7 steps to overcoming limitations

Image Nick Vujicic, by Lymantria creative commons:

7 Steps to
Overcoming
Limitations

7 Steps to Overcoming Limitations are extracts taken from Errol Lawson’s
book ‘From the Post Code to the Globe
Buy your copy of From the Post Code to the Globe £9.97 plus Post and
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Version 1.00 23rd April 2013,

1. Reality Check
2. Think Like a Winner
3. Dream
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
5. Momentum
6. Courage
7. Let Your Money Work For You

1 Reality Check
Nick Vuijic, pronounced ‘Vooy-cheech’ was born without arms and legs.
Imagine being born without arms. No hands to hold the ones you love, being
unable to lift or carry things, unable to experience touch. How difficult would
life be?
No legs. Unable to run, jump or dance, relying on others to get you around.
How would you live?
Imagine the bullying and low self-esteem you would have to endure. (I can’t
even begin to)
Yet Nick demonstrates to all of us that regardless of circumstances we are
born into or faced with, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Visit
www.lifewithoutlimbs.org
Accepting Ourselves for who we are
Acceptance of reality requires an act of CHOICE. It is like coming to a
crossroad. You have to turn your mind towards the ‘acceptance’ road and
away from the road of ‘reality rejection’: choosing not to be angry and
frustrated about a reality you cannot change.
Though I have no regrets about some of the bad choices that I made, it would
have been helpful to have someone teach me the importance of accepting
reality and having gratitude. This is something that I eventually learned
through reading the Bible and other books. I’m certain that, had I known then
what I know now, I would have made a greater number of better choices, and
so I have therefore shared the foundation of the principle with you below:
There is unbelievable power in choosing to:
a) accept the reality of a situation;
b) accept ourselves for who we are;
c) accept others for who they are.
Doing so can move us forward on our journey to maturity and give us great
personal power to actually take responsibility for our circumstances.

Before I go any further, please don’t misunderstand me; accepting reality
does not mean you have to like your circumstances. Acceptance is
acknowledging what your circumstances are. The thing that you do have the
power to change is you. You can change your attitude or outlook towards the
situation you are facing. You can choose to forgive rather than hold a grudge.
You can choose to love rather than resent. You do have power in your
situation, but your power is to change you.
Why do some people find it difficult to accept themselves for who they are?
Most of us find it hard to accept ourselves because society tells us that we
have to align with a pre-judged standard: that we should dress a certain way,
look a certain way, talk a certain way and so on. Therefore, in our efforts to
improve our sense of perceived worth, perhaps in a bid to be respected by
others or to match up to society’s norms, we make attempts at being like
someone else. I call it the curse of comparison: comparing ourselves with
others whom we can never really become.
Comparing yourself to others is not the same as emulating the achievements
of others. In any field of endeavour, we need to have individuals who we
aspire to be like: whose experiences we can learn from and whose shoulders
we can stand on. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians,
“Follow me as I follow Christ”. In other words, don’t try and be me, but
follow my example of Godliness to become more like Christ. Whether in
spiritual life, business, family or education, we can all benefit from having
good examples or mentors to follow.
In order to reach your potential I recommend that you really take time to
develop your relationships on the following three levels. Mentors, Mentees
and Peers.
Mentors:
These are the people that have gone ahead of you in the field in which you
wish to succeed. They have likely already achieved what it is that you hope to
achieve. Standing on the shoulders of these people so to speak, learning from
their successes and failures will provide you with a platform upon which you
can build. You may never meet your mentors in person. But you may read
their books or listen to their tapes or go and hear them speak at a conference
or seminar for example. Make a list of the people you would like to mentor
you.

Peers:
My dad used to say to me "son, if you mingle with dogs you'll catch flees". In
other words be careful who you choose as friends because you will become
like them.
Mentees:
Our mentees are those that we are mentoring, formally or otherwise. We
should all at least be mindful of the fact that we are setting an example for
somebody somewhere. What kind of example are you setting? I believe we
have a duty to support, develop or nurture those that are coming up after us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind you and what lies in front
of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”
Why settle for being a good copy of someone else when you can be an
excellent version of you? Within each one of us is someone who is uniquely
gifted and talented, full of unbelievable potential. However, for the sake of
satisfying others (which includes our peers, parents and loved ones), we
suppress our positive, creative, natural self and settle for being like someone
else.
For a moment or two, we can get a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction
from attempting to be like someone else, but more often than not, in the
long run, it leaves us feeling frustrated and discouraged. Accepting ourselves
for who we are amidst all the pressures of today’s society is probably the
biggest challenge that we have to face.
"Expose yourself to the world as you are for therein lies the greatest feat of
courage you can ever achieve" (Author Unknown)
By being courageous and confronting our fears, we can learn not to be afraid
of exposing our weaknesses, faults and failures. In fact, we can make doing so
a learning experience for both ourselves and others. Exposing and addressing
our shortcomings doesn’t make us weak or inferior; it actually makes us
stronger and wiser!

