Think Low and You Will Stay Low

Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine, who started his life as a little country boy from Nigeria. He was very poor, as most in that country are, but he worked hard and managed to get through college and earn a degree as an Investment Analyst. I'll call him Eric, but that's not his real name.

He went to work for a company in his country that did business with many other countries, handling their investments in Nigeria and the neighboring area. One day a Russian client came into the office, and was introduced to Eric.

The Russian man had a question about a contract that was prepared for use in the USA. Eric looked over it, and in two minutes told the Russian man that the contract was terrible. After some discussion about this, the Russian was so taken with Eric's abilities that he offered him a job in the USA and paid him $2,500 in cash as a sign-on bonus.

Eric was stunned. $2,500 in his country at that time was like instant wealth!

But now Eric was faced with a decision. He was a country boy, and had a hard enough time living in the city of Benin in his home country of Nigeria. He spoke English, but with a heavy accent that was sometimes hard to understand. He would be taking on some hefty responsibility for a major bank in the USA, a country he had never even visited before. He was scared to death.

What would he do? Would he decline the offer out of fear of the unknown? Would he let the risk prevent him from bettering his life and that of his family?

I got to listen to Eric's story, one on one, the other day. It was truly fascinating what he'd been through and how he'd handled it all.

Eric was happy to say that no, he had not turned down the job. He took it, and despite the trials and difficulties, he did very well with it. Now he and his family all live here in the USA, and Eric owns a prosperous mortgage loan business.

When I asked him what helped him to overcome the understandable fears he had before taking the job, this is what he told me - and I will never forget it:

"Jon," he said, "if you think low you will stay low."

Truer words have never been spoken! If you THINK you cannot do better for yourself than you are doing right now, you never will. If you THINK that others can succeed, but not you, it will come true. What you THINK will be fulfilled in what you do.

Now, if a poor country boy from Nigeria can do the work and see the rewards, eventually moving to a wealthy country and owning a successful business - although he's a foreigner and still has a pretty heavy accent that is sometimes hard to understand - what's preventing you?

Is it fear? Is it the risk of loss? Is it because although you don't like your current situation, it's familiar - comfortable - and you're resisting the change that is needed to bring success?

If so, you're not alone. Physics tells us that everything in the universe takes the path of least resistance. When you drop a ball, it always falls down, because there's no resistance to it falling down. It doesn't go up, because that would require it to struggle against gravity.

People are no different. By nature, we are inclined to take the path of least resistance, to do whatever is easiest. It requires effort to get out of our rut and make things happen for ourselves.

But, like Eric, you can do it if you THINK HIGH, not low. Don't put yourself down or convince yourself that where you are now is where you're doomed to be. And don't let trials or difficulties make you feel inadequate. The best of the best in every endeavor had trouble getting there.

Stop thinking low, or you will stay low. Think high and you will reach your dreams - no matter how high they may be.