68
If you want to lead then you must look behind you. If you will serve then you must look in front of you.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Spouse
75
Failure to involve your spouse in your financial affairs will mean you will need to work twice as hard to achieve half as much. It also means that when success comes you will have no one to enjoy it with. This sounds like a curse.
Leader of Many or Leader of Few
84
It seems to me that leaders of many or few is not a measure of leadership. It may be that leaders have an option to influence a few greatly or influence many lightly. However, those who influence greatly get much longer term results.
Ego
85
Our Expectations, Goals and Objectives are important to us. These are what we tie ourselves to. These are what we believe we are entitled to. Egos make us believe we are in control of our lives. When someone or something diverts these ends, we are hurt and disoriented. Suddenly, it seems we become insignificant and that there is someone else directing our destiny. There is.
Working People
86
People work because they want to. Not because they have to or because they are paid to or that you pay them to. You cant make them work even if you wanted to. You might be able to inspire them to, but that is all it will come to.
Millionaires
95
We are all millionaires; it is just that some people are better at keeping the money.
Leaders & Others
98
The difference between leaders and others is that leaders give more than 100%. Others give up to 100%. If you give only 100% in time effort and initiative, you are just doing your job. You can claim to be no more than average.
Communication
100
Some communication, rather miscommunication problems arise from people with very low self-esteem. People with a poor self-image are prone and vulnerable to mis-communication because they believe that others are better than them (or that they are better than others). They embellish the truth and or distort the facts to add up or diminish the difference in value between them.
Quality
102
Is not very good or better than the best. Quality is not 80% or even 90%. Quality is nothing less than 100%, but it can be a whole lot more.
How do you Learn
109
Some people learn by succeeding others learn by failing. You need to know how you learn.
Learning
110
There are those who learn from success, others from failure. Some from people and others from punishments. However, there are those who will never learn. You may need be rid of them or learn to live with them.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Leadership
114
Leadership lifts people from the depths of despair, to soar above the clouds of human misery; and reach for their eternal destiny.
Family
115
For family stability the one spouse must know what the other is doing. The better if they can do it together.
Vision
116
For the vision to live on the vision bearer must engage in the intricate matter of selecting, teaching, training, testing and perhaps above all timing.
Apply Yourself
119
If you apply yourself 50% you are losing as much energy as you are using. If you apply yourself 30% you lose more energy than the activity requires. If you apply yourself at 70%, you may be doing well, but that tells us nothing about your potential. Only when you apply yourself 100% will you know whether the activity is profitable or not. If you do not apply yourself at all, you are simply wasting your time.
Two of a Kind
120
There are two kinds of people; those willing to take responsibility, and those willing to take on those with responsibility.
The Market.
122
The reason why "C" students to do better than "A" students is that there are more of them in the market.
Young & Old
123
Young people spend their health to get wealth; old people spend their wealth to get health.
Knowledge and Ignorance
129
Both Knowledge & Ignorance are very expensive; One to get and the other to be.
Slavery
132
The poor may be the slave of the rich, but there is no reason why we should not all be rich.
Advantage
133
My gifts give me some gain on others; but only when I apply my abilities to the full do I achieve success.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Beget
140
The problem with teachers is that they beget teachers; the problem with thieves is that they beget robbers; the problem with robbers is that they beget murderers.
Principles
144
There is no such thing as "worldly" and "godly" principles. The principles that govern the universe are one and the same. Both good and evil reveal themselves by obedience or disobedience to these principles
To know or not to know
145
To know will put you in trouble and not to know will put you in trouble. But many do not know that they do not know.
Growing a Business
169
Business is not about you generating ideas; it's about the idea that the next generation will support.
Education
170
Education is for this life. The more you apply it the more you achieve. The moment you stop, so does life stop.
Choice
173
If every man is born equal, and before God none is better than another, and that each man has a right to determine himself; then, in a sense, and it is indeed true, that every mans station in life is by choice and not design.
Capital
185
Employment is a source of financial capital, just as going to school obtains intellectual capital and church spiritual capital.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Creativity
204
Productivity is thinking inside the box. Innovation is thinking outside the box. Creativity is thinking without the box.
Reading
212
We read the words and sentences, but never grasp the matter or the spirit of the document.
Hurry
213
Do you see a man always in a hurry, that man has not plan, priorities or program. Indeed, his very purpose is in doubt.
Going
214
Some go quietly, others go kicking and screaming. Some know where they are going; others don't know where they are coming from. Eventually we all go.
Think it
217
If you can think it, then it is possible. If it is possible, then you can believe it. If you can believe it, then you can receive it. If you can receive it, then it is in your power achieve it. If this be it, there is nothing more to it.do it.
Education
219
Many people think that education should be cheap. It is not cheap. It is the only value that has ever changed the world.
Education
220
Education has two bridges. The first is knowledge; the second is understanding. Some cross the first. Many do not find the second.
Power
221
You need not fear loss when you have the power to regain what you may have lost. Loss has no power over you
Loss
222
I think every leader must suffer loss in order to realize the power he has. And that loss has no power over him. This is the ultimate test and baptism of power; when you know that loss has no power over you. When you know that even loss must ultimately give way to what is good.
