THE SINGLE MOST POTENT CURE OF DISAPPOINTMENTS

 “What on earth would man do with himself if something didn’t stand in the way?” ~
H. G. Wells

 

There is no doubt that we all face disappointments at various levels in our lives. It would be naive of me to suggest that there is a foolproof cure for disappointments...yet I know that if I had the formula to circumnavigate them, my phone would be buzzing off the hook. I kid you not.

One of the people that I know would never bother to call me up for the formula of avoiding disappointments include Mike Murdock, Bill Gates, Peter J Daniels, Steve Jobs (if he was alive), Uhuru Kenyatta and yes...Raila Odinga...and well, Jack Bauer.

Why? Simple. All these great visionaries and many more others know the importance of uncertainty in life. They know that planning is indispensable...yet not all plans will go according to the book. I heard Peter J Daniels (a self schooled Billionaire) say yesterday, "Make a decision and move on...you can always change it...it is better to have a decision than have none".

See what I mean?

Anyway...the crux of this post is about anticipation. Let me say this...life does not offer us one outcome on all expectations.

That little statement is extremely critical. Scores of people have been disillusioned, disappointed and left stuck for great seasons of time because they do not appreciate that statement. Let me say it again: life does not offer us one possible outcome on all of our expectations.

This can easily be controversial especially in the Christian circles, since it kind of suggests that it is useless to have faith. Yet very many Christians have been single-minded in having faith in one thing...so much so that they never dared to consider or better still to clarify the all rounded gist of the outcomes of their expectations.

Can I give you the life Signature's definition of 'Wealthy'? Here it is: Being wealthy is simply having a luxury of options. And here is the thing...the more we stay unplanned on our alternative outcomes,  the more we deny ourselves of the necessary options that will keep us on our feet. I think successful people constantly avail themselves options even in their single minded pursuit of their main life goal.
 
My advice today is simple. We need not just to talk about it...we need to really have a well documented 'Plan B'. No kidding! If you are expecting something...it is very easy to go sleep and become complacent...and PLAN ONLY in one direction of your expectation.

This is wrong. For the sake of managing disappointments and really moving on in life with great resilience it is important that we come face to face with the very opposite of what we expect. 

It is important that we analyze it thoroughly:

1. How will it affect you?
2. Who else in your life will be affected?
3. What projects will be affected?
4. How will your vision be affected?
5. How will my non-negotiables be affected?
6. How will my daily projected routine be affected?
7. What are the options that you have in case your expectation did not materialize?
8. When can you get started on these options?

These are critical questions to ask and not just ask, but also have the documented answers to them.

It is normally said that failing to plan is planning to fail. Let me say that only having plan A is a recipe for disappointment.

So you expected a breakthrough in one thing...you waited for it and it never materialized...what if you did not have a plan B...and all you had is faith?

Here is what will happen to you.

1. You will probably be thoroughly disappointed.
2. You will probably be pretty much derailed...
3. You will probably lose direction
4. You will probably lose time
5. You will probably lose motivation and inspiration
6. You will start looking down on yourself..counting your losses instead of your blessings

However, if you had a Plan B in place...

1. You will mentally acknowledge a disappointment and at the earliest opportunity, navigate away from it.
2. You will stay an action oriented person
3. Your life will not come to a stand still
4. You will build lots of resilience in your life
5. You will effectively be fully in charge of your life
6. You will be able to take back your life after giving it away to an expectation.

Brothers and sisters....do you have a PLAN B? If not...you really need to have one...especially most of you who have expectations in the immediate or near future.

Does this make sense to anybody?

3 REASONS WHY YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE BEING OBSCURE

Here is the thing...everyone born of a woman, starting from Jesus Christ to the Queen of England, from Nelson Mandela to Barack Obama was once obscure. You might be saying...well...Jesus Christ was not obscure...but you might be wrong. It would not need a front runner to point Him out of a whole crowd of people if He were as prominent as you think. The very Son of God was also obscure at the beginning of His ministry!

Life Signatures has been read by thousands of people all over this world...but guess what? Three years ago, Life Signatures was a mere random thought...obscure at its best! One can still argue (and indeed I am arguing) that Life Signatures still is thoroughly obscure in relation to the vision that I have.

