Online Reporter
Tawanda Chenana-Correspondent
We, in the village, believe in the ethos of hard work.
No one spends their day lounging; we are in the fields and gardens, involved in one chore or another.
We fully understand and know that wealth is not an accident. It does not strike like lightning, unbidden and unpredictable. It does not come from the spin of a roulette wheel, a card’s turn, or the dice roll.
Real wealth, the kind that endures, is built deliberately. It is the product of effort, discipline and purpose, laid down piece by piece, like bricks in a wall.
Yet, for many young people today, the allure of gambling has become difficult to resist. It promises instant gratification, the dream of a life transformed in a single moment of luck. It whispers lies that fortune can be summoned without effort, that shortcuts can replace the long, steady road of hard work. But the truth is far less glamorous: gambling is an illusion. It tempts with fleeting hope but delivers lasting emptiness.
It is not a gateway to wealth; it is a trap that ensnares ambition and erodes the foundation of a meaningful life.
We must turn our attention away from this mirage and focus on the enduring truth that wealth is built over time, through patience and unwavering determination. It is not chance but choice that creates prosperity.
Gambling may glitter with promises, but it offers nothing of substance. Real wealth demands effort. It requires investing in oneself, making disciplined decisions and aligning actions with a higher purpose.
The hard truth is that there are no shortcuts to success. Hard work is the engine that drives progress. It builds not just financial stability but also character, confidence and the ability to overcome adversity. It is the tool that shapes raw potential into enduring achievement.
Without it, the dream of wealth remains just that — a dream.
What gambling offers is the opposite of hard work. It feeds on a mindset that prizes luck over labour and fleeting rewards over lasting gains.
It encourages dependence on forces outside your control while undermining the values that lead to true success. Those who fall into its trap risk not only their resources but their potential.
Time spent gambling is time lost, time that could have been used to learn, grow, and build something of real value.
One of the most critical lessons young people must learn is the power of discipline and delayed gratification. To delay gratification is to resist the urge for immediate pleasure in favour of greater rewards in the future. It means choosing to save rather than spend, to invest rather than squander. It is the practice of planting seeds today so that they may grow into a harvest tomorrow. Gambling, however, offers the opposite. It plays on the desire for instant results, promising quick wins but delivering long-term losses.
It is important to align one’s actions with a clear sense of purpose. True wealth is not merely financial but a reflection of a life lived meaningfully. Wealth, in this sense, is about creating value — not only for oneself but for others. It is about living in a way that leaves a legacy, that makes the world richer not just in material terms but in terms of ideas, relationships and contributions. Gambling, by contrast, adds nothing to the world. It is a hollow pursuit that drains resources and diminishes lives.
Building wealth requires a long-term perspective. It is a process of consistent effort, guided by clear goals and strong principles. It begins with investing in yourself. Your skills, knowledge and abilities are your greatest assets and the more you nurture them, the more opportunities you will have to create wealth.
Education, whether formal or informal, is the cornerstone of this process. Every skill you learn, every piece of knowledge you acquire, becomes a tool you can use to build a better future.
Wealth also requires clear vision. You cannot build what you cannot imagine.
What kind of life do you want to create? What do you want to achieve? These are questions that demand answers. Once you have those answers, you must translate them into actionable steps. A vision without a plan is a dream; a vision with a plan is a blueprint for success.
Another essential component of wealth is the ability to save and invest. This is not a glamorous process, but it is a powerful one.
Saving requires discipline, the willingness to set aside immediate desires for the sake of future security. Investing amplifies this effort, allowing your money to grow over time through the principle of compound interest.
Every dollar you save and invest becomes a building block in the structure of your financial future.
Creating wealth also means creating value. The most successful people are those who solve problems, meet needs, and contribute meaningfully to the world.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, an artist, or a scientist, your wealth will be a reflection of the value you bring to others.
Gambling, by contrast, creates nothing. It is an extractive process, one that takes more than it gives.
The people you surround yourself with also play a crucial role in your journey to wealth. Your environment shapes your mindset and influences your decisions.
Surround yourself with those who inspire you, challenge you, and support your goals. Avoid those who encourage recklessness or who pull you towards destructive behaviours like gambling.
Failures, too, are part of the process. No journey is without setbacks, but each failure carries a lesson. To build wealth, you must learn to adapt, to pivot and to grow. One must be willing to change course when things do not go as planned.
This flexibility is not a weakness but a strength. Ultimately, the true meaning of wealth extends far beyond money. Real wealth is about freedom — the freedom to live a life that aligns with your values and passions.
It is about security, the ability to care for your loved ones and weather life’s uncertainties. And it is about impact, the power to make a difference in the world.
Gambling offers none of this. It is a distraction, a detour that leads nowhere. But hard work, discipline, and purpose offer everything. They are the foundation upon which a life of true wealth is built.
To the young who stand at the beginning of their journey, eager to carve their path and make their mark, remember this: wealth is not a lottery. It is not a game of chance but a process of creation.
It is the result of countless small decisions made consistently over time. It is built brick by brick, with patience and care.
Turn away from the empty promises of gambling and embrace the enduring rewards of effort and intention. Invest in yourself, save and invest your resources, create value, and live with purpose. Build your wealth, brick by brick, and in doing so, create a life that is truly rich — not just in material terms but in meaning, fulfilment and legacy.— The Patriot
Businessman Tawanda Chenana is also a philanthropist and member of ZANU PF
