Announcement: The winner of highest comments for the month of February though keenly constested is… Tosin Fayokun. Please send me a mail so I can send you the parameters for your personal hosted account. Congratulations!!!
This is a story I shared in a number of seminars during the weekend, and I think it’s only proper that I share it with you as well. I’m not certain exactly who owns the story, but I believe I have read it in one of Robert Kiyosaki’s books before. It’s an interesting story that connects with us in some little ways. It’s the story of our lives, and we can clearly see where we are in our journey.
It so happened that once upon a time, in a village somewhere in Africa. A new king ascended the throne, and felt it was the right thing to get water for his people. He decided to hire the services of two good young men to help deliver the promise of water to his people. He offered to pay them $10 per 25 litre bucket of water, and the two of them were excited about the possibilities. The first day of work they both carried 10 pairs of buckets each. It was tedious and hard labor, but by the time they got their payment, they were excited all over again. They continued like this for one week, until one of the contractors called his colleague and told him that even though they were earning $200 per day, he did not feel that what they were doing was sustainable. He suggested to his colleague that rather than go to the stream to fetch water everyday, why not put forces together and develop a pipe that can run from the stream to the town. The colleague however wanted none of that approach. Why will he leave the bird in hand and be hunting for two in the bush. Why should he reduce the number of buckets he can fetch today, and focus on a pipe that might fail, that might burst, that might even be attacked by militants. Rather than take that risk, the bucket colleague continued to fetch his water. The pipe colleague decided to still carry about 4 buckets in a day to have some small cash, and focused his energies almost totally on constructing the pipes.
After 1 month, the pipe had gotten halfway. This ensured that the colleague who was developing the pipe didn’t need to travel as far as the bucket pusher to get more results and to still have time to focus on completing the pipes. After three months, the pipe was completed. On the day it was launched, he was able to fill over 100 buckets of water. Now he doesn’t need to go anywhere anymore, the pipes just need to be open and he’ll earn. The bucket pusher of course lost his job and had to apply to another village. His strength was also waning. He couldn’t go on vacation, he couldn’t really afford not to work for long. He doesn’t have time, he is busy, he is a bucket pusher!
Before you criticize the bucket pusher too much, I have a few questions for you. Can you afford to stop working for 3months or more? God forbid you have a health issue that requires your resting for 6 months, does that thought frighten you? Do you have income that does not require your input anymore to be made? Do you have a system that you are working on that has the capacity to be a pipe for you? Are you dimming your present to brighten your future? Are you carrying buckets or building pipes? Don’t get this wrong, having your own business is not building pipes, so long as the business needs you everyday, the chances are high that you have a bucket carrying business. When you die, nobody can inherit your bucket carrying business, but someone can inherit your pipe. Carrying bucket can become sophisticated with the use of trucks or cranes, but so long as there is no system, or the system requires your regular input to survive, you are still carrying buckets!
Carrying buckets is a good start, in fact it’s were we all have to start if we are to make anything in the short term. There are creative ideas that can make the buckets you even carry worthwhile and effective. If you want to grow and become wealthy however, you need to start working on your pipes. Let me give you a few examples of what can constitute a pipe, and the characteristics to watch our for in a good piping system.
1. A real estate investment can be a good pipe system. It’s simple, you invest money and time in building a house, and you put it up for rentals. Even if you don’t work for again, if you have enough of these type of investment, it continues to yield annually. If you live in a country where rent is paid monthly, you earn monthly. Like all pipes, there are some elements of risk. Risk here involves something major happens and people need to flee where your property is. There is a fire incident, a water incident or a natural disaster, or there is an economic meltdown and the values of property plummets. All good thing however have risks, so it’s just understanding the worst and moving in faith in spite of it.
2. Investment in some stocks could be a piping system. There are a few companies in Nigeria that have attained the status of a full pipe for their owners. We have not experienced many company transitions from owner to manager. Any company you can trust to last long, and still be around to pay dividends when you are no longer fit to work is a good pipe. All you need to do is build an investment profile that is big enough to make your dividends make sense. There may be lulls in the market on the short term, but to a person who is looking to build pipes there is no problem. There are people who enter the stock market with a bucket mentality, it’s fine. When these type of people seriously outnumber the pipe layers is when the economics begins to wobble. Investment in stocks is a time tested way of building a pipe. This also has it’s risk, the investment is in a business, and there is no business that is risk proof. It’s just that when all you are doing is carrying buckets, you are running a greater risk!
