Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Are you inspired into Action!

You know something that I most enjoy and appreciate about knowing and living true to my life purpose? It's the ability to be inspired into action.
This morning I awoke around 5:30 and lay in bed for a while listening to Matatus hooting around the leafy suburbs of Urugits(If you not updated by the latest words in Nairobi, please refer to your Sheng dictionary, I mean friends). As I lay there, I noticed I felt odd - a filling leftover from a strange dream I'd had while sleeping. As I became more conscious of the sensation, I decided I didn't want to start my day in such a strange mood, so I continue to lie there but shifted my thoughts from the remnants of the dream to my life purpose.

As I recited my life purpose statement to myself, I began to notice my mood shifting as well. How could I be purposefully, passionately and playfully be of service today?, I asked myself, then recalled what I had on my calendar -- the wonderful young people that I work with at CHRISC, the different Projects that I'm working on, the new Community Coaching Program, excitement of EAC 2011, harusi ya Kariz(thought of how many pigs will lose their precious lives) leave plans, my future family, investments and not forgetting playing soccer games where am always the top scorer(I can see some people sneering but the truth must be told) etc Within a few minutes, I found I just couldn't stay in bed any longer. The opportunity to live on purpose was simply too compelling.

Once more I was inspired into action by my life and life purpose. Now, this isn't meant to sound like am full of myself, so please don't hear it that way. I just wanted to share it with you in case you don't find yourself pulled into your life by your dreams, goals and desires. I know it wasn't so many years ago that the main thing that had me get out of bed most mornings was the need to go pee. There just wasn't anything else going on with my life that was all that inspiring or compelling. But not anymore.

Living a life on purpose is amazing, and it all starts with readiness, willingness, and yes, a commitment to clarify your life purpose so that you can begin to live true to it. So, I ask you: What action could you take this week to become clearer about your life purpose? How will you inspire yourself into action?

Monday, March 14, 2011

The value of Trust!

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.” – Samuel Johnson

I kept asking him for the documents and he would tell me he will bring them. Having failed to transact for over a year, I was a bit suspicious that he could have covered up the transaction and taken the money. And the more I asked for the documents without results, the more confident I became that there was something fishy in the whole scenario. So much so that at some point I just gave up on the issue and decided, as one friend of mine likes to put it, ‘kiorire ni kiorire’! That which is lost is LOST. The English would put it a bit differently: no need crying over spilt milk, pick up the pieces and move on.

The implications were obvious: NEVER AGAIN! My friends think am very trusting and here I was thinking that maybe I am. However I always trust people so much especially close friends/colleagues but some take advantage of this, after that it will be absolutely difficult to deal with me. Like this guy who conned me fair and square with a tall tale of how he had gotten a job to do and all he needed was a bit of cash to sort out the work then as soon as he was paid he would refund. A close friend I trust had referred him to me and so I did not question much. Only to realize much too late the fella just wanted money to pay his rent. Needless to say I have never recovered the money, but I have not seen the guy coming back to me to ask for ANYTHING. A relationship lost…

And so, as I debated with myself (something I find myself doing a lot lately … part of growing old, or is it?) as to how to deal with this guy who also happens to be "family", he called me and said he wanted to come over and see me so we can talk mundu hu mundu (man-to-man). I thought to myself, ‘finally the guy wants to confess to the fact that he used up my money’. And after failing twice, he eventually showed up at my door. Sure enough he had sold my stuff and used up the money. He had invested the money in a pyramid scheme with the hope of quick recovery and repayment, it all went down the drain. He had then resolved not to tell me until he had accumulated enough money to pay me, so thankfully, he had the money with him.

I was happy to see the money, I was sad to know that I could not quite trust him. I do not believe there is a halfway point with trust… you are either dependable or you are not. There is nothing like halfway dependable. And that is the challenge with trust… With money you can use up half and retain half. With love you could be half committal (unsure). With nearly all else, you may find a halfway point, but not with trust. And once you lose it, it is GONE! Fortunately, for most people, any time we meet a new person, we naturally give them the benefit of doubt, we trust them. Hence, there is no one who is disadvantaged in matters of trust. Each must own up to the fact that we are responsible for building or destroying trust. And in most cases, the cost of destroyed trust is a destroyed relationship. Is it worth it?

Life coach.