IT’S ABOUT YOU, NOT THEM.

The sky is the limit, someone once said and it’s safe to state that the phrase is the most quoted.

However, not many people look up to the sky when setting their goals ; not because the sun hurts their eyes, not because the skyscrapers are blocking their view but they are too busy looking sideways at what their neighbor is doing.Can i call it trespass of thoughts? A step they take, only when the next person takes his.

People who are in competitions with their neighbors and friends spend too much energy in the competition, they push and tire themselves beyond their capabilities just so their neighbors don’t get s over them.

Keeping up with the Otienos and Kamaus next door is their specialty. No time to relax, tension is the order of the day and are keen to notice when the Kamau takes a move.

The only person you should be in competition with is yourself, and the sky is only as high as you want it to be. Everybody has their own idea of how high the sky is and if you ambition takes you as only as far as renting a one-bedroom house with a communal toilet, so be it. That s your sky, have fun. Behave as if you’re the only resident of the world.

If you use your ‘Rolex time’ and your relaxation comes only after acquiring a jet or a mega yacht, that’s your world, enjoy it. The rule remains, have your own plans.

Keeping up with the Mutisos is supposed to put you in control, but it ends doing the opposite. They take total control of your life and it puts you in the path of the never ending race. Your life loses the fun you deserve for the much achievement you have made.

Stop being a copycat of John, Dick and Hurry. Do not be afraid of failure or mistakes, all the greatest inventors never invented overnight. They tried, tried and tried again until they were satisfied and proud of their effort.

Mistakes unless they cost lives are nothing but learning aids- but remember a mistake is a mistake when made twice. Do not be too confined to your ways and ignorance, naivety is a trait of fools, be flexible and learn from your neighbors as long as it’s within the periphery of your vector.

Success is not always measured with money, if you’re happy, you’re successful. If you have a job you love, you’re successful. If you are with the person you love, you’re successful. If you have friends who come to your aid when things curve, you’re successful. 

 And how about being courteous to your neighbor, helping the needy and unprivileged members of the society. Per se, you’re successful and definitely you’ll have everybody talk about you because you’re the epitome of humanity.

By Okechi Dennis

 @ Sir.Okechi platform.

Miguna..Don’t write cheap books to settle political scores

They say you should get out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat. And you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house.

But you must lie in the bed you make, even if it’s made of thorns. Methinks these truisms probably apply to the “man with the same name twice”. That’s why I’ve decided to do an intellectual audit of Miguna Miguna and his book – Peeling Back the Mask.

Let me state the bottom line upfront. Mr Miguna is merely a lawyer, not an intellectual. That’s why his book shouldn’t be read as a labour of the intellect. It’s not a work of theory, or good political science. It’s a gossipy political screed.

I laboured mightily to get through Mr Miguna’s book. That’s because it’s carelessly written.

It’s too long for no reason – it’s 614 pages, but I believe Mr Miguna could easily have condensed it into 200 pages if he was disciplined. There’s too much wasted verbiage, repetition, and bad organisation. The problem is that Mr Miguna wrote the book in a hurried huff. That’s why Peeling Back the Mask doesn’t fit into any known genre of writing.

It’s not really a memoir, as Mr Miguna claims. A memoir is an autobiographical literary genre. But Mr Miguna’s book is rather a “political expose”. One might best describe it as a tawdry “scandal sheet” meant primarily to bring Prime Minister Raila Odinga down.

Most importantly, the book lacks intellectual integrity. It reads like a fireplace chat with a narrator who worked in the corridors of power. Mr Miguna fails to grasp that Kenya is a post-colonial state that has yet to cohere as a nation. No one can truly appreciate the near-collapse of the state in 2008 – and the coalition government – without this overarching theoretical architecture.

Shockingly, the book makes no pretence to reference scholarly works on Kenya, or establish an analytical frame. One wonders whether Mr Miguna has read – and understood – any serious books on Kenyan political history. There’s no evidence of any scholarly research. That’s why the book often sounds like a hatchet job by Mr Odinga’s political opponents.

But there’s more. I was particularly struck – even dumbfounded – by the crudity of Mr Miguna’s language.

Language should be a friend, not the enemy, of the writer. But Mr Miguna easily turns this wisdom on its head. There’s too much gratuitous violence in the book. It’s an epithet-ridden tome that’s jarring to the civilised ear.

Mr Miguna refers to somebody as Raila’s “dog”. There isn’t a more despicable name that one Kenyan can call another.

Nobody deserves such an unthinkable slur. In fact, no human being does. But that’s Mr Miguna for you – his mouth and pen are ungoverned by any moral code of conduct.

The book is nothing but vendetta. It’s an attempted take-down of Mr Odinga and his political machine.

But it’s written by a disgruntled former employee who was unceremoniously fired.

After he was sacked, Mr Miguna sounded like a “jilted lover”.

He confessed that he “loved” Mr Odinga and couldn’t understand how he could’ve been shown the door.

This is either hubris, or an unhealthy obsession with Mr Odinga.

