Life seems to curve itself differently from your childhood conceptions...
That a father can negotiate with a rapist and have an out of court settlement without a glance at his hurting child……
That after 5-7 years of marriage most couples get disconnected from each other?
That the older you get, the harder it is to look at things as black or white... there is almost always a grey area...
That HIV/AIDS robs the best of the society; the ones who slipped up once or twice…but the blatantly licentious ones manage to escape its grasp…
That we live in a society where satisfaction is becoming extinct... always looking for a new challenge...a new high... better pay… better car… better relationship.
That the rate of infidelity is growing at an alarming rate… lack of satisfaction, trust, do we understand relationships differently from how our parents did?
That parents and children are losing out on their relationships; both concentrating on their short-lived desires….
That religion can now be twisted to fit our lifestyles instead of us conforming to our faith...
That stress related ailments are the order of the day; an indication of dissatisfaction..
That the person looking back at you in the mirror almost has no recollection of their originality… Image is supreme…. The intrinsic person has been wiped out.
That death visits us more frequently but yet... we still manage to live as though we shall never die.
New beginning…
\Call up your folks, go see them…
\Tell your siblings you love them…
\Love the one your with and forget the one in your head!
\Enjoy what you do... look for some hobby that fulfills you...
\Get in touch with your maker; whoever you perceive him to be.
\Look for meaning in your life!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
I am a Christian...
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,Now I'm found and forgiven.
"When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failedAnd need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Christians - By Maya Angelou
"I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,Now I'm found and forgiven.
"When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failedAnd need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Christians - By Maya Angelou
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Are you a milker or milk drinker?
Milking the Opportunity
I worked for less than six months at the factory. It was a short stint that brought me down to earth with a resounding thud. The grand designs and illusions I had concerning me and my working career came crashing down. I think God knew I urgently needed that detour. It taught me a lot about success, opportunity, advancement and achievement.
At this famous factory I met a messenger who had worked there for 17 years. I was a brand new upwardly mobile executive proudly working my way into management. This human being (the messenger) did not strike me as much of a threat - least of all as a threat to my career. At most he would have been a stepping stone. However, by and by, I came to discover, that this minor being lived in his own house 50 kilometres away, owned three manyangas (latest edition public transport vehicles) and, of course, owned a piece of land on which he kept some dairy cattle... But he was just a messenger who (in my opinion) could not possibly have any coherent ambitions in life leave alone of a corporate career.
I had serious difficulty reconciling my thoughts about this fellow and I finally gathered the courage to confront him with his obviously incongruent achievements. Meanwhile, I was driving an attractive mid-range reconditioned automobile (company loan) that was popular among young executives with an insatiable desire for petrol, lived in suitable area in town (rented house), owned a TV (bank overdraft) and a recently acquired fridge (hire purchase). I was also in the process of securing more credit to buy the latest sofa set to complete my house furnishings... Just to help you identify with my pain and internal turmoil, this fellow's (messenger) gross salary was equivalent to what I paid in tax, yet he had achieved during his career what I hoped to achieve at the end of mine.
If you were me you would need to confront this fellow in order to maintain your sanity. And of course confirm that he was not a threat to your career. I did. I caught up with him one day and asked rather cheekily; What are you doing here?... Judging from what I hear you don't need this job. What are you doing here?...What he answered me was classic. You will never get this response anywhere, except from a person with messengerial tendencies. He said....
Young man all those things out there...house, matatus, shamba and all...were born out of this job and as we speak right now I have not milked all the opportunities this job provides me. If they (management) ask me to go I will go happily. But before they do I am going to milk as much from this opportunity as I can...
The words sank deep, hard and convicting. No - this fellow was not a threat to my career. I - was a threat to my own career! I may not have worked for 17 years but I was definitely passed half way. At the rate at which I was accumulating debt I would have to struggle to reach zero before I could own anything. All the while I thought my career was advancing nicely up the corporate ranks. Instead of milking the opportunity I was busy drinking the milk. I was prospering in a manner that threatened my Personal Development.
...Do you know what is so unfair about all this? It is the fact that the "small guys" are always better at milking than the "big guys". In fact I doubt whether any of the big guys know how to milk. If a cow stood in front of a big guy he would not know what it is. How do we become so blind to opportunity!?... If I would have it this fellow was indeed a "stepping stone" to my success.
Excerpt from My First Job, ISBN9966-809-07-4 By Allan Bukusi.
Reproduced with permission get the book from Book Point Nairobi or contact mdi@mdi.co.ke
I worked for less than six months at the factory. It was a short stint that brought me down to earth with a resounding thud. The grand designs and illusions I had concerning me and my working career came crashing down. I think God knew I urgently needed that detour. It taught me a lot about success, opportunity, advancement and achievement.
At this famous factory I met a messenger who had worked there for 17 years. I was a brand new upwardly mobile executive proudly working my way into management. This human being (the messenger) did not strike me as much of a threat - least of all as a threat to my career. At most he would have been a stepping stone. However, by and by, I came to discover, that this minor being lived in his own house 50 kilometres away, owned three manyangas (latest edition public transport vehicles) and, of course, owned a piece of land on which he kept some dairy cattle... But he was just a messenger who (in my opinion) could not possibly have any coherent ambitions in life leave alone of a corporate career.
I had serious difficulty reconciling my thoughts about this fellow and I finally gathered the courage to confront him with his obviously incongruent achievements. Meanwhile, I was driving an attractive mid-range reconditioned automobile (company loan) that was popular among young executives with an insatiable desire for petrol, lived in suitable area in town (rented house), owned a TV (bank overdraft) and a recently acquired fridge (hire purchase). I was also in the process of securing more credit to buy the latest sofa set to complete my house furnishings... Just to help you identify with my pain and internal turmoil, this fellow's (messenger) gross salary was equivalent to what I paid in tax, yet he had achieved during his career what I hoped to achieve at the end of mine.
If you were me you would need to confront this fellow in order to maintain your sanity. And of course confirm that he was not a threat to your career. I did. I caught up with him one day and asked rather cheekily; What are you doing here?... Judging from what I hear you don't need this job. What are you doing here?...What he answered me was classic. You will never get this response anywhere, except from a person with messengerial tendencies. He said....
Young man all those things out there...house, matatus, shamba and all...were born out of this job and as we speak right now I have not milked all the opportunities this job provides me. If they (management) ask me to go I will go happily. But before they do I am going to milk as much from this opportunity as I can...
The words sank deep, hard and convicting. No - this fellow was not a threat to my career. I - was a threat to my own career! I may not have worked for 17 years but I was definitely passed half way. At the rate at which I was accumulating debt I would have to struggle to reach zero before I could own anything. All the while I thought my career was advancing nicely up the corporate ranks. Instead of milking the opportunity I was busy drinking the milk. I was prospering in a manner that threatened my Personal Development.
...Do you know what is so unfair about all this? It is the fact that the "small guys" are always better at milking than the "big guys". In fact I doubt whether any of the big guys know how to milk. If a cow stood in front of a big guy he would not know what it is. How do we become so blind to opportunity!?... If I would have it this fellow was indeed a "stepping stone" to my success.
Excerpt from My First Job, ISBN9966-809-07-4 By Allan Bukusi.
Reproduced with permission get the book from Book Point Nairobi or contact mdi@mdi.co.ke
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