Our peace; our responsibility

This week, Tuesday, I traveled to Nairobi for an interview scheduled for 3 pm. I had to leave home early to make it for the interview in time. The only way to ensure this was to take a 14 sitter matatu. I always have this vague idea that with its small size it won't take long to fill to capacity. A friend of mine has this notion that at this time of the week many people don't travel to the capital except when schools are closing or opening. So, I took no chances. It took a little while before we commenced the journey.

The tout was forced to pick passengers who traveled short distances instead of the usual final destination only passengers. Consequently, we made several stops to pick and drop passengers along the way. I experienced a lot during the journey but one that stood out was this middle aged man, roughly 25 years old, who ushered in travelers.

“Kabila ni moja tu nchini Kenya. Kwa hivyo, tuwache ukabila. Ni jukumu langu na lako kuhubiri amani wakati huu tunapokaribia uchaguzi,” the guy said. I was touched. It has been a while since I had this feeling.  Images of 2007 post poll violence stormed my mind. For a moment I grieved for the dead, the IDPs and all the victims whose life will never be the same again. He repeated the sentiments at least thrice before we left that place.

I felt some sort of responsibility to preach peace. To make as many people as I can to sing to the tune. And come 4^th March, 2013 we will all vote in one peace. Let everyone of us take the earliest appropriate moment to preach peace in our capacity. Every small step matters. So let’s beat the drum and dance to the tune. Ni jukumu langu na lako kuhubiri amani.

The Future is Science

After the demise of Steve Jobs, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple and Pixar Animation studios, I am curious to find out more about him. So, I sample some of the speeches he gave while still alive.

I come across one of the speeches he gave during Stanford University’s 2005 Commencement Address. He gives his address in form of stories about his life. In one of the stories he talks about connecting the dots. “It was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very clear looking backwards 10 years later”.

This makes me review my journey through Daystar University. This being my final year of study, it feels good looking backwards. For now, let me not talk about myself but about a part of this place which continues to capture my attention.

My interest has always been communication. However, throughout my stay in Daystar I have noticed a department which has had significance within the University over the years. When I joined Daystar in 2008 it was the little known department within the institution. The department only had the first phase of the proposed complex complete.

At the time, the building housed labs for Applied Computer Science (ACS) and Management Information Systems (MIS) majors and the rest were used as classes. I remember attending several of the science general course classes in the labs. However, since then there have been several changes.

“Science is way to the future.” These are the words that start off my conversation with Dr. Martha Kiarie, the Head of Department (H.O.D) Science and engineering at Daystar University, on 11^th October, 2011 in her office at the Athi-River Campus. She speaks passionately about the strides made so far by the University.

“We want to set pace for other universities, especially private universities, by coming up with new accredited programs. As you can see we have completed building the second phase of the science complex.”

According to Dr. Kiarie, Daystar will soon officially open the second phase of the Science Complex. The tall section of the building is ICT (Information and Communications Technology) but it will house: Chemistry, Bio-Chemistry, Physics, Electronics labs, board rooms and class rooms.

As I take a weekend tour around the building I am received by a circular court next to the entrance. In the middle it has a well-designed fountain with an unfinished touch of rocks on its sides.

At the entrance I notice a CCTV (Closed-Circuit television) camera; a stair case leads me to the upper floors. On one side of the ICT building there is a ramp which connects it with the first phase of the science complex. You can also use it to access other floors of both buildings.

The theatre hall within the ICT building catches my attention. I glimpse through the glass window and I am amazed. The maroon tiles, the light-dark tint windows, the carpeted podium, and the air conditioning system give the room a relaxing ambience.

The building also has a balcony on the second floor facing the Lukenya Hills. It gives me a beautiful and wide view of the hills. “This can be a lovely place for relaxing,” I think to myself. 

The building is to be fitted with solar panels and windmills to serve it with emergency power supply. This will also be used for impact assessment by the students and for research purposes on the cost benefit analysis of this initiative, as told by Dr. Kiarie.

“The science department is due to introduce new majors, that is, biomedical science, Actuarial science, Mathematics major, Environmental health and Electronic engineering. These majors have already been approved by the Senate and the University council but still await approval by the Commission of Higher Education (C.H.E) to set them off.”

Electronic engineering is also awaiting approval from the Engineering Registration Board of Kenya (E.R.B.K). The approval according to Dr. Kiarie, will enable Daystar graduates get jobs and registration from day one after graduation.

