MENTAL SLAVERY: AMERICA'S DECISION, KENYA'S EXPECTATIONS

Barely a fortnight ago, the Americans went to their voting ballots. That was Tuesday 3rd November 2020 but it was not until Saturday the 7th November 2020 that the declaration of the man who would become the 46th president in the land of the free because of the brave was made.
Within a nictate of an eye, both the main stream and the social media platforms were filled with different headlines which permeated globally. Nonetheless, there was one among the millions of headlines that caught my attention definitely from a country south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo which happens to be my motherland.
This is how the headline read; AMERICA'S DECISION, KENYA'S EXPECTATIONS. This headline totally perplexed me and pestered me to ask myself a question; what befell a country that claims to have gained freedom 57 years ago and is to this day expecting succours from a foreign country?
A mindset that propels a 'free nation' to expect whatever kind of help from another country is a crystal-clear indication that; all we attained 57 year ago was physical freedom but our minds are still colonized. This means that we are not free indeed and that's why our deeds don't match with our profess of freedom. 

Hitherto, it's inarguably true that, the shackles that once fastened our wrists were not strong than the chains that currently impede our mind. We are just but victims of self-mental slavery. Quoting the words of the 32nd first lady of the United states of America madam Eleanor Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” we can only blame ourselves for allowing foreign nations to control our thinking. I totally agree that we were cunningly lured into colonialism but today we have consciously paved our way to neocolonialism.

In his 1980 Redemption Song, Robert Nesta Marley popularly known as Bob Marley, puts it this way; "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds." In other words, mental slavery is a self-choice and freeing from it is likewise a personal decision. The scriptures are clear on your limitations or lack of them thereof. 'I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.' Philippians 4:13 Equally if not more inspirational are the words inked by the wisest man to have ever walked on planet earth in Ecclesiastes 9:11. 'I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.' His words clearly shows that every human being  receives an equal measure of the most important and free asset in the world called TIME. The issue that marks our differences is how we manage or mismanage this precious asset called time. Time is money, spend it wisely. 
In reference to the scriptures in Hosea 4:6 'My people perish from lack of knowledge,' what most people from my motherland don't know is that foreign aid from the so called first world countries comes with strings attached. In other words, free is not free. If you wish to challenge my school of thought, you are welcome to peluse through American archives and find out the purpose of the National Security Study Memorandum or NSSM-200 commonly known as The Kissinger Report.
 As we look upon the United states of America to extend a hand of help, let's not get lost of the fact that a while back they had president Obama who we were so proud to call the son of Africa but all his presidency did was to initiate a Power Africa program with a promise of generating 30,000 megawatts of electricity in Africa by the year 2030. This meant that the seventeen years program was to generate 1,764 megawatts annually. Unfortunately, three years after the launching of the program in July 2013, the project had only generated 374 megawatts recording a deficiency of 1390 megawatts.
If we have anchored our hopes that Africa will come out of darkness to massive light via Power Africa Program of 2013, kindly let's reexamine our thoughts and free ourselves from mental slavery because, let there be light in Africa is something that United states of America can't deliver out of spontaneity and so are our other needs.