The funny thing is that many people would like to put off that garment of obscurity like some flee-infested garment. It is a matter of perception. Of course people would tell you that being obscure is not such a good thing.

The result? Many people are shouting/ touting themselves to prominence without savoring the fruits of being obscure. Many more never leverage their obscurity, but spend the precious opportunity scheming for a way out...as fast as possible, seeking prominence.

For the sake of this blog, prominence can be taken to mean the moment you ascend to your own platform to be recognized by others. It could mean attaining a goal...like finally being married. Yet the best way to stay prominent is through the darkroom of obscurity.

Sounds paradoxical right? Let me explain:

1. Obscurity is Nature's way to shield you from falling long before you can Master Walking: It is what you do while obscure that will most certainly count when you get your moment of prominence. This effectively means that we should love obscurity much like we love the shade of a tree that shields us from the hot sun. Here is the thing though..we should know deep inside our hearts that  being obscure is a temporary phase...of which we are in control of the exit door. 
2. Obscurity is an Opportunity to explore your Potential: You have absolutely no idea what pressure you would be under when prominent. People think that when they have ascended their thrones, that is when they will be able to explore their potentials...that's hogwash. When nobody is recording....no cameras are rolling...that is when you can explore your full potential without any form of pressure. You can't practise giving a good speech when you have just been elected can you? You do it in obscurity. Embrace obscurity at all costs...but realize that it is for a temporary season of which you are in control of the escape door.
3. Obscurity is the Dark Room to Develop your Beauty: For good measure, obscurity can be a painful phase in someone's life. When you are a bride's maid instead of the bride, when you are an assistant for years instead of the C.E.O, when you are bypassed for that promotion....when you lose that job, when you get dumped by your fiance, when you are thrown out of the house of not being able to settle the bills...it is a dark room. However, this dark room is absolutely necessary for any life signature worth its salt. You need this, believe me you do. Nelson Mandela had is 27 years in prison. The Prince of Egypt had his 40 years. The Prime Minister of Egypt (Joseph) had his half youth years in Slavery...and then in prison while in Slavery. Most certainly, Lawrence Namale has had his time in obscurity too...like those years he went barefoot in the village not even thinking he would ever go past visiting his mother's home...Our beauty and depth of our platforms is developed strong in obscurity!

Obscurity is not necessarily bad....

A great mango tree was once an obscure seed...look at your obscurity season as a seed rather than an eternal season of harvest

Anybody want prominence? Try obscurity...you will get there!

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?

 

'GOD DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE!'

 A young boy was painting in class and had the following conversation with his teacher:

Teacher: Ethan, what are you painting?

Ethan: God's picture.

Teacher: But Sweety, no one knows how God looks like!!

Ethan: They will when I get through!!

I know, I know. Last time I spoke about God and miracles...and I know that can be a very thorny subject. I like 'keeping the conversation going', even within myself. That is why ever since I wrote about God being more of a Goal Setter than a Miracle Worker...I have kept going back and asking myself questions. Was I correct to say that? Honestly? The more I church these questions in my head over and over again, the more I cement my arguments. However, someone else somewhere might have a totally different view on this subject. Especially someone who as experienced miracles over and over. They will not necessarily buy into that stuff that God sets Goals more than He churns out miracles.

Needless to say, the 'line of best fit' is always and always will be that God loves processes, seasons, seeds and has placed all these things in a gel called 'Potential'. I was not going to talk about Potential today, but since it has surfaced, I will most definitely go with it to the very end...follow me carefully, you are about to be inspired.

A friend of mine gave me a DVD by a guy called Brian Houston...most people know him as the Pastor of Hillsong Church. (Another friend of mine in trying to be negative told people that they will sing valley songs instead of hill songs....hehehe). So anyway, as I was driving to Entebbe to give a talk to a group of young guys, I started listening to Brian Houston talking about 'Platforms!' What a powerful message. Mid-way into the DVD, he gave in the following story:

There is a guy in the Hillsong London church who was being inducted into Leadership. Part of the process involved him leading an 'altar call'...that is an invitation for those who have been TRANSFORMED by the church service to get saved. You see, the church recognized the POTENTIAL that this young and upcoming leader had. That is definitely laudable. Leaders, parents, teachers and all people in authority have that MANDATE to sniff out and recognize POTENTIAL and nurture it to greatness.

