How much do you believe in luck?

How much do you believe in luck?

I came across a story about a young boy who dreamed of owning a motorcycle. A couple of days ago, I traveled to the countryside of Farahalagna. I was on a mission to conduct a research project on reforestation, and I needed to visit several places within six days. The only available mode of transportation was the taxi moto, which is very common in the SAVA region and almost everywhere in Madagascar.

When I arrived at the taxi moto station, I was greeted by several young men trying to offer their services. But I took a moment to choose the vehicle I thought was best and bargained the fare. Then, a young man, around 19 years old, approached me with a brand-new bike. He offered a lower price because he was ready to leave immediately, even though someone else had already booked his service. Unlike the other taxi moto drivers, who wanted to wait until at least two people were ready to go, he was eager to leave.

His friends and fellow taxi riders made fun of him, laughing at him the whole time. Clients weren’t interested in booking him because they thought his bike looked too ugly. But despite the teasing, he carefully avoided potholes and muddy roads as he rode. I didn’t wait long to ask him why he wasn’t riding a bit faster. Then, he told me the story of how he had acquired his bike and shared much of his journey with me.

He said he had been driving a taxi moto for almost five years. His previous bike was in terrible condition, and he struggled to make enough money to cover the daily rent because he spent so much time fixing it. Many times, he was stranded in the middle of the road, and his bike would break down. Sometimes, clients had to switch vehicles because it took too long to repair. He even admitted to crying twice because of his bike. On some days, he had to push it for several kilometers to the nearest village.

Two weeks ago, he stopped working, and his sister asked him why. He explained that his bike had broken again. She felt sorry for him and told him to follow her that very day to Sambava to buy him a new bike. He couldn’t hold back his tears of happiness. They went to Sambava that same day, returned with a brand-new bike, and his life changed.

All his friends started calling him the luckiest man in all of Farahalagna, if not the entire SAVA region. But do you believe in luck?

When people called him the luckiest man, I thought about the last part of his story. How can someone be called lucky when they’ve mastered the theory of desire and focused on acquiring what they truly want in life? Burning desire is the foundation of all achievements. You need to define what you want, visualize it, and believe it can happen. You have to embrace the power of your subconscious mind to succeed.

To call him lucky feels like an insult to his success because, as he told me, he had been thinking about getting a new bike day and night. He even dreamed of owning one. He credited his success to his burning desire, as he called it. While he’s not a very religious person, he said he prayed every day, especially when his old bike broke down.

Hearing this young man’s story made me feel both happy and privileged. He had struggled with an ugly, broken-down bike, but now he was riding a brand-new one. He is a true example of the power of burning desire. When I read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, one of the key principles of success was burning desire and clear, focused thinking. Now, I’ve witnessed this principle in action firsthand.

It is truly possible to think and grow rich in life. You might not hear the story of this young man like I did, but I hope this blog inspires you to embrace the power of burning desire and start thinking and growing rich in your own life.