PURPOSE; THE POWER TO EMPOWER

What are the two most important days in your life? Times without number I've posed this question to my mentees where everyone gets the first answer correct and 98% errs on the second part. It's obvious that one of the most important days in your life is the day you were born because that's primarily the reason you are reading this blog. Nonetheless, the second most important day in your life isn't the day you depart from planet earth. The second most imperative day in your life is the day you realize why you were born. In other words, the day you'll find your PURPOSE. (SELF-IDENTITY)
Although different studies aren't consistent on the percentage of people who live and die having not found their purpose, the truth of the matter is; a greater percentage of human beings on planet earth are born, live and die without finding their purpose. The percentage ranges between 75%-80%. This literally means that; only 15% to 20% of the world population live a purpose driven life.
With all due respect, this isn't a matter to joke about. It's a totally disheartening issue.
This numbers are however a clear indication to why most people have continued to lead miserable and despondent lives. One of the greatest misconception about finding happiness and fulfillment in life is the present day believe that has continued to permeate like a wild fire citing opulence as an aspect that automatically renders an individual to freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Truth be told; it doesn't matter how filthy rich you become, failure to find your purpose in life will always disorient your life and deny you ecstasy. The earlier you shall know that; the purpose of life is your purpose in life the sooner you will stop equating monetary achievement with purpose realization.
In a dire need to find happiness, some people decide to marry or get married. As much as it's inarguably true that marriage is the fundamental source of happiness and fulfillment that's fostered through companionship, it's however not supposed to be the primary source of your happiness or fulfillment. Your purpose should be the primary source of your happiness and fulfillment. The fact that most people enter into marriage having not found their purpose in life which means that they don't have SELF-IDENTITY (you don't know who you are)
have tremendously contributed to marriages that can't stand the test of time where separation and divorce have become extremely rampant across the spectrum. This is a clear indication that your spouse can't give you self-identity. The reason to why purpose is also called self-identity is an implication that; finding your purpose in life is your personal responsibility. In a dire need to find happiness and fulfillment from your spouse, you fail to understand that he or she can't offer either of the two because, just like you, he or she is also deficient of both if he or she hasn't found his or her purpose in life. However, if your spouse have already found his or her purpose in life, the much he or she can do is help you find yours.
Even though happiness is a self-derived feeling, your personal decision of leading a happy life will always be a short lived glory without purpose on board. Purpose is the rationale that necessitates your present life and secures your future.
If you can't answer the question; WHO AM I which literally translates to WHAT IS MY PURPOSE, you are definitely wandering aimlessly in life without any pursuit whatsoever. Finding your purpose in life is the greatest achievement you will ever accord yourself. This discovery will not only give you SELF-IDENTITY and point your life to the right direction, it will also desist you from leading a frivolous and mediocre lifestyle, simultaneously rendering you to a dispensation of immense freedom, happiness and fulfillment and subsequently introducing you to a purpose driven life.
Regardless of you being an introvert or an extrovert, purpose gives your life a meaning and generates you enough power for self-empowerment and to empower others. As much as introverts think that their intrinsic ability to self-recharge can render them spontaneous happiness and fulfillment, the truth of the matter is; without purpose, your introvert personality will only offer inadequate gratification. This means that, finding purpose in life is an overrall need to humanity, personality notwithstanding.

SPARE ME YOUR GLORY BUT TELL ME YOUR STORY

It has been a while since I last set foot in a mathematics class. Nonetheless, I can still remember my mathematics teacher insisting to see the process through which each student used in arriving at his or her answer. In other words, we had to demonstrate the process through which the answer was realized otherwise, you were considered to have cheated.
The fact that I was highly allergic to mathematics and I still am made me to never master calculus, algebra and most if not all mathematic topics. All the same, the greatest analogical lesson I learned from mathematics is that; in life, a process is more if not equally important than the destination. In other words, it's humanly impossible to arrive at a destination having not gone through a process.
Unfortunately, the present day young generation have developed an extremely unrealistic mindset which tells them that you can wish yourself to an opulent destiny without a smidgen work input. To them I say, "If wishes were horses, beggars would surely ride."  
In my dire quest to figure out why myriad youngsters of the 21st century are so eager to lead unwarranted lavish lifestyles, I didn't have to look further than their present day number one tool of motivation or so you'd think. This tool is nothing else but the internet. In this day and age, the internet has become the forth item in the cluster of basic needs.
Even though it's inarguably true that internet technology has made the world a global village by enhancing entrepreneurship methodologies and easing communication means by replacing traditional means of communication with instant ones, I am not lost of the fact that internet technology has likewise fostered utopianism among the young generation inhibiting their ability to think that; success in life entails a progressive process rather than a mere wishful thinking. In other words; thinking is free but implementing your thoughts is demanding. 