Accepting others for who they are
As I mentioned earlier, my life was made a lot easier the moment I decided to
accept my parents for who they were and not who I wanted them to be. I can
think of many other situations in which I felt that I had been hard done by
because of the acts or behaviours of others. Usually, these were times when I
felt people had treated me in a way that I would not treat them.
It becomes so easy for us to place judgement on people when this kind of
thing happens. We get offended when people behave in a certain way. We call
them ‘bad’ or put negative labels on them without really understanding the
background or circumstances of the individual. We get offended and take
things personally.
Please don’t misunderstand me, to accept something is not the same as
judging it to be good or condoning it. Until we accept people who are
different to us for who they are, we are unable to empathise with them and
contribute positively to their well-being.
Developing an attitude of gratitude
In July of 2010, I was able to take a group of young adults out on a Missions
trip to work with people in some of the rural communities in Ghana, Africa.
Upon arriving in a region called Gyakiti, in the Volta region of Ghana, we
were greeted by a number of school children who began to sing welcome
songs to us.
We were blown away by the reception we received. The children sang and
danced freely and joyfully with beaming smiles lighting up their faces and
their eyes shining brightly. We were in the midst of a community where there
was little electricity, hot water was a luxury, and children were extremely
fortunate to be able to receive a good education.
These children did not have the luxuries of Nintendo DS’, iPods or the like.
There were no mobile phones and, for most, no TVs, yet these people had so
much joy and life about them. The friendliness and openness of everyone was
contagious. The more time that we spent there, the more we realised that
these people lived in harmony with the world around them. They had a
profound sense of gratitude for everything they received from each other, and
for everything with which the rich soils and nature provided them. They were
simple, God-fearing, loving people, willing to give and receive freely and
unconditionally.

No egos or pre-conceived notions went before them. Their "simple" nature
seemed to be a natural result of the spiritual enlightenment they achieved.
They had profound love and respect for their fellow men, women and
children, which, we quickly learned, also extended to complete strangers.
The kind of attitude these people showed can be defined as an attitude of
gratitude. When we make the decision to view our world with an attitude of
gratitude, we are training ourselves to focus on the positive aspects of life.
This attitude may not come as naturally to those of us who have been born
and raised in the Western world as it might to those born in some African
communities. Therefore, this means that we have to make extra, intentional
effort to develop this attitude.

2. Think Like a
Winner
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7)
Like the ancient biblical proverb states, as a man thinketh, so he is. Your
world or your reality right now is the sum total of your thoughts. Everything,
from the food you eat, the kind of results you get and even the friends you
have are the sum total of your ‘thought life’. Your life is heading in the
direction of your thinking. By harnessing the way you think, you have the
power to transform your reality.
In the book of proverbs, the Bible tells us that “As a man thinks in his
heart so he is.” (Proverbs 23:7). Similarly, famous philosopher Marcus
Aurelius once said, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it”. This is a
principle that has been around from the beginning of time; this is not a
new concept. We are what we think. By developing the habit of positive
expectancy, we have the ability to reshape our world.
Positive expectancy is essentially the following:
how we think,
what we think,
what attitudes direct our actions,
what expectations we have of ourselves,
what dreams we dream and
what goals we set.
I encourage you to actively develop a positive expectancy, because the
societies in which we live aid the cultivation of a negative expectancy that is
equally as powerful and must be avoided like the plague! There are several
cases of negative expectancy where people have resigned themselves to
undesirable outcomes which, as a result, have translated from mere belief or
lack thereof to actual negative situations. - “If you think you can, or if you
think you can’t, you’re right” (Henry Ford).
Think about the case of former American president Lyndon Johnson. Johnson
retired at age 59. He began to tell people that he would not survive past the

age of 63. Against the counsel of the doctors, who gave him a clean bill of
health, he insisted that he would not live past 63. Lo and behold, at age 63
Mr Johnson sadly passed away.
I’ve learned that you can run away from your problems by moving house,
moving city or changing towns, but unless you change the way you think, you
will attract the same problems, the same type of people and the same
situations. If we are going to improve our life experience, or change our
lifestyle and the results that we are getting, what we need is a Mind
Transplant.
You’ve got to take responsibility for your ‘thought life’. Read books, study,
put yourself in an environment that will change the way you think. The
challenges you are facing, the circumstances you are in, your entire life, are
the sum total of your thoughts. You are what you think. If you can change
your thoughts, you’ll change your world
A great book to read is “From the Post code to Globe” which you can buy
now to find out the exact steps to get a mind transplant.

