Borrowed Wisdom.

Books make you look sharp and when we read them we become sharp. I’m often asked where I get insights for some of my writings here. Well, let me let the cat out of the bag. Sometimes I’m blank even a day or two before my Friday posting deadline. But a random text, meme, chat or newspaper article can ignite a story of a thousand words. That’s how to look sharp in your writings, by borrowing others’ brains and spicing them with yours to make a delicious mental mixed grill palatable to your readers and maybe listeners too.

In 2020 my word for that year was Normal obedience. It was driven by the desire to follow through on daily tasks that required motivation because they weren’t fun yet necessary for growth. It was my way of moving when the world had stopped. I bought a small book by John Maxwell titled, Make Today Count. He says, “The secret to our success is determined by our daily agenda. You will never change your life until you change something you do every day”.

All I needed was a positive task or action daily to keep the lights on in my spirit. Life wasn’t promising much back then and it was easy to slide into the abyss. Deep down I felt there was still an assignment for me to accomplish but I didn’t know exactly how to rise. To avoid being or feeling overwhelmed I decided to just do a day at a time and this book came in handy.

A line in the introduction of the book caught my eye – You can pay now and play later, or you can play now and pay later. We have an equivalent saying in my mother tongue that says old age eats youth (direct translation hehe). I used to hear Mum referring to that long ago as she admonished us to work hard. It just sounded theoretical back then but now that line is almost making it to my WhatsApp status. It has something to do with my age now. I want to play seriously later so wacha I pay now.

I’m 50, not in old age but it’s in sight now approaching. I recently attended a leadership event where one of the speakers said that at my age I should be consolidating not taking huge risks and spreading myself thin. I agree kabisa. This quote jumped to life some years back when I was under some financial strain. I needed to come out of a fix so I shared my dilemma with Dad. I mentioned to him that I could sell some land I’d bought many years back and sort my issue but I was stressed because the land wasn’t going. We are told to buy land and wait and not wait to buy land. While that’s good investment advice the downside is that land is difficult can be difficult to convert into cash when you need it.

After venting to my mzee he responded in a way that I will never forget. He acknowledged my discomfort and then told me to be grateful I had an asset to dispose of. How much worse would it be if I had nothing to sell off to get out of my fix? That’s when I remembered years ago (in my early 30s) when he took me to buy this shamba. It didn’t mean much then. I had some extra cash and decided to do some land banking. Today that shamba has helped me immensely. My 50s are eating my 30s hehe.

John Maxwell gives us a formula for success. Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A Masterpiece of Potential. I liked Maxwell’s definition of success too. He pays a high premium on the family. True success is when those who know you the most love and respect you the most. Many of us make the costly mistake of assuming that everything else needs our input while the family will run on autopilot. May we awake from that slumber fast before it’s too late.

I like spending time with my family even when there’s no plan, just being in close proximity. I have taken them for granted often and maybe even mistreated them sometimes. But thankfully sir God has knocked me back to my senses and I pray he doesn’t stop because I can be random sometimes. Folks may we consider our families as the greatest investment we can make. And remember that when taken care of, the return on that investment will reap dividends in this life and the next. Family is a share worth investing in on the Life Stock Exchange.

Even the Russians emphasize the importance of family through a proverb: “Before going to war – pray once. Before going to sea- pray twice. Before getting married – pray three times.” If you know you know. Folks, where do you stand when it comes to your family? And what is the one thing you can do today and every day to make that successful? For me, I try to be home early on most weekdays. That’s how I’m making today count for my shark clan.

There are many more gems in that small book. Buy it to mine more treasure. I’m still curious about what you guys are reading and what lessons have jumped out for you. Please share so that I can borrow your insights for my blogs next year hehe.