If you are still not certain how internet technology has continued to mislead the young generation to ideal thinking that render them to utopia, here is a perfect example. In their improbable claims that their lavish lifestyles is a great way of inspiring their fellow youngsters, most  affluent youths are continuously posting their daily lifestyle on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the like. In other words, they are living their entire lives on different social media platforms.
Even if we give them a benefit of doubt and buy to their claim that posting photos of their opulent living and uploading videos of the same is purely a way of inspiring their fellow youngsters, what they are either ignorant about or don't know at all is; in matters success, the story (process) is much more inspirational than the glory. (achievements) In other words, sharing the process of your progressive stuggles that landed you to a successful lifestyle inspires me and makes me resilient in comparison to showing me how successful you are. If you are candid about being inspirational, it's worth noting that; the journey towards your success is more important than your success. While your process towards your success inspires me, your success in absentia of the process intimidates me and makes me suspicious.
On the other hand, youngsters who fail to relate well or distinguish between real and ideal posts and videos portraying opulent lifestyles from their peers tend to develop social media depression. Before you stress your mind about social media posts or videos portraying lavish lifestyles, it's very imperative to know that most of these people are either leading ideal lives of show-off while others upload videos on YouTube for lucrative purposes.
While using social media platforms for  purposes of staying connected or airing your veiws on matters of interest is perfectly okay, engaging in what I call social media surveillance, which is; browsing social media platforms to compare yourself with your peers renders you to feelings of stress, anxiety and the like. At first it seems like a harmless silent social media stalking but in the lapse of time it leads to dissatisfaction and eventually to symptoms of depression.
In this day and age, almost every one seems to have this social media persona. Once a social media user creates a perfect image of himself or herself, it becomes difficult to break away from the hype and share about the struggles he or she might be going through in life thus the need to understand that; all that glitters isn't gold.

With this knowledge well encrypted on your fingertips, kindly stop beating up yourself out of lavish ideal lifestyles of your social media friends or role models. Using social media platforms to size up your accomplishments against others will eventually render you to social media depression just like the saying; 'Comparison is the thief of joy.'

REDEFINING SUCCESS

I grew up during the days when success was associated with going to school to pursue one among the four careers namely; a teacher, a physician, a pilot or an engineer. These four professionals were deemed to be the abolition of generational destitution in any family collectively.
To substantiate my parent's claims that education was indeed the key to a blight successful future was Henry Maboki's swahili song (someni vijana) that had hijacked the crowning of the village rooster as the wakeup alarm every school day morning. At one point, the familiarity of this song had become a nuisance to me goading me to truancy.
If you have been wondering where the rain started beating us when it comes to the decades old misconception of what success is all about, look no further than the careers our parents perceived as lucrative and coerced us into pursuing them regardless of your inability. It didn't matter how talented you were in sports, how innovative you were, whether you were adept self made tech guru in the entire village or the best concerto soloist in the church choir, if your future ambitions weren't within the confines of a teacher, a physician, a pilot or an engineer, your expertise was  promptly rendered futile.
Today more than ever before, the delusion of decades ago on the definition of success as accumulation of money and material possessions has propagated to both millennials and generation Z and it seems as if it's here to stay if no immediate measures are taken to demystify this spurious belief. 

In this day and age, this biased misconception has become a total detriment across all age groups without any solution at sight whatsoever. 
To make matters worse, the already
deluded generation on the definition of success as the accumulation of material possessions has been fooled twice that;  becoming an affluent person isn't a matter of riches accumulation only, it also entails accumulating riches at a young age. This deceit has not only fostered opulence gluttony, it has likewise obliterated morality by promoting corruption in different entities in a dire need to feed the greed of instant gratification.
In a 2016 study that was conducted in East African Institute of Aga Khan University comprising 1,854 youths aged between 18-35 years, 50% said that it doesn't matter how they attain riches, corruption included as long as they won't end up in jail. In addition to that, 35% said they would give or take bribes. This study clearly shows the vast integrity anomalies prevalent among the present day young generation with a smidgen hope of a successful future if any.
Contrary to the old English saying that; life starts at forty, words like late bloomers doesn't exist among the vocabularies of the present day young generation. This is a generation that wants to graduate from school on Monday get a job on Tuesday, own an edifice in an affluent neighborhood on Wednesday, buy a limousine on Thursday, throw a lavish nuptial party on Friday and jet-off to an island for a blissful and utopic honeymoon over the weekend. No wonder the adaptation of their popular acronym; YOLO (You Only Live Once) and a phrase like; I would rather cry in a Mercedes Benz than be blissful on a bicycle.
Having been around for over four decades now, I am well versed that; success is neither dependent upon the major you pursue in school nor the riches you accumulate thus the saying; the poorest man is he whose only riches is money.
Just like the biblical words inked in the gospel of John 8:32, 'And you will know the truth and it will set you free,' my intent is to demystify the decades old misconception that ties success with monetary possessions. SUCCESS IS THE OUTCOME OF A STUDIOUS PLAN, AN ADROIT PROCESS, A RESOLUTE PRINCIPLE AND ACHIEVED SELF-ACTUALIZATION PURPOSE. Needless to say, the fact that 64% of the world population never find their purpose in life makes it easier to believe that success is purely monetary based. In a simplistic elucidation, success is nothing but;  PURPOSE FULFILLED.



