THOUGHT AND PURPOSE

Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority
the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such
drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction.
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles,
and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as
deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for
weakness cannot persist in a power evolving universe.
A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He
should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a
spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but
whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object, which he has set
before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its
attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and
imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he
fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is
overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this
will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose should fix the thoughts
upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may
appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and resolution and energy
be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.
The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth that strength can only be
developed by effort and practice, will, thus believing, at once begin to exert itself, and, adding
effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and
will at last grow divinely strong.
As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man
of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the
ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment;
who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and
accomplish masterfully.
Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its
achievement, looking neither to the right nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously
excluded; they are disintegrating elements, which break up the straight line of effort, rendering

it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplished anything, and
never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts
cease when doubt and fear creep in.
The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great
enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself
at every step.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every, thought is allied with
power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably
planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit, which does not fall prematurely to the ground.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force. He who knows this is ready to
become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and
fluctuating sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his
mental powers.

DONT LET URGENT THINGS OVERTAKE THE IMPORTANT THINGS

I just finished a project with a hard deadline. I turned over research and recommendations to other team members about a week ago. They crafted a slick Power Point show and flew to Hong Kong to deliver the BIG presentation.

I know I did a good job, but now I am feeling as if I have to start my life over. I am feeling depleted and a little disconnected. As much as I was very key in every decision making step, they said I keep my cool since better things are in store for me. Didn’t they shortchange me? I don’t want to care or worry so much anyway since even in that bogus research firm in Nanyuki, they did the same but they have never won a mega funding like the one whose proposal I single handedly penned. But I have learnt I have the brain, the idea and the influence. Professors, meet me at the top, all those ideas are mine.

I am sure most of us have experienced something like this. For six weeks, my entire schedule revolved around setting and juggling appointments related to this project, talking to the right people and conducting the fact-gathering work involved. I’m experiencing more than a little letdown.  For six weeks, I ate, drank, and dreamt this project.

During this time, I got into the habit of only skimming my mail and email. Needless to say, I missed a lot. I never watched TV and worked out for distraction, not for pleasure or other benefits. Even at the gym, my mind kept running through scenarios of conversations I might have with people I was trying to get a hold of. I carried on social activities with family and friends as if they were obligations, as events I had to fit into my schedule.

Even when I had a little free time, I wasn’t fully showing up. I wasn’t ready to enjoy myself. I forgot what was important to me because I became so focused on taking care of what seemed urgent. It seemed that I had put my entire life on hold and now had to go through extra work to re-assemble the pieces.

I decided to devise some strategies to help me remember what’s really important to me so I wouldn’t lose myself the next time I have a critical project. And yes, boy, I learnt many lessons…

1) Know what little things give you pleasure. Pause regularly to notice how they might be present.

I have a gratitude practice that began when I identified little things I felt grateful for, boiled those experiences down to their most essential qualities and then started practicing seeing those qualities in the present moment. I can apply a similar strategy to keeping focused on what’s most important to me.

I asked myself to recall recent situations when I felt happy about something, even something small. My list included: watching children play on the beach, trying a new dish at a restaurant (and discovering my intuition was spot on), and running my bare feet over very thick, plush carpeting. Having such a list, I can pause periodically and pay extra attention to noticing the character or joy in children’s faces as I run errands, or trying something new at the local deli during a quick lunch, or pulling a cashmere sweater over my head as I get dressed.

2) Do something creative.

I feel most like myself when I am doing something creative, when I am doing something  no one else can do, or something no one else would do exactly like me. That might be making catfish tacos for dinner, or arranging flowers, or organizing my closet. I can forget these simple pleasures when trying to put something together for a client. Here, I am trying to think about what they want to hear. In the middle of a project that seems all-consuming, I know it’s a good idea to find ways and opportunities to express myself.

 3)  Read at least 15 minutes a day (not related to work).

Have you ever been so consumed by the demands of a project that you feel you’ve lost touch with what’s been happening in the world or stopped feeding your imagination?  Sometimes, I have realized that I have gone weeks without picking up a newspaper, or reading a novel. Yet, I know these activities re-fuel me. While I expect I’d feel too guilty to hole up in a coffee shop reading all day, I know I can afford to spend fifteen minutes getting lost in someone else’s words.