3. DREAM
In fact, there is more technology in an iPhone than there was in some of the
early space shuttles that journeyed into space. Technology and times have
moved on dramatically.
Most of these great advancements have taken place because individuals have
set their sights on things far greater. Likewise, you have the same creative
ability to dream of a greater and more advanced future for yourself and
those around you.
There are many reasons why people fail to reach their potential. If you were
to ask a group of people what they thought the main reasons were for this,
I’m sure they would come up with a variety of answers. I would like to
suggest and the message of this chapter is that we can help young people to
reach their potential by encouraging them to create big goals and dream big
dreams.
Far too many of our young people are lacking aspiration and ambition. In
simple terms, they have nothing to look forward to. Their thinking is from
day-to-day and they don’t see beyond their immediate environment.
Without any goals, aspirations, or dreams, people are living without a sense
of hope. Hope, which I choose to define as ‘a positive expectancy’, is missing
from the lives of people today. Hope of success for most of us comes from
the examples we see in the world around us, mainly in our homes and
immediate families. Hope determines our ability or inability to dream.
The reality for many people in this generation is that their lives are devoid of
the positive role models that are desper ately needed to inspire hope. Hope
inspires vision, or what we might call a ‘picture of a preferred future’. This
picture is not a physical picture that you might put on your wall or have on
the mantelpiece in your front room; it’s a picture in your heart of where you
see yourself 5, 10, 20 years or more from now.
Martin Luther King once famously said, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose
the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality
that helps you go on in spite of it all”.
You see, without hope or this picture of a preferred future, there is no vision.
Without vision, we live our lives without any clearly defined purpose. We then
find ourselves merely existing and not actually living. As soon as we find

vision and purpose, however, our lives become meaningful and fulfilling. We
jump out of bed in the morning instead of crawling out, eager to make the
most of the day ahead.
To move from my previous reality to my current reality I asked myself some of
the following questions to help me create a picture of who I was and where I
wanted to go:
1 What do I love to do?
2 What holds my attention or what activity am I doing when I lose track of
time?
3 What do I love to learn about?
4 What things would my parents or those closest to me say I was really
good at?
5 What talents or skills do I have that have made me feel great up to now?
6 Which of my achievements am I most proud of?
7 What kind of activities come easily/naturally to me?
8 If I could pursue any career whatsoever outside of a life of crime, if
distance or time wasn’t an issue, what career would I pursue?
9 What am I passionate about?
Take a few moments to write down answers to these questions.
To get more information on the power of dreams, and how to use them to
propel you to your dream future take this opportunity to get “From the Post
code to Globe” which you can buy now.

4. PRACTICE,
PRACTICE,
PRACTICE
Many nights I would find myself out with my friends until the early hours of
the morning, hustling, trying to make money. Even though what we were
doing wasn’t legitimate we still had a good work ethic because we understood
that if we were going to make any substantial amount of money, we were
going to have to inconvenience ourselves and put in the hours.
We would make mistakes and learn from them. We learned from others’
mistakes, too. Our hustle was refined by copying the practices of the older
guys on the streets because, as far as we were concerned, they were where
we wanted to be.
Myself and the guys I hung around with, though we were entrepreneurial, we
had limited perspectives and, as such, lived in a very small world: one that
we had chosen and created for ourselves, largely restricted by postcode
bounda- ries. We had no real idea of the possibilities and opportunities that
were available to us in the wider community, much less further afield. Most of
us were reluctant to travel into other postcode areas for fear of gang
reprisals.
It was practically impossible for all of our hard work and perseverance to get
us very far in life with such a narrow outlook. Unfortunately, this is still the
case for many people today. They are amazingly gifted but they limit their
movement to their postcode area and their talents are misdirected into areas
of crime and underground illegal activity. If rightly applied, that sort of
work and focus, used in a more positive way, can lead to untold wealth –
financially and in life as a whole.
Michael Jordon practiced intensely beyond the already punishing team
practices until, eventually, his opportunity came. He maintained this attitude
all the way through his career. Michael Jordan, or “MJ” as he is affectionately

called, went on to win 6 NBA championships as well as many other great
awards.
The same can be said of legendary American golfer Tiger Woods. When Tiger
was a baby, his Dad made a mini golf driving range in their garage, with
carpet and a net. Tiger would sit in his high chair and watch his Dad practice.
At just 9 months old, his father made him a golf club that he could use to
strike the balls into the net.
He started going to the golf course with his Dad when he was 18 months old
and, when he was 4 years old, his parents hired a golfing coach for him. By
the time he was 6, he began entering junior golfing contests. Tiger also
listened to motivational tapes to improve his confidence in himself. The
same principles of getting 10000 hours of deliberate practice apply here.
Tiger didn’t just turn up on a golf course one day and become a great
champion; he first had to put in many painstaking hours of hard work and
practice to be able to perform at that level.
“These guys are just naturally very talented,” you might say. Their stories
show us that talent alone is never enough. Those that succeed in life spend
time learning, improving, practicing and developing their craft so that when
the opportunities come their way, they’re ready.
The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to
deliberately practicing and improving their performance. They invest in
themselves. They set goals for themselves to progress their performance.
Those at the highest level will practice like this every day.
The truth is that whether we realise it or not, there are things that we do
every day that have created the life that we now have. These things are
called habits. We have all developed habits over the course of our lives,
some good and some bad. Our habits are either taking us in an upward or a
downward direction.
Many have explored the idea of being able to either make or break a habit by
doing something consistently for between
21 to 30 days. This is true for some, but unfortunately, not for us all if the
new behaviour we are putting in place in some causes us pain, then it’s likely
that before the 21-day target is reached, we will give up. For our new habit
to remain with us we need some positive benefit from the new behaviour
because if we experience a positive effect from our behaviour, we are more
likely to continue it.
My challenge to you now is to take a look at your environment and
circumstances and assess how your habits, positive or negative, have

influenced your situation. A daily routine based on good habits is what
separates the most successful amongst us from everyone else. If you were to
live everyday like you did yesterday, on a scale of 1-10, would you achieve
your goals in life? Think about it, what would need to change?
To know more about Practice grab your copy of “From the Post code to
Globe

