Tim Abel

The Journey I Thought Was Delaying Me Was Actually Preparing Me

In the early 90’s, I told my father I wanted to visit my elder brothers.
They were involved in the Palm Kernel and Cocoa business, and I had just finished secondary school.

At the time, I had only one major ambition:

Just Travel Out of My Parents’ Presence To Enjoy A New Leave of Life.

In my mind, I was already seeing myself living a normal life totally different from the hustles and bustles especially around my parents😂

Then one morning, my father called me.
“Tim, I want you to finish clearing the grass on the farm we just cultivated.”
I thought I didn't hear him properly.
Farm?
Me?
At this point?

But then, let me remind you of something about African fathers.
With your mother, you could sometimes do small stubborn-head and negotiate your way out.
But African fathers?
Naaaaaa!

When they have made up their mind, your opinion has already been archived. 😂
So, Papa kept me on that farm for almost three weeks.
But I wasn't completely helpless.

I quickly mobilized my nephews, Abraham and Late Asem.
We attacked that farm like we had a deadline from heaven.
Before long, we finished the clearing.
I was excited.
I thought:
“Finally! Freedom!”

I went home, ready to inform Papa that I had completed my assignment and would now be leaving to visit my brothers.
But before I could even start the conversation...

Papa looked at me and said he had just been given another piece of land somewhere else and wanted me to cultivate groundnuts and maize there.
Hian!
Another farm?
I didn't argue.
What was the point?
I simply turned around and went back to work.
This one took almost a month.

Again, Abraham and I worked like men who had received a contract worth millions. 😂
We finished.
I thought:
“Surely, this must be the end.”
It wasn't.

One evening, Papa called me into his room.
He told me his in-law; my mother's elder sister, needed our help on her farm.
I almost cried.
Honestly.
I looked at him like:
“Papa, is this NYSC or something?” 😂

But I knew better than to ask.
We packed up and headed to the village.
And this one was different.
No electricity.
No comfort.
Life was rough.
But we did the work.
Eventually, we were released and returned home.
When we arrived, my parents were so happy with us.
They thanked us.

Then they prepared a sumptuous meal.
Ah!
That food tasted different.
Because I thought I had finally completed my prison sentence.
I ate.
I relaxed.
I was happy.
I was already calculating how soon I would travel.
Then...
Papa came again.

He said the grass had grown again and that we needed to do one final clearing.
One final?
At that point, I had stopped believing the phrase “one final.”
But what could I do?
Abraham and I went back again.
We cleared the farm.
And finally, Papa told me:

“I have given you my blessings. You can now travel.”
I nearly shouted, Hallelujah!
Then he added:
“But you cannot travel on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. You must wait until Tuesday.”
I froze.
Hian!
Where did this one come from?

And guess what?
It was already Tuesday!
So, I had to wait for another whole week before finally making that journey.
Looking back today, I laugh about the experience.
But as I grew older, I began to understand something I didn't understand as a young man.

Papa wasn't trying to punish me.
He was preparing me.
Those farms were teaching me discipline.
They were teaching me patience.
They were teaching me responsibility.
They were teaching me that life doesn't always give you what you want simply because you are ready for it.

And most importantly, they were teaching me the dignity of hard work.
Today, I realize those experiences helped build the man I’ve eventually become and still becoming.

And for that, I am deeply grateful to my parents.

Three lessons I want you to take from my story:

1. Don't despise seasons that seem to delay you.
Sometimes, what you call a delay is actually preparation for the future you are praying for.

2. Learn to work even when nobody is watching.
Discipline built in small responsibilities eventually becomes the strength required for bigger opportunities.

3. Appreciate the lessons your parents and life are teaching you.
You may not understand them today, but some of the things that frustrate you now may become the very things you will be grateful for tomorrow.

I thought Papa was keeping me from my future.
Today, I realize...
He was preparing me for it.
And I will forever be grateful.

Tim Abel

Should You Quit Your Job Before Starting a Business?

No… don't quit your job because you're tired.

Quit because you've prepared.

Of course, I have that experience but let me talk about the experience of a young man I met.

This young man resigned from a well-paying job because he believed passion alone would pay the bills.

Six months later, passion was still alive… but rent was due, school fees were waiting, and pressure had become his new landlord.

Here's the truth many people don't like to hear:

A salary may look small, but it can become the fuel that finances your future business.

Use your job to learn.
Use it to build relationships.
Use it to save money.
Use it to understand customers.

Then, build your business on the side until it becomes strong enough to stand on its own.

Don't jump from certainty into uncertainty without a bridge.

As Warren Buffett said, "Never test the depth of a river with both feet."
Business is not a race; it's a strategy.

If your business is already generating consistent income, your systems are working, and you've planned for the transition, then leaving your job may be the next logical step.

But if you're resigning because your boss annoyed you this morning… my brother, my sister… calm down first.

Emotions have buried more dreams than lack of capital.

