Reading Books Won’t Make You Successful—Unless You Have This One Thing

Your believe is what shaped your life, and what build your belief is the knowledge you are exposed to. In the race of life. Effort is a common denominator. Knowledge is a diffentiator. Executive, everyone is working hard but having different results, and that is caused by knowledge. Knowledge gives you exposure, but understanding gives you leverage.

Knowledge is what takes you above others. And your understanding is what empowers you to do things differently. Two people can read the same book, attend the same business session — but one will achieve more and the other man zero to less achievements — the problem is not the effort, yes, execution is everything. The problem is the understanding. It is not about reading; reading is not the problem, the issue is understanding.

What a classroom in Makurdi taught me about why hardworking people fail!

One of the lessons, I learnt as a primary school teacher during my NYSC service year at Makurdi, Benue State. I came to understand that learners are reading, studying the maths, preparing for the test and examinations. But some to many, still fail. Why? Reading is not the problem, the problem is understanding. 

This have taken me back to my senior secondary school days; the maths teacher will be teaching, I am learning. But I don't understand that formula of solving mathematical problem. Because I don't understand the pattern and formula, I will fail the question, when it comes up in the math test. The problem is not reading, studying the maths at home — the problem is understanding the knowledge I was acquiring.

The Ethiopian eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, has been moving to Jerusalem for yearly worship, by himself studying the Scriptures but he understands not what is he reading. He has the knowledge of the Scriptures but zero clarity of what he has been acquiring. And the Holy Spirit told Philip to moved to the eunuch to give him proper understanding of what he is reading. The problem is not reading to the Ethiopian eunuch, the problem is understanding what he is reading. (Acts 8 vs. 27-40).

The hidden gap between hard work and massive results. 

When you don't understand what you are reading, the knowledge is useless. And when the knowledge is useless, you will be laughed at, you will not have wisdom. And when wisdom is absent, boldness is absent. Your light shines because of wisdom, wisdom is profitable to direct unto knowledge; and knowledge is ignited in the light of understanding.

Even the Bible say, in all your gettings, get understanding — wisdom is the principal thing but without knowledge, wisdom is void; without understanding, knowledge is useless. Two ladies operates the same business, but one lady is making huge profit, and the other is saying, “you know the economy is hard”. The problem is not the economy, the problem is the knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is common. Understanding is rare.

Knowledge is what empowers you to be above lack and poverty. Understanding is that ignite that knowledge to be executed rightly and be increasingly empowered. My understanding about direct advertising, is what makes the monetisation different from other. So we can be doing the same stock holding company, but my knowledge and understanding — is that make my results different from yours.

Don't just be stocking books on different fields and be studying. Pray for understanding; seek to understand what you are studying with clarity and application. Because you can never apply the knowledge you don't understand after acquiring it. Executive, understanding is missing that's why many people are failing in the field after acquiring knowledge.

Like I said: Your believe is what shaped your life, and what build your belief is the knowledge you are exposed to. In the race of life. Effort is a common denominator. Knowledge is a diffentiator. Everyone is working hard but having different results, and that is caused by knowledge.

© Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere 

(Businessman, Industrialist, Investor, and a Christian)