5. MOMENTUM
Firstly, what is momentum? The Oxford Dictionary defines momentum as: "the
impetus gained by a moving object". For example, someone might say "the car
gained momentum as it went down the hill". Momentum can be both a
positive and a negative force. I believe, each of our lives, at any given point
is building momentum in one way or another. Either towards or away from
our predestined purpose in life. The momentum that we are able to build is
largely determined by the direction in which we focus our thoughts and
actions.
Billionaire Richard Branson, the man behind the ‘Virgin’ brand, is famous for
taking audacious risks. With the com- modities of his enterprise spanning from
planes and trains to mobiles and soft drinks, to name but a few, it is fair to
say that Richard Branson didn’t get complacent with his first success but
instead increased his momentum, simply applying the principles he had
learned on his first journey to other opportunities that came his way. One of
Branson’s most daring feats was to attempt a record-breaking, round- the-
world balloon trip. In his biography entitled “Losing my Virginity”, Branson
shares some interesting insights about this experience.
He describes how, in order for an air balloon to take off and remain afloat, it
requires a large amount of fuel to heat the air inside the balloon. Once the
balloon rises and gets to a height thousands of feet above the ground, it
enters what is called a slip stream. A slip stream is a strip of wind that
circulates the circumference of the earth. Once the balloon has entered this,
it is able to turn its engines off and be carried along for miles at tremendous
speeds. The momentum the balloon gains in the slip stream is enough to get
it to its destination. Once the balloon arrives at an area in the proximity of
the destination, it is guided out of the slip stream and begins descending.
Similarly, imagine for a moment the process that happens before a pilot takes
off on a runway after being given clearance from air traffic control. Firstly,
the aeroplane is pulled onto the strip and is steered toward the runway. Then
the pilot goes through the last series of checks before giving and keeping the
plane at full throttle until the take-off speed is reached and the aircraft is air

bound. Full throttle is maintained until a particular altitude is reached, at
which point the plane flies in cruise mode.
In both of these examples, we see that in order to get off the ground, we
must apply effort or ‘full throttle’. In other words, we need to persistently
and intentionally move forwards in the direction of our goal. If we were to
only give it half throttle, we would never create the momentum needed to
get off the ground. Likewise, if we were to keep it at full throttle, we could
unnecessarily expend excessive amounts of energy which could result in
burnout or other negative consequences. In order to be able to spend quality
time with our friends and loved ones, it’s important to get the right balance.
Each one of us is created for a specific purpose. In order for you and I to
realise our purpose and fulfil it, we must begin to align our thoughts with our
Creator’s thoughts about us. When we achieve this, our behaviour, in turn,
also changes and our lives come into line with the divine plan that we were
created to fulfil. When we are in this place, we are living a life in which
there is purpose to our existence and we begin to experience life in the ‘slip
stream’. The slip stream here represents a place of optimum performance. All
of the resources that we need, the protection and the provision,
supernaturally find their way to us.
When you’re in the ‘slip stream’, you are clear about what your purpose in
life is. You have clear goals along with a written plan for their
accomplishment. For the most part, you love what you do and enjoy the
benefits of having healthy, wholesome relationships because you are living a
balanced and well-rounded life. This allows you to have a positive impact on
those around you. It’s not all rosy, however. There are storms and challenges
along the way, and it takes dedication and hard work to get into the slip
stream.
Birds are made for the sky and fish for the sea; if you take a fish out of water,
it’s pretty useless. It flaps around gasping for breath, but the second you put
that fish back into the water, it becomes a genius. There’s a place in life for
all of us where we fit comfortably and can utilise our talents and release our
passion. It’s a place that is purpose built and tailor made just for us. It’s YOU
shaped.

