​An American scientist once visited the offices of the great Nobel-prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, in Copenhagen. He was amazed to find that over Bohr’s desk was a horseshoe, securely mailed to the wall, with the open end up in the approved manner (so it would catch the good luck and not let it spill out).

The American said with a nervous laugh, “Surely you don’t believe the horseshoe will bring you good luck, do you, Professor Bohr? After all, as a scientist …”

​Bohr chuckled, “I believe no such thing, my good friend. Not at all! I am scarcely likely to believe in such foolish nonsense. However, I am told that a horseshoe will bring you good luck whether you believe in it or not.”

In many ways so it is with any area of your life. When you believe, it works! This is no strange notion even in the medical field, for there you have what is known as the Placebo Effect. This is when the patient believes so much in the treatment that they improve and even heal in some cases in spite of whether they receive real medicine or even water! The thing is that once they believe in the process of recovery, their mind locks into the idea and thus the healing process starts!

You always become whatever you believe you are!

​There is a concept known as the Belief Cycle. There are basically four items in this cycle commencing with Belief, Potential, Action and Results. This is called a belief cycle because it feeds on itself. In short, if you do not really have much belief in what you are doing, that has an effect on the potential within you. That in turn feeds into the kind of action you dispense, which gives you so-so results, which then confirms what you have been believing all along, that this whole idea you are trying doesn’t really work, which then reduces you beliefs which affect your potential and then the whole process spirals downwards to a point of no action anymore!

On the other hand, if you are full of belief and really expect the best; that will feeds into your potential which gives you the ability to take massive action which leads to massive results which then confirm your beliefs, which then causes your potential to increase, which leads to even more action! This causes an upward spiral and feeding that leads to great success!

The Power of Belief is so strong that most sports men and women including Olympics athletes are taught how to realize their full potential through a method known as Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).

​We have learnt that the results we see always start in our minds, so how do we change this. NLP teaches what is termed the Four Point Formula For Success.

1. Know your outcome
Specifying precisely what you want is vital. You can use the outcome frame to fine-tune the desired outcome and satisfy the well-formed conditions.

2. Take action 
Unless you take that first step, and then the following ones, nothing happens to help you towards your outcomes, no matter how clearly they’re defined.

3. Have sensory awareness
If you have the awareness to see, hear, and feel what isn’t working, you can modify your behavior to steer you towards your desired outcome.

4. Have behavioral flexibility 
This point ties in beautifully with the NLP presupposition that ‘In interactions among people, the person with the most flexibility of behavior can control the interaction.’ Or you can say, ‘If it isn’t working, do something different.’

If our thoughts determine our results, then we need to focus on them and alter them. This process is actualized in the mantra “Be – Do – Have”

Be – Your internal state of being must see the result you want. If you cannot see it with your inner eye, then you can never achieve it at all. The process of success hinges here. Change thoughts – change results. Small hinges swing huge doors my friend!
Do – You must start to do all the actions that will lead to that desired result. NLP calls this process as “taking action”. Unless you take action you cannot tell whether what you believe is even possible. With action comes the much needed feedback that helps you make fine adjustments toward your destination.
Have – Finally it is inevitable that you will achieve what you desire, it MUST happen!
In closing, let me quote favorite statement…

“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass!”
– Paul J Meyer

Change what you believe and you will achieve what you conceive. Next we will examine the second law of money, the Law of Expectation.

One of the greatest laws of nature that is felt daily and is exhibited throughout our lives is this law, the Law of Reciprocity or the Law of Sowing and Reaping. The Bible states that as a man sows, so shall he reap. The entire universe and all areas of man obey this one law. You reap what you sow! Every cause has an effect and every effect is brought about by a cause. So, if you want to be rich, that is an effect, that effect can only come about if the right causes are pursued and fulfilled. So, the big question, what are the causes that one can do to bring about success and wealth?

All results in our lives regardless of whether they are positive or negative results are always born of actions that we execute; all actions are born of feelings we have; all feelings are born of emotions we harbor, all emotions are born of thoughts inside our minds (or hearts)!