4) Adopt a daily ritual.  Don’t skip a day.

Morning walks, yoga or stretching routines, keeping a journal, or taking a long, hot   shower – I have found it important to have a daily ritual. A daily ritual is usually a simple activity that is meaningful to you. It doesn’t matter what the activity is. What matters is that you do the activity faithfully; at the same time every day, or at least every day. You’ll probably come up with compelling reasons why urgent commitments should justify altering your routine, but you send yourself a more important message when you keep your promises to yourself. If you keep up your rituals, when your deadline has passed, you won’t feel like you have to gather yourself and start your life over.

5) Ask other people how they are.

While working towards a goal, I have experienced flow moments. I’ll feel hyper aware of what’s going on around me and able to see how different things are connected. While narrowing my focus, I’ve also felt isolated. I’ll convince myself that no one would understand me or relate to my challenges and concerns. It’s precisely at these times when I need to get over myself and remember my relationships. Thinking about my friends and family reminds me that I had a life before I became so single-minded and will have a life again.  I’ll make a point to make some time to ask after the people I love and listen to what’s happening in their lives.

Sometimes, we are called upon to make extra efforts to realize a goal, but it’s important not to lose yourself during these periods.

They don’t give prizes for being busy. If your goal is feeling productive and satisfied with how you spend your time, give some thought to how to stay focused on what’s important to you even while something big is consuming a lot of your attention.

Loving what you do or Doing what you love?

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
The quote states the ideal situation. It sounds pretty simple and easy but it is not. There are many different aspects related to it – money just being one. Usually what you love may not be profitable/marketable/reputable… etc. What then?
Many would argue back saying ‘’just do what you love, follow your passion and the money will follow.’’ Well maybe it will – maybe it won’t.
The inspirational examples we see are maybe just 10% of those, who quit their hated job and followed their dreams. Those 10% succeeded and became inspirational role models. What happened to the rest? Well, the rest ended up disappointed and poor.
Many truly believe in overnight success. But there is no such thing. Even if the person literally woke up and found himself successful – it is a result of many hours of hard work, persistence and determination. Everything the person has done to reach success, led him to different life events and eventually brought him to that success.
But what kept someone staying motivated? What is it that does not let us give up? What drives those 10%, who succeed at the end?
Well, here we can get back to old wise Confucius – loving what you do.
When you love what you do you are directing all your positive energy, all your dreams, your goals and your hopes to it. You no longer work for a breathless brand, which does not add any value to your development, talents and inspiration.
Maybe in order not to take the risk of being among the 90% who did not make it, it’s better to manage a transitional period by dedicating off work hours to doing what you love and saving the money received from doing what you don’t. But that’s an entirely different topic.
The thing is – once you find your passion, your calling and that one thing you’d rather be doing for the rest of your life you will not be able to avoid it anymore. The enlightenment will make you go through a paradigm shift. And then, you will definitely feel happy. Why? Well because…
Doing what you love adds purpose to your life
You found your calling and you finally know what you are here for. You have defined your life purpose and know which direction to take towards your future success.
Doing what you love brings harmony to your inner self
Now you already know why you were so miserable at your job. Once you find out about what you want to do you feel at peace. You do your best to organize your life so it does not contradict with your passion.
Doing what you love empowers you
You no longer work for someone else’s goals. You no longer work to make someone else’s dreams come true. It’s your choice, your passion and your decisions.
Doing what you love rewards
When you do something you love, you do it with all your heart and soul. This means you do it better than you do anything else. And believe me it shows. The end result gets your feelings, enthusiasm and inspiration. It shines back and attracts.
Doing what you love changes your values
At some point one inspired reader or a good review of your book will worth more to than Gucci shoes and diamond rings to you. At some point the smile of a grateful person, whom you’ve helped will make you warm inside. Many things will not matter anymore, cause what will matter most will be the thing you love doing.

