The End is Nigh.

 

A random Friday night, phone in hand but not really using it. My attention is on Terrence J’s latest movie. His tenacity more than his looks got me watching this. I am being honest.

A few minutes in and a message puts a halt on a funny part. A message from a friend asking if I had heard about our former classmate in university. I replied with anxiety that I had heard nothing.

“He passed away” he replied.

I knew his name; I knew his face because he was my friend. I wished that it was just a bad joke. He confirmed that it was indeed true and that our friend was no more. I needed a moment. How does someone so young, full of potential and energy pass on?

My mind went back to the days we passed by each other, saying a simple hello and sometimes sharing a few stories. You know. Campus. He was not my best friend; we were not the closest but at this moment every time we had spoken came vividly in my mind. We visited his home for a poignant service that left most of us wondering how much we had paid God that morning so we could see a new day.

His death shook me in ways I can’t describe. It brought me face to face with the old scoundrel that death is.

The thing with death, you never know how or when it strikes. Some people meet their fate on the road, others die when a plane disintegrates at 35,000 feet, and others simply slip away in their sleep. Whichever way death strikes; it still leaves a tragic feeling.

Even the bravest warriors fear death. They pull a courageous face on the outside, while on the inside, praying death takes a different path. In truth, since the days of our birth, we all begin the walk to our graves. Or, death walks towards us. If it wants to hurry it will, and if it wants to slow down, it still can. Ultimately, our paths will cross, sooner or later.

The question is; are you putting up a good fight? Are you keeping the faith? Are you well and truly in the race? Or will death whisk you away while you still haven’t started fulfilling your purpose?

The whole experience led me to have an epiphany, I realized life can be ruthlessly short and we need to live, actual living.

Chase selflessness

My friend was doing certain projects in his community and I know they will always remember him for that. I have thought of Martin Luther king, Florence Nightingale, mother Teresa and Wangari Maathai. These people died quite a long time ago but they are still remembered because of their selfless deeds. We are so self-obsessed; all we think is how to get to the next level. We forget we have a purpose in this life. Money is good but don’t let it define you. Be kind to people, go out of your way to not only pray for the homeless, the sick, the orphans and widows but also help them where you can. People remember you because of what your actions made them feel. Take a moment, count your blessings then ask what I am doing with my gifts, talents or that which you have been given.

Create time for loved ones.

We grow up and suddenly life becomes more than just a night out or a day lazing around. People become busy and gradually you forget who your best friend was. You even almost forget your way home because you are busy out there chasing money or trying to make ends meet. At the service, our friend’s friends spoke of how they had met, what they discussed: people in the society recognized him. I thought when is the last time I talked to my friends, when is the last time I went home and when did I last hang out with my friends. It’s been quite some time to be honest. I need to say “I love you” which I don’t. I need to show people how much I care and appreciate them.

Live Today

None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, we only have today. As a statement of fact, we only have now. Quit letting a bad encounter ruin your day. Let go of toxic things and people. Let today be your happy day. When you wake up, give thanks to the Lord and ask Him what you want for the day. Choose happiness, put an x to all the things that bring you down. Make decisions, try outrageous things, quit procrastinating and go for what you feel will make you a better person. Let today be the day you love more, you smile more and more importantly the day you live more.

Cultivate a relationship with God.

Mark 8:36, for what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? We belong to a heavenly kingdom and in this earth we are just passing by, so each of us our time is coming. Get your heart right with God, stop living for the world and let your hope and faith be found in Him. We have lost ourselves to the world and created idols that we adore. We live each day oblivious of a higher power that watches over us, we go to church, we are aware of our religion but our relationship with God is what matters. I pray that we seek God and leave the ways of the world. I envy Paul, his relationship with God is incomparable. He says “what is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost everything.” Philippians 3:8

Rest in Peace, Arnold.

image source: tinybuddha

The Career Talk

 

In this cold weather, nothing beats a Saturday morning. No work, so the natural plan is to pull over a duvet, and keep sleeping.

This specific Saturday, however, I couldn’t enjoy all that despite waking up with freezing legs. I had made a commitment to attend a career seminar in the afternoon. But because the devil is a liar and the number 1 enemy of progress, thoughts of missing the event became more tempting.

Luckily, when Jesus shed blood on the cross, He condemned the devil to perpetual defeat. I wasn’t going to miss the seminar. Just to be sure, I called my mentor, who reiterated that I should go, gather knowledge, and later share it with her.

