“Hello all, my site just recovered from a hate trojan upload by an unknown hacker that had access to my cpanel. If you tried accessing the site for some time now, google tells you it may harm your computer. We have resolved the issues now and sent it to google afresh for a new assessment. Thanks for bearing with me, and thanks for all that called and messaged during the problem, I am grateful, and thankful.”
Once upon a time, there was a young man who in search of a profitable business to do, decided to venture into exporting. This man was not so buoyant, so rather than wait for perfect conditions he decided to venture anyway in a small scale.
Every day, this young man physically packed a bag full of sand and rode with his bicycle across the border to Benin republic. Everyday that this young man meticulously rode past, the customs men would fulfill their normal protocol of searching his bag throughly, wondering when sand became so expensive across the border. After the man crossed over, the custom men will dedicate some time arguing for against his insanity. “How can a man, carry a bag of sand across the boarder everyday, is sand running out of circulation? After weeks of joking about this case, the curiosity of the customs men began to grow. “Could it be that there is something that he knows, that is unknowns to us?” Could it be that sand is gold in Benin? Or is there a new business we ought to educate ourselves about?
After many months, they gained the boldness to ask the young man what was really on their mind. They confronted him on this particular day, as he was riding past. “Hello young man”, they said, “we’ve been watching you with a mixture of bewilderment, wonder and amusement, please tell us, what exactly are you smuggling across the border, we promise not to punish you or go against you, as we have been unable to see it for so long!”
The young man smiled and responded in a gleeful voice, “Bicycles!, yes bicycles, I have been smuggling bicycles!”
Very funny right? The guy had been carrying sand across the boarder so he could keep their eyes off the bicycles. Everyday he moves it down with the bicycles and takes a bus back. He was able to see that an opportunity for moving bicycles existed. Very interesting story, but don’t laugh alone, there are morals to learn from that little story. The entrepreneurial journey starts from the ability to see? Are you looking, or are you seeing?
1. Opportunities exist all around us to add value and be rewarded for the value we add, but more often than not we refuse to see them. Microsoft is making a fortune on windows, because he saw ahead the possibility of computers becoming available in every home. When you look, do you think possibilities? Do you see what doesn’t currently exist or do you see only what exists? Do you have an inner eye? Is it developed?
2. Things are not always as they seem, the second biggest real estate company in the world is reputed to be McDonald’s, this is second to no other than the Catholic Church. McDonald’s on the surface is into fast food, that’s the sand, but underneath is what is really adding value to their balance sheet, real estate. McDonald’s conventionally gets into an area, goes for the best and choice locations and buys large. In Russia alone, their real estate is valued at over $100million. This they lease back to the restaurants and offer lease or sale around or on top. This was not their plan at the start, but sometime around 1990, they saw it!
3. The future belongs to those who can see it. Not too many years ago, Lagos was budding, and Ikeja was not a happening area. When you mentioned 20yrs ago that you wanted to buy land in Ikeja, let alone Alausa, talkless of Ojodu, you were considered as dumb. I had the privilege of having a chat with my first landlord in Lagos 4yrs ago, he told me that the entire estate in which I live is just 1 Acre. This estate is a small estate that accommodates 34 flats. He told me that when he bought back then, it cost him N50,000. One plot in this area cost for about 5Million Naira when I moved in. He wasn’t a genius, neither did he possess skills that were beyond the ordinary. He just saw, that was all! It’s the same reason why some people own almost half of Ofada today.
4. Entrepreneurship is seeing. It starts by seeing an opportunity, then you connect the unlaminated resources together to make it happen. The current world is a creation of the entrepreneur, be it for the social courses, the business course or whatever course. The first step in every creation is Seeing… even the almighty began with “Let there be light”. If you are praying for a breakthrough or for success in any endeavor, your first request ought to be for enlightenment, for the ability to see. When you see, you can make things happen.
So what I ask in the beginning, I ask again, did you see it? Have you seen it? Are you looking for it? Are you on the look out? It’s around you, it’s a challenge your neighbors and brothers are facing, it’s a course you can lend a helping hand to, it’s important, it involves sacrifice, it involves value, it involves taking responsibility, but the first place to start, is to see it? Did you see it?
18 thoughts on “Did You See It?”
Almighty God I pray that you remove all Obstacles, stoppers, wedges, hindrances etc. from the feet of all readers who are determined to get moving after reading this piece. Amen
Inspiring and captivating, great post
You cannot be more right! When I moved into Abuja 9 years ago I was offered a piece of Land at Kuje, a place that was close to the Abuja Airport. I saw the place as the ‘Ikeja’ of the future and paid for two large plots at N40,000.00 each.
Last year I was offered N1.8 million for one of the plots. Off course I rejected the offer. Why? The FCT Administration has built an international market nearby, several estates are springing and a small size plot now goes for over N2.5 million. Opportunities aboud around us, may God give us the grace to see them.
