What is the secret behind your success? (2024)

“Hi Stéphan. I ask many white people, but they do not give answers that satisfy me. The question is what is the secret behind your success? I hope you get my point.” (Blessing)

This was the question recently asked to me by my new friend, Blessing. A 22-year old young man from Malawi, earning just R150/day here in South Africa. I met him recently at a birthday celebration, where he was the man in charge of the Spit braai. We struck up a lovely conversation about various topics. He's got such a lot of potential! We exchanged contact details and a few days later, he contacted me with this question. I gave it some thought and replied with what follows. Perhaps it can mean something to someone else as well...

Blessing. Now that is a good question!... for most people, no matter their skin color, it starts with a good basic education. You need to be able to read a lot, to write, and to properly articulate yourself and to speak well. Good communication is key!

I was privileged enough to get a tertiary education, in my case, an engineering degree. I did not have parents who could pay for my studies, and so I borrowed the money... I had to pay it all back during my first few years of working.

With this being said, many people succeed without a tertiary education... it helps, but is not necessarily needed...

Other important ingredients of success, a number of them, years ago, shared with me by my mentor, Louis Fourie, and since validated by me are: ambition... you really need to want it!... persistence and discipline... consistent effort and hard work over an extended period of time... patience... it takes a long time to climb a mountain and every step along the way is important... skill... you need to become really good at something... e.g. "I want to become the best spit braai chef in the world!"... focus... do not compromise on your priorities... sacrifice... sometimes you will have to sacrifice short term enjoyment for long term gain... plain decency... be friendly with everyone you interact with... good manners matter always... say “please” and “thank you” to start with.

Do stuff that truly energize you and become extremely good at it... learn from your failures... there will be quite a few of those along the way. Make good mistakes... serve others... have a serving mindset in everything you do... get a mentor who can guide you with wisdom... have goals but also put systems in place to help you achieve those goals…(ex: I could have a goal to run a marathon but without a proper training plan, I will not make it.)

The above are just a few quick thoughts that came to mind as I pondered your question... in my case I also prayed a lot about career decisions... without God by my side during the challenging times and the good times, it is all for nothing... to Him belongs all the glory... when I realised that I should do all things, including my job, for God’s glory and not for my own recognition, things really took a turn for the better in my career.

Remember, having Jesus as your Savior does not mean that you will have wealth, health, and prosperity... that is a false gospel! But He did promise that He will always be with us! Remember Proverbs 3:6... "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Kind regards

Stéphan