THE DANGEROUS ADJUSTMENT

It is a pleasure to watch a project at launch. The pomp, the polemics, the attention to details. The media attention, the advertisement, the road shows. The only product launch I have seen in the most recent past that did not give attention to details was the launch of Korean Airlines flight to Nairobi. Here is how they advertised:

“Fly to Nairobi with Korean Air and enjoy the grand African Savannah, the safari tour, and indigenous people full of primitive energy."

How these guys will recover from that gaffe will be something worth following. Kenyans are a happy lot (98th happiest world-wide) and as you can imagine, they are having a ball over that 'primitive energy' thing. Just search it on twitter when you are bored and your day will be made, I kid you not!

The Original Korean Airlines Ad.

There are two important things for the success of every endeavor in life. The first is getting started, and the other is sticking with it. I know that in our lives, there are numerous opportunities to get started and get going. There is no question about the energy, passion and enthusiasm at launch. 'Born again Christians' (am just wondering why a 'Christian' would not be born again..but then...i digress) would tell you that they remember their early days of salvation; how passionate they were. How uncompromising they were. How fervent, careful they were.

However, somewhere along the line, something happens. Yet it never happens big bang (nearly typed big bhang). By the way, when was the last time you heard of a 'big bang' apart from philosophy class? I digress again.

What normally happens? What creates a difference in passion at launch and at three years, or three months or three weeks? 

I believe one of the things that happen is small subtle adjustments. Let me say this, at launch people and organizations are normally THOROUGHLY PREPARED. They leave nothing to chance. It is lots of work, just like much energy (not primitive though) is needed to launch a rocket to space. As time passes however, there is one killer serpent of brands and vision that creeps in sometimes Unbeknown.

That killer serpent is what I call FAMILIARITY! You know the saying: It breeds contempt. It works this way: One day, due to one thing or another, you do not have enough TIME TO PREPARE as you usually would. Then what happens is that you 'crash course' yourself and at the time of 'going live' you actually pull it off! Then guess what? Bing! Newsflash: "I can actually crash course my preparations and pull it off!" And that, my friend, is the DANGEROUS ADJUSTMENT that I am talking about, much more dangerous than a group of villagers with primitive energy can kill six marauding lions.

Some advice:

1. Take some time and rest, reflect and review the vision
2. Get feedback from: a) Your haters and b) Your Mentors c) Your Fans.
3. Hook up with thought leaders in the same project and 'keep the conversation going'

4. “Fly to Nairobi with Korean Air and enjoy the grand African Savannah, the safari tour, and indigenous people full of primitive energy." 

    

#Am just saying you need a vacation!!! And so do I! Have an awesome weekend to revitalize your Primitive Energy, wont you?

 

HOW DIFFERENCES IN PERSPECTIVES CREATED MY ACCIDENT!

I have been writing of late on a subject dear to my heart. I have titled it, "Permission For Greatness". It is a book that I will be making available in the coming days. In this book, I tell of a harrowing experience that I had some few years back in the line of duty. In a space of one week, I was involved in two accidents. One of those accidents involved rolling with a car, and coming out with few bruises here and there...the car suffered extensive damage, yours truly still lives.

The following week, this is what happened: 

 

I remember vividly the day I was driving from Kampala to Jinja in a company vehicle. Half-way through the journey, there is this spectacle that happened that thoroughly shook me. Ahead of me, I saw a group of people hurriedly crossing the highway. I wasn’t driving at top speed therefore I had no reason to worry about them. However (as I realize later on), unbeknown (Key word here) to these people who were mainly women, a little girl about two years old was closely following them. The twist of the story here is that I thought that these women knew that they were with the girl, no wonder I was not alarmed in any way. 

Those two differing perspectives created an accident! This is how it happened. It seemed to me that they had already crossed my part of the road, and were half way through the other part (for the on-coming traffic). I was therefore clear to continue. Now, the mama to this two year old child per chance looked back, and to her absolute horror, there was her dear little Resty, butt-naked trailing them on the road! The mum did what most people would do in a state of shock. She shouted at little Resty in absolute horror. The little girl was so scared that instead of running to the hands of mama, she ran RIGHT BACK onto the road! Now, this old boy who had ‘everything under control’ from my perspective did not have time enough to brake and avoid running over a poor little kid!

To this day, I cannot tell you what happened. I remember swerving. I remember braking few meters ahead, running back to see a crying Resty (thank God) sprawled on the tarmac. No, there was no blood, the kid was still alive. That that dear little life was saved from death by a car I was driving is a mystery. That this negligent mother to Resty later on wanted to cash in on this unfortunate incident is another mystery altogether, and that part of the story is for another day!

What was I talking about again? Oh yes, that little word…’unbeknown’. Unbeknown to you, little boy is watching, following, listening, learning, and slowly but surely, internalizing. That is how this thing works…you never know what they are picking up, so you better be conscious of the fact that…they will be absorbing something...unbeknown to the both of you! Accidents could be in the making in the life of a young boy or gal AT YOUR HOME because you are not conscious...and proactive.

