THE CHASE - WHAT SCHOOL MADE ME TO CHASE....: A Developing Insight and Memoir of An African Child.

By Andrew Young

What schools failed to teach you:
How to sell
How to think
How to love
How to negotiate
How to discover your purpose and passion.
How to manage time
How to invest money
How to embrace failures
How to read financial statement
How to be an effective communicator

This book will illuminate your mind from been a prey and start chasing your dreams.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716950360

Andrew Young

Andrew Young is the author of The Politician, his insider account of John Edwards’ pursuit of the presidency. After earning a bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree at the Wake Forest University School of Law, Young was a volunteer for John Edwards’ winning campaign for U.S. Senate. Hired in 1999, Young became Edwards’ longest serving and most trusted aide. He raised more than $10 million for the politician’s various causes and played a key role in Edwards’ efforts to become President of the United States. Now a private citizen, he lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Cheri and their three children.

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CONTENTS

Dedication

    Introduction

Chapter1 Prey To Purpose

Chapter2 Creative Thinking

Chapter 3 ` Time

Chapter 4 Business Not Busyness

Chapter 5 Why I Must Fail!

Chapter 6      Success Isn’t A Destination

Chapter 7      This Thing Call Money!

Chapter 8      Influence And Affluence

Chapter 9      What Are You Waiting For?

Chapter10    The Story That’s Sold.

DEDICATION

        To You

INTRODUCTION

Why Can’t I Ask Why!

My friend invited me to his house to play video game and since I don’t know what a video game looks like, I told him to bring it to school. Don’t be a fool the game can only be played with a television, he said. My parents had warned us not to go to anyone’s house but here I am in the valley of decision; follow the instructions of my parents?  Or explore the amazing game my friend had been describing.

After several weeks of resisting his temptation, I finally yielded to disobey my parents’ instructions. We got to his house and I was astonished by what I saw not because of the game but the house was totally different from what my parents could ever afford at that time.

My parents were civil servants, or better said my father was a pilot driver and my mother was a cleaner. All my friends knew the kind of home I came from and the nature of the work my parents does and have always been proud about what they do and never timid to say it anywhere. We were neither poor nor rich and honestly still can’t say the class we belong to in the society.

      My Mom kept hustling and I had the responsibility of taking the petty trade to Kogi radio station before going to school and return back at the selling post after school. One fateful day I got to my friend’s house something changed in me and as a child I could not figure out what it was. The arrangement of the house, the set of chairs, the shelf and the type of television set, to the satellite etc.        I wondered why my parents can’t provide such and such for us!

I really had nice time at his place because it was at my friend’s house I got to watch CNN news for the first time, saw the first video game (sega) and many beautiful adventures. I usually go to my Mom’s office—government house Lokoja and the same rug at the governor’s office is what I saw in my friend’s living room. My previous knowledge about life was that before one can enjoy the basic amenities of life, you need to be the governor or work in the government house.

My friend’s Mom came home and met me playing games with her son; she was really beautiful in appearance and character. Spending the whole afternoon in his house I decided to return home, I could not delete from my memory the atmosphere of where I was coming from and my joy overflowed but as my feet get closer to my house, remembered my parents apartment, a single room with four other siblings and my parents……. You don’t need to say it; the room accommodates both living souls and their materials.

The family sat for meal at night and I keep looking around our apartment, the black and white 14inces Panasonic TV which had to suffer heavy slap before proper view, a small black radio, a big bed and nothing more. As long as I was living in the atmosphere I parents created I was limited to their vision and resources, their atmosphere blinded my eyes to the endless possibilities and opportunities in the world because the same people who raised me innocently blinded my insight. Everyone was enjoying the meal and I could not hold back the burning question in my mind since I left my friend’s house.

Sir, why are we so poor? The joyous atmosphere suddenly fades away as if the angel of death had arrived. Everyone looked at me and softly turned to my father who held his spoon for some seconds and continued with his food. Why are we living in a single room? Everyone at the meal table somehow dropped their spoons and looked towards my father, he placed his hands on my shoulder and said, may be you are the solutions to my poverty, go to school and do your best to finish top of the class, get a better job and get us out of this room.

MY PARENTS ENTRUSTED ME TO THE WRONG PERSON

Training is important in life (see proverbs 22 vs. 6). No one become successful without undergoing series of training which will prepare and equip one for the greatness that we desire. Anyone who failed to enroll into proper training has just signed up for mediocrity in life. As significant as training is, it is most important to know the source of the training and the procedures employed by the trainer.

Our parents were the first trainer we grew up to know and trust. The trust was not an act of fear but in good relationship that is established from great intimacy. To answer my questions my Dad sent me to school because he believes school will sharpen me to become better and richer in life. School is truly good and necessary but it failed to do one thing, it (school) didn’t take time to know me or inquire my line of passion, he just taught me what it feel is useful for me.

The school atmosphere was totally different from the one where I always pass the night. But all my questions, none of the atmospheres were able to provide a hint to it. My parents followed the same instructions their parents gave them and the same was passed to me without taken into cognizance its relevance to my generation. My teachers at school were also parents but their earnings was not sufficient to make them rich either, my curiosity kept me wondering why are my teachers not wealthy since they knew so much and they are the same set of people my parents trusted me with. My teachers were good people who did their best to help me get to this point today but most of the things they taught me were like parasites to my life because none of it that I living with.

There are so many things school cannot teach me, not because they are illiterate about it but they simply don’t understand it. The truth is anyone can describe a thing but only the few that practice it will be able to impact you with the knowledge in an understandable way which will inspire you to do the same. In the atmosphere of my parents, more degrees amount to riches but with the degrees of my teachers, they are still struggling to live from hands to mouth.

Schools are good in descriptions. My business study teacher didn’t own a business; my agricultural teacher didn’t have a farm, my physical education teacher is fat that she needed to do more exercise she was teaching me, they know it but they don’t practice it. The following are what school failed to teach me:

How to sell.

How to think.

How to negotiate.

How to love.

How to manage time.

How to invest money.

How to discover my purpose and passion.

How to be influential.

How to embrace failures.

How to start a business.

How to be an effective communicator.

How to read a financial statement.

            My brother Kehinde Adekunle told me about his economics teacher who said houses and cars are an asset. Thank God he had read the book written by Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad), his understanding became better in the area of asset and liability. My teachers were not expert in the things they taught me and they only describe the events to me without having the required knowledge of its process.

                            THE REAL WORLD

The most painful thing is to realize that most things you are taught aren’t working in the real world. Following the instruction of my parents in trusting school’s degree to become wealthy is the dumbest thing in life, although education is important as it helps to do things in more civilized manner, but it sucks like hell. But thank God I did at least I wouldn’t do the same to my kids, they will go to school but only give 30% to their academic and 70% to their skills. In the jungle of life, there are two kinds of people in existence,