Fola Daniel Adelesi: Fake It Till You Make It? Not Quite!

Over the years I have heard some people say that you have to fake it until you make it. Now I am beginning to ponder on the validity and the benefit, if any, of that statement. When they say you have to fake it till you make it, they are asking you to create an impression of what you want to become even when you have not gotten it. Is there really a problem with this?

While one school of thought may have led to this statement in asking people to be positive, as I also suggest, the intention has never been to ask people to fake it till they make it. When we (mostly inspirational speakers or other professional speakers) ask you to be positive and say what you want to see in your life, we are asking you to bring to reality, with your confessions, the things that you will like to see in your life. We have seen this work over the years and it does not in any way ask people to fake what they are not.

With the concept of fake it till you make it, people have gone overboard. So many people have bought the cars they actually cannot afford, and the cars have gone on to become the devourer in their finances. What do I even mean when I say they bought cars they could not afford? I am talking about cars financed on loans. It makes you look good to others. You feel big and some are even envious but at the end of the day, that luxury is badly hitting several other things that should be your priorities. You will be amazed at how many people who have gone for the luxuries of life at the expense of taking care of their families or paying the tuition fees of their children. Of all the things that you are permitted to do in life, you should never try living large at the expense of your own future – your family, children’s education and what to eat in the days to come.

In the days of compelling or irresistible social media networks and the devices to keep you glued to them, some have been trapped or they willing walked into the trap of buying expensive devices. I like those devices. They are lovely. Some of them make your work easier. I say some of them, because there are cheaper alternatives. I like to have gadgets but I also think! There are so many employees who have no other sources of income, yet the devices in their hands can register a new limited liability company and as well fund several start up businesses.

Should I delve into details of people who are tenants yet they drive more than two cars? Live in some of the most expensive facilities you can imagine, yet they have no plot of land or have no payment scheme they are involved in for buying a home. I think that at some point I was deceived by some of these people and was wondering how some of them could have made it so fast. Now the truth is obvious. It was a case of fake it till you make it.

For some others, it is the business they are running. The lavish life style is camouflaged under the guise of being a CEO. They do not own a car but they can spend several thousands on hiring cars, renting orderlies, paying drivers when they can drive and also know the route among many other things. These things in themselves may not be wrong but when done before you are in the real position, they can eat you up and you just may not get into that position. Have you forgotten that men are in sizes and life is in phases?

I remember it was Warren Buffet who was quoted to have said ‘if you buy what you don’t need, you will soon start selling the things that you need.’ I think that holds true when you remember the fact that those things, you bought even though you did not need them, have lost value. Then you will need cash and must sell the things that have value; that pushes you to sell the things that you need.

I think you should have a plan! It is important to have your life properly figured out ,rather trying to make it look like an adventure. There is something about paying your dues in life. When you have paid your dues, you can then seat back, relax and enjoy. It can’t be to seat back, relax and enjoy before paying the dues!

Think again! Should you fake it till you make it?

Photo Credit: footage.shutterstock.com
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Fola Daniel Adelesi is a professional public speaker who also trains other speakers, an author, business consultant and highly skilled master of ceremony with excellent poise and diction. He was on the Debaters TV reality show season 1, presented ‘You Can’ on Radio Continental in 2011, did motivational segments on Galaxy TV from Dec 2008 to August 2009 and has authored 3 books including Writing Business Proposals.