One of the hardest things for me to comprehend was “How could I be great
with all the crazy things going on in my life?” You may think that because you
have grown up in a single- parent family, were mistreated, didn’t get good
grades at school, or even because your parents are struggling to put food on
the table right now, that it’s impossible for you to achieve any level of
greatness. Well, I’m here to tell you that if that’s your belief, YOU’RE
WRONG, because you can be anything you want to be, you’ve simply got to
make it happen. Like me, you may have had several run-ins with the police,
or it may be that you have been to prison. Your past is irrelevant; your future
is what’s important. You were born for a purpose, irrespective of your
circumstance, and I’m living proof that your starting point need not pre-
determine your endpoint. Start today by taking action in line with your goals;
be consistent, and you, too, can build big momentum
Another quote, and one of my favourites, is by Abraham Lincoln: “The best
way to predict your future is to create it.” Setting goals provides us with a
way to create our future today by focusing our attention and daily action
steps on what we really want, and then making it a reality. Believe me when I
tell you that setting goals works. All successful people are intensely goal-
oriented. They know what they want and they are focused, single-mindedly,
on achieving it every single day.
Your ability to set goals is the master skill of success. Goals unlock your
positive mind and release ideas and energy for goal attainment. Without
goals, you simply drift and flow on the currents of life. With goals, you fly like
an arrow, straight through to your target. Set your goals before you know the
path and the path will appear.
Errol’s six steps to goal setting are in “From the Post code to Globe get your
copy now.

6. COURAGE
“Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step
would carry us clear through them.”
—BRENDAN FRANCIS
What is fear? An acronym for fear that I like to use is False Evidence
Appearing Real (Neale Donald Walsch). We have all experienced a degree of
fear in our lives at some time or another. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of
death, fear of rejection, fear of change, fear of places, fear of people, or any
other kind of fear you can think of. All of us, at some point, have experienced
it.
During my adolescent years, I found myself particularly intimidated by
people. Not all people, but those who I perceived as being a threat to me.
Fear would cause me to not fully be myself when around these people.
Instead of being my confident and full-of-life true self, I would shy away and
hope that the spotlight wouldn’t shine on me. I didn’t feel safe. When I
look back at that situation today, I realise that my decision to be afraid of
those individuals was, in fact, nothing to do with them (although they may
have been dangerous); the decision to be afraid was a choice that I,
personally, made. I had the power to choose to be afraid, or the power to
choose otherwise. I chose to be afraid based on false evidence appearing
real. Evidence such as what I had been taught by others, what I had seen,
heard or experienced previously all of which were not necessarily absolute
truths, but because of my limited narrow thinking I couldn't see any other
way.
Eventually, I decided that my dream was bigger than my fear. I wasn’t going
to allow my fear of public speaking to prevent me from fulfilling my life
ambitions; I was going to overcome it, one way or another. If I’m honest with
you, there were times when I didn’t think I would be able to overcome those
fears. I simply couldn’t see how. I felt as though I could do nothing of
significance because of the insecurities that gripped me. However, my
dreams, coupled with my faith and the encouragement of friends and family,
motivated me to turn the situation around. I believe you can do the same.

For many, the fear of people may most recognisably raise its head when
asked to speak or present something before either a small audience or a
larger crowd. You may have heard it said before that the fear of public
speaking is the biggest fear of all. This was certainly the case for me. I’ve
found that the way to overcome any fear you may have is to do the thing
you’re afraid of, despite how you feel. It’s amazing how easy public
speaking becomes once you’ve done it a few times. Tony Hsieh (surname
pronounced
‘Shay’), the founder of Zappos, a leading online shoe and clothing store, gives
some great advice about public speaking in his bestselling book, Delivering
Happiness.
His advice is:
1. Be passionate
In order to be passionate, talk about things that you are genuinely interested
in. When you are well prepared, and confident that you know and enjoy
what you are talking about, it is easy to be passionate.
2. Tell personal stories
By taking the risk of being vulnerable and telling your own personal story or
your own experience in relation to your subject, you create a unique
relationship with your audience. People are more interested in knowing who
you are and what your message is than lots of facts and figures.
3. Be real
Put simply, be yourself. The best communicators are those who are the same
person on the stage as they are off it. Don’t try to be like your favourite TV
personality: be you.
KEY TIP: If public speaking is completely new to you, I would recommend that
you write out what you are going to say beforehand and, if possible, practice
speaking it out loud a few times at least a couple of days before. I sometimes
go to a park and practice my presentations, or do them at home in front of a
mirror. I would suggest that you practice to the point where you can almost
do it without the notes. This will give you increased confidence before you
are called to the stage. Also, consider joining a public speaking club; there
are some fantastic ones out there.