Nice to have you back Deolu i was worried for a while there…..
and thanks again for another reality check here, I was on about this with my college at the office on Monday here can u bet that, I told him there is a lot we can do just that we are not ready to commit ourselves that’s all, people keep going on saying there is nothing to do or there is no money to do this or that but its not true. We just have to set our minds on it, there is a million and one things we can do but are we ready to take the bull by the horn? We want to buy a brown new can and you are willing to go to the bank and take a loan of close to 3.2 million to invest in doing this and yet we would complain there is no money to start up!!! Or what is it that i can do with that kinda of moni……a lot
All it takes in your words is “it involves sacrifice, it involves value, it involves taking responsibility, but the first place to start, is to see it?”
This is a wake up call lets get our acts together. thanks again Deolu for another mind waking one.
Another Inspirational Tonic!
Coudn’t have been put any better!
Dr. Cho said “seeing is possessing” and only fools would disagree.
This principle runs through the entire Bible and it is the secret behind some great discoveries, xploits and inventions of men.
Oh God! annoint my eyes with eye salve that they may see!
Luv U!
Deolu,
I found your write up realy nice but I have to say that buying a land in Ikeja 20years ago was not considered ‘dumb’ at all.
That was the year I got into Unilag and I remember how Ojodu was at that time.
wow!great post deolu.Am begining to see it.thanks alot.
The eyes that look are many, the eyes that see are few, blessed are those that see this post it is the first step to washing and setting their binoculars.
Deolu my eyes don dey scratch me, i think i need a check-up for current opportunities, thanks man, where u dey get your stories from sef? ebi like say u watch plenty tales by moonlight or cockcrow @ dawn, nice peice!
that was inspiring,v not been reading ur mail 4 a long time,but this has really changed my perspective a lot.thanx,u’r d best.
Deolu,u av really increase my appetite 4 greatness. Truly if we can see what others can’t see,then we can achieve what they can’t achieve.
We can all b all we ever want 2 b,if we can see well enough.
Tony
uncommon man network.Ajegunle
Nice write up deolu. an eye opener especially for beginners. this is basic without which we cant proceed forward.
Mr. Deolu this is really awesome. so simple and succint. and to all the blessed readers your contributions are equally enriching, like the cherry on the icing.
Well to all this i add; “I believe you will agree it is an observable truth that human beings will never enjoy anything they are not yet consciously aware of. We are floating in an “ocean” of thought-energy, where all the knowledge there ever was or ever will be, is present. We are also surrounded by abundance.Indeed, everywhere we look in nature, our eyes come in contact with abundance; (but many would not see) for nature knows no such thing as “failure.” Therefore, there never has been, and there never will be, a lack of anything, except conscious-awareness (ability to see? yeah?). But if you are going to begin to penetrate this world of wealth, it is absolutely essential that you begin to think (and see). In other words,
you must open your mind to the stream of thoughtenergy which will create an image, or a consciousness of prosperity, in your mind.
@ Emmanuel,
bros i say a big “AMEN” to that prayer
@ Olatunde,
you inspire!
@ Okungbowa,
as you dey thank Deolu, i say thanks to you too. only that i’d rather you buy a black new car, (preferably a G55 with black alloy wheels) than a brown one
@ Royal_Prince,
you for pray for all now! anyways i second you about it being an age long biblical principle. Broke christians take note.
And to the house, i make a toast to those of you who see and to those who have decided they to will see. To your prosperity and wellbeing, cheers.
Great post. Many have eyes, but few have vision. Like the eagle, we ought to be able to spot opportunities miles away, both in space and time dimensions.
Vision is the beginning of leadership, that’s why poverty of the mind tranlsates into 360 degrees lack.
Vision is not popular, when people criticise your judgement, then you can be sure there’s opportunity there.
As Warren Buffet says, you build wealth by intelligently buying when everyone is selling, and selling when everyone’s buying – or how can you explain what The investor has seen in a chewing gum company? (He’s teaming up with Mars to acquire stakes in Wrigleys).
nice piece my prof. i like that, but i also know that position determines perception. The higher the position, the farther the sight. My prof, i want to believe this is one thing u have to talk about. Some people call it platform. Even Archimedes craved for it and prayed earnestly for it. Very many of us lack it. Pls tell us what u know about this position which invariably means platform.
Above all, i ve to start again to look so that i can realy see. thanks
Its really great to know that those hackers did not success in spoiling our source of inspiration, i pray God gives me the ability to see it and posses it, AMEN!
Yeah it is indeed awesome to see and do it clearly! Thanks for feeding my mind Deolu.
This is a very good one Deolu,
really everybody sees but few make use of what is seen. There are lots of opportunities out there.
This is nice
sight! ability to see things that why someone said many people look but very few see. seeing opportunty in problems. the article is wonderful.