NO TITLE YET, I’D
RATHER CHOOSE THAT YOU READ IT AND THEN DISCOVER THE TITLE WHICH IS ALREADY
BURIED INSIDE THE WRITEUP
I remember a season in
my life when write-ups from James Altucher, the man who recently released a
book he titled ‘Reinvent yourself’. His articles were simply all I needed at
the time to keep my heart and mind together. It so happened that the write-ups
from this aforementioned name were mostly about his life experience and
personal struggles. It was something I needed to read for encouragement at the
time.
What I found amusing
about my contact with James’ articles was the fact that I still am unable to
put a link to how I came across one of his write-ups that fateful day –that
piece from him I got to read for the first time which would later lead me to
his blog.
James Altucher wasn’t
recommended to me, neither was I surfing the net for something that relates to
this individual’s life experience and the way he writes, but by happenstance I
stumbled upon ‘him’ [referring to one of his articles] and thereafter I
couldn’t stop reading his piece for a long time.
“Okay okay… I got that,
so why are you saying this Writer?” I
might have just read someone’s mind right now, isn’t it? Smiles
An individual on
twitter shared an interesting experience he had with someone, so I thought I
would bring the story here to help that man or woman to who pieces such as this
would naturally inspire, encourage and motivate. Here we go…
This fellow shared an
experience he had with a stranger who had solicited for a financial help of N5,
000. And it so happened that the request came at a time he was paid a salary.
According to how he narrated the story in a series of tweets, the Good
Samaritan then wired, deliberately though, instead of the N5, 000 he requested
for, a total of N15, 000.
Then, having
intentionally done so for the purpose of what he called integrity test, he
proceeded to chat him up explaining that he had mistakenly transferred N15, 000
to his bank account.
He asked the stranger
to send back the difference of N10, 000 that wasn’t intended for him. The good
thing, however, was that the stranger did send back the money. This act got his
helper pleased and in the end the stranger not only got the N5, 000 he was in
need of but a total of N20, 000 from his helper who immediately initiated
another transfer of N15, 000 for passing integrity test.
You see readers, these
things are true. Let me tell you a personal encounter…
Few months ago, I introduced
a product that I sell to a friend of my Dad. I can’t say if he really had
interest in the product on the first day I marketed it to him; you know a
number of reasons may have propelled him to collect the product from me. Maybe
to support me, encourage me or could out-rightly be for the love of a father to
son relationship.
He’d ask for the price anyways
and expectedly I gave him a figure, he was comfortable with how much I was
selling, not surprising though as I have being fair with my selling price as
testified by many.
Upon collecting it, I
watched him open the back-seat door of his car as he proceeded to drop the
product on the seat inside his car. I wasn’t expecting to be paid on the spot,
so I moved on to other things.
The following day, my
brother and I met somewhere in town, then he was reminded of –by the sight of
me –the money he was meant to give me. The money my Dad’s friend had dropped
with him to pass it on to me for the product he had purchased from me just a
day before.
However, I realized he
had paid me beyond the price I told him to pay for the product. I thought it
might have been an error of overpayment. After-all, the person I was dealing
with is indirectly a Dad to me [as it were]. “This shouldn’t be an issue, I
could take the extra cash and just be fine” –a thought said.
And guess what? The
extra cash was just what I needed to cover my transportation cost to an
important meeting on the day. “But I can’t just take this extra cash, do what I
needed to do and acted as if nothing happened, that may not be right” –another
thought said. So, I agreed within me that the latter thought was right.
That been the case, I
thought I would go over to his place and hand him the extra cash, after-all, he
may eventually say “oh it was an error but it’s all good, you could take the
cash” that way I would have satisfied my conscience and still be able to get to
the meeting that was on my mind if I was gifted the extra money which
ultimately would cover my transportation cost.
So I did just that, I
knocked on his door, by the time he appeared at the door to see who was at his
entrance, I realized –from the mood I saw –that he was in the middle of sleep.
Without wasting time, I narrated how he had overpaid me for the product I sold
to him the day before.
But unlike what I
thought may happen, he collected the extra cash –appreciated me and watched me
took my leave as he went back inside to probably climb back on the bed to pick
up from where he stopped.
As I departed from his
doorstep, I remembered to have a few thoughts dropped on me… Now, I want you to
imagine the kind of mockery thoughts you think the enemies may smash one’s
heart with in situations such as the one that had just transpired [as narrated].
