SHIFTING GEARS

Recently, I got an opportunity to share lessons, thoughts and my experiences on how I deal with life's challenges. These are the notes from Pitstop, an event organised by Bluegrass. 

Lesson 1: I have something to offer. 

My life changed the day I came to the realisation that I had something to offer to the world. Growing up I was exposed to what I didn't have; good grades, a rich father, connections, talent etc. I often walked face down shrouded in a feeling of victim hood.  I don't know what changed, maybe I can credit it to my new found faith a the time. 

Whatever it was that brought on the shift, it got me to walk with my head held high, confident of my contribution to the world. Confident that my voice mattered, that I deserved to be at the table and that my experiences in life were well designed to give me a unique insight into things. 

Today, many times I find myself in a room full of people richer, smarter and more accomplished than me, but I don't feel out of place at all. 

Lesson 2: Solitude. 

This I developed in my early days. I was a loner in my thoughts trying to find answers to questions like why is the sky blue, the grass green and what would have happened if God didn't exist.?

In a neighbourhood crowded with kids and peers I always felt alone but one thing was brewing in me. I found out I was intune with myself and able to distinguish between my voice, other people’s voices and God’s voice. 

In a world full of opinions on who you should be, how you should dress, what's cool and what isn’t, I find my clarity in solitude. Prayer for me is a moment to listen and not blubber to God what he already knows. 

You spend time in a gold mine you will get some of the glitter stuck on you. 

Lesson 3: Build resolve.  

Yesterday, tomorrow or in some years to come, it is unavoidable that one of two things will happen: the worst thing ever or the best thing ever. 

We live in a world where anything can happen anytime: lose your job, get a promotion, get kicked out of your house, be diagnosed with a fatal disease, find a cure for your ailment, rejection, love, buy a new house, find tender money randomly in your account... 

All these things can happen in a split second, how you react is what determines the kind of person you are. Being able to see with a clear mind and maintaining your "cool" as you make decisions is something that is developed. Many people crash and their lives don't remain the same. 

I am keen on developing resolve, in preparing my self by exercising and growing my mental, emotional, spiritual strength. Some changes in life don't require solutions, some pains are meant to be felt but many don't have the capability of doing so, in turn they escape with the usual vices. 

These are some of the lesson I have learnt and continue to learn and practice. 

I hope to have contributed to your life.