As a young man, I was fascinated by success. I asked myself: "Why do some people succeed and the vast majority of persons simply endure an existence? Why do leaders emerge and leave the majority to march to the rhythmic drumbeat of the status quo?" As I studied the biographies of successful men and women, the answer came, and it is this: They made a sacrifice.

Every successful person, every major accomplishment, every breathtaking achievement was FIRST made a reality by a sacrifice. So many wealthy and successful people today can point to a specific sacrifice they made, or a particular time period during which they deliberately endured hardship to achieve a goal.

DEATH BEFORE LIFE

Great achievers, life's heroes and the super wealthy all share a common experience. They had to undergo a period so testing, so lonely, so difficult, it felt like death. But it was during that period of 'death' that their characters were fashioned.

Many of us today were privileged to receive a good education. Our parents were not rich, but they made a sacrifice. Instead of making one more dress, mom saved the money in her thread bag - here a little, there a little, going without life's luxuries so that their children would receive the best education, something which they perhaps did not receive themselves. Some of these parents did not live long enough to see us thrive, but their selfless sacrifice is responsible for whatever measure of success we enjoy today.

Sacrifice, wealth

Dr Herbert Thompson is one person who knows about sacrifice, having risen from abject poverty to become president of the Seventh-day Adventist institution, Northern Caribbean University. - File

One of the major causes of poverty is a failure to understand that a sacrifice must precede wealth. There is a sowing before a reaping. There is an accumulation phase before a spending phase. The more sacrifice you make in saving and investing, the wealthier you will eventually become.

I know of a fabulously wealthy person. I asked him to tell me his story. He related a remarkable account of a business idea that was so strong in his mind that he and his wife sold everything they possessed to capitalise that business. Then they continued the sacrifice by living very thriftily, cutting all unnecessary expenses and watching their business as it grew. Today, he is a wealthy man, but looks back to the time he sold all he had to invest in his business idea.

Last year, on a trip to Africa, I met a remarkable couple, Moses and Juliet Klinogo. Dirt poor, Moses remembers how he was not able to afford a pair of shoes. He was also deep in debt. While in the darkness of despair, he was given an opportunity with a company with which I am associated. The opportunity was in network marketing.

He made a sacrifice. He sold three pairs of trousers to buy products. Today, he earns in excess of US$1 million per year from his base in Accra, Ghana. Moses says, "We knew all we needed was the determination to be successful. Today, we are reaping the rewards of taking that attitude from early on."

What do you need to do to achieve your breakthrough? What about cutting up those credit cards, making a sacrifice to come out of debt? This may well be the start of a new, exciting and dynamic life.

Tony Williamson is an international motivational speaker, sales trainer, author and lifestyle consultant. Email tonywilliamson_57@yahoo.com.