Published on 11, Oct 2022

Why Self-Love Is Vital for Entrepreneurs to Be Productive: Minister Yahdan Yada

In the world’s eyes, Minister of health Yahdan Yada, Founder of The World’s Greatest Rejuvenation and Yadalo Group SA, is a bit of a contradiction. On the one hand, he is highly ambitious: he is on a mission to provide thousands of jobs by transforming the African continent’s beleaguered transportation system and to open a luxury wellness resort in the mountains of Ecuador. On the other hand, however, he is a passionate believer in self-love and in taking care of the mind and body. In short, Minister Yada believes in slowing down everyday even as he presses ahead with world-changing projects. He cheerfully acknowledges the paradox but insists that not only is checking in with himself vital for his health, it is, in the end, what drives his productivity.

“I could never have come as far as I have if I hadn’t prioritized taking care of my mind, body, and spirit,” says Minister Yada. “I have learned, perhaps the hard way, that success comes only when your thoughts are aligned with your goals, and that includes how you see yourself. You can have the heart of a world leader or a CEO, but you will not reach your full potential if your thoughts are holding you back.”

He explains that because he grew up fatherless, neglected, and abused, he reached adulthood with a mind consumed by negativity. Convinced that he was worthless, he underperformed, and he drifted between jobs, unable to live into his ambitions.

“Eventually, I discovered self-love, which was the key to transforming my mind and filling it with positivity,” Yada explains. “Once I chose to believe that I was not, in fact, worthless, my self-esteem increased, and I had more confidence and energy to live into my real self. I was able to be everything I had always dreamed of being. For this reason, I make time to check in with myself everyday and be sure that I only have life-affirming thoughts in my mind. I recommend that all CEOs, no matter how big or small their businesses might be, do the same.”

Self-love, Minister Yada continues, is also important because it acts as a magnet for attracting the right people to your circle. When he was full of self-hatred in his teens and early twenties, he drew individuals who only affirmed that toxicity.

“Let’s stop for a moment here and really think about what this means for the entrepreneur,” Minister Yada says. “Starting a business, let alone making it successful, is just plain tough. It’s one of the biggest tests of faiths you can come across. You only have a dream, and somehow, you’ve got to persevere until you make it a reality. Yet, your own negativity is not only holding you back, it is also attracting people who will reinforce any doubts or anxieties that you have. It’s like you are standing in quicksand and sinking that much faster.”

Minister Yada’s self-hatred manifested itself in toxic relationships with people who were not supportive of his entrepreneurial ambitions. However, when he turned to self-love and cut ties with emotionally unhealthy people, he began attracting individuals who were genuinely supportive.

“I met my incredible wife, who not only believed in my ideas but helped me make them stronger,” Minister Yada remembers. “My positive energy drew her and other great people to me, and their own positive energy made me and my company better. That synergy is beautiful to experience and can help any entrepreneur to be more productive.”

Self-love has a direct impact on the body, not just the mind. When Minister Yada was in the grips of negativity, his health plummeted. At one point, he had so much anxiety that his liver began to shut down.

“As you can imagine, this caused me to really think about the meaning of self-love and about the importance of releasing stress,” he says. “It also caused me to rethink what I put into my body, the only one I will ever have. If I am going to run international companies on multiple continents, I have to power my body with the right foods, not just my mind.”

Minister Yada eventually created a new diet for himself, one that corporates herbs and raw vegan foods. By detoxing his body, he boosted his immune system, and he was able to experience more mental and physical energy. That, in turn, led to more productivity at work.

These experiences have made Minister Yada a firm believer in self-love and in its ability to help entrepreneurs be more productive. Today, as he leads The World’s Greatest Rejuvenation and works to raise living standards in Senegal through Yadalo Group SA, he encourages business owners to check in with themselves to make sure their thoughts and habits are positive. 

“I get it - we all want to charge ahead as soon as the sun rises so that we can reach our business dreams,” says Minister Yada. “The world won’t stop for us, so we feel we have to keep pushing and pushing until the sun goes down again. Remember this, though: no entrepreneur can be truly happy or even successful without self-love. With it, you will have the power to reach your dreams and, even better, to enjoy the journey and empower those around you.”