The first type of fear I want to help you overcome is the fear of people. From
my school days, I always remember there being those in the years above who
would intimidate and bully me. Later on in life, as previously mentioned,
there were times when I would be scared of people who were stronger than
me, better fighters, or simply more popular. This was a huge challenge during
my early years.
This fear caused me to go into my shell; on occasions, I was unwilling to speak
in a crowd because my fear of criticism and judgement was so great. I
allowed this fear to imprint in my psyche that I was worthless, inadequate,
and not good enough. Without intending to, I began to feed this picture of
myself with my own negative thoughts and began to agree with them.
One particular case of this was the time just after I’d started secondary
school. You see, I had attended an inner city primary school in Birmingham.
However, in my parents’ attempt to protect me from some of the negative
influences that are endemic in such areas, I was made to take 11 plus exams.
Upon passing, I was shipped out to a school on the outskirts of Birmingham.
Moving to the other side of Birmingham wasn’t the problem; the issue
was that I immediately went from being in a predominantly black
environment to an environment where I was the only black pupil in the entire
year group.
To say that I felt like a fish out of water would be to put it mildly. On an
almost daily basis I had to deal with racist comments, bullying and prejudice.
It was a very uncomforta- ble period in my life. Being so far outnumbered
when jokes were being made about me was not easy, despite how witty I
might have been. As a young person, I wanted to fit in and be accepted. In my
desire to do this, I remember at about 14 yrs old having my hair relaxed and
straightened. I look back now and laugh because I looked like ‘Cat’ from the
TV series Red Dwarf, for those of you who have seen it. I had allowed both my
fears and insecurities, along with my desire to be a part of the group, to
cause me to go so far as to change the way I looked to what I deemed
acceptable to my peers.
I didn’t know how to stop or control these thoughts. At the time, I didn’t have
anyone around me with whom I felt safe enough to open up. This made some
of my teenage years very difficult, particularly because I found it hard to
build meaningful friendships.
If you want change in your life, you’ve got to first believe that you have the
ability to do so and be intentional about doing it. Secondly, you’ve got to
believe that the change is worth making and, in this way, be motivated to
alter not only what you do, but also the way you do it. I started out on my

journey of change by reading and studying my Bible, growing in my
relationship with God as well as with others in my church community. Both my
self-image and my self- concept needed to be re-programmed, and this
helped me to do just that. Thankfully for me, these factors helped provide
a safe environment in which this re-programming could commence.
Fear of failure
The next fear we all need to get control of is the fear of failure. The natural
response for many people is to let the pressures and problems of life beat
them into submission to a point where they give up on their aspirations; they
quit trying and live a life of mediocrity and unfulfilled dreams. Sadly, they
grow old and find themselves looking back on their lives, asking, “What if?”
“What if I had gone for that job promotion?” “What if I had bought that
house?”
“What if I had taken that opportunity?”
So many people don’t reach their potential in life because, when
opportunities arise, instead of taking the risk and having faith, they focus on
the negative. Brian Tracy once said “Low achievers ask the question ‘what if
this doesn’t work out’ while high achievers ask the question, “what if it
does?”. The fear of failure paralyses people and causes them to end up doing
nothing at all. Please don’t misunderstand me, I can accept that, in life, we
all experience failure in some shape or form. However, our failures are not
the real problem; the real problem is not getting back up, dusting ourselves
off and trying again.
“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”
—ZIG ZIGLAR
The challenges that life throws at us will either grind us down or polish us up.
The choice is ours. American Baseball legend Babe Ruth once said “Never let
the fear of striking out get in your way.” The more mistakes we make, the
more ways we learn how not to do it. When we see that our failures are
stepping-stones to success, we will no longer beat ourselves up but instead
look for the next opportunity to try again, knowing that at the very least we
will learn something new.

Each time we make a mistake, we should examine where we went wrong,
learn from it, make modifications and then try again. When we can change
perspectives and see our mistakes and setbacks as great opportunities to
learn and grow, transformation of the world around us can really begin to
take place. Know, that you can overcome!
To get more great tips on how to fire up your courage to dispel fear get “From
the Post code to Globe download your copy now.

7. LET YOUR
MONEY WORK
FOR YOU
I have added this chapter because I’ve realised that one thing I wasn’t taught
at school or at home was how I could create personal wealth for myself and,
in turn, become financially free. I believe that if I had been mentored in my
younger years about how to use money wisely, I would have been far better
off. I had a lot of money pass through my hands, one way or another, but
unfortunately, it left my hands as quickly as it came.
Fast money was what I wanted. I wasn’t prepared to work hard for my money
legally by holding down a regular job. I wanted lots of money and I wanted it
quick. The only way that I could do that was illegally. That was the mindset I
had: ‘get the paper’ by almost any means necessary.
This mindset led me to get involved with drugs, it was a natural progression,
why wouldn’t I? Most of the people I knew were involved with them, and
there was both a ready supply and a consistent demand, so I put my
entrepreneurial skills to work.
Along the way, I have seen various friends and family members find
themselves on the wrong side of the law, or worse still, ending up dead or
seriously injured as a result of choosing to make a living in this way. Even
today, I see many young people aspiring to this kind of lifestyle and
unfortunately, there are some that, through no fault of their own, find
themselves in environments where it is very difficult to choose any other
lifestyle.
I am convinced there is a better way. As much as there are seemingly
impossible circumstances into which some people are born, circumstances
that make it difficult for them to desire to create wealth through legal
routes, I have heard powerful stories - and have my own personal testimony -
that through persistence, it is possible to change one’s mindset and turn
things around

