“I think all my bags are in there,” I said to Bernard who was loading the suitcases on to the van, as my pals and I got into the van heading to a Safari.  What I didn’t know at that point was that I was about to embark on one of the most memorable four-hour drives I had ever had.  Not only had I taken the front seat of the van which provided me with a good view of the scenery, but I also got to be entertained by Bernard’s stories all the way, as he spoke fondly about his life, and how he ended up being a tour guide.  A job he loves very much.

During the drive, Bernard told me how he had moved to the city after completing high school in the rural area.  Luckily for him, his uncle was willing to provide him with accommodation, and even got him a job as a car wash attendant.  The car wash was run by a tour firm.

“As soon as I got the job I knew in my heart that one day I would be a tour guide,” Bernard said to me, as he waved his hand from side-to-side as if his mind had gone back to time.  “So, diligently I did my job and would occasionally chat with the tour guides who had brought the vans to be cleaned”

Within a short time, Bernard had learned so much about some of the best tourist destinations in the country—even though he had never physically been to these places—the wild animals, culture of the natives, indigenous plants, main tourist attractions, and even how to interact with tourists and even how to interact with tourists and greet them in their language, depending with which country there were from..

After sometime, Bernard saved some money and got myself a driving license, then he started asking the tour guides whom he had befriended, to help him secure a tour guide job.  But the job was not forthcoming.  In the meantime, he continued to show up at the car wash every morning—and cleaned one van after the other while chatting with the tour guides—and going home in the evening.  Until one day, the boss of the tour firm happened to stop by the car wash, because he needed to pick one of the special vans that had just been cleaned.  And Bernard knew he had to make a move and talk to him.  Things must have gone very well, because he ended up securing an interview, and eventually, a job.

According to Bernard, success only comes when you harmonize your thoughts with your actions.  To do this, you need to place yourself in a winning position by:

• Preparing yourself. Even though it took him more than three years to secure his dream job—the wait was worth it—because it was during this time that he was able to get a driving license, and learn as much as he needed, to be able to pass the job interview.  This goes to show that it is indeed true that formal education will make you a living—but self education will make you a fortune.
• Being confident. Know exactly what you want to attain, and trust that if others have done it before, so can you.  Bernard did not sit and wait for luck, he created his own luck by approaching the right people to learn about the area he wanted to venture into.  He also gathered courage and approached the one person who had the ability to offer him a job.  Although he did not have any prior work experience, the knowledge he had acquired about the tourist sector was sufficient to get him employment at the entry level.  If you want something you have never had—you have to be confident and courageous to do something you have never done.
• Aligning yourself with people who support you (your dreams). Bernard chose to move in with this particular uncle, because he knew that he would be assisted with a place to stay, and lucky for him, he was even helped to get a job.  It is very important to surround yourself with people who believe in you, as much as you believe in yourself.  When you hang around people who treat you like they do not care—do yourself an urgent favor and believe them.  Otherwise, their negative energy will kill your passion—yet it is passion that takes you from where you are, to where you want to be.

In life, opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, and this is why many people fail to recognize them.  365 is the number of opportunities in a year that you have to succeed.  Take action today.