“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Today I do believe and I encourage you to do the same.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Have you ever imagined using poverty to achieve success in life? Have you considered the notion of poverty as one likely tool that you can use to acquire life success?
This article explains all the factors at play when harnessing poverty conditions for a better life. Now before we dive deep into the factors , let us quickly understand what the notion of poverty means and how it affects our mind.
According to the World Bank in 2007, Poverty implies hunger and lack of shelter, poverty is lack of access to medical facilities when sick, lack of access to education and inability to read and write. Poverty is constant state of unemployment, fear of the future. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom. Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time. So poverty is a call to action, for the poor and the wealthy alike. Osmani S.R. in 2003, explained that poverty can be conceptualized under three different but interrelated strands: Capability, Vulnerability, and Social exclusion. For this article we will not get into the details of these factors.
Poverty is the causative factor in the destruction of the social fabric of so many families and homes in most Nigerian societies. Poverty has destroyed careers and relationships among young and old couples. Although most people tend to blame any or all of their shortcomings on poverty, very little effort is being directed towards self-empowerment. Poverty has distorted and corrupt the minds of many the Nigerians, and in their quest for survival they are ready to discard their basic principles and sense of judgment in order to achieve their goals. Likewise in most African states, there is a constant sense of hopelessness and abandonment by the capable individuals in their quest for food, shelter, employment and what the future holds for them. Their so much stress in the average Nigerian family because the parents cannot afford the basic necessities for their children. The present incoherent and inadequate poverty alleviation programmes from the government has not been able to curb the menace. The gap between the rich and the poor is increasing at an unprecedented rate and as a consequence, such inequality gives rise to varieties of social and environmental insecurities in the form of anti-social behaviours such as crimes, protests, strikes, damages to public utilities, ethnic and religious conflicts. Poverty is like a void in the mind, burden on the soul, and like a cross that has to be carried every day.
(Reference here) Poverty can also be explored as a product or result of classism, failed social policies, racism, unsafe housing, poor education, inadequate laws or a host of other issues. There is also a wide range of being poor from absolute poverty (lack of food, housing or shelter), to relative poverty (feeling poor compared to your neighbors), and generational poverty (long-term familial or community based low SES) or situational (temporary economic disaster) poverty though here we’ll focus on the long-term.
But there is some good news about poverty and it’s not all doom and gloom.
The conditions in which poverty presents itself can become a force that compels individuals to never revert back to such a condition. Poverty can serve as a critical element that motivates an individual to not revisit or to relive in such conditions. The pain that poverty inflicts on individuals can compel them to do what is necessary such that they don’t fall back into the dreadful condition ever. From here, we can posit poverty can be seen as a factor that drives individuals to strive for success, something that is seen as not a barrier but rather a challenge to overcome. Poverty’s pain and its sting can serve as a motivating force or as a compelling reason to move beyond its reach.
The keyword here is motivation.
When you combine motivation with the desire to escape poverty, you are virtually working toward success in your life. Considering the various rag-to-riches stories of any society the one thing which will stand out in their character is the drive and motivation to get out of poverty and ultimately succeed in life. If you are the type that wakes up everyday worrying about the next house rent, telephone bill, or how to put food on the table for your family, there are two things at play in your mind – fear and worry. These are the raw materials that is needed to kick start your motivation in your chosen new career. Emphasis is placed on new career because if you are holding on to a profession for years and decades without any headway, you might want to try something new and relevant to your local or international market.
Biologically, our brain is conditioned to reflect happiness and a sense of purpose within us when we are making plans toward a goal or working on something. The fact that we are ‘doing something’ get the brain excited which in turn energises the body to work toward that goal. Consider an individual that is constantly complaining about difficult situations without any plan to work on – constant vocal expression of your worries in the form of complaints drains the brain of energy and ideas. You are actually inviting stress into your body and before you realise what is going on, you are knocking on the doorstep of depression – and that is where you don’t pray to be.
In conclusion, let me quote an old RnB song that says “Forget about the bad times, remember all the good times hold your head up high”. No matter how difficult the situation you will always need the self belief, motivation and the willingness to accept mistakes and reach out to people, no matter your differences with them.
