How badly do you want it?

On the condition that the number of cloths you do have is more than the number of books you do have, you are cleanly not astute, thoughtful and judicious. If the number of shoes you do have is more than the number of books you do have, you are straightforwardly not wise. If the number of bags you do have is more than the number of books you do have, you are basically not wise. If you want to judge yourself, will you say you are wise or unwise? You cannot afford to live in self deception. It is up to you.

Furthermore, if you truly want to become successful and great in life, the number of years you have spent on earth should be at least equivalent to the number of books in each aspect of your life. Take for instance, if you are 30 years old, you should have at least 30 books on finances, 30 books on relationship, 30 books on leadership, 30 books on integrity and other areas of life. If you can put into operation what I am sharing with you today, in the next 10years, you are going to become significant, note worthy and great in Nigeria and beyond.

On the condition that you truly want to get to the acme and crest in life, you will need to develop a flaming desire for knowledge. You will need to study very widely, broadly and extensively. Two decades ago, I was taught what I am teaching you today. And I have been walking it out in shoe-leather since then. I do buy, acquire and procure books almost weekly. The best compartment in my house is my library. It is my culture to always consume so much information every-day. The question is: do you want to become influential and high-ranking on earth? You’d need to increase the rate at which you are consuming relevant and germane information.

The truth is: no matter how expensive and beautiful your house is, it is valueless and worthless if it does not have a functional library. You want to lead the pack in the days to come? You shall need to start building a massive and functional library and become thirstier for relevant knowledge.

How badly do you want to become successful and significant in both life and leadership? This will reflect in your fervor and zeal for knowledge. About 20 years ago, I needed to listen to a man who knew what I wanted to know, but I did not have much money on me to bankroll my transportation from Berger to Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos State. As an effect of the state of my pocket, I had to trek from Berger to Iyana-Ipaja (where the conference was holding) and trekked back to Berger! That is how passionate and zealous I was for knowledge. For the umpteenth time, how badly do you want success and greatness? If you truly want to become successful and great in life, then be all out for knowledge!

Abraham Lincoln “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” And how can a man become wiser today than he was yesterday? It is by consistently reading through relevant books, and by listening and watching value-adding CDs and DVDs. This is the mindset and attitude that made Lincoln tick and substantial as a leader. He died some centuries ago, but we are still talking about the quality of life he led and the class of leadership he provided while on earth. You want to increase the quality of life you are leading and leadership you provide? You want to increase your quality of thinking? You desire to attract high finances? You want to increase your significance as a man or woman? You will need to increase the rate at which you are consuming relevant information. You need to start drinking knowledge as water!

If you do not want success badly enough you cannot have it. Once again, how badly do you want knowledge? Lincoln was so hungry and thirsty for knowledge to the extent that he would trek for hours anytime he heard that a book got to their colony. How many people can trek for hours in this generation because of knowledge? Many prefer buying phones, i-pads, shoes and clothes to buying life-changing books. There are millions of Nigerians who do not buy just a book in a year let alone reading through one. Many millions of Nigerians have not read through a singular book since they graduated from school. This generation does not place an appropriate value on knowledge and it is very unfortunate and regrettable.

Many years ago, I left the house for a shopping complex, desiring to buy two shirts before leaving for my tertiary institution. When I got to the boutique where I was to buy what I was in a dire need of, I dashed in and while I was searching for two good shirts to pay money for, all of a sudden, I saw a bookshop directly opposite the boutique. I quickly ran out of where I was and went straight to go explore what I saw. When I got there, I saw a book that I loved to have. And the price of that book was equivalent to the worth of one shirt, so I decided to buy the book and ended up buying one shirt instead of two. I could not afford not to buy the book. The book in question ended up changing, shifting and transforming my life as a teenager and gave me a sense of direction. Relevant books helped me start living a life of purpose very early in life. And this has made a huge world of difference in my life and leadership.

How badly you want greatness and success in both life and leadership will reflect in your hunger and thirst for relevant knowledge. I have met with many youths who would say to me that one thousand naira worth of a book is too expensive, but an eighty thousand naira worth of a pair of shoes is very cheap. And we are wondering why the quality of thought of our people is so low. When you sit with someone who reads, in a few minutes—you will know and when you sit with someone who does not read, in a few minutes too, you will know too. The only way to increase the quality of your thought is by you falling in love afresh with relevant books.

Before I go, one of the ways you can live your life differently next year is by you building a functional library for yourself. Either every week or month, make sure you buy at least a book and read through it. And do not only read through it; make sure you put what you read into practice.

See you where great people are found!