The one I remembered was… “Now, let me see how you would get to your all
important meeting Mr. Nice Guy”…
Well, I wasn’t really
bothered; my intention was to return the money as it was the right thing to do,
not because I thought he would eventually let me have the funds. So I was fulfilled
with my action.
The meeting I was meant
to attend on the day didn’t suffer due to this; after-all I was able to make
the meeting. But something happened later that day: Yet again, I bombed into my
brother who again told me that an amount was handed to him to pass it over to
me. What happened was the man I had returned the money to; had come around to
look for me, so when he couldn’t find me; he saw my brother and gave him money
to give to me as gift.
Guess what? The money
he gave as gift was now 150% surplus of what I had returned to him earlier. And
that’s not even where I am going; the high point of the story is that this
respected individual has since bought tens of thousands of my product to this
day. It is amazing to discover that sometimes he deliberately place order even
when he doesn’t have to, most times –as it seems –he would call to place order
when, I assume, he realizes that it has been couple of days since his last
purchase. Many times he would buy and then look for people to resell.
That I am still in
business today, selling that same product is because I have him as a regular
customer. Kostorma daa’da nii… I am grateful to God and to him.
Remember the story I
shared earlier involving the individual who sent a stranger N20, 000? His story
didn’t end there.
This fellow came to
twitter another day to discuss something different which had happened on his
way to a refreshment center. According to him, he had some N5, 000 with him
which he wasn’t going to use for anything serious, so he thought he would treat
himself to a nice outing [you know, just ‘siddon for table’] ‘balance well’ and
then devour something sumptuous and delicious.
However on his way
[seated in a cab] he saw a woman, who appeared to be in her early 40s, she had
just fallen from a motorcycle straight inside a gutter. She didn’t just land by
herself in the ditch; but she had with her some crates of eggs.
He said in his tweets
that, the incident left him in a sorry state –seeing that the woman wasn’t even
bothered by her injuries but was crying for her damaged eggs. So, this
individual who shared this story said that he came down from the cab, proceeded
to ask for the total cost for the crates. N8, 000 she said…
The guy said, “Imagine
someone crying like a baby because of ordinary 8k?” Well, “that’s her own
reality” he added.
From the N5, 000 with
him, he immediately handed N4, 000 to her and also asked if she has a bank
account. Yes, she responded…
Getting that response,
he directed the woman to head to a nearby clinic to treat her injuries and
promised to send some money to her in the morning. The woman, as narrated in
the story, went on her knees, but the guy interjected the process saying there
wasn’t need for it.
The following morning
he did as promised… he sent a token which according to him was good enough to
settle her treatment bill and also sort her crates of eggs. He noted that the
woman didn’t have his number and he never bothered to take hers.
But something happened
sometimes later, the woman saw him again on the Island [Lagos Island]… He said,
there had been a shout of “brother, brother, brother” behind him, but Lagos as
you know it, is a busy place… the woman was trying to catch up with him as he
opined to have been walking fast on the day. Just when he looked back, the
woman –now inches away from him –said “ehn ehn, you’re the one”
Not remembering the
woman, he responded … “the one who did what Ma?”
The woman proceeded to
narrate the story. He saw that it is a good thing to be nice and kind, saying
he couldn’t even remember the whole incidence anymore. The woman, however,
insisted that he drops his number this time… He did.
The following day, she
called him; he said the phone conversation lasted for a while.
Now there’s a twist to
the whole story. According to what he wrote in the tweets, he found out that
this woman has in her possession something he had needed for years.
Interestingly, she doesn’t even know its worth or how to convert it to money.
The guy who shared this
story further said that, that particular thing [he didn’t give much details on
what it is] but says “is capable of making us both become relevant in a very
short while” –in his own words.
Now guess what? “She is
willing to let go of it, the guy said, I mean she is willing to hand it over to
me patapata”.
He was quick to include
in his tweet that, though he was happy by her decision, he’d made her
understand that it still remain hers. That; he would help her to manage it and
overtime would then place himself on salary. He ended the story with a promise
to keep his followers up-to-date with any development regarding the process
they’ve already kick started.
He said and I quote… “I
did what I did with no single; I mean no iota of expecting anything in return.
I mean I couldn’t even recognize her if I’d seen her again. But look at how
giving works. Look at how that very small act of kindness is about to open a
very mighty door, guys keep doing good”
@boluzzz