Truth of the matter is that each and every individual comes laden with thorough potential. Talk of gifting, talents and the 'environment' we grow in. They are all filled with seeds of greatness for us to do, have and be whatever thing that we are passionate and desirous about. Potential can never be dead....it always lies dormant when unused.

Do you know the greatest reason as to why people do not tap into their Potential? One of the reasons is an attitude of 'Perfectionism'. You want everything to be perfect BEFORE you can get started. I have learnt that the best to do with potential is to get started, obtain the general direction you would like to take, and adjust your focus as you go. The more I sit down waiting for the perfect SPOUSE, perfect JOB, perfect ENVIRONMENT, perfect, INSPIRATION or MOTIVATION, perfect MOTHER IN-LAW, perfect FRIEND, perfect CAR, perfect WARDROBE, perfect LAPTOP...and the list goes on...and on...the more I sit on my potential and make it dormant.

The antidote is to get started, like Bog Burg says in his book, "Ready, Fire, Aim". As you go, things start becoming clearer. As you follow the trail, you have no clue where it would lead you. The point is to be in motion. Just like the Hillsong Leader...by the way his name is George (and am told as we speak, there are T-Shirts that have been printed in honor of the following stunt that he performed).

So, when George knew that he would be leading the altar call...the most immediate thing to do (and I totally applaud him for that) was to PREPARE. That is the same thing I do every time I am to appear on a TV Program...I go through my script thoroughly...if I don’t feel inspired by it...I just know that my viewers would have a bad day...so I adjust. Now, George's preparation was in the following lines: "George Doesn't Know Who You are, But Jesus Does and God Loves you". So George repeated those lines again and again and again. And I applaud him here again. Repetition in 'purposed action' is the mother of Mastery! George literally became a Master in his trade.

HOWEVER, hehehe that is the Magic Word that can literally change the scale to swing from one extreme to another. So...However, on the very day that George was to give an altar call...there he was. All eyes were fixed on George. He was ready...and prepared. He stepped on the podium, took a microphone and blurted out the following words: GOD DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, But Jesus Does...AND GEORGE LOVES YOU!!! The church has never been in stitches at such a crucial moment where people's lives were hanging in the balance between heaven and hell....but not to worry...it never messed up their decisions. They answered the altar call in droves.

So here we are. You got serious potential inside of you. Doesn’t matter where you come from...President Obama's dad came from one of the poorest districts in Kenya. It doesn’t matter the color of your skin....or even how many years you have seen go by. The proprietor of WALMART opened his FIRST ever shop when he was 45!! Do not let your age, color, creed, background, fear or perfectionism sear your potential to dormancy. Rise up right away...and get started, one single and simple step at a time....over time, Your World, and probably eventually THE WORLD will know who you are.

Have a God-recognizable week, wont you? Hehehe. God knows who you are!!

HEY YOU!!!

Hey You! Yes you...what are you looking for? Are you just passing by? No not here, not on this blog.

In life. What are you looking for? Where are you going? I am talking to YOU...and am talking today about the 'ME FACTOR'.

I have some accusations against YOU...and one of them is that you are the most conceited individual there ever was...at least in your niche. All around you today, you will see many things (Otherwise called Shinny objects), seeking YOUR attention.

 It is easy to know them. They include that S-Word. No it is not the three lettered S word you might be thinking about. It is in fact the Six Lettered S Word. Can you guess what it is? Listen up and let me tell you the secret...

It is in form of a story. Of course a personal story that has been taking shape for quite some time now. Most people will understand when I talk about 'My Jog To Success'...a personal documentary on my journey to Success, Greatness, Significance and wealth.

I will tell you this before I digress...something I am so fond of doing, that YOU are the most important ingredient to the attainment of WHAT you are looking for. Not the President...not the almighty Dollar...not your wife or your mother-in-law...and of course not even your spouse.(although all the above are crucial...subject to another day's discussion)

And now to the story...As usual, I was jogging the other day. It was a different day. At, at the five Kilometer mark, I see a guy coming from the opposite direction (down hill for him), he stops, stretches a bit and takes off jogging in the direction I am taking. Naturally, that depicted a contest. I as usual, maintained my pace, and as such, got closer and closer to him. However, the closer I got to him, the more he increased his speed...and I just could not catch up with him. Needless to say, I ran out of breath, and this mysterious jogger disappeared into the mist feeling victorious no doubt. 

