My life in a nutshell

My roots are firmly embedded in Kenya,  my beloved motherland indeed. This is a splendid country along the equator, south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo. Even though I was born in Enkare Nyrobi (a place of cold water) which goes by the name Nairobi, I grew up in the plateaus of Mt Kenya and experienced all the congenial beauty that came with the life of a village boy those old good days.
Since my parents were extremely conservative Christians, they decided to keenly adhere to the proverbial wisdom of king Solomon inked in Proverbs 22:6, 'Start your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not depart from it.' Out of my parent's total regard to this scripture, I was brought up in an ascetic Christian faith from my childhood. The intense exposure to the word of God, its relevance and significance in my life from my formative years aided me not only to commiting my life to Christ as a junior in high school but also in finding my purpose later on in life.
In pursuit of what I then perceived to be my trajectory towards a successful future, I enrolled in a hospitality institute soon after graduating high school. Upon completion, I secured a job in Eden Roc Hotel in Malindi which is a coastal town in my motherland. The fact that I had a career and a job didn't serve my deficiency of my purpose in life and rob me my happiness thereof. 
Although I had developed an extremely great passion in service to humanity during my teenage years through volunteering in different non- governmental organizations whose cause was service to humanity, like the biblical Moses who gave numerous mere excuses to why he wasn't adept in leading the Israelites from captivity, my calling to a noble cause of service to humanity as my purpose in life wasn't something I was willing to adhere to. My resistance to my purpose subjected me to act like Jonah who upon being called to go to Nineveh became defiant and began a voyage aboard a ship that was sailing to Tarshish.
In my own superficial perception, my relocation to the land of the free because of the brave was a matter of pursuit for the so called greener pastures little did I know that God was still pursuing me to adhere to my purpose in life. After my defiance that saw me waste not only my resources but also my youthful years, I finally believed the truth of the scriptures in Romans 8:28, 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' That's when I became subservient to God's purpose in my life and subsequently founded Y.E.S. FOUNDATION to help me in the fulfillment of my purpose of service to humanity. 
Through this non-profit organization, we have continued to transform young lives in Kenya through our numerous programs and my dire need to establish a youth empowerment center in my motherland is taking shape. To an extent, my purpose entails motivational speeches through an online radio where I host a radio show namely; Moral Compass. I am also an author of self-help books which are informative, motivational and inspirational. I am not ignorant that my academic pursuit in psychology have played a major role in my purpose, all the same, my insatiable desire to transform one life at a time from an inferior mindset that continues to foster mediocrity and indigence in the society is what makes the whole difference in my life. My holistic experience in my purpose driven life has taught me that; You can only enjoy life to the optimal not through accumulation of material possessions and opulence but only by finding your purpose in life and subsequently living a purpose driven life.  

Today more than ever before, I can boldly attest to the truth behind the words of Mahatma Gandhi; “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Indeed, service to humanity is a fulfilling purpose that can help you realize that you are not defined by your existence but by the efforts that forster your intrinsic ability of empathy and sympathy rendering you to a philanthropic cause which altogether reflect egalitarian as the most essential and virtuous part in humanity. That's my life in a nutshell.
www.yesnelson.org

Who owns your mind?