So let me ask you: If you resigned today, would you be running toward an opportunity… or simply running away from a problem?

From Inspection to Investment: Seeing the Future on Ground

We were at the Hills Garden City and FRSC Staff Cooperative Villa Estate sites for inspection with some friends, and every visit reminds me why I believe real estate is about more than buying land.

It is about seeing what others may not yet see.

We walked the sites, assessed the surroundings, looked at the ongoing development, and discussed the possibilities ahead.

For me, taking people to the site is important because I want them to see, ask questions, verify, and make informed decisions.

If you are considering owning property, don't just imagine it—come and see it for yourself.

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Failure Is Not Tragic, Staying Unskilled Is

Failure is not the end of your journey; sometimes, it is simply a lesson pointing you toward a better way.

What should concern you is failing and refusing to learn, improve, or acquire the skills needed to succeed.

A lot of successful entrepreneurs you see and admire today have failed in business, lost money, made wrong decisions, and had to start again.

But every failure taught them something valuable.

The world is changing rapidly, and opportunities increasingly go to people who can solve problems.

So, if you fail, don't stay down.

Study. Learn. Improve. Develop yourself.

You may fail today, but if you keep learning, you are preparing yourself to win tomorrow.

“Your Mind Is Your First Business

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

I think that is one of the most powerful truths anyone can learn about life.

Because before you build a business, you must first build the mind that can carry the business.

Let me take you back to when I was a child.

There was a time when going to school was not something I could take for granted.
Money was not always available.

I recall taking the task of grinding it even harder with a carton and paper bag making industry at Ikeja, Lagos.

Every time I stepped out to go and buy Mama Put because I couldn’t afford the meals in at the canteen, I would pause and watch bankers in their neat dresses being conveyed by staff buses.

And like play, I would grin with smiles…

I looked at them as people I heaven.

I guess I had just finished secondary, and had tried several odd jobs including, laoding and offloading, Cocoa/PalmKernel sourcing, teaching in schools and extra-mural classes etc before I eventually moved to Lagos for the Carton and Paper Bag manufacturing company’s job.

I knew the only way I could look like those guys one day would be furthering my education.

There were moments when the financial reality around me could have easily convinced me that education was simply not meant for someone like me.

But somehow, I kept going.
I didn't have everything I needed.

I didn't have the comfort of knowing exactly where the next school expense would come from.

But I had something I consider more important.

I had a mind that refused to accept defeat as my permanent address.
I knew I wanted an education.
I knew I wanted a better life.

And somewhere inside me, I believed that my circumstances were a chapter, not the entire book.

That mindset followed me.

Eventually, I found myself in the University and got into banking.

For many people, getting a banking job would have been the final destination.

After all…… It’s a Good job. Excellent Salary, Magnificent Office and attracts humongous Respect.

But something inside me kept asking another question:

“Is this all you are capable of?”

Eventually, after years in banking, I made the difficult decision to resign and start my own business.

And let me tell you something...

Leaving a salary to enter entrepreneurship is not one of those decisions you make because everything is perfect.

It is often the opposite.

You are stepping away from certainty and walking into uncertainty.
And when I eventually entered business, I discovered something very quickly:
Having an idea is one thing. Having the mind to survive the journey is another.

There were failures.
There were financial setbacks.

There were moments when I had to question decisions I had made.

There were days when things didn't look anything like the dream I had imagined.
But the same mindset that helped me keep pursuing education when money was scarce became the mindset, I needed to keep building when business became difficult.

And that is the lesson I want you to take away today.
Your first business is not the one you are planning to start.
Your first business is your mind.
If your mind is constantly telling you:
“I can't.”
“There is no money.”
“Nobody will help me.”
“The economy is too bad.”
“I have failed before.”
Then even when opportunity stands in front of you, you may not recognize it.
But when you train your mind to ask:
“What can I do with what I have?”
Everything begins to change.
You may not have money today.
But perhaps you have time.
You may not own a company.
But perhaps you can help someone who does.
You may not have the product.
But perhaps you can learn how to market and sell somebody else's product.
You may not know everything.
But you can learn.
And sometimes, that is where your journey begins.
The Bible says in Romans 12:2:
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Notice something.
It doesn't say your circumstances must change first.
It says your mind must be renewed.
Because sometimes the first breakthrough you need is not money.
It is a different way of thinking.
So, if you are currently struggling financially, starting over, unemployed, running a small business, or wondering whether your dreams are still possible...
Don't underestimate the most important asset you already possess.
Your mind.
Feed it with knowledge.
Expose it to better ideas.
Surround yourself with people who think about solutions.
And most importantly, take action on what you learn.
Because a powerful mind without action is still just potential.
Your One Important Step
Change the question you ask yourself.
Stop asking:
“Why don't I have money?”
Start asking:
“What do I have right now that I can use to create value?”
That one question can change the direction of your life.
Because before you build your first business...
Build the mind that can build it.

I am Tim Abel