That left me pondering on several things, including the thoughts in this post. However, when I was on the second leg of the circuit (a seriously steep and long hill-Kampala is a hilly town), a very tall, slender and fit 'athlete' (not a guy anymore) zoomed past me and just went away. I knew instantly when he passed me that there would be no contest whatsoever...even if I dared! He was in his own league. I really thank him so much since his cruel actions that morning gave me much needed feedback in two things:

a) My Personal Race and
b) My race against others.

Here is the thing. We were both on the same track, yet running different races...and am referring both to the 'mysterious guy', as well as the 'athlete'. Now this is that is the crux of this post today. I have no idea where these guys came from...neither to date do I know where they were going. Same applies to them. They might have gone away thinking they just won a small battle...yet they have no clue what 'battle' I was fighting that day.

It was a Battle for my personal Best. Our lesson is obvious here. Build your own stage, run your own race, instead of losing steam trying to play 'catch up' with people who are making progress in their own personal lives.

When you get your own race going, I also found out this: that I am the most conceited individual there ever was as far as my personal race is concerned. Conceit comes when we are busy preparing ourselves. I race against myself and my personal best time.  

When I win, I get satisfied. The most important thing is not that I am actually racing...the most crucial thing is that I should learn to convert my personal best into a competing base that can stand the test of a championship.

To be on the cutting edge in my niche, I must get personal...and get started. Then I should strive to win the battle of conceit against myself by participating at the world stage. Only after I have won my personal best will I be relevant to others.

For example, every motivational speaker worth their salt have always had something personal from which they draw motivation. A personal conquest. May be with weight...like in the case of Tonny Robbins. May be with habitual negative behaviours. May be with a project. It is the roots principle here. The best motivator there is around the world has personally raced against themselves and prevailed. 

This reinforces my the argument that...there is no 'SECRET'....and that is the S word I was talking about. It is you. What are you looking for? Where are you going? What do you want? You are the most important ingredient in bringing those things to reality. Before I can change the world...my own private world has to be in order. For those who have already started working on their personal best, my call is for balance. It is very easy to get engrossed in your personal project that you forget that it needs to be tested and relevant to the world.

It is time to expose what you have been keenly preparing in obscurity to the world. Whether you pass or fail is not the matter. It will however give us a very crucial feedback of where we stand with ourselves. This feedback will be used to do better next time..when you actually fail, it does not mean that you will NEVER succeed in that race....it only shows that you are not YET ready. It also gives you the ACTION POINTS you need to implement back at the Personal Best Level.

The second thing that I learnt in that morning excursion is this: That the greater 'the interval of persistence', the longer it takes for you to become a master. Mastery of course is a matter of time and effort, lubricated by momentum. Good momentum is created with a small interval of time in between taking repeated and consistent action.

The Third thing I learnt that glorious morning is this: That champions are not made today. No, they were first champions in their own obscure races. In fact, championships are all about comparison of how well the competing champions have conquered themselves.

So, ladies and gentlemen. Where are you going? What do you want? What are you looking for? Is someone telling you to join them that they know the 'SECRET'? Listen up...by the time you have gone round the world to discover the SECRET, you will find that YOU have always and always will be that secret. It's time to strap on some jogging shoes and compete against thyself...only then can you stand at the world championship.

Have a jog-full-personal-best day, wont you?

WHEN MEN CRY OVER FOOD!

It is said that food is an emotional subject to men. Being a man, I tend to agree. I remember few years back in High School (yes few years back, i am not that old, thank you very much), we used to eat a loaf of bread at least once a week.

There was this old boy in school who had really looked forward to that day-a Wednesday, so much so that he kept staring through the window as our terse Swahili teacher was ranting on. What followed made me laugh so hard I lost my breath. The Swahili teacher, as punishment, had this old boy to trail the truck that had just zoomed in with our loaves. I assure you that was a funny sight, seeing a boy frantically doing a marathon, with a truck full of loaves as a pace-setter.

Food is an emotional subject I tell you. Even in the Bible, food always was. A certain leader came face to face with a group of about one Million men chanting, "We want food", "We want food!", "We want food!", "We want food!" ...and of course when Jesus Christ miraculously fed people, they did a census and counted....wait for it...MEN.