 

FINDING HAPPINESS AMIDST HARDSHIPS. COVID-19 TO JERUSALEMA-19

My introductory part of this compendium is from the 1st letter of Paul to the church in Corinth. 'No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.' 1st Corinthians 10:13.
Despite the authenticity of every scripture in the holy bible from Genesis to Revelation, I am still in a total dilemma on which year to blame on matters covid-19. Should 2019 bear the blame for allowing a deadly virus to stem within its span of twelve months or should we blame 2020 for harbouring a deadly virus which the year 2020 just like myself knew nothing about. How I wish that 2020 could have totally refrained from being urshered in until 2019 had completely sorted out its covid issues. On a second thought, maybe 2020 wasn't informed that covid was airborne and highly contagious and thus a dire need to social distance itself from the year 2019, use sanitizer on regular basis, put on a face mask and to some extent a face shield.
Well, now that 2020 failed to request God to halt the sun until the battle of covid-19 was won just like Joshua did when he led the Israelite army in a battle with the Amorites, we are left with no other choice but to overcome covid-19 battle with the word of God, prayer and fasting and a total adherence to all the measures put forth by the government through the health experts and all other relevant authorities.
Since the bible says that not a single word of God shall return to Him void, (Isaiah 55:11) the scriptures in 1st Corinthians 10:13 aren't an exception. God is truly making a way out of this deadly covid-19 virus. That's why the world has found an escape route from hardships to happiness through the Zulu composed song JERUSALEMA which has seen the entire world dancing to its sublime rhythm even without a smidgen understanding of a single word in Zulu language.
Written by Kgaogelo Moagi and her vocalist  counterpart Nomcebo Zikode who also took a center stage in dancing to its tune and rhythm, the song was produced by Kgaogelo Moagi a.k.a. Master KG and was realeased on 29th November 2019 thus my title JERUSALEMA-19. Bearly one year later, the song has garnered 155 million views on YouTube and still counting.
On July 20th this year, the song was released on streaming services after going viral due to a JERUSALEMA CHALLENGE remix released on 19th June this year. Today, the song has been translated to a number of languages internationally which includes; Spanish, Swedish and Dutch among others. It has also reached number one in Belgium and Switzerland while peaking in the top ten of multiple other European countries.
While multiple YouTube videos featuring the song has garnered over 500 million views, the song has gotten every age group dancing to its tune and rhythm. From little kids to teens, young to the old, no one wants to be left behind. People from all walks of life, all professionals from men and women in blue, doctors and nurses, teachers and students, cashiers and shoppers, sick and healthy, drunk and sober, rich and poor.........and the list is endless. This is a song that have incorporated human beings of all walks of life despite their socioeconomic status, rejuvenated the long lost sense of empathy due to covid-19 and in the process, two great things are happening; the world is finding happiness amidst the hardships of covid-19 and God the almighty is being praised by all people despite the faith they profess since Jerusalema is a gospel song. The JERUSALEMA CHALLENGE is a true fulfillment of King Solomon words inked in Psalms 150:6 'Let everything that has breathe praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!'
Thank you madam Lily Kabi for your lesson on how to dance JERUSALEMA.

