It’s not about talent. It’s about staying power.
Many brilliant ideas never see the light of day, not because they’re bad, but because their founders are forced to choose survival over vision.
Let me explain;
Africans have big, inspirational ideas with the potential to take this continent to the next level. But as the founder of McDonald’s once said, it’s not the talented, gifted, or genius who succeed, it’s the persistent. I usually call it staying power.
Recently, I had a conversation with a fellow founder and we were sharing our struggles. He told me, “Sometimes, honestly, I look at my Rolex guy (chapati vendor) and envy him. He makes money everyday and I wonder if I’m in the right place or not.” But he quickly corrected himself and said, that is the level of mindset they have and it has given them the opportunity to sell Rolexes. Everyone you see in any value chain is exactly where their mindset has permitted them to be. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just their mindset. And it would be wrong to envy, because yours is different. The circumstances in which everyone grew up in contributes to their mindset and that looks different for everyone.
Most people have been given the privilege of carrying burdens that affect nations. You’ve been blessed with education, exposure to new people, and the opportunity to explore diverse cultures. And the Bible tells us, “To whom much is given, much more will be required.”
YOUR VISION IS SOMEONE’S SURVIVAL
The thing you’re working on right now, someone else needs it to survive.
If all of us rose to the occasion of our ideas and callings, we could create an ecosystem where ideas thrive because everyone depends on what the other has to offer.
Stewards Don’t Worry About Survival
Here’s the mindset shift, stewards don’t worry about their own survival, owners do.
The Bible says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The burden God has placed on your heart is His to worry about and He will provide for it. Because He owns everything, its all His. Our part is to work hard and pursue the visions He has put on our hearts and He will worry about the rest. Because the bible says if we do not work, we can’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13).
So, are you living as a steward or as an owner? Because stressing about survival an owner’s responsibility, not yours. And His provision may not always look the way you expect, so don’t try to be God.
Vusi Thembekwayo Inc always tells us to show up and stay one more day each time. The more you stay, the more reasons you’ll discover why you have to be loyal to the vision. Because the death of great African ideas is not a lack of brilliance, it’s the weight of survival. But if we commit to staying power, stewardship, and faith, we can keep our visions alive long enough to change the trajectory of our continent.