The Book That Didn’t Make Sense… Until It Did

There’s a kind of lesson that doesn’t land the first time.

Not because it’s wrong.

But because you’re not ready yet.

One of the books that shaped my entire money philosophy, way back in 2016, though I didn’t know it at the time, was The Richest Man in Babylon.

I read it early in my career. I was hungry. Eager to make something of myself. Searching for wisdom anywhere I could find it. So when someone recommended the book, I grabbed it without hesitation.

But here’s the truth:

I didn’t understand most of it.

Not fully. Not deeply.

The principles felt abstract. The language felt old. The parables? Too far from my reality at the time.

But I held onto it anyway. Because something in me knew—it wasn’t nonsense. It just wasn’t my season yet.

I sha just know say there was something about that book.

Fast forward a few years.

Life had changed. I had started making money. I had seen wins and losses. I had touched success—and tasted the cost. And just last week, I picked up that same book again.

This time, it was like reading a different book altogether.

Every word made sense.

Every principle had a story behind it.

Every parable mirrored a mistake I had made—or a path I had walked.

That’s when I realized:

It wasn’t the book that had changed.

I had (omo! i‘m a grown man now).

We live in a fast-food world. Everyone wants quick hacks. Quick lessons. Instant understanding.

But growth doesn’t always come with speed.
Some truths require depth before they can be useful.
Some lessons only unlock after you’ve lived a little.
Sometimes you’ll read a book at 23, and it won’t mean much.

But read it again at 30, and it’ll break you open.

That’s why I believe in revisiting books.

In rereading what once confused you. If you come to my office, I have books stacked up and scattered everywhere.

Because buried in those pages could be the exact breakthrough your current self needs.

Let me tell you why this story matters.

As humans, we’re all chasing something.
And whether you call it success, soft life, or purpose—what we’re really chasing is FREEDOM.

For many people, freedom looks like money in the bank. Enough to travel, spoil your family, pay the bills, and not flinch when the POS says “declined.”

For others, freedom is flexibility.
The power to choose.
To decide where you work, how you live, who you report to (if anyone), and how your day flows.

For some, it’s legacy.
They want to build something that outlives them. That serves generations.

But no matter how you define freedom, one thing is constant:

Money is part of the equation

Not because money is everything.
But because money gives options.
And options are where freedom lives.

That verse from the Bible hits different when you’ve been broke.

When you’ve had dreams you couldn’t fund.
Ideas you couldn’t start.
Opportunities you had to let go of because your bank account didn’t agree.

Money is not the goal.
Value is.
But money is the tool that helps you execute on your value.

And that’s where The Richest Man in Babylon made the difference for me. It taught me that:

• Discipline with money matters.
• Saving isn’t outdated—it’s strategic.
• Investing is how you multiply your effort.
• Giving is part of the wealth journey too.

None of those ideas hit me the first time I read them.

But life matured me into understanding. I now know better.

So here’s what I want you to remember:

Some books won’t make sense until your mindset expands.
Some principles won’t apply until your reality catches up.
And some wisdom won’t land until pain, experience, and humility soften your heart enough to receive it.

But don’t stop reading (how the habit of reading transformed me).
Don’t stop growing.
Don’t stop collecting seeds—because one day, they will bloom.

• Revisit that book.
• Rethink that lesson.
• Relearn that principle.

Because the version of you who didn’t get it back then… May be the exact person who needs it now.

Thank you for reading.

—Destiny