UBUNTU: THE LONG LOST SPIRIT OF AFRICANISM

There is a centuries old African adage that says; "Mwacha mila ni mutumwa." This translates; Anyone who abandons his or her culture becomes a slave. You can argue otherwise till cows come home but this proverb is inarguably true to this very day and age.
The word UBUNTU comes from the largest enthic group in Africa namely; THE BANTUS. This enthic group spreads from the great forests of Congo through the plateaus and savanna grasslands of East Africa, down to the Limpopo and Victoria falls and further south to the land of tata Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mendela.
In its simplest form,UBUNTU means; I am because we are. However, for those like myself who have never decided to negate our rich African culture, we well understand that the profound phrase of Ubuntu is; 'Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu' which literally means that; a person is a person through other people.
Unfortunately, most of the 21st century people especially the young generation have totally negated their super rich ancestry culture no wonder the present day immortality. In a dire need of seeking to fit in the modern digital world of technology, we have become slaves of technology and our ancestry culture that's loaded with morality is rapidly disappearing by each passing day.
If you are waiting for prophets to deliver the message of disintegration of humanity, you must have missed the memo from philosophers like Albert Einstein who once said; "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction because the world will have a generation of idiots." This prophecy though not from a prophet but from a philosopher is now at hand.
As we continue down the tragic trajectory of humanity disintegration due to vast technology that continues to turn reality into virtual and feelings into fantasy, please let's not get lost of that the spirit of UBUNTU is the only spirit of genuine friendships and longevity relationships that can rekindle the long lost rich culture of togetherness.
Kindly let's slow down on technology which enables us to connect with a thousand virtual friends but not a real genuine physical friend. I am not against technology whatsoever, my urgent concern is the need to strike a balance between virtual and reality.
I am well informed that we won't rekindle the old is gold lifestyle at a glance, nonetheless it's very imperative to understand that time is of essence because we are at the vague of getting obliterated by technology. Citing the words of Margaret Beckett; "Humankind has the science and technology to destroy itself or provide prosperity for all, but while science offers us these opportunities, science won't make that choice for us. Only moral power of the world acting like a community will.",  I don't think it can get more clear than that. ........ the choice is ours.
With those words well encrypted in our finger tips forstering us to reinvigorate the long lost spirit of ubuntu, let's not succumb to the deterrent of the saying; 'Every man for himself and God for us all,' but instead embrace the spirit of brotherhood and live by the wise words of King Solomon inked in Proverbs 17:17 'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.' By so doing, we shall portray the authentic depiction of African congeniality that is deeply inscribed in the spirit of UBUNTU: 'I AM BECAUSE WE ARE.'

SCHOOL OF LIFE

It's through attending numerous academic institutions that I can afford to construct a grammatically correct sentence or so I think. Nonetheless, all I became after years of attending various academic institutions was a literate person who became adept intellectually but totally inept integrity wise.

Even though education is an essential aspect towards acquiring intelligence, it only offers intellectual knowledge while empowerment gives you integrity subjecting you to morality and dexterity which renders you to wisdom and mental freedom. 

I don't have a  smidgen ill motive of   discrediting our academic institutions whatsoever, all that I want to bring to your attention is; since knowledge isn't a virtue, you can't count on it to become a better person or lead a purpose driven life. In other words; KNOWLEDGE IS NOT INDEPENDENT BUT INTERDEPENDENT. You can acquire all the knowledge you want but without wisdom you're life will stagnate. Wisdom begets knowledge but knowledge can never ever beget wisdom. That's why we have learned-fools but not wise-fools. Kindly seek wisdom because; The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame! Proverbs 3:35

It goes without saying that; experience is the best teacher. Although some life experiences are not worth the lesson, thus a dire need to heed to a word of caution, to a larger extent, this adage is inarguably true.

The dreadful life experiences are the so called SCHOOL OF LIFE and all the lessons offered there that will guarentee a successful future if, and only if well understood are appalling.

Nevertheless, the greatest problem that most people face is a short memory span which at times tends to be a selective amnesia. This aspect of forgetting the lesson that a dreadful life experience taught you have not only subjected many people to a state of recurring problems but have also rendered them to a life of mediocrity and affirmed the decades old defination of insanity as, doing the same thing the same way over and over again and expecting different results. 

If there is an area that we as Africans and especially my beloved Kenyans that we have and I am not sure if we shall ever learn from the repeated dreadful life experiences is the issue of voting the same corrupt and unscrupulous politicians in the name of leaders over and over again but expecting different results in their 'leadership.' The fact that they are learned with more degrees than a thermometer dosen't mean that they have a smidgen aspect of wisdom. Leadership starts with wisdom not knowledge. 

Voting these morally decayed politicians times without number proofs that the myriad unbearable inhumanity problems that have continued to permeate our beloved country is a problem of our making. With a bait of handouts amounting to a few shillings, we have continued to sell our votes just like the biblical Esau who traded his birth right with a bowl of lentil soup. 

If anything, our decades reapted mistakes is a genuine prove that; we as a nation that claims to be free aren't close to learning from the ungracious school of life even after increased destitution after every general election.

Although time of learning from the years of dreadful destitution experiences as a result of evil governance which we the citizens are guilty of voting in every five years is long overdue, the fact that we have lost numerous second chances is a clear proof that; "A second chance is only beneficial if your failure was a lesson."