3. Network Marketing is another good piping system. Many of us have experienced the wrong type of Network Marketing. We have experienced companies that we didn’t know where not built to last. To know a network marketing opportunity that can build you a pipe, the design in place to make it last is crucial. If you ask me, I’ll say this offers the biggest piping potential amongst piping opportunities. Why, because in just a few months, or years, you can have a network that companies that have existed for 160yrs can’t boast of. Imagine for example that you are in a network where you make one sale per month, and coach your direct report (downline) to do the same, things will grow slowly, but if this model of small activity is maintained in 20 months, you’ll have a network of over 1 million people. Even if it was one per year, and it took you 20yrs to build this network, it is well worth it. There are network marketing companies that are over 50yrs old currently, and some that are 10yrs and in between. Some of them have millions already in their network and some people are not actively involved anymore, but are earning obscene amounts per week. The upside of this is that the capital requirements are very small compared to the first two, and is augmented by work. The downside and risk in this, is that the NM company may not last long, figuring out the DNA of a successful NM company is the required skill here.
4. Setting up your own business, and building systems to ensure that you can retire is a good system. I worked for Procter and Gamble early in my life, and I can say quite confidently that they have a good system. The company has existed of about 172yrs now, the owners have died, and their children too, but the company continues to yield returns for members of the Procter and Gamble family and many of the people who invested in the business along the way. Setting up a systemic business requires a lot of commitment, and hard work. It’s never an overnight success, it takes patience, perseverance and keeping one’s hopes alive. You contend with the speed of advancement of technology, with your environment, with changing times and changing policies, but if you build a business in an area that is your passion, you have a joyful ride all the way. Failure doesn’t move you, success doesn’t relax you. What you want is more than the results, even the journey is appealing to you. People have build businesses, that took care of them, and it’s a good pipe building option. The downside is, business is a risk and you may fail a few times before you succeed. I however do not know anyone who ever succeeded in something he/she never tried.
Are you carrying buckets or are you building pipes? Are you winding down your buckets for the pipes you are building? Or are you too busy with the demands of the buckets that you are not thinking about pipes. Don’t be foolish, the characteristic that qualifies the ants as an example of wisdom, is their ability to live today, with tomorrow in mind. We have said that fear is not enough to stop you, we have said you chose the game that you play, we have said a lot of things about a lot of things. Don’t miss out the essence. You are a spectator if the words touch you and there is no action. You are a player if the words make your game better.
There are a number of pipes that I am building at the moment that you can be a part of if you want. We are not running beyond ourselves, we are taking it slowly as we have come to understand the value of patience and gradual sustainable growth. We don’t need superstars, just level headed people who are willing to dim the present a little to brighten the future. I have learnt from both my successes and my failures, and I’m much better off in action than someone who is afraid of falling. If you are interested in knowing the pipes I am working on, and to be a part of this movement that is not confined to Nigeria or to Lagos. You can download skype and add me, my username is adeoluakinyemi. you can also mail me, or reach me on facebook. 2009 is a strategic year, and I’m looking for 300 people, whose financial destinies will be transformed. We’ll be going around Nigeria and around Africa. We’ll be building a big network of pipes, and perhaps kicking of a school of entrepreneurship as we go. There are pipes to build, and two are always better than one! So, whether we do it together or not, find you team, and start working on your pipes.
For additional reading – Kiyosaki’s quotes
57 thoughts on “Buckets or Pipes”
This post questions our very essence of living! Buckets or pipes?!
May God help us take actions when it’s fashionable to do so.
Bless you brother.
Man, looks like I’ve been carrying buckets around for quite a while naw, and I’ve been too busy with the demands of the bucket to even think of pipes!
How for do man???
I’ve heard loads, but just thinking to myself………”how much action have I taken??”
Quite insightful, we must live today with tomorrow in mind.
Thanks Deolu.
It’s the month of March and i’m marching forward powerfully with sound co-ordinated effort. Wisdom is better than strenght, so it’s time for me to concentrate my energies in building pipes, thanks Deolu for sending this across early in this month of March.
Deolu Thanks for being there to motivate others to action.
Those who bring Light to others can not hide it from themselves.
Please note i stand to be counted among the 300…My Mail is on the way.
deolu,this is an interestng topic ,which we make to think about the future rather than for the present that will not last.delsu,abraka
Another thought-provoking article. I’ve been a bucket-pusher for too long. I have to reduce the no of my buckets I push and start building pipes.
Thanks for the post.
You are quite right my brother.Majority of us are guilty of this.I think i need to complete all the pipes i’m yet to finish.God bless you Deolu!
http://GoldTutorNg.com -Gold Trading and investing tutor
Chairman,
How come it’s when I’m thiking of something that you just come up with a write-up to answer my questions? Just as if you were reading my mind yesternight. This post goes to quicken my actions to lay more pipes with urgency and patience, systematically building the team and systems that will last for generations. I shall be one of the 300!
Thanks Deolu, God bless you.