Looking back through the years I have experienced progress. Daystar has helped me grow and I am pleased to see the science department grow over time. The beneficiaries to this growth are those who are still to come in future, and the future starts now.

Politics: our daily dish?

While watching the feature by KTN on “the untouchables” I found it interesting how one Artur Margaryan while being interviewed joked about Kenya having 30 million presidents. I honestly can’t remember what he talked about for most of the interview but that statement on Kenyan’s habits stood out. At first I thought he was just being his arrogant and obnoxious self, but I also understood the truth of what he was saying. What he meant by the people of Kenya going to bed and wake up presidents is the fact that Kenyans eat, drink and sleep politics. So is it true that Kenyans are so absorbed in politicizing that they eat, drink and sleep politics?

I wonder at times whether we Kenyans are oblivious to how much we elevate politics in this country. We love politics and politicians as Kenyans. The fact that we can violently go at each other violently as shown in 2008 is evidence of how much we love politics and politicians. Politicians ride take advantage of this to do what they want, they play around with minds of Kenyans like puppets to achieve their own selfish ambitions. It’s amazing also how much they get away with in terms of salaries and benefits. In a survey ranking some of the world’s most highly paid politicians, Singapore’s Prime Minister tops the list and in 3^rd place is Kenya’s Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga. Hon. Raila Odinga is ranked even before Barrack Obama who comes in 4^th in terms of annual salary!! The list of annual salaries is as shown below;

·                     Lee Hsien Loung, Prime Minister of Singapore, $2,856,930.

·                     Donald Tsang, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong, $513, 245.

·                     Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya, $427,886.

·                     Barrack Obama, President of USA, $400,000.

·                     Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France (Now former), $345, 423.

The way we pay politicians in this country is a reflection of how highly willing we are to let them run things, recently the taxpayer forked out millions to allow the politicians sit on leather seats worth 200,000 each. I don’t know what is so special about a politician’s bum that he/she would require a seat worth that exorbitant amount. Currently there are 216 MPs and that number is to rise to 347 MPs once the new constitution, which was approved by 67% of Kenyans, takes effect. This probably means that taxpayer’s will have to reach further into their pockets to fund the MP’s salaries and benefits.

Though Singapore is leading when it comes to paying its politicians, you can clearly see why. Singapore is one of the fastest rising economies in the world, with one of the lowest corruption rates and is actually the cleanest country in the world. Can the same be said about Kenya? The state of our infrastructure doesn’t reflect directly with what the taxpayer pays the politicians. It would be excusable for Singaporeans to talk politics all day since the politicians really give them value for their money, but when Kenyans are politicizing what are we talking about? There isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the politics in Kenya, at least not yet, so let’s not give too much time politicizing instead of doing other useful things.

REFERENCES:

http://www.parliament.go.ke

http://www.thetorchlight.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3164:who-are-the-worlds-highest-paid-politicians-part-1&catid=49:opinion&Itemid=71

Ultimate freedom does not exist

When I was in high school, I yearned for freedom: freedom to move about, freedom to do what I want, when I want, and how I want. High school was dreadful and lovely in equal measure. I detested the bell, especially the one that rang at 4am. Not as much as the prefects who stormed our dormitories to make sure no one remains in bed. They also made sure we remained awake over the entire preps time.

A number of prefects will patrol our classes till 6:30am and punish supposed sleepy heads. Punishments ranged from several lashing on the rear end, slashing grass around the school compound, washing the verandas, to washing clothes for the senior prefects. If that's not all, some of them required us to put them in good tune by buying them food stuffs such as bread and mandazi from the school canteen. 

Failure to do so would result to consequences similar to disturbing a rattled snake. At the time, form ones and twos were viewed as objects. In fact one of the senior prefects coined a saying, "form ones are here to be seen and not to be heard". This became the cardinal rule. It was with difficulty for the presumed "objects" to meet face to face with a prefect. The objects were forced to go back where they were coming from or take another route even if it means through the bushes. It was safer this way.

As is the case with all living creatures, in every harsh condition, struggle for survival ensues. We devised ways to survive these conditions; from hiding under our beds to technically attending the morning preps. All these were discovered in no time. I had to come up with my own unique way of missing the early morning preps. It worked for me for a while. 