​Thoughts have the power to create or destroy. The Book of Proverbs states that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. That is so true. The thoughts that you allow to occupy your mind most have the most power to manifest in your life. Jesus stated that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and out of a good heart come forth good things whilst out of the evil heart are flung forth evil things.

Interesting eh? That means if your heart is preoccupied with evil things, evil thoughts, destructive thinking and low self-esteem, then your results will be the same. Why? Because all your actions will be born of what you feel inside!

Ever heard the term “he looked like he was rained on”? How is it possible that thoughts can affect posture? Well, it is very true that thoughts can and do affect posture, and posture in turn affect feelings and emotions.

​Let me tell you a story.

In the Discovery Channel’s The Dog Whisperer there was a dog that seemed so low and unconfident, always walking about with its head down and tail between its legs. It always kept in corners whimpering. When the owner took this dog to the Dog Whisperer, he simply took a small tether and tied the tail facing upward and to the head of the dog. Amazingly, within three days, this dog had completely changed its behavior. Even after removing the tether, the tail remained high, the head up, was more interested in the environment and was no longer cowering in corners. This is a classic case of how posture can affect attitude.
​
Ever noticed how in the army and in general etiquette classes they teach you to walk “with your head high, chest out, and arms straight”? It has been shown that posture has a way of increasing confidence and thus increasing output. This is the reason why when you wear a new shoe or clothes, you feel great. The happy good feelings affect your mood, your gait, your work and even your overall output – it improves.

In the same manner, don’t just think about money and generate money thoughts, but start to feel right about it. Get rid of all the negative thoughts you have come to associate with money. In Africa one of the most common thoughts is that money only comes through witchcraft and sorcery, or through luck, or that it is only oppressors and corrupt people that become rich.

​We have as people developed very negative associations with money and that has also translated into language. Statements like “I am broke”, “there is no money”, “things never seem to work for me” which then culminates into habits like hoarding and saving money for the sake of it with no specific aim to invest as well as being a miser.

The poverty mindset (always feeling like what you get today is purely from luck and may not come back tomorrow) gives birth to being a miser and hoarding. It also brings about an inability to invest and deny yourself today in order to benefit tomorrow, instead choosing to live for now rather than for tomorrow. This is the major reason why many poor people live and spend their money on liabilities instead of assets that can generate more money tomorrow. They also need validation from people outside to feel worthy rather than self-validation.

Internal dialogue that is positive yields positivity, so watch what you tell yourself.

Remember, every result was born from out of your thoughts, thus if you want to reap a harvest of money, change the thoughts you have now by changing what you allow into your mind daily.

In the next blog we will examine the second law of money, the Law of Belief.

​One of the most cardinal factors that can ensure our shot at success and see it manifest is by having the right mindset. This word “mindset” is also known as a paradigm, a term popularized by the late author Steve Covey in his runaway bestseller “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. For those not familiar with the term, a paradigm can be defined as the way one looks at something that will then go on to affect how they think, say and behave. In Charismatic Christian circles I would term it a stronghold. 

​There is nothing more powerful than how one sees themselves as perception always determines reality. Better put, attitude determines altitude. Your mindset (paradigm, stronghold) will always affect your thinking, how you think affects your feelings, what you feel taints your language (words), how you speak determines what you do, what you do has major impact on your results. Thus, the choices we make in life always stem from our mindset. So put it this way, thoughts – feelings – action – results. 

Now, if we want to be successful in our endeavors, we have to get our minds to think right. It is very important that we get your mindset into the right mode for money creation and money retention. Hence it is not just about creating the money through activities, but it is also creating the mindset required to retain the money.

​Money has its own laws too and if they are understood, obeyed and utilized, you will most certainly see more money come into your life and be retained. As we go about in life building and establishing our financial future and wealth, we need to also utilize the laws of money so as to retain that money once it comes our way.

With that said, here is an overview and summary of the 18 Laws of Money and a brief explanation of what each law is about. We will then be running a detailed series on each one of these laws.