Have a thoughtful day, wont you?

DAD'S ADVICE ON JOB HUNTING

This is another excerpt from my book, "Permission For Greatness". I thought I would share it with you on this blog. Look out for the book in the next few weeks online and in Bookshops.

“The economy will improve and you will definitely get a job” –Dad, some years back.

I was going through a transition just after my teenage years. Jobs were difficult to come by. I was disillusioned about life, fearful about the outcome of it all. My greatest fear was going back to the village to dig in order to make a living. I cannot complain that there was no one to give me guidance and solace, dad was readily available. However, dad in his pure and well meaning heart consoled me saying that the economy of the country will improve and there will be openings in the job sector soon.

Much as that calmed some nerves, it did not serve the purpose anyway. I needed something practical that I could work with. You cannot blame dad with his reasoning can you? He was and still is a victim of the 'Reverse Order'. If he had known better, he would encourage this old boy to pursue his dreams. If he had this resource (Permission For Greatness) in his hands, he would mentor me, seizing a golden opportunity of my transition. He would know that at the moment when this old boy was facing a big fear, that would be the right moment for him to sit me down and impart 'the blessing' upon my life. He would know that at that semi-traumatic moment, a serious paradigm would easily be installed in my psyche, never to be tempered with. What a chance that was for receiving 'Permission For Greatness!'

He would talk to me about wealth; he would talk to me about success, significance and wealth. Of course he would still talk to me about life itself, that the punctuation I was experiencing at that time was just that, a punctuation and not the whole story of my life.

Our focus on the government improving to create more job opportunities is good, but does not give us the direction that we need. It keeps us locked in the beckoning light of the ROLE, while at the same time totally negating the PERSON. I believe that when the ROLE is not here, we should keep working on the PERSON, specifically their potential as we ‘wait for the economy to improve’.   

This is a more powerful way of waiting for jobs, building our capacities and unleashing our potentials than dropping CVs all over the place. We need to look inside of us and around us. We need to focus more on the spark that lies within us than we focus on the government of the day improving. I believe that no government on the face of the earth is formed to specifically and directly involve itself in my permission of greatness. The best they can do is to facilitate, create an enabling environment, offer peace within the borders and regulate markets. We can therefore never fully bank on the governments of the day if we are to be great. We can never wait on them to improve, we must improve our very selves where we can.

One thing all job seekers need to ask themselves is this: What value are they adding? No, am not talking about the name of your degree; am talking about the value you are giving to the world. Please do not say you are looking for any job...that is the height of mediocrity, I tell you!

Finally, all parents out there: paradigms have shifted since the last time you were in school...do you have a different plan for your child's education or are you still waiting for the government to improve the current education system? SELAH.

WHAT DO THEY CALL ME?

I might call myself any name I want to...but I will be called after what I have done, period! Why is Ben Carson called the top neurosurgeon? We all know of his breakthrough genius in brain surgery. Yet at one point in time, this guy was called, and actually came to believe that...he was dumb! The ironies of this world!

You have probably seen people's profiles online. People love titles...big titles. We all do, don't we. For some reason, behind that title waving culture, there is this deep need to feel significant. In fact, of some of the seven (I think) paramount psychological needs, being significant ranks higher. I picked up a book from a friend titled, "Don't  Waste Your Life" by a guy called John Piper ostensibly because of the following words at the back of that book:

"John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a tragedy is, I will show you how to waste your life. consider this story from the February 1998 Readers Digest:  A couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now thy live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise in their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells....' Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgement: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tragedy.

Probably, the inherent need to avoid the 'tragedy' makes people from all walks of life to seek 'titles.' I have however found out that no matter how many titles you put on yourself, it will never be worth its salt if you cannot back it up with some weight.

In other words, you call a healer One who heals. You call a painter one who paints. You call an entrepreneur one with who initiated businesses by seizing opportunities. You call an author one who has written books. You call a blogger one with a blog that is actually being read. 

I think the biggest question on the whole 'title' business is this: At the onset of everything...what do they call me? That is an important question worth reflecting. Two things here: There is a time and a place where you could care less what someone says you are. This is when you are shaping your own life, taking a specific direction. At this moment in time, if I call myself an author, it is what I do on a daily basis towards this end that matters, not what people say! Tragedy is titling yourself and not working towards that title. That is a mark of mediocrity.

The second thing is this: When they start calling you by what they see you, you know that you are not standing on the same level with them. You know that you have a platform. You know that you do not need to introduce yourself...your fruits advertise you. When people start calling you what they are calling you because of what you are doing...something has shifted. From calling yourself to people actually doing it...it is a major step. 

Most importantly, when people actually call you by the title you desired before you had anything to show of, it shows that you have been congruent and true to your 'calling'. It is what I do in between titling myself and people calling me by that very title later on that matters.

I have realized one thing...titles can both be limiting and stretching. One way or another, you are either calling yourself something...or people are calling you something. When those two merge...purpose has been created. My question is: What do they call you?