Daily Dose of Inspiration

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. 

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”

― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life

Daily Dose of Inspiration

''Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you greater than any obstacle.''

-Christian D. Larson

The Ritual of the Spoken Word(An excerpt from the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari)

This is a ritual about self affirming mantras. A mantra is nothing more than a collection of words strung together to create a positive effect. They could be said aloud or written. Repeating a mantra aloud has a wonderful effect on the spirit. When you need to feel motivated, repeat those self reassuring words. For example ‘I am inspired, disciplined and energized' out loud several times. To maintain the supreme sense of self-confidence you can cultivate, to repeat, 'I am strong, able and Calm.’ Whatever positive feeling you want to derive, create a mantra for it and say it aloud.

The ritual reminds us that we are what we think about all day long. We are also what we say to ourselves all day long. If you say that you are old and tired, this mantra will be manifested in your external reality. If you say you are weak and lack enthusiasm, this too will be the nature of your world. But if you say that you are healthy, dynamic and fully alive, your life will be transformed.

You see the words you say to yourself affect your self-image and your self-image determines what actions you take. For example, if your self-image is one of a person who lacks the confidence to do anything of value, you will only be able to take actions which are aligned with this trait. On the other hand, if your self-image is one of a radiant individual who is fearless, again, all your actions will correspond to this quality. Your self-image is a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

 Hence create those positive mantras around your life to realize great transformation.

Money Management 101 For 20 Year Olds

Money Management 101 For 20 Year Olds

The Heroes in Our Lives

This is a tribute to my paternal grandmother. An 87year old woman who has survived all the heartaches life can possibly give to one soul. When people talk of icons, then she is one in my life and the lives of her children, grandchildren and great grand children. Born after World War 1, she has seen it all.She was a wife,a mother,a freedom fighter and has been the family pillar.

She is a survivor, a hero, a legend

She survived the 1^st and 2^ndworld wars

She survived the African Kikuyu tradition (remember she is a woman)

She survived jail term as a freedom fighter

She has been a widow since I was born

She has survived the loss of her children

Survived many illnesses, hunger and poverty

Indeed she is a survivor, a fighter and a hero.

 When she tells her story,it brings out her resilient spirit that I believe keeps her alive to date. She is a very entrepreneurial woman, despite her old age she always has something to sell: bananas, pumpkins, milk, coffee, firewood, goats; she never sits to wait for help.She has been a leader in the community, the church,the family,women groups;none of us matches her energy and strong will.

We celebrated Heroes’ day (Mashujaa day) recently and indeed we had a real one in her as a family. This woman works magic, in her wisdom she actually managed to gather all of us her descendents together for a meal she prepared for us. Imagine the nostalgia of seeing family you have not seen in the last ten years, seeing new members born in the recent years, we actually had to introduce ourselves to each other.

This woman had a gift for all of us;Cash awards to us her children;imagine having a grandmother whose generosity is beyond measure, you would expect us to be the ones given her gifts and money! Before I digress, for being a freedom fighter (Mau Mau),the British government recently compensated them and she received a cash award.This is the money she actually went out of her heart to share with us.She is not only a real hero but a generous soul to the core.Above all she holds family values highly and I hope we,her descendants will live her legacy.

I celebrate this woman,ooh I am actually her namesake and I pray that she is here longer so that we can learn much more from her.

''I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’’ Christopher Reeve

Rituals of Radiant Living:The Ritual of Music. (Excerpts from the book The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari)

This was a surprise for me, radiant living through music! Come to think of it I love my music. I happen to sit in an office alone and trust you me my radio is always on, I work listening to music. Music soothes my soul, keeps my concentration on and calms my nerves.

The ritual calls us to never forget the power of music. To spend a little time with it every day, even if it is listening to a soft piece on a cassette while you drive to work. When you feel down or weary, play some music. It is one of the finest motivators known. Music will give you spiritual boost; it will make you laugh, and dance, medicine for the soul and heart.

Vent,Let Go,Heal

I wanted to write about disappointment, I wanted to vent, this one gal who for now I got to see every day makes me feel like crying. Because I have looked for explanations as to why she ignores me I found none. This was the most serious, genuine, real, true friendship I have formed in the recent past. I am that introvert who makes few friends; a friendship means a lot to me ,when it ends it’s normally very devastating.

Looking for a way to get over it. I realized I needed first to vent, let it out and then let go and heal, and what better way than these quotes:

“Nobody likes being alone that much. I don't go out of my way to make friends, that's all. It just leads to disappointment. ” Haruki_Murakami

“It was one of those times you feel a sense of loss, even though you didn't have something in the first place. I guess that's what disappointment is- a sense of loss for something you never had.” 

 Deb Caletti, The Nature of Jade

“If you're betrayed, release disappointment at once. By that way, the bitterness has no time to take root.” Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut

“Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.” Eric Hoffer

“Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment help us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments — but all of this is transitory it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.”

 Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

“There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments, but you have to prepare for that, you have to expect it and be resolute and follow your own path.”  Anton Chekhov

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.” 

Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

“But there were worse things than disappointment, and I'd lived through several of them already.” 

 R.J. Anderson, Ultraviolet

“Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.” Eliza Tabor Stephenson

“We heal up through being loved, and through loving others. We don't heal by forming a secret society of one - by assessing about the only other 'one' we might admit, and being doomed to disappointment.”
― Jeanette Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

“I think people would be happier if they admitted things more often. In a sense we are all prisoners of some memory, or fear, or disappointment - we are all defined by something we can’t change.”
― Simon Van Booy, The Illusion of Separateness

The Ritual of Early Awakening :( Excerpts from the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari)

This is another excellent teaching under Radiant Living as explained by Robin S. Sharma.It gives importance to rising at sunrise and starting ones day well. The teachings note that most of us sleep more than we need to while all we need is six good hour sleep to be healthy and alert.Sleep is a habit hence we have the ability to train ourselves to sleep less. While we might look at less sleep as a deprivation this ritual notes that pain is often the precursor to personal growth, thus we should not dread it rather embrace it.

 What is important is the quality of sleep not the quantity. It is better to have six hours of uninterrupted deep sleep than even ten hours of disturbed sleep. The whole idea is to provide your body with rest so that its natural processes can repair and restore your physical dimension to its natural state of health, a state that is diminished through the stresses and struggles of daily use.

 The teachings go father to explain that the ten-minute period before you sleep and the ten-minute period after you wake up are profoundly influential on your subconscious mind. Only the most inspiring and serene thoughts should be programmed into your mind at those times.Before going to bed avoid watching news or  getting into an argument or even going through the day that was,rather relax,drink a cup of herbal tea, if you like,listen to some soft classical music and prepare yourself to drift off into a rich, renewing slumber

When awaking, the fundamental principle to keep in mind is the importance of starting your day off well. Think positive thoughts.Give a prayer of thanks for all you have.Work on your gratitude list.Listen to some great music.Watch the sun come up, or perhaps go for a quick walk in natural surroundings if you feel up to it. A positive way to start a day .William James said, 'We don't laugh because we are happy.We are happy because we laugh.' So start your day on a delightful footing. Laugh, play and give thanks for all you have. Every day will be an exquisitely rewarding one Remember when you live every day as if it was your last, your life will take on a magical quality.

I love the way the Rituals of Radiant Living are encompassed on forming habits.Humans are creatures of habit and what meaningful living if the habits we form in our lives are about radiant living.

Do Something about It

Taking action in our lives around the things that shape our being is very satisfying. The simple fact that you are doing something about the things that matter to you brings joy, it’s that first step to living a happier life, the first step to achieving those goals and dreams we set for ourselves.  
Health: when you step on the weighing scale and it shocks you! You visit the doctor for a check up and he says you gotta stop eating! Talking from a personal experience here, recently I visited the doctor and my concern being consistent weight gain and since am on meds I was seeking advice on what I should drop or what to do about the weight. The doctor left me no choice, these meds are my life line all he said was, Mary stop eating! Not in the literal here but he told me I had to loose weight by managing my meds and my eating habits. I am happy now, not that I have achieved my target to loose 16kilos but because I am actually doing something about it, being on a healthy diet and walking regularly and its paying dividends.

Career: A career is a chosen pursuit, what we wake up every day looking forward to, and I am not talking about that job you are stuck in because you got to pay your bills, that other thing you do that is your purpose here. I am currently on career transition, I got a day job but that is not my career. I am happy that I have engaged a career coach towards my next level, I want to inspire lives through my daily life, I want to be a life and career coach, I want to be a recruiter because I believe we are all good and meant to do something we just need to find it and we will be home.

Family: I got a family, me and my daughter and my siblings. Imagine how blessed I am, I have the joy of living with my two sisters and a nephew I have brought up since the day he was born. Recently I had been holding a grudge towards my father; he refused to take an offer we his kids offered him. But I realized that this was drawing me far way from him and I came to a decision that I will call him regularly not for a specific thing, not to nag him any more but to keep in touch in a bid to rebuild that strained relationship. Remember in life we do not have these people around us forever, you’ll never know how much they mean to you until the day they are no longer beside you

Relationships: My focus here is those relationships other than our families. Recently I got acquainted to a man I have admired for at least three years.We are together now, persistence paid off, when I wanted to give up I would write that last message and Alas he was also thinking about it and we are on.

Finances: We all are want financial independence. If you Google this term there will be as many solutions and strategies as there are successes and failures in this area. What I have learnt is to have a personal strategy and implement it peace meal and as time and years go by you will realize how much portfolio you will have build along the way. There is never enough money to save, not enough for that big investment but it can be done when we look at the big picture and make personal small sacrifices.

At the end of the day the adage when you do not plan you plan to fail stands. Do something however little about those things that model your life. That step/action taken everyday gives us the motivation to pursue the big dream.

“When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.” Chinese Proverb