My high school bed was made from springs which were not in good shape. So, I used to sink in whenever I sit or lay down to sleep or relax. I know you now get a glimpse of what am about to tell you. I used to dress my bed nicely when I go to sleep. Unlike now, back then I never turned and tossed that much.

Immediately the bell rings at 4am, I will straighten my tall, slender body to sink in nicely into my bed. Then I will spread the bed straight to look as if there was no one in it. I held my breath as soon as the prefects storm our dormitory. They squalled with a lot of commotion. I could hear with terror the movements of sleepy heads like me running towards the door on the other end of the dormitory. 

The commotion was terrifying. At first I wished I wouldn't have pulled the stunt. Especially when I heard one of my house mates wreathing in pain after receiving some thrashing with several leather belt. Tu tu tu tu.... I could hear my heart beat. It was with difficulty to hold my breath till they pass over my cube. I survived but could not get back to sleep mode again.

That was then. These days’ circumstances force me to stay up late and even rise up early with some sort of "freedom". I have to look into my every step not to break certain rules set by authorities and the society. How I wish I could go back to the days when some people took it upon themselves to wake me up and made sure I remained awake.  

Right now I have responsibilities to accomplish. There are so many rules to abide to that remind me there is no ultimate freedom. Just like in every situation, I always find a way to adapt to the condition for that is what every animal is designed to do.

Open letter for Class of 2012-Daystar University

Dear, Colleagues

It has dawned on me that it’s time for our departure, which each of us is going to seek and find for his advancement in the society. I have been told that joining the outside world is easy, but what is there is for the strong feet. As they the Pharisees say, is only a prophetic fool who does a cat wheel on the edge of a knife. 

Guys, let no tremor intimidate you through your course of lifetime and for what you have worked hard to achieve; be sure of it. 

I would live to remember the good old days we had together. It would be hard to forget every moment we spend in hustling with books looking for the flashy things we all fancied. Until we meet again remember Zion for the highest region and there we would one day be together again.  

Allow me to sum up by borrowing the words of a renowned American author Rabbi Daniel Lapin: Go be the difference. If you want to make different things happen to you, it isn't enough to do different things, you must actually become different. 

Congratulations!

Sincerely,

Alex

(A letter for Daystar University Graduating Class 2012)

Ideas aren't worth that much

A feeble inscription of pen is powerful than the strongest brains in the world. Everyday I have to grapple with the notion that greatest lessons in life are learnt the hard way. If this assumption is anything to go by, in life we have learn a lot the hard way. This is not to suggest that we deliberately land ourselves in trouble in order to learn.

We have all experienced the consequences of missing to accomplish an assignment in time; failing to prepare a shopping list to the mall; attending a conference without a notebook; or even saving a phone number without a name.

All this emphasizes the importance of pen and paper. So, when that 'great' idea sneaks into your mind, trap it on paper. I have come to realize that ideas storm my mind at night when I'm in bed and all lights off. 

Next time when you are caught up in this situation, draft your idea without delay. Grab your phone or switch on the lights, pick your pen and paper and write down the idea. This will serve as a reminder whenever you need to analyze your thoughts.

Remember to evaluate your concept in the morning. This will give you room to polish it up when the information is still fresh in your memory. Later in the day can also do, but it open doors for derailment and discouragement. Second opinion is valuable, but get it after you have pieced all the pieces together to make sense out of it.

In any case, lets not expect everyone to like our idea(s). Even the first person to discover the auto mobile, back then, I wouldn't believe in his idea. Anyway, keep pushing your idea(s) till you execute them. And always remember ideas aren't worth that much until they are executed. 

UTU

Nina machache muhimu, ambayo ni ya thamani

Nataka kutakalamu, niyatoe hadharani

Wayafahamu kaumu, marafiki ikhuwani

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Neno ‘UTU’ tufahamu, ni funzo kwetu soteni

Nitawapa kwa nidhamu, kwa mpango wa kanuni

Na tena ni kwa nudhumu, kwa shairi kubaini

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Wema si mali ya mtu, hili tujue yakini

Wala uzuri si kitu, wa umbo lakini mwilini

Kitu aula ni utu, kitu bora duniani

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Na kivazi na kitimu, kwa utu hakilingani

Nguo si kitu adhimu, na kiatu mguuni

Kitu ni ubinadamu, kisokuwa na kifani

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Utu ni kitu adimu, kipawa chake Manani