1. The Law of Reciprocity
You reap what you sow! Every cause has an effect and every effect is brought about by a cause. All results are born of actions, all actions of feelings, all feelings of emotions, all emotions of thoughts! Thoughts have the power to create or destroy. 

​2. The Law of Belief
​You always become whatever you believe you are. In order to achieve anything of substance, you must transit through these three states. Be – Your internal state of being must see the result you want, Do – You must start to do all the actions that will lead to that desired result, Have – Finally it is inevitable that you will achieve what you desire, it MUST happen!

3. The Law of Expectation
Whatever you expect with confidence – will happen! It is for this reason that you need to deal with changing mindsets or paradigms. A Paradigm is defined as a way of seeing something (normally limited) that influences how we act, think and behave. Many are loaded with what is referred to as an “Employee” paradigm that stops them from ever pursuing and achieving their dreams. Environment also greatly affects how we view money and how we behave like in front of it!

​4. The Law of Attraction
You always attract what is in harmony with your thinking or thoughts. Take Stock, All the achievements in your life? – Take credit for them, All the failures and shortfalls? – Take responsibility. In order to attract the right things, you must become the right thing. Be what you want to see – never the other way around.

​5. The Law of Correspondence
Your outer world is a mirror of your inner world. The roots determine the fruit. Your station in life is in correspondence with your inner world. Again, if you want to change your outer world, change your inner world. The future is in effect a blank cheque, you decide how much you are worth and that is what life will hand to you!

6. The Law of Abundance
Money is in abundance and more than enough exists for us all, but to acquire it, one must observe and follow the laws governing its acquisition and retention. The universe is laden with all that God prepared beforehand and provisioned in your future. It is abundantly there, all you need to do is take action, and the resources will come!

7. The Law of Exchange
Throughout life, we exchange our labor for goods and services. Money is the medium of exchange by which this transaction is done. Money is the measure of value people place on goods and/or services. Your labor is viewed as a value/cost to someone else. The money you earn is the measure of the value people place on the abilities, skills, goods or services you offer. To increase the income you earn, you must increase the value you are putting in. Leverage your earning ability by improving yourself continually.

8. The Law of Capital
Your greatest assets in terms of cash flow are your physical and mental capital. Your most precious resource is your time. Time and money can be either wasted or invested. Learn to budget your time like money. Use a diary and a planner. Wherever you invest your time most is where you get the greatest return. The best investment is always to increase your earning abilities by investing in yourself (3% of your income). Always look for ways to increase your Return on Equity or Energy (ROE). This is done by improving your mental and emotional capital.

9. The Law of Time Perspective
The most successful people learn that the greatest achievements come from day to day activities aimed for the future – not for the immediate. Sacrifice today and be rewarded tomorrow. Be willing to accept that some actions today will only begin to bear fruit 10, 15 or even 20 years in the future. Others set in motion actions that they may not even see the results in their lifetimes. 

10. The Law of Saving
Only by saving regularly will you have set up the foundation that leads you to financial prosperity. Never spend this money on anything other than investing it – period. Pay yourself first – secure your future. Invest where your money is safe and guarantees good returns. Increase your financial education in order to know how best to invest your money (Increase your financial intelligence). 

11. The Law of Conservation
It is never how much you make but rather how much you get to keep that determines your financial future. In order to determine our accumulated wealth we need to do the following. Firstly – Work out your net worth (Assets vs. Liabilities – If positive or negative then that is your current value). Secondly – Divide that value by number of years worked. This is how much you have accumulated. Happy with the result? If not, then change what you are doing right now.

12. Parkinson’s Law
Expenses always rise to meet increased income! Financial independence and financial freedom come when we violate Parkinson’s law. Your expenses should never rise at the same level as your income, this is a sure fire way to secure your financial future within your working lifetime. Always invest 50% of the difference in extra income to maximize returns. Live on the remaining 50%.

​13. The Law of Three
There are three legs of financial security, these being savings, insurance and investment. To be safe from financial volatility, always have between 2 – 6 months of normal expenses in liquid form – easily cashed out savings. Insure yourself adequately to cover yourself against any eventuality that you cannot pay for out of your normal account. Invest by accumulating assets until the passive income from them far exceed your regular reciprocal income.

