We cannot rise beyond the level of our thoughts. Given the fact that poverty and wrong thinking about money have become part of our culture, we must find a way to escape this mental trap.
ARE YOU RICH?
Just before you think I’m asking if you have wads of cash in your pocket, hold it. I am asking if you have the mind-set of a rich man. Since the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts, if you have the mind-set of the rich, you will eventually have the cash.
Unfortunately, most of us in this country do not have the mind-set of the rich. How do we give a whole country a new mind-set or culture with respect to wealth creation? That brings me back to the words of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a social scientist; “The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture, and save it from itself”.
If you hold a public office, please realize that the greatest good you can do for our generation and those coming is to promote a new way of thinking or a new culture in the area of wealth creation in this country. It is very obvious that in the 46 years of its existence as an independent nation, politics has influenced our culture for bad. It has entrenched poverty and corruption.
THERE IS HOPE
Where politics has failed, is there any other institution that can change aspects of a society’s culture? I say, yes! Religion does have impact on culture. It was the church that gave Europe its work ethic and its culture of cleanliness, excellence, giving to charity and so on. In fact, social scientists have established the fact that most countries of the developed world were built on Judeo-Christian principles.
This brings us to the big challenge; “WHAT WILL THE CHURCH IN NIGERIA GIVE TO THIS SOCIETY?” If we can change what is said on the pulpit, we can change our way of thinking as a nation. For example, if we emphasize that sin is not only committing fornication but also disobeying the traffic light, it could make a world of difference on our roads. That’s how cognitive restructuring begins and grows to other areas of our lives.
You and I can begin the process of changing our thinking and influencing others to do things right. Nigeria will move from the third world to the first world.
Think and Act…
Send comments to chuks@stockmarketnigeria.com
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