Through my own pursuit of knowledge since leaving school, I became able see
that if I truly wanted to, I could master any subject in life, whether business
or science, finance or management, it didn’t matter. All I had to do was make
a decision and commit to doing the right things and finding the right support.
By reading the biographies of people that are wealthy, it dawned on me that
many of them had come from backgrounds that were similar, if not worse,
than my own. What they had learned to do was to apply certain principles
and attitudes; in order to turn their fortunes around. I decided that if they
could do it, then I could, too.
I felt that becoming educated about money was going to be key to me
enhancing my prospects and realising some of my dreams. I needed to learn
to become financially literate. Robert Kiyosaki writes about this really well
in his book entitled “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. What I mean by financial literacy
is being able to understand, and to speak, the language of money:
understanding how money (or currency) works, and how it can work for you.
Along my journey towards personal financial freedom, I have learned many
lessons along the way. One of the most important of those was to change the
way I thought about money. You may often hear people say that ‘money is the
root of all evil’. Maintaining that view could lead to a careless attitude
towards how money is managed. By doing so, we can end up not giving money
the value or apprecia- tion it is due. It’s almost as though for some, wealth
and success are seen as good enough for others, but not quite good enough
for us.
This belief that money is the root of all evil is based on a scripture in the
Bible that has been widely misinterpreted. Here is what the scripture actually
says in 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”.
Here’s what another translation says: “But if it's only money these leaders are
after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and
nothing but trouble,” (The Mes- sage). It is true that, when obtaining money
is your number one priority and you love money above everything else in life,
you are in danger of ending up in a mess. Money is not everything. To me, so
many other things are more important, such as my relationships with God, my
family, my friends.
However, money in itself is neutral; it is neither good nor bad. What makes
money good or bad is what we choose to do with it, and perhaps what we are
willing to do to get it.

When money becomes such an important thing to us that we believe we will
do anything to get it, evil is sure to follow.
“To make money is a goal in life but not our purpose,”
—ERROL LAWSON
Those with the mindset that making money is their only purpose will be
willing to rob, steal, deceive, and even kill to obtain it. But, there are many
people are using money to do great things.
A lady who is an outstanding example of this is someone I referred to earlier,
Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire chat show host and business woman. Recently,
Oprah spent £10m on opening up a brand new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art
girls’ school in a deprived part of South Africa. Bill Gates, the founder of
Microsoft and one of the world’s richest men, is another wonderful example
of individuals who are improving the lives of others through philanthropic
endeavours. Each year, he donates millions of dollars to charities and good
causes. Likewise, footballer David Beckham, inspired by the opportunity he
was given as a young boy to attend the Sir Bobby Charlton Soccer School, has
invested millions of pounds in creating David Beckham Soccer Academies
around the world. These academies give young people the opportunity to
train and receive high-level coaching in fantastic facilities.
In each of the above situations, we find examples of people who understand
the importance of being generous and giving back to those in need. If we are
ever going to be truly wealthy, we must learn and understand the importance
of giving. I firmly believe that everything belongs to God by right of creation.
It is by His grace that He allows us to partake of it.
I believe if we steward or manage what has been given wisely, we will find
that God will entrust us with more. Being generous with our money and
helping those who are less fortunate or less able demonstrates what we are
most passionate about. There is a verse in the Bible that says:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.
—MATTHEW 6:21

If you want to know what you value most in life, look at your bank statement
and see where you spend most of your money.
Age ain’t nothing but a number
I’m dedicating this part of this chapter specifically to encouraging young
people under the age of 18. If you are reading this and are the parent of a
youngster, you need to catch what I’m about to impart. Likewise older
brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, mentors and
educators, this is for you too. Children are a precious gift from God that are
highly valuable and should be treated as such. The dismissive ‘be seen and
not heard’ culture inflict- ed by society, that most have adopted towards
young people, particularly those under the age of sixteen, must come to an
end....
Like many other young people growing up in inner city Birmingham, I didn’t
understand that it was possible to be legally and financially successful even
before I was 18 years old. Now I encourage every young person I meet to get
away from the idea that it’s impossible for them to develop an idea or start a
business before they’re old and grey. There’s nothing to stop you at age 13,
15, or 17 from starting your own business and becoming a successful
person. If you have a great idea and the tenacity to see it through, anything is
possible. It may not work out first time but, with determination and
perseverance, you may find that what once seemed impossible is achievable.
I love what the poet Sam Beckett said. “Ever tried, ever failed. No matter,
try again, fail again, fail better.”
Make your money work for you
As I mentioned earlier, the key to lasting financial freedom is having a good
financial education and developing your financial literacy: understanding the
language of money. I would like to help by outlining some of the key
principles that, if implemented on a consistent basis, can help you attain
financial freedom. To help you make a start on understanding the language
of money, let’s get a good understanding of two of the most common words
you’re likely to come across when dealing with your finances: income and
expenditure.
Now, I know this may seem obvious to some of you, but hear me out. Income
is the money that flows into your account, from your job or from your
parents, for example. Expenditure is the money that flows out of your
pocket: that you spend on clothes or gadgets, for example.
The key thing to know, that you may not yet have learned is that there are 3
main types of income. You need to decide as early as possible in your life