THE POWER OF STARTING

There is great power in the start. One of the things I have learned is that you have to expect the unexpected. So many of us have long-term plans but life happens and we don’t turn those plans into reality.
Yes, planning is important. And remember that this day will never come again and what you do in the remaining hours of this day could move your life in a whole new direction.
For example, today is the day you could pick up the phone and forgive that person who, you know in your heart, needs to be forgiven.
Today is the day you could start getting into world-class health.
Today is the day you could pull out your journal and reflect on what’s not working for you in your life.
Today is the day you could articulate a new set of personal standards.
Today is the day you could decide to be a world-class learner.
I believe that your days are your life in miniature. As you live your days, so you craft your life. Ultimately, time management leads to life mastery.

GOALS AND YOU; A THOUGHT

1. Set realistic goals for yourself. Make a list of your top priorities each day and goals for each week and each month. Knowing what you are trying to achieve makes getting there more attainable and realistic. Make sure your goals are manageable and within reach-or you may risk setting yourself up for disappointment or burning yourself out.
2. Manage Your Time. No matter your goals, having the time allotted to work towards them is key. Being self-motivated entails setting up a daily structure and sticking to it. Promising yourself you will work on your goals from 5-9 p.m., or allotting 2 hours a day, each day, can make all the difference in making progress or slacking off.
3. Learn to Deal with Setbacks. With any endeavor, setbacks are to be expected-however, knowing that doesn’t make dealing with them any easier. Finding the line of when to start over and when to push harder is something you must find (be careful not to get too caught up in a bad idea that you can’t cut it loose when its time).
4. Think Outside the Box. Too often we set-out on new ventures or decide to really achieve a dream yet we revert back to what we know doesn’t work to get us there. The structures of confinement during the normal 9-5 didn’t work to motivate you then, so why would it now? Maybe before beginning your tasks going for a jog first helps to clear your mind. Possibly  conference calling some friends to brainstorm ideas gets you the push you need. Finding your own source of clarity and creativity is what will make success possible.
5. Keep Educating Yourself. Having to motivate yourself can get quite tiresome and secluded.  Follow updates regarding your area of interest- from current news to new white papers. Stay on top of trends and keep educating yourself to remember why you set-out to accomplish your goals. Obtaining fresh information and ideas will keep you from growing disinterested.
Becoming self-motivated takes discipline and these 5-steps will help get you to success. Remember, self-motivated people are valued-so learning to push yourself will supply you with a great asset. After you have achieved your goals and you can begin to inspire others to do the same.

SO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOURSELF EACH DAY?

If we observe the personal development industry and what self-improvement teaches us as a philosophy, it is easy to assume that the bigger part of it is self-centered. However, the core of personal development, or the idea that has been much altered and modified throughout the years suggests otherwise.
Personal development is, in a nutshell, a philosophy of living where you improve yourself in all the possible aspects you can as to be able to function and perform in relation to others, society, the “rules of the game”.
Making self-improvement too self-centered overlooks one key feature- improving yourself so you can adapt to everything else. You see, isolating from whatever it is that surrounds you can be easily as bad as it can actually help. In order to fix this self-improvement side effect there is a Jim Rohn philosophy that many people forget to take a look at.
This philosophy is likely to help you achieve everything you hope to achieve, while at the same time connecting you with other people around you. And the best thing is that it is summarized in one single quote.
“Help as many people as you can to get what they want, and you will have everything you what.”
How simple yet how deep and complex.
Jim adopted this concept from Zig Ziglar — a fellow personal development giant, who had the same mentor that Jim had — Earl Shoaff. He recalls listening to Zig almost fifty years ago being fascinated by this single quote. Once adopted as his own, he developed a whole philosophy around it.
Here is why this quote can change your life.
By focusing on others and helping them with their problems, ambitions, goals, we become increasingly aware of our own worthiness and capabilities. By helping others we have the opportunity to develop more experience in different and diverse segments in life, and we even become more self-actualized.
The second layer of this philosophy is equally simple. By helping other people we create a network of connections, all of whom having great things to say about us.
And you never know how a recommendation from some, or an extended arm in the time of need from others, can change a crucial aspect of your life. By interacting with as many people as you can to help them get where they want to be in life, you non-intrusively share parts of your story as well.
For example, if you are a graphic designer and tend to network by helping people, many of them will want to know what it is that you do and help you as well. And once they are familiar with your story, your goals, you never know where this information might end up and how big of a domino effect this might initiate.
The old stigma that good guys finish last is not working any more. It turns out that the more you make yourself useful to others the more appreciated and rewarded you become. And what strikes me the most are the words that Zig and Jim used — help as many people as you can to get what they want, and you will have everything you want.
This only implies that this concept is very scalable and can easily improve many aspects of your life.

