Step On People.

It is encouraging to see one of your favorite quotes come to life before your very own eyes. I’m not sure if this is a Chinese or African quote. It says.’’ If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go with others’’. I have quoted this here before but there’s no harm illustrating a point using the same quote. I suppose that’s what makes it powerful ama.

I’m loving the structure that the Halftime Institute has brought to the transitions that folks (mostly at 40) are going through when they start on the one-year program. It’s now clear that the wild roller coaster I’ve been going through over the last five years has been preparing me to be an effective halftime coach. The scars caused by the turmoil of trying to find the reason for my being are slowly turning into badges of honor that qualify me to help someone on this journey.

We have had two successful workshops that have been nothing short of phenomenal. The material is very well prepared and thought through. It has helped folks peel off layers upon layers of their journey up to their current state. That has given many the courage to dare to peep into this seemingly unknown and uncertain future. Going through your midlife unravelling using this material makes the mess during this life transition much tidier. Check out the poster on this blog for the next class happening on 4^th to 6^th October. I’d be delighted to see you guys there.

Early this week I met with one of my coachees just to check in on how she’s doing since our last class session together. I met Nyakio for the first time at an Engage speakers’ meeting about a year ago. We met again at Nairobi Serena Hotel about two months ago at a cocktail. As we caught up she started venting about how she’s feeling frustrated and tired of her current season of life, work and all. Like a trained police dog I immediately sniffed her out as someone whose stuck in traffic in the middle of halftime avenue. I told her to sign up for our next halftime workshop, pay and just show up without asking me any questions. She risked trusting this chap she hardly knows. I’m glad she did if our coffee date this week was anything to go by.

Nyakio has finally decided to take a huge leap of faith and pursue her dreams which are huge. She and her colleague have written a paper on forensics in a global publication that has the attention of the best minds in her field. This girl is so sharp she will easily slice you to pieces with her mind. In fact, the more I listened to her plans the less intelligent I felt.

What stood out was the way she insisted that she cannot take the jump by herself. She read the riot act to her pal whose joining her in the new outfit they want to create. It’s like Nyakio’s big move into doing her own thing was dependent on her pal joining her. She was sure this was the right partner and she just needed someone to push her out of her comfort zone. Luckily her friend obliged.

I met Nyakio through my involvement with Engage and here we are now. As we chatted I discovered that she’s a good pal with someone I’ve been trying to contact. Her pal works in Government, specifically in the Ministry of sports. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. For quite some time I’ve wanted to talk to someone in gava for insights into how that ecosystem operates. This is because of the public service future that I desire, especially in sports.

Nyakio tells me her pal is also at transitions of sorts and would do with a chat on halftime. Of course I’d be more than willing to meet with her. It’s almost like barter trade. I help her gain some clarity and she gives me 411 on the sports ministry and any available opportunities.

This felt so surreal. Like sometimes we aim for things that appear so far away yet they are right next to us. It’s exciting when our prayers are answered through the right folks appearing at the right time to help us in our life’s mission. Even better when the said folks come with the keys to the door we want opened for us. I’m yet to meet Nyakio’s pal from Gava but the likelihood of that happening have increased significantly from this interaction.

My pal Rosa calls folks like Nyakio destiny helpers. People who come into our lives already shortlisted and approved and with a very specific mandate to get us closer to our destiny. Folks may we be able to identify the destiny helpers life sends our way so that we can use them as stepping stones to the top that we seek. I think it’s safe to say that this is the only time we are allowed to step on people without them taking offense. And the reason could be because we also act as stepping stones for others at the same time. After all, lifting others up is a sure way of lifting ourselves up.