WEATHERING THE STORM.

"Hey, are you lonely, do you feel like the odd one out, do you need a hug! Don't look at me am not offering am just asking". Why are you looking all puzzled, ooh you thought I was making an offer.  No I wasn't, it was just a thought that had crossed my mind. Anyway don't look all glum, today is a new day that is peeling itself like a banana. 

Let me ask you, is there something new that you have learnt in the past few days that have sailed through? It is okay you don't have to answer me.  One thing I have realised about this life is that no matter how hard things seem to be, there will always be something good coming just around the corner. 

Right now you may be going through something that hurts a lot & you are trying your best to forget about it, what I can beg of you is that though you want to erase the hurt never forget what it taught you. The thing about when the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through & how you managed to survive. 

You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over or if it is yet to brew afresh again. One thing that will be certain is that when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That is what this storm is all about. There is an important lesson to be remembered when you are having a bad day, a bad month, or a catastrophic year. 

Things will change: you won't feel this way forever. Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones your soul needs most. I believe you can't feel real joy unless you have felt heartache. You can't have a sense of victory unless you know what it means to fail. You can't know what it's like to feel holy until you know what it's like to feel tainted & unworthy. 

I truly believe that everything that we do & everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we are all teachers - if we are willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts & not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door.

WHAT DEFINES YOU?

What a weekend, epic is the only descriptive word I can think of to describe such an eventful time. Anyway this is not my personal diary for me to jot down my shenanigans. Am sure you all have more important things to do than read about my weekend chronicles. Well then, life can either be a teacher when you are willing to learn from the experiences you go through or a torment when you yield to your own devices.

"Having a bad day? Put your hand on your heart. Feel that? That is called purpose. You are alive for a reason. Don'y give up yet!" Who are we when we enter this world? When we emerge from our mother's womb do we not become living & breathing beings. Are we not men & women of purpose, a calling, a bright future? Don't look down at your feet, wondering if you have qualified for any one of this.

I do know that we are prone to bad things happening to us or around us, how we respond to them will define our character & the quality of our lives. You can choose to either sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of your loss or you can choose to rise from the pain & treasure the most precious  gift of all & that is life itself.

You may have not yet reached your full potential or realised your dreams, but know this that you are meant to conquer all that stands & comes your way. The thing not to forget once you climb up the ladder of success is where you came from. For when you had nothing humility was you every day cup of tea. That being so do not forget where you came from once you have attained all that which you desire.

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK.

"Hapo mtu wangu ndio mwisho wa reli, hii life imekuwa wagwaan kuruka". This is my friend telling me the plight of his life.  "Kila siku niko kwa husle na vile life ni khaard, lakini maisha nikuskuma hii gurudumu ndio nijijenge". He utters as he sits there bewildered by the fact that the struggle for making it in life has become a reality check. 

Well then, aluta continua. Looking down at the city streets, I see a throng of people rushing to catch the evening bus back home. Tired, hungry, drained, brain clogged, aching these are just but a few of the after-effects of a long day one has had to endure to put a meal on the table. Such is the life we live, trying to make meaning of it all.

Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. It is part of life to face & encounter obstacles. Overcoming the obstacles thrown at you like hand grenades, that is indeed the key to happiness. Nothing in this life is out of your reach & everything can be achieved through gradual steps, one small step at a time.

In this moments we live, you may encounter many defeats or falls. Do not be fettered, for it is through this defeats, you can know who you are, what you can rise from & how you can still come out of it. As a friend of mine just pointed out, "Mwanaume ni effort". Just like the brick walls, are there for a reason.

Brick walls are not there to keep us out but rather they are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something, because they are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.

"Tafakari ya babu".

WE ALL SCREW UP, NO ONE IS PERFECT.

Who said that life is perfect? Who? Answer Me! Ooh, you have just decided to keep quite & let me hear my own hoarse voice echoing in this hollow void of life. No matter, I will still get an answer out of you. It seems that the rebellious nature in you has finally decided to show its face in the hood & what a sight it is.

To each his own, as such is the advice one is given in an untimely fashion when all that you touch shatters like fragile glass. You get shunned like a leper & left to your own devices. Wherever you turn you are seen as a failure, a no-good, a disappointment, a non-achiever, a nobody, well, all these are just branded names & not who you are.

If we let the mindset of those around us make as feel invaluable as they deem us, then we shall be truly destined for ultimate doom. Each time you want to do something, you here somebody say, "sasa uko sure utaweza kweli na vile wewe hushinda ukimess up". This disheartens a number of us because we see ourselves as not amounting to anything.