Utu ni moyo rahimu, heshima yake insani

Na tena ni ukarimu, na roho yenye imani

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Utu sio ujabari, ushujaa wa vitani

Mtu ni utu mzuri, wa tabia na makini

Mwenye utu ni fahari, kwa wake na majirani

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Utu ni khulka njema, maumbile ya nyumbani

Ni ubinadamu mwema, ni ya Mola yake shani

Hima basi ndugu hima, utu ni wetu soteni

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Ya nane ni kaditama, kalamu naweka chini

Ikiwa niliyoyasema, nitakuwa makosani

Tafadhali kwa heshima, nawaomba msamaha

Ewe kiumbe insani, kuwa mja mwenye utu

Lau ingeuzwa hewa

Kahari Mola Manani, Muumba wetu wadudi

Kwako twapomoka chini, kusudi tukuabudi

Umeijaza angani, hewa isioidadi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

Matajiri duniani, bahili walivyozidi

Wangeitia chupani, hewa kisha wainadi

Hewa I moto thumni, na pauni ya baridi

Mafakiri wangewaje. Lau ingeuzwa hewa

Wangelia masikini, kulilia yao sudi

Hasa kwa bei sokoni, ipandishwapo zaidi

Kungezagaa huzuni, na mauko ya fuadi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

Na makwasi madukani, wangeiuza na kodi

Uwapo huna hunani, kununua huna budi

Mana watoto nyumbani, wanakungoja urudi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

Ingetiwa na melini, iuzwe nchi baidi

Ijengewe juu chini, mabohari ya hadidi

Bora yao ni mapeni, iende yao miradi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

Masikini uwanjani, wangepigishwa paredi

Wapige magoti chini, kusujudia malodi

Ndipo itiwe chupani, warushiwe ja samadi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

Elakini Rahamani, achukiaye husudi

Pembe zote duniani, hewa amejaza hadi

Bure waja pumueni, bila malipo kufidi

Mafakiri wangewaje, lau ingeuzwa hewa

How to reveal fake Facebook profile pics

Have you ever received a friend request on Facebook from a person you don't even know? Then seeing the person's attractive profile photo you confirm the friend request without a second thought? Earlier this year I received such a request from a lady. So, late last night or rather early this morning, at around 01.00hrs, she appeared online and I decided to initiate conversation with her. I had to be careful lest spoil future opportunity.

As we were chatting, I was busy scanning her profile info to find out more about her. I was amazed. She had more than 400 friends. Majority of who were men from various regions in the country. They were also drawn from various universities within the country. None of them from the University she attends.

Sometime back a friend of mine called to ask me whether I knew the lady I am telling you about. This is after he had also received a friend request from her and seen that she was my mutual friend on Facebook. I told him I knew nothing about her. My friend accepted the friend request without delay. How many of you have declined such requests before?

Brazilian Actress, Taís Araújo

Continuing the story regarding my chat with the lady in question. She responded positively to my chat messages. I also enjoyed the way our conversation was going. I am not that naughty though. You know how conversations with friends you don't even know go? Just before I asked her about the authenticity of her profile picture, she begged to log out because she was sleepy. Grrrrrrh!

This question regarding the authenticity of her pic bothered me so much. I am the kind of person who hardly sleep having questions in my mind. Google came in my mind. But how can one paste a picture into Google's search box and get results? I decided to copy the profile picture from Facebook and paste it on Google's search box. I know this is the most stupid idea I have had lately.

Funny enough my attempts took me to Google image option, but no results were forthcoming. This is the reason why I am sharing with you steps I took to find out the authenticity of Facebook profile pictures. Especially those images downloaded from the internet. The next few steps will help you find out:

Go to your Facebook account and select the photo to find out whether its genuine or not. Let it appear on the screen. Right click on the image then select, 'copy image URL' option.

Go to www.google.com then on the task bar on top of the page select images. After displaying Google images in the search box click on the camera icon. Paste the URL into the search box that is indicated paste image URL. Click search.

Coming back to the lady we were talking about, it happens that her profile picture is of a Brazilian actress by the name of Taís Araújo. Funny enough most of her updates received comments from men; complimenting her of her beauty. None came from her lady friends. So next time you see that beautiful profile picture, take a moment and think about it. Better still follow the above simple steps.

