by John C. Turner

We have to stop seeing the ‘No Money Head’ signs and start seeing the signs that say,  ‘Options Ahead’ instead.

2012 is coming to a close and many of us are starting to think about New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.  But what happened to the goals of 2012?  We wanted to go back to school, start that business, and even write a book .  We were primed and pumped to roll out on a great adventure.  However, we stopped the adventure because of one thing.  We didn’t get the MONEY to make the dream happen!  Financial Aid did not come through, the bank denied your business loan, and you could not get a publisher to give you an advance to write your book. It is a common situation that has happened to many of us.  However, it’s the attitude of an OVERCOMER who will not accept NO for an answer.  It’s an OVERCOMER that will make their greatest heart’s desires come true.

We have to stop seeing the ‘No Money Head’ signs and start seeing the signs that say,  ‘Options Ahead’ instead. There are several ways that we can overcome not having money in order to make our dreams still happen for us in our lives.

1. Stop telling Yourself “It’s Over” at the First Sign of Money Trouble: Sometimes we just are not PATIENT enough to wait for things work themselves out when it comes to money issues. Sometimes a “NO” just means either “Not Here, try somewhere else” or “Just not at this point & time”. We have to realize that the beginning “NO” just means for us to go back to the Drawing Board and see what did not work out to get the Finances that we need for our dreams. This will take even more time, YES, but asking questions from Mentors, going over your dream detail by detail, and practicing your presentation and pitch will help you be more prepared for the next financial opportunity.

2. Check out ALL Your Financial Avenues and Options: The road does not end at one attempt to finance your dreams. It could take you months, even YEARS to get someone to believe in your passion the way that you do. Check for Grants, Loans, Scholarships, even Assistantships and Work Study Opportunities. Read Research Articles and Books, even seek out Donors and Individuals who are looking to fund Projects for possibly their own tax write-off opportunities. CHECK EVERY SINGLE OPTION and don’t ever be afraid to ask again people who denied you before down the line. Use them as a contact with which sometimes money avenues open up in the future that they may have knowledge about. Finally, do not be afraid to tweak your plan to fit into some other financial classifications like becoming a Non-For-Profit Business for more financing opportunities.

3. Believe That It Can Happen:  No matter how many times that you hear the word NO, if no one else believes that your dream is worth their money, than always believe in it yourself! You have to know within yourself that your idea, your book, your business, your college education is worth all the money. You have to do your part, especially when you are blessed with the finances. Always remember that someone believes in your enough to give you the money to make your dream happen.  The bumps in the road are going to come, but it takes confidence and perseverance to work through them and push yourself to get the resources that you need to turn your Passion Into Action!

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John C. Turner is an author, speaker, higher education professor and adviser that works to encourage people to live towards their greatest dreams and successes.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.