Who you are is not defined by those around you but by what you think of yourself. Yes, we  all make mistakes & no one is made perfect. For in all our mistakes we are meant to learn and understand that at times mistakes will be made whether intentionally or not. If you are wrong, own up to it & don't let your mistake envelope you in a cloud of guilt.

In this life that we live, everyone gets knocked down but not everyone bounces back. You need to keep moving forward and take that big leap forward without hesitation or looking back. Sometimes it is through the wrong choices that we make that we end up in the right place. 

THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE WITHIN.

Morning, (I didn't want to say good morning & yet I don't know if you woke up on you right or left side). Anyway I do hope that you are well & embracing the new day which holds untapped opportunities. It is quite interesting to note that each day we wake up with great expectation of overcoming the gruesome hurdles of life. 

Such is the path upon which our daily survival in the so called cruel & harsh world has come to. Survival indeed is for the fittest, you are either on your feet ready for combat or on your knees begging for mercy.  Just take a minute or two & reflect on the far that you have come and you will realize that you are not where you used to be & you need to appreciate that. 

As I usually tell myself, "throw me to the wolves & I will come back leading the pack". Each moment that we get to witness the fulfilment of our dreams, enables us to form a thick layer that shields us from the destructive & demeaning view of others in our lives & around us. If you decide to begin something you better make sure that you will end it.

We all want to be the top dogs in life, doors just opening for us, bank account always fattening, the fancy cars, huge mansions. That is all good & dandy but to get there you need to shed of that cowardice suit of "I can't make it, it is impossible, I think so and so can do it better". Once that is gone then the impossible becomes the possible.

No one is ever born rich or successful, you have to have the guts to get to the glory. Whatever you are going through in life has not come to stay but it shall come to pass. You must have patience and consistent actions. Having passion in all you do will get you to that height that you desire and deserve. Once you activate the inner flame then you can become a fire storm.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

"Ni ya leo, bei ya jioni, mbao tu! Niaje brathe utachukua moja, siste na wewe je, hizi chuja ndio zimeingia saa hii!" These are the words that pierce the busy streets of Nairobi as you walk by to your various destinations. Everyone is trying to hussle & make that the coin. Well, that is just but the icing of the day, in the evening or in the wee hours of the morning while you are in traffic, you will hear a gentle tap on the window near you.

Looking you see a young man or woman, smiling affectionately & offering to hawk his or her wares to you, "nikuuzie nini leo, niko na maji ya kunywa, ndizi, PK, tropicals sema tu nitakuzia". Your first instinct would be to snob him & shut the window closed pretending you didn't hear a word. He or she won't give up they will still try again. What you don't get is that your acts though rude won't dampen his or her spirit.

Lucky are you, for you have a job to go to & earn your pay, but for him or her right there is his or her bread and butter. Anyway I don't want to bore you with this tiny facts, I can see you want me to get straight to the point. Well then here it is, most of those who are around you are struggling to make it in life & leave a mark of happiness in their wake. For example the person who sales to you that ice cream cone in the streets, do you think he gets to eat it?

Don't look at me, I don't know am just asking! Yet each time you approach, him or her always has a welcoming smile as they sell you a delicious, mouth watering cone of goodness to help cool off the hot sunny days. Now, think back since they are promoting a product that they hardly touch, do they ever get a little piece of paradise for their sake. Am sure you wouldn't know because you are always out there trying to make it for yourself.

As you live your blissful life, know that not every body who looks happy is happy. They just have a way of masking how they feel inside and put on a façade masking despair. Each day to them is a struggle, as they try to make ends meet. You don't have to buy that which is been sold to you but you can be courteous enough to say, "asante sitanunua leo, pengine siku ingine" & not howling like a mad man in a market cussing them out.

UNWRAP YOUR INFINITE GREATNESS.

Who am I Lord but just a mere man standing in awe of all the wonders that lay before my very eyes. Each & every moment a most precious gift like no other & the very sight of each day as glorious as the next. Let me ask you, when was the last time you prayed before beginning your day? Am guessing from the guilty look on your face, the thought had not crossed your mind. Fear not, we can still salvage the situation for it is not too late yet.

Lets just take a minute & bow our heads. "Our everlasting Father up in heaven & the creator of the universe, we humbly come before you with thanks giving in our hearts. We come not to ask anything from you Lord but to say thank you for the very life we have, for it is not our will but by your will that we have seen yet another day. Thank you Lord for the far you have brought us.We pray this believing & trusting in your Holy name, Amen!!!"

