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Go Get A Job, My Friend! Desmond Edem Eklu writes.

This week a fresh crop of graduates who have finished their national service are hitting the street.
Don't be surprised to know that yours truly is part of the crew just that he's not on the street for reasons that'll be communicated to you later in this post.
So I've been having series of discussions with friends lately concerning one big question people in my category ask. "What next?" I believe this is a question that should be asked earlier than its normally done but what the heck!
Among some of the conversations I've been having was this interesting one that nearly caused my head to explode.
It was about my friend's new job. I was really excited about the way he narrated the whole thing to me and applauded him for his hard work.
Then I turned to myself and asked the little Desmond that lives on the inside of Desmond a question that I have to quickly erase from my memory. I said "Why don't I go get a job too?"
Don't blame me, I was judging by calculation and that's normal to do. My friend had discussed his pay package with me and I did my own calculations only to realize that my business can in no sense presently earn me that amount one a monthly basis.
What am I getting myself into?
Won't it be okay if I just got a job like everybody else?
At this stage in life, most young people are moved by pay packages. I nearly dropped the solutions I have for the world because of a pay package.
One of my favourite role models is GaryVee. Earlier this year, I read a post on his LinkedIn where he advised young people in their 20s to dive in. I have understood that 'diving in' means going after your dreams.
In Africa, we don't chase our dreams in our 20s. We chase money very early in life so that we can get enough of it to chase our dreams later in life. That's a wrong approach!
Money is not what you need to chase your dreams. You need DETERMINATION. Everything is in that one word.
Money is what pushes people to go to school and read programs that'll qualify them for high paying jobs instead of learning things they are passionate about.
People love to use what they call 'short cuts'. Years ago, a lady friend said she was going into the police service after high school because it was a short cut to getting 'quick money'. A lot of people are guilty of this. But let's not judge.
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This mindset is gradually turning our youthful population into careless money loving crooks who will do anything to make money fall. This, in my view is blurring our future as a people.
I believe that money is not in the finance houses. Real money is right inside us. It's been there from the beginning. Money is wrapped up in our gifts or talents and we just have to discover those to uncover our money bag.
Fellows, let's stop chasing it and rather create it. How much can the Ponzi schemes get you? Did you check how much the Blackstars made at their recent African Cup tournament? That's what you get if you build something from the ground up.
Whether you are entering into paid employment or starting a business, take some time out to find the true purpose of what you are doing.
Even though I'm an entrepreneur, there are some business opportunities I've turned down over the years and more I'll keep turning down because they do not align with my inner convictions.
Again the goal is not to just make money, it is to solve problems profitably.
I'll not easily forget the words of the celebrated American Actor, Denzel Washington, "Do not aspire to make a LIVING, aspire to make a DIFFERENCE."
Written By:
Desmond Edem Eklu
Author | Publisher | Entrepreneur
+233(0) 502 473 683
PS: This piece was inspired by a conversation I had with my brother Solomon Botchway yesterday at Kempiski Hotel in Accra.
You should understand that I didn't just wake up to think this. This philosophy has been shaped by years of consistent search for knowledge in books, podcasts, courses videos and personal interactions with people who have gone ahead of me. Do not deceive yourself challenging my opinion if you've not committed some amount of time studying on this. It is not up for a debate. It's an opinion.

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