Voices After

This grave is not quiet

The inside rumbles like a sick stomach

Its anger burns hot like a volcanic lava
Here lies one whose body you destroyed
The one whose soul escaped your knife

Rebellious as a maxist worker

Here lies a saint in hell

This grave shades tears to swim in

And the voices that you hear,

Comes from besides the dry bones

Without regard for age and innocence,

Armed with red eyes, a knife and all

You shocked me numb 
pinned my body to the ground like a dry skin 

and forced my soul out

Everything crudely, beastly and hatefully done

Oh! No! sacrifice for no gods

Still my terrified soul cried, "father!" 
But I know you didn't hear

Your primitive I'd driving you high

As you drove it into me, 

and extinguished the foundation of my youth

I told mother it wasn't early menstruation

But poor mother 
Bound by the culture of submissiveness
And struggling to remain the good wife of her her husband

Turned aside like one speaking to a goddess,

"Domestic affairs, must remain domestic, 
Tell no one about it child."

But why mother? why? 

"When a man reaps from a tree he waters, 
It's no big deal 

Behave like your big sister. 

This is a river that flows through the family garden."

Mother! Can't you see my tears? 

Rape or incest mother?

Tell someone I am crying mother!

The very thing that I feared

Has come upon me

AIDS is not a flu!

Consequences

A shake on my shoulder wakes me up. I attempt to shrug off this hand by shaking my shoulders. No success. The person persists.

One thing that I don’t like is someone waking me up from sleep. I haven’t had proper rest for the last two days and here is someone disrupting me. For this one, it’s unforgivable.

“What?” I asked.

My eyes open wide in readiness to attack. Realizing there is too much light getting into my corneas, my eyes close by reflex. I crick my eyes; slowly widening my view. I notice the figure of a person standing in front of me. I instantly open my eyes wide, gaze around like a rat lost in the middle of a desert. “I’m not supposed to be here,” I think to myself.

The sounds of breaking windows and commotion are still looming in my mind.

“Kijana, wapi ticket? (Young man, your ticket?)” The tout asks.

“How many times are you going to ask for my ticket?” I think to myself. “It’s been three times since departure and here you are asking for my ticket yet we are not half way the journey?”

I give him my already creased, wet, and faded ticket which has been in my sweaty hands all along. He looks at it, then glances at me like a mother staring at a mischievous child and gives it back.

He then proceeds to the man seated next to me; who was not there when we began our journey from Kakamega. I quickly glance at his ticket; it has Kisumu to Nairobi written on it. If you have traveled with public means I’m sure you know how bus tickets look like, they are almost similar for every bus company. The man is neatly dressed in a black suit, maroon shirt and a black tie.

He must be travelling back to Nairobi for work after a weekend with his family and must have extended into Monday.

The bus makes a routine stop in Kericho, just in case anyone is interested in getting snacks or stretching a bit, before resuming the journey.

I stay put. My present need is to get home. And even if I want to alight from the bus I can’t. I don’t want people staring at me as if I were some strange creature from another planet.

I take time to dust off my legs, and feet which are in slippers. Then stretch my little navy blue short to at least cover my knees before other passengers come back. I don’t like the way my shorts keep moving up my waist leaving my knees and parts of my thighs exposed. It makes me look like a marathoner on track only that my T-shirt is faded- brown in color without initials printed on it.

Looking around the bus, I notice polythene paper still lining the maroon velvet on some of the seats. The curtains are stiff probably due to the effect of starch in them.

Twenty minutes later, people are now coming in the bus one after the other. I look at them as they come in at least to find anyone to identify with. There is none. Devastation creeps in.

The man on the seat next to mine comes back with a cob of roasted maize. I cannot resist the sweet aroma emanating from the corn which leaves me salivating. Having declined to take breakfast, I am hungry but feel shy to ask for a piece. This is improper.   

As if to have read my mind, he stretches out the hand holding firmly on to the cob. I hold the other end, and break a piece for myself. I wish I had money on me.

I had left school in a rush. I left all my possessions in the dormitory. It all began after supper at around 7.30pm. The bell rang. Lights around the school compound went off.

“Tokeni nje!” A shout resonated throughout our class. I could hear windows breaking. I sped off towards the eastern side of the school fence.

“Ee Mungu nguvu yetu. Ilete Baraka kwetu……..” I heard the students, who were now assembled at the soccer pitch, sing.