which type of income you would like to achieve, and begin to focus your
efforts on attaining it. Let me explain the 3 types of income.
The first type of income is Earned Income. Earned income comes to you via a
salary; here, your employer or contrac- tor will pay you an agreed amount of
money for working an agreed length of time. The bottom line is, if you don’t
turn up to work, you don’t get paid. Earned income can be money that you
earn either as an employee or as a self- employed person. This is the route
we are taught to follow at school: “Get a good education and then get a good
job”. This income stream alone is a safe way to obtain money, but the way in
which you are least likely to create great wealth.
The second type of income is Passive Income. Passive income is money
that you earn ‘whilst you are sleeping’. This money may come to you from
assets, such as property or other investments. In other words, you are not
working for your money; your money is working for you. It is known as passive
income because you do not need to be directly involved in generating it,
although you would need to put some extensive work in at the early stages.
The author Robert Kyosaki, in his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, defined the final
type of income stream as Portfolio Income. This type of income comes from
Stocks, Bonds or ISAs. It can also come from royalties. For example, if you
are a music producer, you will be paid royalties every time your song is played
on the radio because you own the copyright.
Each of the areas requires a slightly different approach. Deciding which area
we choose to earn our income from will in turn determine what we need to
study, and the different people we will need to connect with along our
journey to help us get to our destination.
Earned income is where we are all likely to start. As such, our earned income
is our most powerful tool. To effectively manage your earned income, it is
essential that a budget is created. Most people say they don’t have the time
to make a budget, but the truth is, you don’t have the time not to make a
budget! What a budget helps you to do is spend your money intentionally.
A budget is basically just a PLAN. When you budget, you're spending on paper,
with intention, before the month begins. Sure, it may be a little bit tedious
and unpredictable at first, and it may take a few months to see the benefit,
but imple- menting a budget into your everyday life will help you control
your spending, live with a plan, and build wealth so you're not worrying
whether you will have enough money at the end of the month.
“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it
went.”

—DAVE RAMSEY
Most people rely solely on earned income, either because they get stuck or
they get comfortable. However, the ultimate goal is to have multiple income
streams from all three types of income (though the most affluent see a
greater percentage of their income achieved from passive endeavours than
those who are less wealthy).
Staying out of Debt: Pay Yourself First
Let me make it known - ‘bad debt’ is not your friend. Mainly because I had
very little financial education about money, I struggled to stay out of ‘bad
debt’. I emphasise ‘bad debt’ because I believe there is a type of debt that, if
managed appropriately, can be beneficial. I don’t advise it, but I think there
are occasions when we can use debt to help us in a positive way. For
example, if you wish to either start or invest in a business that you’ve
researched well, and that you are confident is going to make you a profit,
then taking a loan from the bank to aid this endeavour is classified as
‘good debt’.
For years, I found myself spiralling deeper and deeper into debt. A
combination of bad spending habits and bad business decisions left me
always short of money at the end of the month. This was until I was inspired
by a great book called “The Richest Man in Babylon”, by George Clason,
which gave me the push I needed to begin to wage a war on my debts. I began
by making a list of all my Creditors (the people I owed money to) and how
much I owed them, which I then turned into a spreadsheet. Now, with a
clearer picture in my head of what was outstanding, I began to think of how
I would pay them all. Below is an example of the formula I used to turn the
situation around:
At the time I earned £1000 per month after tax. The first 10% (£100) I tithed
(gave back) to God via my local church. The second 10% (£100) I saved. The
third 10% (£100) I set aside for investments. This then left me with £700 to
pay my bills and for living costs. I then made the bold step of contacting each
of my creditors to make individual arrangements to pay back what I owed.
Some agreed to £20 per month, others up to £100 per month. It wasn’t easy,
but I was determined that I wasn’t going to live my life in debt anymore and I

was going to take responsibility for the situation. I made up my mind that I
was going to change my priorities.
Instead of allowing the red letters and pressures from creditors to make me
afraid and cause me to decrease my expenditure, I decided to use it to
inspire me to create more income. I had a choice: either I allowed the
severity of the situation to defeat me, or I could approach the problem as one
that simply needed to be solved. I chose the second option and from that
point forward, made sure that every month, each of my creditors got an
agreed amount of money towards what I owed. With the money left over, I
was able to put aside for savings and investments as well as to invest in
assets that would increase in value and make me a profit in the long term.
The mistake a lot of people make is to quickly pay off their debts as soon as
they come into a big cash windfall and then find themselves, within a few
short months, back in debt because they didn’t put anything aside.
It’s so easy, as a young person, to get into the habit of spending money on
things that are not needed in an attempt to increase
‘street cred’ so as to be accepted by peers, as has already been mentioned in
an earlier chapter. But to get the best start in life, it is necessary to do what
the wise and wealthy do: save as much as you can of what you earn so that
you have money readily available to invest when the opportunities come your
way. It is also prudent, not to spend more than your total income. Develop
the habit of discipline and saying “no” to those things that you can do
without, or that you can perhaps borrow from someone else to meet your
immediate need.
More great ideas of how you can create and manage your finances in From the
Post code to Globe get your copy now.

7 steps to overcoming limitations

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