Winning in the game called life is a challenging task. Almost everyone tries, yet few succeed. The wise say that the master has failed more times than the apprentice has tried. This proves to be true in the case of successful people. Every day we hear stories about how people like Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates built their empires from their garages. However, what they fail to mention are the rejections they faced.
The persistence and determination that successful people show seem otherworldly, their dedication to their craft and the ingenuity they bring with them almost feel hereditary, but, as we got to know, this is far from the case.
In an attempt to understand the ‘success mindset,’ we sat down with Ali Buhindi, an entrepreneur by passion and diplomat by profession, to finally get to the bottom of the age-old question: does success make the man?
Our first question was perhaps the most anticipated one: how do you do it? To which he replied, “It’s not something that can be explained in words. Personally speaking, I do what I do because I don’t know what else to do. I was born and raised in Qatar and moved to the States when I was 26. I struggled a lot in the initial days, and then I got a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which helped me grow.” He further added, “I worked there for 9 years before starting my own business. I was a diplomat, so my job revolved around dealing with influential people – people who had made it in life. I learned a lot from them, which eventually helped me find my own success.”
When asked about his mantra for success, the Qatari said, “I believe that nothing is impossible in this world. Everyone has the ability to do as they please; they just have to be smart about their decisions and identify opportunities whenever and wherever possible. I also see a lot of people stop trying when they fail, but the quitting mindset has never helped anyone. So my secret to success is not giving up. If I fail once, then so be it; I will try again. If I fail a second time, I try again. I don’t care how many times it takes for me to win; I keep trying.”
As the topic of mindset came up, we asked Ali whether mindset was more important than skills and talent, “A lot of people think that only geniuses and super smart people can achieve everything they’ve ever wanted, but that’s not the case. I keep telling people that having the right mindset is 80% of the battle; the other 20% is consistency. Life requires patience, and everyone can achieve their goals through knowledge and a strong will.”
Ali further elaborated, “Personally, I find that having a doer mentality is one of the first steps to achieving your dreams. If you don’t believe in yourself, then don’t expect others to. I also faced a lot of doubt during my formative years, but deep down, I always knew that I was meant for something greater. So I never gave up, and my determination proved fruitful in the end.”
The path to success is a steep one where there is struggle, doubt, and even a bit of grief, but it’s a path worth taking. On a parting note, Ali Buhindi encouraged the younger generation to follow their passion, “A lot of youngsters are confused nowadays, they don’t know what to do with their lives. I just want to tell them that you have time on your side. Find your passion, find something you’re crazy about, and make it your profession. If your do this one simple thing, nothing on the face of this earth, can stop you from achieving greatness.”
