We have evolved big time! I have
always asked this question: Would you rather that the human race appeared on
earth at once showing off iPads, iMac, iPhones, iPods and all these great
gadgets of technology, than go through the processes we have gone through all
these six thousand years?
That would be an interesting
discussion. There are two major industries that are going hand in hand these
days: the Coaching Industry and the Technology world. Guess what both agree on?
It is that statement WYSIWYG. A professor of mine calls it ‘Wiswig’, which
stands for “What You See Is What You Get”.
In the computer world, they add another thing called ‘Garbage in,
Garbage out’, GIGO in short. Now, the reason as to why I am saying that what
you see is not what you get has to do little with input, but a lot with
potential. Focus is a powerful word. It is one of my labels in most of my blog
posts.
The word potential however is so
vast that I could literally spend months of Sundays talking about it. When you
look at potential from the angle of ‘what you see is not what you get’, there is some kind of ‘deliverance’ that comes
your way. Let me explain. Few years ago, a certain Senator of the United States
of America visited Kenya. He spoke straight up and freely what he thought about
the governing conditions of that country. Of course that did not go down well
with the powers that be, and using their ‘mouthpiece’ (by the way, I wonder
where this guy went!), Alfred Mutua more or less rubbished this senator and in
a ‘diplomatic’ tone, told him off.
#ThatAwkwardMoment when the
rubbished senator becomes the US presidents few years later, and poor old
Alfred Mutua has to give explanations of what he really meant years back! That
more or less makes my point. What you see is not what you get. But why is that?
Simple; You are not God Almighty! The same principle applies to seeds. When you
look at a seed…what do you see? You see a seed! But what do you really ‘see’? What you really see is in fact what you will get. So, when you look at a
seed, you really ought to see a forest
and not a tree!
I hope you are following. What do
you really see in your life now? A
certain young guy came to my facebook chat over the weekend seeking some
financial aid. He tells me that he is a talented guy studying art in one of the
prestigious arts institutions in Nairobi. Of course I could not help him due to
where I was in relation to where he was, I asked him to seek help nearby.
Few days later on, he comes back to my facebook and
paints a grim picture. Here is how the conversation went:
Him: me i'm not cool.
Me: it happens
man...you will be just fine...not being cool is only temporary i assure you
Him: stop saying that
dude, i'm serious here!
Me: So am I my
friend…unless of course you wanna be in that condition forever?
Him: no!
Me: Great, so my
point still stands. Let me ask you...are you talented in art...or you are
skilled?
Him: i'm talented in
art of course. why are you asking!
Me: because its time
you started earning from it, don't you think?
Him: *audible silence…logs
off. Maybe had power issues or internet bundle ran out*
Unbeknown to this guy, I need
just about 10 illustrations to be included in my new book, “Permission For
Greatness”. I have been shopping around for quotes and I can tell you this:
that guy is seated on a gold mine! What does he really see in himself? And that my friend is the million dollar
question. That question is not just directed to that guy. It is directed to all
of us. What do we really see? Am talking about looking deep into our
God-given potential, taking it and multiplying with time…what do we really see?
What you actually see today is
not necessarily what you will get tomorrow. What you see today are just facts:
Jobless, homeless, rejected, alone, starving, ‘no man’, ‘no woman’, no money,
no opportunities, no degree, no ‘godfather’, no expertise. Sadly, most people
stop right there in their ‘vision’. They make conclusions of tomorrow based on
the sad facts of today, and not on the true potential of tomorrow that offers ‘boundless
possibilities’. Is it any wonder that we are warned not to despise the days of
humble beginnings?
Most probably, what this guy on
facebook is seeing right now is that if I cannot bail him out, I should stop
asking him ‘maswali za clinic’, that
is Swahili for ‘useless questions’. (I am not sure why Swahili is in English…but
I digress). My point today is that we have got to start seeing with ‘eyes of
opportunity’ than with the eyes of facts and reality. That does not mean we
negate reality, it simply means we choose to seek out the best. I have had
multiplied missed opportunities because I did not really see, but I just ‘saw’. In the words of Rafiki in Lion King, you have got to ‘see beyond what you can see’.
I hope this makes sense.
Have a telescopic week, wont you?
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