The Tyranny Of The Next Thing

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There is a lie that humans tend to believe. That life will get better when we get the next thing. It could be the next job, the next house, the next car, the next big thing. The lie says that if only I could get this other thing, then my life will be much better.

Life is about moving forward and making progress. And true we have to keep aspiring and reaching out and getting the next thing. But when you are at it, don’t get caught up in the tyranny of the next thing that steals away the joy of the present and that postpones life’s delicacies to tomorrow.

God Is Our Life-Building Facilitator

I am a team building facilitator. My job requires me to coordinate experiential learning processes for teams. My role as the facilitator is to provide a safe (physically and psychologically), supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere, in which participants try to accomplish tasks beyond their self-imposed limitations.

So when a team contacts me, we do a need assessment that guides me in formulating activities and a program for them. These needs are the things that are hindering the team from performing as a team and achieving more. The activities are supposed to produce learning points in line with the needs identified. 

So as I set those challenges for the team, I have in mind what the team needs are, I have in mind what this activity seeks to achieve and I have the confidence that the team process as they do the activities, will produce the required lessons for them. The only way to assimilate the lessons from an activity is through what we call a debrief. The team sits back and starts reflecting on their process, analyzing their feelings, analyzing their actions and their responses and articulating their learning points.

When I was thinking about my work, I started thinking about how God is our life building facilitator. He know the things that are hindering us from achieving our purpose and call. And so everyday he sets challenges for us, knowing that our processes will produce learning points that if assimilated will make us a better people, able to do life as He wishes. And as much as we might feel as if a challenge is impossible, (just like my teams do all the time), when I engage with him and allow him to facilitate me, He guides me through my processes until I manage. He also knows our self-imposed limitations and He wishes we could break those limiting barriers and be the people He created us to be.

Unfortunately, we don't see it that way. Some of us shun away from challenges, some of us are not focusing on becoming better and others are prisoned by their self imposed limitations they can hardly do a thing. They are slaves.

But God is our Life Building Facilitator. Let us learn how to allow him to guide us through life, to teach us thing through our process and to trust him that though he sets ahead of us challenging things, he know that we can surely do it. 

And yeah, you must make it a habit to always do a debrief with God. Take time everyday to reflect on your learning points and allow those lessons to become part of you.

Kenya28Feb – Kenya Stands United

Today the grand coalition government is celebrating three years since the signing of the peace accord. Kenyans everywhere are connecting to stand as one people, one nation, one country and one Kenya. On 28^th Feb 2011, at 1300hrs EAT, Kenyans are being urged to stand up and sing the national anthem wherever they will be, just as a sign of standing united for Kenya.

Sometimes I imagine if I were the president what would I do to make the difference? To be honest, I am not sure. Power has a way of intoxicating people and its wine tends to madden their minds. For some reason, the political system in this country has a way of swallowing even the best of souls and within no time, someone who was vocal and keen on true progress either becomes all of a sudden quiet, or they join in and start sing their song.

I get encouraged when I see the people themselves taking charge and deciding to do something. The problem is, are we any different? When we speak of change what do we mean? Do we mean a change in our lifestyles when we get power? Or do we mean a change of ideologies and philosophies? Or do we mean it’s time for us to eat? Or are we just tired and jealous of the old folk? What is it that is driving us to change?

Great leaders are servants. They are keen on serving the people, making life better by fighting for peoples’ rights, enhancing equality and empowering the people. Hardly do we see that nowadays. Even when we change people in leadership position we tend to have the same problem recurring. What do we do?

I think we need to deal with the system. Our current system tends to focus on positions. So as young people we think that we can only bring change to this country if we had political positions of leadership. And as much as those positions have influence on what happens in this country, we must start shifting our mentalities from positional leadership to influential leadership.

We are leaders in different capacities. First it starts with leading ourselves. How are we managing ourselves? Within our circles what kind of influence are we making? Within our families what difference are we making? In our business and organizations what do we stand for? For example when we talk about corruption, how incorruptible is your character? If we are not doing the right things where we are now, we are only lying to ourselves and others when we say we could bring change if we got into power.

Secondly, we should focus on bringing positive change with what we have right now. We can’t keep talking about leaders of tomorrow, or someday when we get there. No. We have to start doing something right now, with what we have. And if we keep moving in the right direction, nothing is impossible.

One of my life dreams is to do social and public campaigns that seek to empower the local mwananchi so that they can be able to influence their destiny and the destiny of this nation. I know we have a long way to go, but do not be deceived, you have no idea what can happen in a week or in a month. I guess if you have been following news you can agree with me.

And so, today as we sing our national anthem let it be a prayer and a commitment to making a difference in this nation. We have work to do, but it starts with where we are and who we are. Let us keep moving, let us move in the right direction.

Do I love my neighbor?

Today, I find myself wrestling with various thoughts on life. I find myself comparing the way life is lived out around me, and how I long for it to be something more. So many people live life under the constant pressure to keep up with those around them. It could be something as small as putting food on the table, and paying the electric bill, or it can be something that makes it looks like you have it going on, by having the best clad, or having the newest phone.

One of the things I find intriguing when I meet new people is that people sometimes get self-conscience when you ask them, "what do you do?" The question is vague on purpose because I like to hear what the person will say. Must responses quickly go to occupations? Others will talk about what they do in school or various other community activities. There are some people who have no problem with the question and give the quick response of their job title, there are those who dance around the question. They feel it is important to give a preliminary comment that either implies a discontent with the job or that it is just a temporary thing. For some this insecurity comes from the fact that their current job is not what they got their degree in, while others feel their job is less important than other occupations. Plus there are others who struggle with feeling that they are overqualified or under appreciated at their current employment.

To sum up my random thoughts here, I think what is at the heart of these reflections can be found in James. In the book of James, the author encourages us to put action to our faith. In James 2:14-17, we are challenged to meet the needs of those around us. "if a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warned and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself."

In our busy lives, we must not forget to live out our faith. There is nothing wrong with having nice stuff, and buying things that you like. But if we forget about the needs of those around us, and aren't willing to sacrifice a little of what God has given us, how can we expect God or others to do same for us. As the body without the spirit is dead, and faith without deeds is dead, so also we become dead when all we look only to our own needs.