Oga Deolu ‘Oluwa a tubo ma so agbara di otun’. I look forward to presenting this to might collegues at the forthcoming knowledge hour I hope am permitted. Thanks Deolu.
buckets or pipes! interesting topic!!! when i head you relate this story the weekend, it really set me thinking. well i would say that i’m already on the journey of creating pipes for the future but it has taken another interesting turn after those seminars i heard you speak @ the weekend. pls let suggest that u update us on ur speaking engagements so that some of us can follow-up on these.
deolu, pls can you state ur email address so that i can send u a mail to claim the prize? my own email is tosin_fay@yahoo.com. thanks
@ all
i want to encourage much comments on this site. well a good motivation is the prize, but beyond that, my ability to write has tremendously increased in the last 1month thanks to ifects (lol), and it’s a way of generating traffic to this great site. thanks very much
Hi Deolu,
Another wonderful piece.
From all that we’ve been getting from your site, we cannot afford to fail!
Even when it seems as if all hope is lost, you will come with a timely and encouraging words to forged ahead.
You have informed me thus far, and I will be transformed soonest.
Thanks.
Thank you Deolu for the words of encouragement. The pipe building process is tedious and sometimes painful. Thank you for sharing this that serves as anchor for us in this time…
Can I have your e-mail address?
Thanks.
Thanks Deolu, It’s quite interesting how the system can keep us all so busy and we don’t realise we are just pushing buckets instead of building pipes. You’re such a blessing. God bless.
Thanks for this piece! May I have your email address pls?
Oga Deolu, This we serve as a good reminder for many of us that still runing a rat race
I am charged and ready to go! Thanks Dee, i’m cashing in big time on your invitation
@ Tosin Fayokun
Thanks & Congratulations. I’ve been greatly motivated and blessed too.
also remember that the quality of pipes u will ever build is a function of ur dept of knowledge or skill in a particular venture, so go for knowledge. it will lighten u. in the stock market today, there are many gamblers not investors. they are the ones panicking now. some others know that they will be in charge when the economy revives which will definitely come. so while u finding many interesting ways of using ur buckets, u can begin to search for knowledge in that pipe u want to build. thanks
CM
Thanks for the post and for offering to show us how to build pipes. If so many people are now thinking of building pipes, maybe I should move into the pipe manufacturing/ consulting business or maybe I should just be importing the raw materials.
Teach us Lord to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom……
Whosoever hears these words of mine and does them is likened to a man who built his house on the rock…….
Somebody told me years back that the reason why the lake stinks is because it never flows, but keep collecting. He also asked me to try closing my mouth a whole day not talking to anyone, and see how offensive the odour coming out of it would look the next morning. I think this is relevant to the issue of pipes and buckets. Share with others, impact lives.
it is always good to live a life that has tomorrow in mind. just the parable of the ten virgins. there is a saying that success is when opportunity meets preparation. i must sincerely confess that you are doing a great job. God bless you in jesus name.
Buckets man!!!!!! Like you said, building pipes is one day@ a time. I am building pipes, building pipes, building pipes, building pipes…..
while every other piping system is viable, i think the piping system that eventually dominates others is “setting up your own business” and not only that but developing it into a system that will not need your presence to thrive. for me i have started researching into online money making systems and i’ve seen some which i’m testing currently. let’s all make effort to build pipes along with what we are doing.
we can also build pipes from what we doing now. i see my salary as a seed currently from which when utilized properly will build me other streams before the end of 2009.
Oga Deee, Added you on skype… awaiting your acceptance. Thanks
Na buckets i dey use right now but i dey try use am arquire pipes. me i no fear militants
Your well will never run dry. The wisdom that God has given you will yet increase more and more. Thanks for being a blessing.
Wonderful write up again. Thanks to Deolu. I want to be among the 300 people. Pls let me have ur email address . Thanks and God bless you.
Deolu well you said a great deal of words ,nice one, well i dont do this but i think i will like to leave a statement as this post relates to wat am doing at the moment,am trying to build pipes but my pipe building is as though bucket carrying but am trying to reshape things and get a system right,like Deolu said it needs patience,av been in it for over a year now and i must tell you i have also put in so much and its still demanding yet every day is like a whole new journey,the road to building a pipe is not easy but will you rather not start or will stop half way,perseverance is one of the tools that you will strongly need to keep you going.To all who whats to start building pipes i strongly advice start but you will face those rocks, after all you have to dig the path you want to lay your pipes,but it becomes interesting as you get alone,today i had a bad day from my transaction,friday was like a jackpot,tomorow i dont know but those are the things that makes it interesting,so try and start now for you dont know how long it will take you to perfect on it.For the 300 i think its a good deal of another opportunity to leaverage.Deolu am in!
mr dee, God bless you real good. thanx for carrying us along.
if a lot of our parents had had this kind of mindset during the oil boom of the 70s im sure Nigeria will not be what it is today.