I jumped over the fence into the farm next to our school to witness the commotion. I saw the library burn. Its iron sheets turn red. Then the roof caved in.

“BOOM!” I was interrupted by a loud blast coming from our Principal’s house which sent the walls falling apart. Terrified, I found myself running in maize plantations.

Give sight to your mind to see possibilities

This week, I had training in Naivasha at a hotel I have been to before. It reminded me of my experience there.

On that day as we headed there, I thought the driver had missed the way because the bumpy road seemed to lead nowhere. The driver had to assure me that we were not lost. When we finally arrived, before us was this beautiful hotel with an impressive golf course.

It got me thinking: What is it that will make any human being to invest millions of shilling in the middle of nowhere and expect people to go there?

The answer is vision

It is vision that makes you see treasure where others are seeing pressure. Vision takes you beyond your last performance, whether it was good or bad. If the performance was good, vision makes you set higher targets. If the job was bad, vision makes you see that you can still excel.

Vision is the compass of destiny. People do not fail due to adversity. Neither do companies fail only because of the economy. Every failure is largely the manifestation of a lack of vision.

How else would you explain how the same adversities that many have blamed for their failures are the platforms on which some great successes have been initiated?

If you always have excuses as to why you could not meet your targets, then you are a risk to the organisation. Don’t give explanations for failure when others are having manifestations of success.

The most powerful enemy of vision is a blind mind. You cannot possibly execute a task if you don’t see it. The seeing that we are talking about here has nothing to do with your eyes. It is a seeing with your mind.

The reality is that if you have a seeing mind and blind eyes, you will accomplish more than a person with seeing eyes and a blind mind. Take American musician Stevie Wonder, for example. Blindness was not an obstacle to his success. There is also Ifeolo, my blind cousin who is a law professor today.

These two people demonstrate that a person can lose their sight but if they don’t lose their vision, they will still go ahead and achieve success.

That is why the biggest tragedy of all is when people have seeing eyes but they deliberately aid and abet the blindness of their minds by tolerating ignorance.

The other thing many of us tolerate is the fear we grow up with from childhood. Usually the baby has no concept of fear until he is told by the parents what not to do. Then the baby touches the flame of a candle and learns fear by experience.

As we grow up, the mistakes a lot of people make is that they hold on to all the beliefs and fears of their childhood.

The key to breaking out of your past is to challenge it. One of the questions I had to ask to challenge the poverty of my past was, “All these people who are successful, do they have two heads?” the obvious answer was no.

I also asked if their brains had special wiring. The answer again was no. Once I was convinced that they did not have a natural and biological advantage over me, I went to next level of questioning. “What did they do to become successful?”

I knew that the secret of men’s success was in their stories and that many of them had written stories in books. So, I saved some money and once I had enough to buy a book, I would go for it.

Since my major issue was finances, I carefully selected the books. I remember first going for every book that had “millionaire” on it. I bought books like, The Millionaire Mind and The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J Stanley: How to Think Like a Millionaire by Mark Fisher and Marc Allen; The Millionaire Note Book by Steve Scott; The Millionaire Course by Marc Allen; Cracking the Millionaire Code by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, among others.

I also read the Laws of Prosperity by Kenneth Copeland and Breaking Financial Hardship by David Oyedepo.

As I read these books and asked questions, something began to happen. My mind began to see more possibilities than obstacles. I was changing my mental environment and before long, it began to affect everything around me. The rest is history.

One important thing I noticed was this: When I was neck deep in poverty, I had a credit line of about Sh.100 with the neighborhood kiosk where I picked things like milk and sugar.

At that time, the owner of the kiosk was by far better off than me. Today, the story is different. I have moved on but there has been no significant difference in the life of the kiosk owner.

The difference between that wonderful kiosk owner and me was that he accepted where he was as a destination, while I considered my place then as only a bus stop.

What made the difference? I suppose it was my vision and ability to challenge my conditions. Unfortunately like many people would do, the kiosk owner began to look for excuses as to why I could move on and he couldn't.

I have discovered that once a person accepts where they are as their fate and once they are not willing to challenge their conditions, there is very little that anyone can do to help them.

Negativity is free of charge. It takes no effort to program your mind with negativity. However, changing your mental environment and giving sight to your mind takes effort.

No matter how bad or good your performance this year has been, you can set the tone for next year. Challenge your performance to provoke yourself to the next level.