None of us is indispensable in our jobs. Mr Miguna acted as though he had “a right” to the job. I think he forgot that he was just one of the many cogs in Mr Odinga’s political organisation. He conflated himself with “his master”. That’s why he can’t let go.

I’ve seen lame attempts in the press to christen Mr Miguna as a whistleblower. 

That word shouldn’t be thrown around like dirty water. Mr Miguna is the farthest thing from a whistleblower.

The term refers to an employee who “blows the whistle” on his superiors while still on the job, or resigns in protest to “spill the beans”.

It doesn’t – and can’t – refer to an employee who attacks his boss out of pique because he’s been sacked.

An employee who only talks after the sack lacks courage, or moral integrity. Such an employee would’ve continued to serve loyally – in spite of his boss’ misconduct – had he not been given the boot.

There are disingenuous attempts to equate former anti-graft czar John Githongo to Mr Miguna. That’s baloney.

Mr Githongo wasn’t fired – he quit to protest at corruption. He was a true whistleblower.

He had no personal animus or vendetta against President Mwai Kibaki or any of the ministers implicated in Anglo Leasing.

He never – even in private – used primitive and crude language to dehumanise them.

In contrast, Mr Miguna has such personal bile against Mr Odinga and his close aides that it’s impossible for him to be objective.

He’s blinded by fury. That’s because he left a comfortable middle class life in Canada only to see his dreams of a high-flying political career in Kenya go up in smoke.

I wrote last week that Mr Miguna had a right to write his so-called “memoirs.” I still do.

In fact, I encourage Kenyans – especially those who have shaped the character and nature of the Kenyan state and society at the highest levels – to write their own memoirs.

But I urge they do so as objectively as possible – and without pique.

Don’t write cheap books to settle political scores with opponents.

Seek help from real writers or editors to avoid inflicting pain on the reader.

Mr Miguna fails on all these counts. That’s why I grade his book a “D.”

Makau Mutua, Law Proffesser
cc
Okechi Dennis

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Give Love

Loving and being loved are
what make our lives worth
living. Many people
experience times in their lives
when they feel unloved.
During these times it's easy
to dwell on those negative
thoughts, but allowing it to
continue leads to
unhappiness and depression.
Love is the energy of life. It is
what motivates people to get
up each day and keep going.
Love gives life purpose and
meaning. Everywhere you
look you see people
searching for love…but
they're looking in the wrong
places. God is love, and they
will never find what they're
looking for until they find
Him.
People look for fulfillment in
life in different ways. These
ways may seem good at first,
but eventually the
unsuccessful search will leave
them feeling frustrated,
disappointed and empty. The
only way they can find the
true fulfillment they are so
desperately seeking is to
choose to walk in love—to
actually put love into action
by reaching out and loving
others.
As soon as I made a
commitment to God, I began
to hear people talk about the
importance of loving others.
Since I wanted to live my life
according to the Bible, I
wanted to walk in love, but I
just couldn't. I had the
urge…but no power to follow
through. I always made
elaborate plans but couldn't
carry them out.
Unfulfilled desire is often
frustrating. I felt very
frustrated and wondered
what was wrong with me. I
was impatient with people. I
was legalistic, harsh,
judgmental, rude, selfish and
unforgiving—and that is only
the beginning of the list. The
harder I tried to walk in love,
the worse I became.
I began to understand that I
could not love others
because I had never received
God's love for me. I knew in
my head that the Bible said
God loved me, but I didn't
feel His love in my heart. I
wondered how God could
love us as imperfect as we
are.
God loves us because He
wants to—it pleases Him.
God loves us because it's His
nature to love, and He will
always love us. He doesn't
always love everything we
do, but He does love us.
God's love is unconditional.
In fact, there's nothing we
can do to ever escape His
love. God's love is the power
that forgives our sins, heals
our emotional wounds, and
mends our broken hearts.
Over time I came to realize
that I am deeply loved by
God simply for who I am, not
because of any work I could
do for Him. I could finally
quit trying to earn His love by
doing things I thought would
make me more worthy of His
love.
Once I began receiving God's
awesome, unconditional love,
I was able to start loving Him
in return and reach out to
others more freely in love.
Because God's never-ending
love was in me, I could give it
to others without fear of
ever running out.
Everyone in the world wants
to be loved and accepted.
And the love of God—that
wonderful gift He freely gives
us—satisfies that need. His
love flows to us, and then it
should flow through us to
other people.
Now I see myself as a
container full of blessings. I
want to be the type of
person who can pour out
God's love into the lives of
the people around me. I've
found that I'm always
happier when I choose to
make others happy.
In the Bible, God calls
Christians the salt of the
earth (see Matthew 5:13). He
expects us to "season" the
lives of those around us. All
of life is tasteless without
love. Love is the salt, the
energy of life, and the reason
to get up every morning.
Every day can be exciting if
we see ourselves as God's
secret agents, waiting to
sprinkle a little salt on all the
lives we encounter. And we
know that because we are
deeply loved by God, we can
never run out of love—no
matter how much we give
away.

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10 things about success.!