WHY THIS RUSH FOR MOTHERHOOD AMONG MY FELLOW FEMALE PEERS? WHY?

By Abuta Ogeto

It is like getting pregnant is the most fashionable thing in town. Two years after campus, just about every other female friend I had is either knocked up, a mother or married. I mean, we are certainly not younger and for women, the mid-20s is a ripe time for marriage, but why the hurry? I am rather beset by the state of affairs in town.

I must state from the get go that I have nothing against a woman having her child or even getting married. If anything I have stated here severally that I respect a woman who opts to keep the child. Abortion is just as common. My statisticians insist that three out five women have aborted. Still their choice? May be not. For ours is a prejudiced society. Getting a child out of wedlock is still perceived as immoral and a sure sign of irresponsible and unprotected sex.

But in this case, I am little perturbed by the urgency of my year mates in campus  regarding motherhood and marriage. Back in campus a dozen chicks did get themselves knocked up and they stoically lived with it amid our prying eyes, gossipy mouths and judgmental minds. Last week I met one such who was attending her graduation, obviously postponed due to the pregnancy she incurred along the way while in campus. With her was her little pretty little daughter whom she proudly introduced to me. I was happy. Honestly, I felt a tinge of jealousy.

And since you left campus, it seems the rest moved into the bandwagon and they are now mothers. The men are still trying to find their feet in this unforgiving town. Marriage is a distant idea to them. But for women, it is understandable that 24-27 is a good time to get married, especially if they are marrying up (read yuppie or good money or even an older sober individual). If one gets to 28-34, it becomes a tricky affair, given that the baggage increases, the skepticism sets in and cynicism becomes the currency with which they transact in relationships and love matters.

But if I can confess, there is something uncomfortable when you bump into one of the prettier year mates heavy. If she was one of your Crushes, it crashes you completely. 

I disappeared to North Africa, I come back and I am standing in a bank queue, when a warm hand slithers into mine with a radiant smile. I actually didn’t have an idea what she was talking about but I presumed she wanted to skip the queue and had spotted me and wanted those around to believe that we were together. Not a bad attempt. But it was pointless. She was expectant, obviously in the final trimester and possibly with twins if the size was anything to go by.

The beauty had gone. The skin too dry and the flesh on the cheek bones completely gone. Somebody forbid. I was shell-shocked. She never looked the type who could get herself up in the daff. I was heartbroken. When you saw Samantha, the word mother didn’t cross your mind. Dutiful mistress, probably. Material girl, obviously. Gold-digger, little bit. But Mother never did cross my mind. How mistaken

could I be?

I was chagrined to say the least. And to express my displeasure, I didn’t wait for her to have any brief chat with me. I had her call my name but I ignored and walked on like I was not hearing her. See life is unfair.

There is nothing wrong in getting pregnant. It is their choice and desire. But when it is someone you know, there is something personal about it. There is an irresponsible jealousy that creeps up on you. You suddenly picture her nude getting pregnant. You hate it, if you are not the man giving it. Pardon my crudeness, but it happens and at least 99% of functional straight men feel it. There is nothing you can do about it. It comes up, you accept it and life goes on.

I really can’t get their haste. I mean I hate seeing my colleagues from campus aging that fast. And motherhood has a way of adding one or two years onto you and that inevitable fat. They make me feel so late into this fatherhood party. A couple of my male peers are already fathers. Even though I think I am late, and I could have done it a bit earlier, I don’t regret at all. She died anyway.