However we sef go make d needed change, and we go leave something good for our children to inherit
@ Oluwafemi – Feel Free. “Copyright is the right to copy so far it’s copied right.. :)” – Pastor Tea
@All – Thanks oh. I saw all the skype adds, emails and facebook notes. I’ll reach you all shortly. All who requested for my email, will get it too.
Great Post CM. Very insighful. In this age of “make it quick”, it is good to step back and plan on how to contruct pipes. Thanks for reminding is again
Wow dis is more than insightful. I may still be carrying buckets now but I definitely am working on my pipe too.
Pipe building is not an easy task but, ask the one who has been carrying buckets for just the same amount of time and u will never want to trade places even if u have not achieved it yet.
Thanks
Deolu,ko ni tan nibee o.Only grave starts from the top,starting small but aim for the best and the top is the only option.Until u get there to the topmost top,dnt stop.keep pressing forward till ur achieve ur dreams.Would like to join the 300.my email is sade_young@yahoo.com
Deolu, Can you broaden my mind on these new pipes you are laying, i am quite interested. I believe you are God sent. Thank you as usual for the opps.
Bebe Christina
Oga Deolu you are right! I knw within me av bn carrying buckets dat wnt be sustainable… but a determination to build a pipeline requires more than just a desire…but proceeds 4rm d insuffifient/inefficient bucket system…. Appreciate ur usual insight and self-lessness to bring as many on board on available opportunities. Pls am interested & ld love to be part of it. Thank u.
God bless you!
@ Adesola
Love ur illustration. Man was created to be channels of blessings to others. Channels don’t run dry.
Thought provoking words. I would like to be part of the 300 people. Expecting your mail yemilanx@yahoo.com.
Deolu tanx 4 bringing out d bucket or pipe story from a different perspective.
No doubt this is a thought provoking article.In my own way I will say,doing something today that you will enjoy tomorrow.God bless u,
Benedict Ohio
Wonderfullll…I guess i’m still a bucket. I am walking up myself to be a pipe…
One easy way to do so is to follow after you and learn the things you learn and do the things you do.
I have made my choice and i will stand by it…
Nice one, that was interesting and inspiring. there is nothing as beautiful as keeping this informations on my finger tips, building my own pipes is gradual and is compulsory. the strength of sustainability is a prayer to seek for. thanx bro.
Like Peter..i am marching forward this month and months ahead! This is a thought provoking post and its meant to shock us out of our comfort zones…its okay to earn money working for someone but its better to have money working for you while you relax…looking like a duck on water without people knowing your feets are working underwater! Thanks..count me in on any pipe you are building o! ..my motto this year is to “move anyhow”..crawl,walk,run!..Thanks again!
Oga tnx for adding me on Skype, really need to start digging for my pipes now
Brilliant!!!Innovation is an eternal theme, in any part of the world we find ourselves……
We cannot over emphasis the importance of constantly evolving especially in times like these. We’re always building something so we might as well build GIANT PIPES rather than the buckets which appear easier in the short run but loose the shine they have tomorrow. Lets all maximize the 24hrs we’ve got for the utmost we can!!!
Thank you for the word again.
baba dee,
i saw a doc on this title i’ve forwarded it to ur mailbox so that u can propbably post it in the forum for others to download. thanks
As at now, I am a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, and I am seeking to look towards building pipes as soon as I can. Thanks a mil for the article. GOD bless you. Koye.
Chairman,
thanks for saying what we know intuitively in our minds to be true. truth as someone has earlier mentioned is that the demands of bucket carrying does clouds one’s imagination to the immense opportunities that abound in pipe building.
Bussee, nna, already thinking of faciitating the pipe laying. my friend in whom i am pleased, though u av been far.
cheers and best regards in march.
This is a mind blowing one…I’m sure it must have provoke the thinking pattern of many people that read it…I have always been on the look out for opportunities, please let me know more about the pipe building as I want to be part of the construction engineers.
Thank you,
Obinna UniQuehnd
“Don’t be foolish, the characteristic that qualifies the ants as an example of wisdom, is their ability to live today, with tomorrow in mind. “- Good thinking!!!
Awesome! Awesome!! awesome!!! This one is like a two edged sword. I am liking it each minute i read it. Aba, Deolu, You re an inspiration. I am going ahead with the building of my own pipe. Right away
Yemi, You funny well well o, make u no worry, militant no de worry themselves with that kind bucket wey u de use fetch water from well.Lol!!! I feel u sha! The only thing we should fear is fear itself according to FDR. I de miss u well well o
thanks again, oga deolu, i have always been druming this into my brain and i am still focused on it, thanks
What a lovely piece! God bless you,sir. You have taught me to be in support of new ideas especially the ones that will make life easier,I should develop myself in whatever I do and also that I should invest in what will make me work less and earn more. All these lessons for me? Thank you!
Really informative post.Really thank you! Keep writing.