There have been a couple of times in my BB days (Before Beth) where I literally wept over my quickly assembled excuse of a meal on my plate. There was a day some time back when the only food I had was a huge lump of Posho (Ugali) and an egg...and the bad news was that I was the cook.

Not that I could not craft a meal with that combination...its just that as fate would have it, the egg paste spilt over to the ground before I could fry it. That was a perfect crying moment. Whether I cried or not....I am not gonna tell you.

I know at this point in time, Ngina Otiende, a good friend of mine who is reading is now wondering....where in the world is this guy going with this? This blog post is hardly about food to begin with, so let me navigate away from that emotional subject as fast as the old boy run after the truck-load of loaves!

The Ideal. The perfect condition...do we normally have those to work with? In 'My Jog To Success', I had a hitch the other day. I went out on an empty stomach...not by design, but by default. I have never felt so weak, helpless and on the verge of crying as I kept the jog on. If you read the previous post, that was a standing ovation moment for me. Initially, I could do my circuits with so much comfort in just about 31 minutes. This time round, I hassled and trudged on for quite longer-36 minutes, and by the time I was back, I was in a horrible shape.

You would think that I was not any bit pleased with myself, but you will be definitely wrong. I have never been so proud of this old boy. I came out with this lesson: that as much as there is something I ought to do, I must act upon it immediately with only what I have at hand, and keep going. I have learnt over the years that the feelings, emotions and many other things that we always wait for before we get started will most definitely catch up as we go.

That is it. I have learnt that the more I wait for the ideal and perfect condition to do something, the more it is delayed. However, through my jogging experience, I learnt a great lesson. That even as I go out there and jog on 'an empty stomach', it shows that I am still in the game.

The time will come sooner than later when I will be in the best fit to tackle my mountains. Guess what? As I had been going out there with the less than perfect conditions, I have actually been preparing myself for the real deal. When the real deal comes, I will only be increasing or improving my momentum.

So, there are books to be written. There are websites to be launched. There are numerous ideas to be implemented. There is a husband to marry...and there is a wife to marry. There are children to be born, and there are friends to be made. There are jobs to be quat (excuse the broken language), and there are relationships to severe.

Virtually everybody out there today as sure as the sun will go out and come back, has something to do, to start...but guess what? I bet you that as sure as your nose on your face, the Ideal condition for getting started is  not there. What are you going to do? Keep waiting? That is an option. Go for it with limited Ideas and resources...that to me is a better option.

I will tell you this, that going for it with no resources or limited resources is in itself seeking out the 'best fit'. As you go...I assure you that it will not necessarily be easy. It will be tough. However it is worth going for it than waiting for the time of best fit. That time seldom comes, and when it does, things have moved so much so that the perfect or Ideal has to evolve to catch up.

On doing a personal introspection, I have been reflecting... How many times do I sit around waiting for the perfect moment to do something? How many times do I wait for the ideal moment to launch something?

Could there be a difference when I get started with limited or no resources as compared to when I sit down and wait for the perfect moment? What are those things on hold in my life? What are those things that are 'pending' in my endeavors? Wait a minute...For how MANY YEARS have those things been pending in the first place? The answer to this last question when candid will shock many people to action.

Ladies and Gentlemen...the Ideal is seldom with us at the start. You know why? It is because at the start we will always never have the exact enough information and resources we need. No, the Ideal is never waited for, but the Ideal is always attracted and pursued with our deliberate efforts to 'go for it' with the limited resources that we have.

Have a foodious day, wont you?

WHY I WAS MAD WITH MYSELF

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe"--Abraham Lincoln

I have come to realize that all and sundry have the opportunity to at one time 'chop down their tree'. I have had those opportunities come my way very many times. I also know for sure that as the sun will come out tomorrow, so will those opportunities keep coming. 

I am an ardent lover of Country Music. Yeah...and I know this is where biases come in. Some have logged off immediately and swiftly moved on to something else entirely...but that is OK and it is allowed. So anyway, before I digress...let me remember where this country music business is coming from...and most importantly, where I am going with it. Oh here we go. Few years back, having not made a collection of my own, the only way I could listen to country music was to wait for a Sunday evening show on a radio station.