Here is a list of 10
surprising things
about success that
most people don’t
know.
1) Success isn’t for
just those who work
harder than other
people. It’s for those
who work smarter. I
know hugely
successful people who
work 4 hours a
week, and
unsuccessful people
who work 90 hours a
week.  Success,
therefore, is not
always a function of
effort.
2) You cannot run
after success and
catch it. You can’t
force it into existence.
To become a
successful person,
you have to attract
success. You have to
become the person
deserving of success,
and in turn, success
will come to you.
3) Success does not
exist anywhere
external. You do not
find it in schools, in
the work place, in a
salary, in a car, a
house, or a vacation.
Success exists
internally, in your
mind.
4) More often than
not, success is a
function of who you
spend your time
with. Are you around
successful
people? Have your
friends already
achieved great things
or are they working
towards something?
What about your
family and co-
workers? Odds are, if
the people in your life
aren’t successful, or
do not have a
successful mindset,
neither will you – no
matter how hard you
try.
5) Success is not only
an end result.
Success isn’t working
for 10 years,
sacrificing everything,
and then finally
achieving all of your
goals. It is not
neglecting your social
life, your health, and
your mental state in
order to achieve
something great.
Success is not only
the end, but it is also
the means. You must
be successful, both
mentally and
physically, wherever
you are on your
journey.
6) Success is not
something you
achieve alone. If you
want to create or
achieve something
that you never
thought possible, do
not think you will do
it by yourself. You
need to branch out,
ask for help, talk to
people, find out your
weaknesses and
compliment them by
building a team
around you.
7) You cannot put
success off. When
you have a dream or
a goal, action must be
taken. Like bread
sitting on the counter
too long, desire and
passion turn stale.
The longer you put
something off, the
harder it is to
accomplish it.
Action cures
procrastination and
fear. Now is the time
to act, not later.
8 ) Success is not a
secret. It doesn’t
belong only to those
with great skills and
intelligence. Instead, it
is a potential that
exists in us all. To
harness it, you have
to decide it is
something you desire
and start moving
towards it. Develop
successful habits, and
success will become
natural.
9) Success has
nothing to do with
elite universities and
educations. The
university badge
flaunted on a t-shirt
reflects nothing of
one’s intellect or
success. Rarely is true
and
actionable knowledge
found in
institutionalized
educations systems.
The better way to
learn is to find your
passion and goals,
seek the required
knowledge to achieve
them, and most
importantly, take
action. When you
know what you want,
you will know where
to find the right
education to achieve
it.
10) Success isn’t
about making your
life easier. It is not
about finding
shortcuts in life. With
this philosophy, one
always looks for
quick fixes, like
gambling or get-rich-
quick schemes. When
you build a business
with this philosophy,
it usually helps no
one. In the work
force, those who want
the easy road, usually
fall to the bottom.
Don’t make things
easier for yourself,
make yourself
better. That way,
your life will be filled
with success.

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Helpless Love

Once upon a time all feelings
and emotions went to a
coastal island for a vacation.
According to their nature,
each was having a good time.
Suddenly, a warning of an
impending storm was
announced and everyone
was advised to evacuate the
island.
The announcement caused
sudden panic. All rushed to
their boats. Even damaged
boats were quickly repaired
and commissioned for duty.
Yet, Love did not wish to flee
quickly. There was so much
to do. But as the clouds
darkened, Love realised it
was time to leave. Alas, there
were no boats to spare. Love
looked around with hope.
Just then Prosperity passed
by in a luxurious boat. Love
shouted, “Prosperity, could
you please take me in your
boat?”
“No,” replied Prosperity, “my
boat is full of precious
possessions, gold and silver.
There is no place for you.”
A little later Vanity came by in
a beautiful boat. Again Love
shouted, “Could you help me,
Vanity? I am stranded and
need a lift. Please take me
with you.”
Vanity responded haughtily,
“No, I cannot take you with
me. My boat will get soiled
with your muddy feet.”
Sorrow passed by after some
time. Again, Love asked for
help. But it was to no avail.
“No, I cannot take you with
me. I am so sad. I want to
be by myself.”
When Happiness passed by a
few minutes later, Love again
called for help. But
Happiness was so happy that
it did not look around, hardly
concerned about anyone.
Love was growing restless
and dejected. Just then
somebody called out, “Come
Love, I will take you with me.”
Love did not know who was
being so magnanimous, but
jumped on to the boat,
greatly relieved that she
would reach a safe place.
On getting off the boat, Love
met Knowledge. Puzzled,
Love inquired, “Knowledge,
do you know who so
generously gave me a lift just
when no one else wished to
help?”
Knowledge smiled, “Oh, that
was Time.”
“And why would Time stop to
pick me and take me to
safety?” Love wondered.
Knowledge smiled with deep
wisdom and replied,
“Because only Time knows
your true greatness and what
you are capable of. Only Love
can bring peace and great
happiness in this world.”
“The important message is
that when we are
prosperous, we overlook
love. When we feel
important, we forget love.
Even in happiness and
sorrow we forget love. Only
with time do we realize the
importance of love. Why wait
that long? Why not make love
a part of your life today?”

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