First and foremost, I would like to demystify the misconception that has continued to permeate in our beloved motherland that the peace that we have continued to enjoy after the 2017 general elections is totally because of the 9th March 2018 handshake between Mr president and Mr Raila Odinga. Such a biased mentality is a crystal-clear indication of how ignorant we are about Jehovah-Shalom, our God who provides us with abundant peace.
Last week, I wrote a blog which was published on the Friday 11th December 2020 edition of MT KENYA TIMES newspaper and I also shared the blog on my Facebook page. The title of the blog was; COMMONSENSE: FACT OR FICTION? After a long philosophical study on what most people perceive to be commonsense, I came to a conclusion that; Although commonsense isn't fable, it's an illusion whose dependency impedes the use of conscious mind and the force of reason, and subsequently robs you a substantive efficiency and efficacy in your decision making. 
With that understanding, you can now tell why the proponents of the BBI have times without number claimed that this document dosen't need critical thoughts or substantive reasoning but commonsense. According to the duo and their zealots, the content therein is just but a matter of commonsense which needs no perusal. Their claim that there isn't adequate time to keenly peruse such a critical document whose 'purpose' is to amend the laws that will be governing us henceforth, and their suggestion that this document dosen't need our conscious thoughts aids us in understanding the true meaning of the saying, 'The devil is in the details.'
Unfortunately, and without any ulterior motive, most of my fellow beloved citizens don't own their mind. That's why we are easily lured into their deceptive ideas that are only aimed at feeding their enormous greed of power and opulence. They have totally brainwashed our minds that we are always ready to agree on everything they suggest to us without posing any question (s) whatsoever.
They keep telling us that the reason to why we always experience post-elections violence is because of the so called; Winner takes it all policy. However, we all know that this is a total lie. The real reason behind every post-elections violence is lack of conceding when one loses an election. Nonetheless, let's for a moment disregard our cognitive abilities because by the look of things, we are totally brainwashed to a point that we no longer own our minds and that's why we find ourselves agreeing with their fallacies. It's inarguably true that we have made them our demigods. Now more than ever before, I can totally understand the sense behind the song by King Kaka; 'Wajinga nyinyi,' which directly traslates; we are fools.
You can argue it otherwise but by the look of things, we are indeed fools. Why do we keep worshipping them and addressing them with titles like honorable when they don't hold a single moral character worth an honor? Why do we keep voting them into positions of 'leadership' after their cruelty acts of embezzling our money? Why do we keep agreeing with their selfish ideas whose only objective is to feed their greed and ego? Without any doubt, we are their enablers who keep rewarding their scandalous acts election after election thus a need to blame none else but ourselves. 
It's inarguably true that we all need a nonpartisan electro body that can conduct credible elections where transparency and accountability will be the objective. All the same, we likewise need individuals who clearly understand that; In every election, there must be a winner and a looser and, while the majority have it their way, the minority have their say and live to try another day.
Among the 13 chapters proposal in the BBI, the most irking and a total absurd proposal that will add an extremely heavy financial burden on our already impoverished lives is the increment of 70 MPs and expanding the executive. On top of the already existing state loans amounting to 6.2 trillion Kshs and a wage bill of 795 billion Kshs annually which is 48.1% of the national revenue, additional seats in the parliament will increase the wage bill with 49.7 billion Kshs annually five additional executive positions notwithstanding. 

Kenya is deficient of servant leadership but have surfeit of narcissistic politicians who have continued to extort public funds in a dire need to feed their insatiable greed. The claim that the expanded executive is for the purpose of equal representation is just a fallacy. This is another plot to continue impoverishing Kenyans so that we can continue to bow down to them for handouts, ironically from the very monies they embezzle from us. If Kenyans were enjoying effective service delivery and great livelihoods, no one would bother to know the ethic tribe of the president or whether he or she hails from a dynasty ancestry or not.

Political ethnicity and post-election violence solution will neither be realized from expanded executive nor will it happen through over representation, it can only arise from servant leadership which is; Intentionally having the interests of beloved Kenyans at heart and a relentless will to fulfill them without favor or bias. This will necessitate effective service delivery and simultaneously ensure that the needs of ordinary citizens precedes the greed of most if not all politicians. 
While the additional proposed seats comes with huge salaries and all manner of allowances which are never ever delayed or denied, members of medical fraternity, doctors and nurses included, spend more days on the streets picketing for unpaid salaries and deplorable working conditions than they do in hospitals.
Saying that our medical personnels are holding the government hostage because of striking due to unpaid salaries and lack of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) especially during this covid-19 pardemic doesn't only demonstrate the highest level of ignorance and insensitivity towards our dear medics, it likewise shows how the so called 'leaders' are out of touch with reality and humanity towards medics who have continued to relentlessly sacrifice their lives on the line of duty without getting their salaries on time from a government that continues to spend tax payers money illegally on BBI whose aim is to benefit a few chosen elites but lacks the audacity to pay the salaries of our medics who unfortunately happens to be UNSUNG HEROES in the society. This is a crystal-clear indication of failed leadership, money squandering and misplacement of priorities.
My fellow beloved Kenyans, ahead of us lies a great challenge that will determine whether each one of us owns his or her mind or we are just physically free citizens but mentally enslaved sycophants who are readily willing to submit to their egocentric beliefs which totally disregards the dire need of egalitarianism, altruistic and servant leadership in our beloved motherland. 