Now back to the matter at hand. Who are you ? or simply put who am I? Well for starters, we are a chosen generation, destined for the ultimate greatness within us. We reside in a world where our every action carries with it a reaction. I have come to realise that most of us doubt ourselves so much and hardly think of ourselves ever making it past the point we are at right now in life & just been content with where we are.

Well, that does not work for me & it is unacceptable, who told you that just because the vehicle has broken down you can't go on with your journey? This habit of limiting ourselves will surely be the end of us. We see those who are around us rise in the ranks, escalating up the ladder of success & there we are wondering, "what is it that am not doing right?" Well for one you need to realise that what you confess is what you profess. 

Let the words that come out of your mouth build you and not destroy, for the tongue is the most deadliest of weapons known on earth. it can either build or destroy. Having said that, I need you to read this piece I read somewhere, to some it will be familiar, the reason being that it was in one of the scenes in the film Coach Carter. 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone & as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others".

EASY IS NOT AN OPTION.

Over the weekend, I had some me time (just a bit of quiet alone time) to reflect on how the gears of the clock of life work. I gazed at the far off horizon, admiring the greenness of the fertile land, wondering why is life so damn hard with every step I take towards living my dreams. "Kweli hili gurudumu la maisha tutalisikuma".

No wonder am balding so fast with all this thinking, calculating, strategising & trying to ensure that I have a bright & well grounded future. Eiiish & the way 'saa hii niko kwa shamba la mawe'. Making it in this life has become like the battle of the Titans, nothing is coming easy but what can I do but hold on to the little strength I have & forge forth.

No worries, I have not yet lost my mind but come to think of it, is there really any sanity left in each of us in the way we are been bombard by the harsh reality of life & been drained of every ounce of energy within us. All in all am thankful for seeing each new day, for the breath of life is such a precious gift. 

I was fortunate enough to get some inspiration from the Scripture (the 66 book love letter), reading Philippians 4:13 it is written, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". That right there is like a power bank fully charging your ummf, which got me thinking what if we could brave the tough times, am sure we would emerge on top though scathed but nonetheless victorious.

How we let our circumstances deter the path upon which our fate lies. Look, I don't know what you have been through to get to where you are right now, but what I do know is your future is in your hands & not in the world's. Just because something is not happening for you right now does not mean that it will never happen.

You need to have the patience & strength to overcome all obstacles that may pop up in your life. You can always take the easy way out & give up, but know this that real strength comes when you decide to keep on pushing no matter what your circumstances are. It does not matter whether you fall, how hard you fall, how many times you fall: what matters is whether you got back up.

BEYOND MY REACH.

Damn this sun is too hot, what the heck! It is like as if there are two suns out on a revenge mission with no mercy & taking no prisoners, just laying to waste all that is within its flaming rays. Dust is all over you can't even maintain a shine on you shoes, which end up looking like as if you work at a quarry & to top it all, you have to continuously take a sip of cold water to cool your body temperature. 

Arrrgh! This has just become another January of sorts with the scorching sun reaching its all time high. Hi there! How is the going? (Don't mind my venting it is this heat unleashing this verbal useless utterances). Any breakthroughs during the week so far? Nothing huuh! No worries, don't just throw in the towel yet, a greatness is upon you. As I was in a bus today in the morning, I was just amazed at the number of motor vehicles on the road both old & new.

The fancy new models intrigued me the most. I saw a fleet of the latest auto-mobiles and I was like, "Kwani ni  wapi watu wanapewa hizi magari hata mimi niende nikachukue yangu?". Everywhere I turned a beautiful mean road machine was just vrooming by. I recall when we were young and we used to count cars as they passed by, jibbing at each other saying, "hiyo ni yangu".

Such were the childish whims we had back then as our imagination ran wild & free, but now under the dawning of reality we must strive to earn that which we desire, one way or another. Knowing that the best way for one to predict his or her future is by creating it. Life has become quite unpredictable & the demands (wuuuuwiii) have sky rocketed to the roofs.

We are at times, envious of those around us & wish to have that which they possess. Which is not a bad motivation but come on! Shouldn't we have our own legacy in which we are known by & not be identified as being under the shadow of another. Anyway you know that which you desire in life, for to be the best you have to become better than the rest.

If you want to achieve greatness, test yourself through the good & bad times. No one is a loser, if you want to own your own empire you better learn to dig the dirt. Challenges are what make life interesting & overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. You need to know that the only thing that stands between you & your dream is the will to try & the belief that it is actually possible.

One of the philosophies that I think is crucial is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. No road is too long for the one who advances slowly and does not hurry & no attainment is beyond ones reach who equips themselves with patience to achieve it.