Sounds pretty selfish, huh?
Selfishness is the last thing I have in mind.
When we want something badly enough, we usually will do what it takes to get it. For many, that means going in debt to have something they cannot afford straight up.
But what about the kind of thing you want so badly that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it? What goals are you willing to stretch to reach?
That’s what this post is about.
I learned about this from several African students I met back in the early 90s when my wife and I were living and teaching at a small seminary in Zimbabwe. The lessons made a deep impression on me.
1. Plan early to get what you want. This lesson I learned from one of my students, who was also a friend, named Chris. When we arrived in Zimbabwe we didn’t have much, at least by American standards, but we had a great deal by the standards of Zimbabwe. Chris saw early on that I had a pair of khakis, and, literally on the first day of our 2 year stay in the country, Chris asked me if he could buy my khakis when we left.
Chris didn’t have a lot of money, but he had a lot of insight, and he knew how to prepare to get what he wanted. He planned early to arrange with me to make a transaction for something that was more than 20 months away. He took the long view to get something he knew would be of value to him.
By the way, when we left Zimbabwe, I gave Chris the khakis.
2. Wait for what you want. Another student of mine was Mr. Caputo. He was from Angola, and was older than most of the students (early to mid 40s if I recall correctly). He and his wife and several children were in Zimbabwe to study, but they were from Angola.
Because of his Christian faith, he had been beaten at some point by communists in his native country. He struggled with academics, but not with his work ethic.
You see, the very day we arrived on campus, Mr. Caputo had been waiting for us the entire day. He literally camped out on our doorstep.
Why? To ask if he could work for us as our gardner. We didn’t have much money, but we had more than most students there, so we honored his request, and he worked for us for the entire time we were in Zimbabwe.
He understood the value of hard work, and he knew that his family’s financial situation would improve significantly if he could land (another) side job. So he waited, and he got what he wanted.
3. Be persistent AND patient. I wrote about this lesson in this post. I learned from Moses that waiting persistently but patiently can have the result of securing what you want.
There you have it. Three ways to get what you want.
That’s my thought. What about you? Have you done something like this to get what you set your mind to get (or accomplish)?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Persistence and patience is the biggest here I almost think. Patience is SO HARD but it’s really really important!!
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