In his proverbial wisdom, king Solomon inked these scriptures; 'The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.' Proverbs 22:7 My question therefore is; Will we give them another opportunity to continue enriching themselves with our tax money so that they can continue to rule us or, will we be valiant enough to say like Job; "What you know, I also know, I am not inferior to you. Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God. You, cover your ignorance with lies; you are all worthless physicians. The wisest thing you can do is to keep quiet and listen to my argument." Job 13:2-5 

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul poses a very intriguing question whose answer renders not only a solution but also an inspiration. "Were you a slave when you were called?" Don't let that worry you, but if you can win your freedom, by all means take the opportunity. 1st Corinthians 7:21

While this blog might have motivated your inspirations towards your freedom, don't be ignorant of the truth that; He who owns your mind owns you, and he who owns you controls you, and he who controls you determines your destiny. Nevertheless, an informed decision to recoup your mind is within the force of your cognitive reasoning.

Commonsense: Fact or Fiction?

Use your common sense.' I've lost count on how many times this phrase have crossed my ears since my childhood and I am certain you aren't an exception. Nonetheless, I beg to differ with the definition of commonsense as the knack for seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done. My question therefore is; what is the universal threshold of seeing things as they are or doing things as they ought to be done? Giving this definition a benefit of doubt is equally asinine noting the recurrent reminders that beg the use of commonsense in day to day life?
In my dire quest to find an answer to this extremely intriguing question, I decided to ignore the delusional commonsense idealism and opted to think deep to my question. We can all agree that human beings are created equal but with disparate physical and mental abilities. Since our sight or deed is a matter of perception through a thought process, the fact that the mind analyses and interpretes our thoughts differently which in essence is the application of paradigm shift (fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions) is a clear evidence that commonsense is just but a delusion.
A majority of the present day problems are as a result of a total disregard of divergent perceptions and assuming that; when people encounter similar experiences in life, their interpretation pertaining these experiences should be the same. Whenever your perception towards what might seem to be a simple issue is in the minority list, individuals in the majority list tend to think that you don't possess commonsense. The truth of the matter is: you are just different.
By now, most people are asking themselves; "If indeed commonsense is irrational, what  facilitates efficiency in human relationships and habitual life in general?" Here is the answer to this very vital question. Both innate wisdom and acquired wisdom makes wonted human life viable. The fact that King Solomon asked God to give him wisdom is a clear indication that innate wisdom isn't enough by itself thus a dire need to seek for more wisdom. (Acquired wisdom) The two ways to obtain acquired wisdom are; adhering to the teachings from the counsel of the wise and also the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 9:10)
On the other hand, efficiency in anomalous matters of life requires reasoning where both wisdom (intelligence) and knowledge (integrity) are extremely essential towards a fierce deliberation for sake of viable decisions. This deliberation is called 'soul searching,' because a human being's soul is made up of the mind and the heart. While wisdom is an independent virtue on wonted matters, there must be an interdependence between the mind and the heart for viable solutions to the realized.
What most people perceive as commonsense is what I call 'assumption of commonality' which disregards the importance of conscious thinking and simultaneously dismisses the significance of diverse perceptions. Infact, a person who labels someone as an inferior claiming that, that person lacks commonsense totally disregards the intricacy of humanity which states; we are all created equal but with different physical and mental abilities, thus the depiction of human diversity
If you develop a trend of subjecting each and every life occurrence to a conscious thought process no matter how minor the issue is, you will always enjoy the outcome rendered by your conscious mind and you will surely have the force of reason in the realization of the truth behind the saying; 'Intentional thinking is the mother of viable decisions.'

