A Taste Of Purpose.

Imagine you have been forced into rehab and have your first doctor’s appointment. The doctor examines you and orders tests done to figure out why you are so restless and confused. After a week you are back for your results and subsequent treatment plan. The doctor looks at you through the top of his reading glasses as if to pre-empt your reaction to what he’s about to tell you.

He clears his throat and confirms that you are addicted to living a life that is driven by passion. That indeed your job for many years has been like a hobby that earns you money because you love what you have always done. The problem now is that you are in a new season and your job (and life in general) is a drag. He therefore prescribes that you go back to dreaming three times a day in an attempt to identify your desires and interests in the new season you find yourself in. To be able to do that you have to get on a journey of probing various interests that catch your attention. In addition, you need to spend one hour three times a day looking inward to audit what your past has been preparing for your future.

I have always loved photography and last year during my self-audit (in halftime we call it low cost probe) that hobby surfaced again. I took that as a sign and probed further. That led me to join Versatile School of Photography to learn how to maximize my new canon 250D camera. Since then I have enjoyed clicking away capturing life moments, wildlife and breathtaking landscapes.

David Macharia the lead photographer and founder of Versatile also started Versatile Adventures that focuses on photography in the wild. I saw an ad on their Facebook page that offered some practical skills on wildlife photography. I quickly paid and signed up because wildlife photography is one of my favorite genres of photography.

The best time to spot the animals in the wild is early in the morning so we met at Nairobi National Park at 6am. After paying the park entry fees, we got into our tour van driven by Mercy from Big foot Adventures. She was a very cheerful lady who clearly loves her job. David Macharia rode with us carrying his huge lens the size of a mtungi. The price of that lens and camera could easily be used to secure a loan from the bank.

We were not very lucky this time round because we only spotted two of the big five. The buffalo were in plenty. And we spotted a lone lion in the bush with his back facing us. Patience is a key ingredient to success in wildlife photography. We waited for the lion to get up but to no avail, so we moved on to allow the line of vans to get close for their passengers to catch a glimpse of him. I think he was enjoying all the attention.

We drove around for a while longer then stopped at Kingfisher picnic site for a break and small chat from David as to why we were there. I learnt that He has a passion for the environment and conservation, so he decided to find a way to use his passion of photography as a tool to conserve our natural habitat. At that moment something stirred inside of me. As he challenged us to be the change we seek, it was evident that this man was living his purpose and using it to ensure that he leaves the world better than he found it.

That moment felt like the prescription the doctor gave earlier was working. Infact it felt like instant healing. The anxiety of not knowing what the future holds turned into positive anxiety of how much more I can do with the time allocated to me on this earth. I felt like I had a taste of purpose and it was much sweeter than the chicken stir fry with pili pili that I love having at Limuru Country Club.

Folks imagine how cool life would be if we took the time to identify and activate latent passions and talents that lie within us and use them in our three feet of influence. Sharon Salzberg advises, “don’t try to boil the ocean, change the world, fix everything. Instead just focus on your three feet of influence”.

I’m convinced that if we are to give a chance for what lies within us to be ignited, we shall influence much more than three feet. We may not boil the ocean but collectively we can warm it at least. I like the version of warming that David Macharia describes. He says,” we cannot build our future without mentoring others to build their own”.

David encouraged us to keep sharing our photos and engaging with one another on various photography platforms. I admired his abundance mentality. Being in the wild and marveling at all the beautiful creation makes me question if God was a photographer. Maybe he created the landscape and animals the way they are because He knew they would make for stunning photos.

I left the park that afternoon lit in my soul. I was re-energized to go for the life I desire and deserve. A life that is fueled by my giftings, passions and talents. Such a life will never run out of fuel because our passions and talents are part of our core and they live on in our deeds long after we are gone. I refuse to settle for just surviving to make ends meet. I will keep on striving towards my purpose until I land on it fully. That small taste of purpose in the park is motivation enough. I am willing to add my own warm drop to the ocean and hope that will add enlarge my circle of influence by one more foot.

Folks please don’t settle.