So one day, the Show host announces that he will be doing a live competition. The listeners would be required to memorize some passage and recite it online...er...I mean on air. Naturally, I got interested. (I really, really wanted to hear my voice on radio...and that was motivation enough). Unbeknown to me, the show host was actually giving away gifts to excellent performers (reciters), the grand of which was a night for two...at an exclusive guest house in Nairobi. What made me MAD was the way I took to this.In fact the very day of recital I realized how 'assumptive' I had taken on this task. I had one whole week to memorize the data...yet when the very day came...I could only do two thirds of the passage. I had come that close...and I had all that time...but I missed it entirely! 

Yes, my voice was heard on Radio...but It was the voice of someone who forgot his lines! What a pity! Guess what? I PREPARED for something less than the real deal. I counted myself out of the real deal...and that inevitably reflected in my preparations for the competition. And of course this is the meat of this post. I know we have already discussed about 'running to win and not running to finish' in an earlier post. Today, we are focusing on...Before You Can Run.

It is clear that if you want to win a championship, you will have to TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION. Here is the thing. When I approach several 'trainings' with the average 'in here just to finish' mentality, I cannot expect better results to be reflected in the competition. It has already been said in the previous post that we are all either consciously or unconsciously preparing ourselves for the next level. That next level is always approaching every minute. For some, the next level is well known. For others, the next level is a surprise. Either way, my performance in the next level will most certainly depend on my Preparation NOW.

Let me say this. Very many times we operate in the presumptive and assuming mode. For the most part, our sights are ahead. The tragedy is that sometimes, subtly, our thoughts are in the 'after'. After I get married...after I close that deal...after she agrees to go with me...and so on. This effectively transfers the power of the now into a future...and like we have seen, this transference is always and always will be a mirage. You never really get to that future.

Listen, Championships are not a daily thing. Championships are Seasonal events of whom participants have spent grinding hours in obscurity preparing. When it comes to life, Championships are not for selected few. They are for all and sundry. Therefore, the most important part is the preparation phase. This phase is in the here and now, day by day, moment by moment. Unfortunately, most people want to train/prepare for their championships when they see the crowds gathering. That is pretty late.

Success in life is basically a cycle of training, taking action, getting results, adjusting focus and getting better results. Someone has already written a book called "Ready, Fire, Aim". You might think it should be, ready, aim, fire...but that is wrong. The concept is to go for it, get feedback then go for it again with better information than you started. Wow! There is no better place to Ready Fire and Aim like in the Training Ground.

The biggest question here to ask is this. Given that I am always preparing either consciously or unconsciously, HOW am I preparing myself daily? Am I preparing for my voice to be heard on radio...or to win the competition? The results I will obtain at the competition will most certainly reflect at the finish line. Think of it this way...you were born some years back..therefore, at the place you are standing right now...you have some feedback. What are your results? Are you happy? Are you in the correct career? What feedback do you have now? What is your CV reading? How about your back account? Savings account? Assets? How many connections do you have? What are you proud of accomplishing? All these things will most certainly be a stark reflection of how well I have been preparing.

You wanna be a champion? Go ahead and prepare like one.

Have a prepared week, wont you?

_____________

Did You Know?

That It takes more than two years of preparation to be an Olympian?

WHEN THE MOUSE EATS LIKE AN ELEPHANT

Long time ago, when Dinosaurs roamed the earth, the mouse and the elephant had formed a formidable friendship. In their daily strolls, one day the came across a long rickety bridge that they had to cross. The valley down that bridge was filled with rocks and a thick forest. As usual, the mouse climbed on the elephant's back and off they set off to cross. As they did, the bridge shook and shoved, swayed and quacked, basically threatening to give way. All along both parties were silent...their hearts in their mouths. Eventually, they made it across the bridge...and that is when the dear old mouse spoke, "Boy WE sure shook that bridge didn't we?"

Ok, today I am delving into creative writing. I am just writing as I go, so hopefully, by the time the post is complete there will be a message to take home. If you are the kind who is busy and not willing to persevere my writing excapades, you are excused from this moment on. Actually, the elephant and mouse story has no direct relation to the topic I desired to share today...and am thinking that as I go, an entirely new message will develop...hehehe, not so encouraging is it. Reminds me of a concerned mum who took her son to see a doctor...but I digress. That's for another day.