Unity for Opportunity: United States of Africa

My fellow beloved Africans, I come to you in the true spirit of Ubuntu and Pan-Africanism. As I extend my great and neverending love of my mother continent to you, I am neither oblivious nor lost of the fact that just a few decades ago, we were subjugated by the despotism of seven different European colonizers who adulterated our rich African culture, stole our land and disoriented our unity by partitioning our mother continent with their colonial boundaries. As if that wasn't enough, they brainwashed us to thinking that our indigenous languages were not good enough thus the dire need to learn their languages and make them our nation languages. It's for our own benefit that we forgave them even without any apology whatsoever but we shall never ever forget their heinous acts against humanity.
All the same, I am well versed that; continued lamentation about the atrocities that were meted against us for decades is just but an obstruction towards a blight and promising future. I thank God because their wishful thinking and malicious intentions of subjecting Africans to tyrannical rule to eternity was just but a short lived glory.
Even though their colonial boundaries that subdivided the great continent of Africa into 55 countries are still in existence to this day and age, and we are still speaking their languages, I totally believe without any shadow of doubt that the day of United States of Africa is more closer than it was when great Pan-africans like Nelson Rolihlahla madiba Mendela delivered his first international speech on 3rd February 1962, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When Kwame NKrumah gave the inaugural address of OAU (Oranization of Africa Unity) on 25th May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And much more closer than 29th July 1987 when Thomas Sankara gave a speech at the summit of OAU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or when Colonel Muammar Gaddafi proposed the formation of United States of Africa and the introduction of one common currency thereafter which to his suggestion would be the gold dinar and when Paul Kagame emphasized on the dire need of intra-African trade on his 21st March 2018 speech during the launch of African Continental Free Trade Area in Kigali, Rwanda. 
The fact that some of these true legends and loyal sons of Africa didn't live to see the United States of Africa dosen't mean that their dreams were futile. In the very words of Martin Luther king jr. during what became his last speech, before he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on 4th April 1963, "I've been to the mountain top and I've seen the promised land." "I may not get there with you but I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land," I truly believe that dreams of our departed and living Pan-Africans will soon become a reality. The baton is now with Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, President Paul Kagame, Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba popularly known as PLO LUMUMBA, Julius Sello Malema among others, who are very loyal and true to the cause of unity that will beget United States of Africa.
On the other hand, with the formation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) on 21st March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda making AFCFTA the largest free trade area in the world in terms of the number of participating countries, Africans are highly optimistic of an economically stable continent because AFCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade by 52 percent by the year 2022. No doubt whatsoever that Africa is headed to the right direction.
More to that, the establishment of African Union Agenda 2063 with an aim of delivering on its goal for inclusive and sustainable developments is likewise a positive progress. This agenda is also a robust manifestation of the Pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African renaissance is a well thought intuitive that will render numerous job opportunities across the United States of Africa.

DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT

Welcome to the 21st century, a century with a profusion of youngsters suffering from what I call Verbal Communication Syndrome (V.C.S.) A greater percentage of their communication is through texting even when the recipient is at a stone throw away. The main reason to why their relationships can't stand the test of time is that; unlike verbal communication, texting is incapable of expressing the most vital element of effective communication namely; feelings.
Texting as a means of communication that the young generation have totally embraced have not only robbed them the authentic meaning of effective communication which is denoted by the exchange of feelings, it have also restrained them from establishing apt physical self-expression as well as self-confidence.
Effective communication is the exchange of feelings where understanding is derived. You can argue it otherwise till cows come home but 97% of effective communication is based on your body language which includes facial expressions and gestures. That's why face to face communication is the most effective method that guarantees effective communication.
Times without number I've heard people urge that texting and chatting are the most effective means of communication. This is a point that I strongly beg to differ. From my school of thought, texting and chatting are rapid means of communication but not effective.
A perfect example is a case when you send someone a text message and he or she claims to have not received the text. For the people who thought that wassup had finally saved them the lie of recipients who claim not to have received a text message, i have bad news for you. You're recipient can set his or her wassup in a way that both read and unread messages remain grey. This gives someone a chance to claim not to have read your message even when he or she have read message. With that knowledge well encrypted on your finger tips, it's always important to refrain from texting especially when indispensable understanding is essential.
Most parents who have adopted texting as a primary means of communicating with their children have already set themselves up for occasional frustrations. Children especially teens whom truth is a nemesis have a tendency of claiming to have not received or read the text. To free yourself from such occasional frustrations, just refrain from texting and develop a trend of calling that way you will be sure that your message is perfectly delivered whenever your call is answered.
Needless to say, the most effective method to parent your children is through a face to face communication whenever the chance is at hand. If time with your children is always contingent, you have a responsibility to create time out of your busy schedule for a face to face communication. Face to face communication with your children does not only ensure effective communication, it simultaneously helps to create infinite memories in the lives of your children. 
In this day and age, it's inarguably true that most parents have no control over their children in matters internet consumption. Internet has substituted mum and dad parenting resulting to a morally delayed generation. Whenever all family members are always aboard the internet technology platforms on daily basis for reasons better known to themselves, there is a dire need to disconnect in order to reconnect. 
It's extremely important to always prioritize tech free activities or better still family tech free days. This activities can include around the table games like chase, scrabble and the like. It's likewise very important to restrain electronic gadgets from the dinner table and instead embrace a habitual occurence of holding family conversations which tend to become more interesting without any distractions from gadgets. Around the dinner table talks is surely the very best opportunity to disconnect your gadgets and reconnect with each other. It's inarguably true that internet technology have brought your virtual friends closer. Nonetheless, it have taken away your family members and real friends who are mostly within your reach on daily basis or whenever a dire need is at hand. 

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.