Keep Moving.

Maybe I should have captioned this article “Keep Walking” so that Kenya Breweries Ltd can sponsor it. You know we are in Njaanuary so some extra coins would go a long way hehe. For the last three years, I’ve had a word to guide me through the year like a light house to a ship. We attract what we focus on. Last year my word was Manifest. The hope was that a lot of the internal work I’ve been doing will be more visible on the outside. That the lights that mulika my ideal platform will come on and I will get busy living out my unique assignment on earth of impacting many.

That plan was derailed early in the year when my Mzee fell ill in March and later passed away on the night of May 8^th last year. My word of the year lost meaning at that point and I have been busy adjusting to life without my dad since then. If something manifested then I’m yet to find out what and how. That may have influenced my happy continuous new year outlook that I shared last week. I have been in a season of just being since then. There are times in life when not having a plan is also a good plan. But not for too long.

Keep Moving is my word(s) for this year but for some reason, I was not going to make a big deal out of it. I was even considering not writing about it until a wonderful thing happened on Monday this week. Luck is defined as when opportunity meets preparedness. I feel like the bamboo tree especially since I got onto the fourth floor. It grows underground for five years then when it shoots above ground it doesn’t stop growing. That’s the feeling I got on Monday. So what happened Monday? I think it’s more of what has happened in the past that resulted to Monday the 10^th of January 2022.

I did my coaching certification in 2019. I had known for some time that I will need proper coaching skills to help me live out my mission statement – using my influence and speaking to positively impact people’s lives and communities. After my certification, I realized that I was masquerading as a coach. I was more of a mentor. In that class, I met Rina who is now an amazing financial coach. She was curious about my interest in transition as she had watched a talk I had done on the Engage platform in 2017 that she resonated with. We got chatting and in September 2020 Rina invited me to her Moneywise show on Youtube to speak about life transitions. I remember that day clearly. It was at the height of Covid and I was a full-time school teacher, principal, guardian, playmate, cook and disciplinarian to my baby sharks who were schooling from home. It was a tough time that required mental pushups to remain sane. Thankfully we made it through.

I left home for the recording at Rina’s office. I later found out that my kids decided they will have a long break and play. Their excuse? the internet went. As if I had left with it in my pocket. Strangely my reaction was laughter when I got back home. It was a good decompressing session and we resumed class in the Lucas Group of schools that afternoon hehe.

We had a good conversation with Rina and I got a few calls thereafter then all went quiet. But the internet never forgets not does it go away as my kids tried to outsmart me. Last month this lady inboxes me on LinkedIn. Tatu Gatere runs an amazing outfit that equips women from humble backgrounds with building (and life) skills and helps place them into the construction marketplace so that they can use those skills to do good work and live a decent livelihood. She had come across my chat with Rina online and stalked (read – followed nicely) me on LinkedIn.

She wanted us to connect and talk about coaching. Again I’ve been updating my LinkedIn profile continuously in an attempt to attract coaching, photography and board opportunities. Folks, there is someone out there looking for you but maybe you are doing life nyuma ya tent (in private). Put yourself out there and show the world what you can do. It will then just be a matter of time before someone knocks on your door or better still they want you so badly they climb in through your window to get you.

We had a good chat with Tatu. I got to understand what she was looking for and I felt I could help her. That was my last kazi conversation of 2021 as it was a day or two before Christmas. We agreed to meet in the new year to plan the way forward. We did meet last week. She was even more impressive in person than on the phone. I like the magic that happens when we meet (or become) destiny helpers to folks seeking greatness on their journey. It’s impossible not to want to partner with them in making the world a better place.

She wanted me to speak to her management team on Monday as they start the year. The topic was on imagining the future through transition. I was anxiously excited as I drove to her premises in the morning. I got there an hour earlier than agreed and was given a guided tour of the facility. I was sufficiently impressed. Always go earlier to an engagement. It helps calm the nerves and you adjust to the surroundings.

The team was full of positive vibes. Young (and not so young) folks eager to learn and maximise the year ahead both at a personal and professional level. We had a great time, plus the food was good haha. It was time well spent and I also learnt a lot from my fellow speakers. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2022 and look forward to the work we will do together with Tatu and the Buildher team.

I’m amused at how a series of events done well over time led to this moment. The lesson is two-fold for me. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it well and to the best of your ability. Secondly, keep looking for opportunities to do good you even when they seem not to pay off at the onset. Something will give.