14. The Law of Investing
Investigate before you invest. Always learn about what you plan to invest in before you do so – develop the habit of putting off financial decisions for 3 – 7 days before committing. The only thing that is easy about money is losing it. Only invest with experts who have a proven track record of success with their own money.

15. The Law of Compound Interest
Investing and compounding that investment over time will eventually make you rich. 

16. The Law of Accumulation
Financial freedom is the result of years of accumulating small but vital actions/efforts over time which few ever see. As savings accumulate, your momentum will increase rapidly over time. (The start seems insignificant but with time the results are massive.)

17. The Law of Magnetism
The more money you save and accumulate, the more money you attract into your life. Money always goes where it is appreciated and properly utilized. A prosperity consciousness attracts money like iron filings to a magnet. It will always take money (value) to make money. What is money to you? A means to solve problems? A source of comfort? It is the means to and a remuneration for the giving of value through goods/services to others – the better, the more you accumulate

18. The Law of Accelerated Acceleration
The faster you accelerate toward financial freedom, the faster it comes toward you. 80% of your success will tend to come to you in the last 20% of your time invested – meaning only 20% of the results will be seen in the first 80% of the time invested! This is the reason why many quit early and fail to achieve success. Most people are always three feet from their proverbial gold when they throw in the towel.

​If you have been following this series than you know that this is the seventh installment of the series “The Realities of Entrepreneurship” and today I would like to look at another aspect that really takes a toll on most entrepreneurs and is perhaps the foremost internal reason most quit.
You will Question Your Sanity

(In case you missed the first six parts, please click on the links for them at the end of this article.)

​For the most part, when one chooses to go into business for themselves, it would mean they go against the grain. There are many stories of people that were in good jobs with great prospects for promotion and growth, yet chose to give it all up to launch out on their own.
There are also those that get “shoved” by circumstances out of their comfort zones (jobs) and into uncertainty. Once they begin working toward establishing their businesses, job opportunities show up. In spite of such a scenario, they choose to continue in their new found endeavor!

​​When such choices are made, they go against the norm because jobs have a guaranteed, predictable income that comes at a predictable time. Yet, they choose to forfeit that and focus on building their business. Once such decisions are made, the resolve to stay the course and that is when almost all obstacles, challenges and setbacks literally get unleashed upon this new business to the detriment of the proprietor.
Even though it is expected that when you launch out with something new, the Law of Chaos will come into play (see previous article that elaborates further what that law is) and seemingly derail most plans, the entrepreneur has to weather the storm and stay the course. This is something most find very difficult.

​It is here that one hears those inner voices speaking very loudly and asking you whether you are sane! You will often wonder why you chose to take this route. And even as you go through these challenges, you will also be reminded by those closest to you of your predicament.
Statements like “I told you that these kinds of businesses don’t work”, or “why don’t you just go back to your old job, at least then you used to be able to….” (fill in the blanks), or “look at your friends with real jobs, they are not suffering like you are!” and many more such negative statements.
When challenges that come with business really grow in their intensity, such as going for months without proper steady income, mounting debt (will speak about this in detail in a future article), lockouts of premises and the like, this is when you will wonder why you even started.
You will indeed question your sanity!

​Did you know that these challenges and the questioning of your sanity will also occur in pretty much every other endeavor one may take especially those that challenge us to bring in our best game? This includes marriage, ministry or even embarking on projects.
As you may imagine, once you question your sanity, chances of quitting become higher. You will wonder what possessed you to even embark on such an undertaking. It is during these “trials” that most people throw in the towel. They simply allow the circumstances to overwhelm them to such an extent that the only logical conclusion is to stop!
Well… you do not have to quit.

Catch the first six installments of the Realities of Entrepreneurship series by clicking the links below.
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #1: What is the True Story?
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #2: It Takes Time – Part 1
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #3: It Takes Time – Part 2
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #4: Brace Yourself for High Doses of Failure & Rejection
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #5: Things Never Go According to Plan
The Realities of Entrepreneurship #6: The Challenges of Being a Pioneer