The Sunday Mail
THERE are many people who have risen from the ashes of poverty to become some of the most successful individuals in society.
While some have accepted their squalid livelihoods, others have chosen a different path, challenging the odds and pushing on towards brighter days.
As far as I am concerned, everyone has the potential to become a success story but sometimes what we need is a bit of motivation to trigger the greatness within ourselves.
Having drawn inspiration from various writers, I have made it a point to read motivational books every now and then.
I recently read Sanjay B Patel’s “Poverty is Greatness”, a book that is meant to inspire people to pursue their dreams in life no matter how impoverished they might be.
The writer’s wisdom is displayed within the various issues that were covered. The extraordinary way in which he laid out how poverty affects people’s lives in different ways is eye-opening.
Poverty on its own might be a hindrance that can push people further away from their goals, but in this book Patel shed light on other possibilities.
After explaining the meanings of both poverty and greatness, the author went on to explore the link between these two citing that people who are living in these two worlds share the same characteristics, which are the mind, body and soul.
With this in mind, he goes on to say that it would be an individual’s responsibility to create conditions suitable to shift between these classes.
Exploring the mind-set, Patel explained that most people fail to think of one thing in a systematic manner but rather have a lot going on within their minds.
“There is neither order nor harmony. There is neither rhythm nor reasoning . . . Everything is in utter chaos and confusion,” he says in one of the chapters in which he was trying to untangle how the mind works.
Individuals that understand the effect and power of thought are said to be careful when manufacturing thoughts in the mental factory, refraining from wasting energy on idle thinking.
If one is to achieve greatness, no matter their background there is greater need for cultivating good sublime thoughts while refraining from random thinking. Although I have always known the ugly realities of poverty, I had not realised that such an environment could actually be an ideal training ground for future responsibilities.
The writer used his own life story to illuminate how poverty can sharpen someone’s leadership qualities. At a tender age, he already had the responsibility of taking care of his younger brother while the parents were at work, which meant that he was already shaping his leadership skills in the process.
He also highlights that his entrepreneurial skills were also honed while he was in time of need.
“I was not born an entrepreneur but poverty got me searching for proper information and with practice I built myself into one.”
This book packs a punch when it comes to encouragement, with the author making use of his own experiences to great effect. The contents are meant to give hope to those who might have resigned from the prospects of being successful.
Indeed, this is a great piece of motivational literature.