So, case closed. Out in the cold. There were a few hurdles like getting to the venue a few minutes late but it all turned out well. In the end, the seminar was really worth the time.

Welcome to the Centonomy career hub, and here are some standout lessons from the phenomenal speakers of the day;

Ken Njuguna:

A young successful attorney with Microsoft who did not mince his words when it came to giving us advice.

Shrink yourself

Most of us have been interns or rather on our first jobs, and to be honest it’s almost like a testing period. I mean people look down on you and test your nerves. It is a period that can either make you or break you and for Ken, it made him. His last day as an intern a lady requested him to bind her books and he did it even though it made him feel so small. He later had an interview with a good company and little did he know that one of the decision makers was married to the lady he helped bound the books. For that, the lady put in a good word for him. Moral of the story: Shrink yourself, be humble.

You are a constant advancement of yourself;

I was born like this (sic); I really don’t like mornings or I can’t survive in another industry. These are some of the excuses people come up with when faced with a new challenge. Do not limit yourself to the one thing you were taught to do. We acquire skills from life’s experiences, so there is basically nothing you can’t do as long as you pump effort into it.  Most people struggling in their careers are in their 20s, which is the right time to take chances and try new things even in other countries.

Stay updated

There is no way one can say they are interested in a certain field and not know the trending news in that field. To be a step ahead, monitor your industry’s latest trends. Get to know where people are getting jobs lately, and keep your LinkedIn updated, for it is the new hunting ground for potential employees. We are at an advantage because the internet makes it easy to stay updated.

Be Memorable

Everybody is constantly improving, getting advanced degrees and chasing professional certification. Do not be the dispenser at the corner of the office. Find your niche and stand out in it. People remember your impact in the office or in business, long after you leave. They remember the energy you exude so go out of your way to create such memorable moments. This, in some cases, makes you indispensable.

Ken concluded by advising us to find our mantra, something that we believe in and that will push us to become the very best version of our self. He did remind us that we will never find success in our comfort zone. If your plans to become successful do not scare you, then they are not big enough.

The next speaker, Dr. Kiplangat Sigel, said so much in less words.

Acknowledge that you do not know everything.

There is a famous saying that if you speak too much you are repeating what you already know but when you listen you learn something new. Sigel did give an example of how he lost a good job opportunity because he went for an interview feeling himself a little too much. The achievements and experience you have gained can never be too much. There is always something that you do not know.

The moment you acknowledge that you do not know everything is the moment you make it easier to learn new things.

Sell your strength

Realize that you are a product and so you need to sell yourself as one. Improve the skills you have acquired and do not shy away from including them in your resume. Let people know your achievements and what you have to offer regardless of how small they may seem. Stop playing small, there is nothing enlightening in that.

Jump

When it feels scary to jump that’s when you jump. Most people are scared to go to the next level concerning their career or relationships because of uncertainty of the outcome. We are scared to pitch that project to our boss, or to connect with people that would benefit us. Well, am guilty of that. The good news is the worst that could happen when you jump is that someone will say NO. Having already known the outcome then go for it and you never know, it could lead to greater things.

The last speaker of the day was Connie Aluoch.

Connie exuded class and sophistication which, as a personal branding expert, is expected. She had a few lessons on how to market oneself as a brand.

Invest in your image.

This is a department that I have not been so keen on, so I needed the lesson. Dress the part, people will take you seriously. Dress like a used clothes salesperson, and only buyers of such will notice you. Dressing professionally makes it easy to connect with others. It’s innate in humans to be attracted to neat people, those that have the smell of ambition. The main thing though is the confidence that is evoked by the feeling of neatness and looking smart. The way you dress affects your brand.

Connie however did add that your brand can be different from others. One could be into art so you dress like an artist so people can relate to you as one.  Clients, peers and investors perceive you as you present yourself. Put on decent clothes and if you need make up to complement your look, let it be attractive. Not scary. Pay attention to your body size and wear accordingly.

Your brand is on 24 hours.

There is dress down Friday where you feel the need to show some skin or maybe put on that dress that brings out your curves, but remember you don’t get a holiday to represent your brand. There is need to ensure your business casual can attend a meeting or represent you well to investors and clients too.

Connie concluded by emphasizing on the need to always be in your best behavior when out there.  This should be the goal of every person, I mean be kind to one another, because you never know who you are dealing with.

Image source: Lifehacker