My readers will by now understand that I have been focussing of late on lessons from 'My Jog To Success', a personal initiative that has transformed and is transforming my life. There are pertinent lessons I learn every single morning I go out to jog. I got a major nugget today that I intend to deliver with this post. However, I already threw my hat in the ring with this creative writing business...so If I take a completely different angle today...I will basically come back in a later post and share my power nugget. That's why you all ought to be authors...you got freedom to do what you want and nobody can sue you. Did I see someone logging off?

Anyway, a few days back,I read a concept called 'ACT AS IF'. Basically, if you want to be a manager, act as if you are one. Dress like one, sit like one, talk like one, walk like one. Soon enough you will be one. I know that works, I have done it. I was sitting in an obscure office, churning out work and making my manager and assistant manager shine. However, deep inside of me, I knew that as much as they kept saying 'We sure did shake that bridge didn't we?', they were more or less celebrating my efforts. Point of Correction...they were gloating over my efforts as if they were the ones who pulled it off! Needless to say, I always projected myself as if I was a manager. I dressed day in and day out like one...no not like my manager was dressing...but like A MANAGER would dress. I was not surprised when this guy got scared of me later on. Now, let's make one thing clear. He also knew my potential and celebrated it. He championed it and brought it to the fore. 

However, he crossed a line that eternally made me sort of lose respect for him. He basically abdicated most of his responsibilities to me in the name of...guess what? Delegation. Hopefully by now you know that the boss is not an elephant...but he actually is the mouse.The most paining thing in that set up was when I did some mistakes (like I always do and will always do, no excuses here), he literally would dump me like a hot potato. He would leave me to fend for myself. On flipping the story, whenever there were matters to celebrate and applaud, he would be caught smack in the middle savoring all the glory and splendor as if he was the one who pulled off the stunt in the first place! 

Of course the biggest difference between me and him was the pay check. Here I am 'elephanting' the company to success while this guy is busy mousing his way to mediocrity...then when it comes to eating....the mouse eats the elephant's share. Ladies and Gentlemen, this state of affairs repeats itself times and times again and again the world over. Let me tell you why: People UNDER-ESTIMATE THEIR WORTH, and THEIR POTENTIAL. Its called working like an elephant and eating like an ant!

I remember there was a day that my young brother Tom needed some medication due to his Dialysis at that time. I had to get permission from work and go sort him out. You would not believe this. As I was in the streets of Nairobi hustling to find medication for my kid bro, I got a text from my boss. It read, 'I know you have gone for an interview...and we wish you well'.

I have never been so 'mad' at a human being...however, the good news is that the boss knew I was too good to stick around the 'obscure' office I mentioned earlier. That of course was a self fulfilling prophesy, in that few months down the line, I who was dressing like a Manager got an opportunity not only to be a Manager, but an expatriate Manager at that. And no, I was  not the next in line for that position. I was to be honest six scales down the pecking order. However, I had positioned myself for success as appropriately as I did. 

The most amazing thing is that I did not do this consciously. I just wanted to dress up and look smart. One day the CEO asked me if I was attending interviews. I told her that I dress up to look nice because in turn, it makes me feel good, and motivates me.

The Moral of the story is the crux of this post. This by the way reminds me of my dear friend Ngina Otiende who is posting amazing stuff at her blog. She talked about Preparation in one of her latest posts. There we go. The key operative word here is Preparation. I have come to understand that whether it is done consciously or unconciously, we are always in a cycle in which one phase is preparation. I kid you not. My actions today are inevitably preparations for my tomorrow, whether success or failure. 

As usual, I have my questions to pose. First, are you Preparing yourself Consciously? If not, then you are bound to be clueless when the next level demands that you step up to prove that you are worthy of it. Secondly, what are you 'acting as if' on today? Acting like a fool? You will be one. Acting like you will always be beneath and not above? That will happen. Here is the thing...do not wait until you are there to start acting like it. Your acting like it now...will most assuredly land you there...and when you get there...you will already have done enough practice to comfortably ride the storms of that level.

                                 

DID YOU KNOW?

'It is not true that elephants are scared of mice!'

Have an acting week won't you? 

PS. I totally did a different message from what I intended to deliver...so tune in next time for the real deal...forget about this 'creative' writing thing of mine. lol^500