Hiring Practices
228
You can hire skills and train for attitude, or hire attitude and train for skills.
HAPPINESS
WHAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY?
An angel was sent from heaven with express instructions to meet two men and two women walking on the road. The travellers had passed through high and low points in their lives and continued in deep discussion, and not a little confusion along the way. The angel met them at a place they would later call the turning point. He appeared in one of those bright streaks of lightning that normally cross the sky.
After the initial shock of the sudden meeting, the travellers were very happy to find out that their guest was an angel. They were very happy to receive such a glorious visitor from heaven whom, they were sure, had a good word for them. But unlike all good visitors who bring news, he refused to announce his views. Instead, he had a question for each one of them. He enquired with great humility what he might do for them.
The first was quick to recognize this most unique opportunity and said without hesitation, "I want to be rich". There was silence as all four studied the visitor's response. The angel's eyes fell to the ground for just a moment as he said without emotion, "Your wish is my command". There was a cheer and astonishment all round that anyone could be granted such a wish.
The second, made bold by what had happened to the first, came forward and said, "Sir, if you are truly from heaven then make me a ruler, make me a king!". The angel looked at his hands, stretched them towards the second, and said, "Your wish is my command". The third could not contain his excitement and blurted out " make me, make me forever young! Let me never grow old". The angel looked and smiled as he said, "your wish is my command".
The fourth was utterly speechless and admitted never to have thought of a response to such a request. The three could not wait to begin the journey to enjoy their new destiny and were surprised that the fourth had hesitated for so long. They said to their friend in anxious tones, "dear friend you are holding us back. Make your request so that we can send the angel back to heaven. The fourth said forgive me but I don't know what to think or ask. Perhaps if you shared with me why you asked for what you did , I might find a clue of what to ask too.
The first said, "The reason I asked for all the money in the world is because, when I have it, I can buy anything I want, need or imagine. I could buy everything and be the happiest person on earth. The second said, "When I am ruler, I can go anywhere I want without restriction. I would get anything at my command and everything would be at my service. I would know everything that is going on and everyone would need my permission to do anything. I can't wait to exercise my power. I would not only be rich and powerful, but I would also be the happiest person in the world. The fourth then listened to the third who said, "I want none of the responsibility of growing up. If I remain young, I will never grow old or have to be responsible for any thing I do. My parents will continue to take care of everything and I will have nothing to worry about. I will always be forgiven and everyone will love me because I am only a child and that will make me the happiest person in the whole world".
The fourth was silent for a moment and then asked the others are you sure I can have everything and anything I want? Yes! They said in chorus. Then the fourth turned to the angel and said, "sir this is my request, I ask for anything and everything you have for me, only give me the grace to bear it. The angel beamed, lifted his arms toward heaven, proclaimed the AMEN and vanished in a thunderclap of a thousand halleluiahs!
Allan Bukusi
Original article- 2007
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wealth
229
The way I see it you have only two options in life; to be a creator or a consumer of wealth. It is in your power to choose the result.
Change- it is a way of life
230
The world changes every ten years. You change too. You can change it or it can change you. In every case, something must change.
Supervisor
232
When you become a supervisor, you join the minority. You now need authority to control the majority.
Servant
233
A servant job is to receive 100 requests at once and by the grace of God fulfill them all in time. Such is a leader.
Meetings
235
There are only two types of meetings, planning and review meetings. All others are social events.
To Work
236
To work is to engage your own common sense and creative skill in useful action; the result is of which is new value.Otherwise known as wealth.
Two Types of Work
240
There are only two types of work you can do; create or cultivate. All else is fate.
The Journey
249
If you know your end, you can enjoy the journey. If you don't know your end, it will be an anxious ride.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Money
253
Everyone knows how to spend money, not many know how to make it; that is the difference between you and them.
Education
261
If teaching makes education, then we need more schools; if learning makes education then we need more students.
Strategy
267
Leadership is strategy; management is structure. Strategy without structure is like a car without wheels. Structure without strategy is like a car without fuel.
Leadership & Management
270
Leadership without management is like a general without the military. Management without leadership is like an army without a general.
The Leaders Job
283
The job of a leader is not difficult; only a thousand people expect you to think for them.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Gossip
285
There is no need to speak about policy or problems with people who can do nothing about it.
The soul of a goal
286
If a goal has no soul, it is not worth achieving. If it has a soul, it is worth, not only fighting for, but also working out.
Enterprise
287
...is not fun and games. It is doing the dirty work that no one else wants to do again and again until it begins to look enterprising.
Spirit
289
A vision begins with a stirring of the spirit in you. And ends with a quenching of the same.
Gospel
294
The only gospel that has any impact is the one that is taught, caught, brought or bought.
Change
303
Radical change is irreversible, incremental change is uncomfortable, all change is permanent; which shall it be?
Founders
305
An organization adopts the character of its founder and takes on the culture of its leaders.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Life
314
Life is funny. We would rather repair the car than repair the road, find our own way rather than follow the way and pay to get well rather than prevent the ill.
A TRIBUTE TO MY TEACHERS
A Tribute to my Teachers
I never went to nursery school. That tells you that my first teachers were my parents. They were my reason for my romance with schooling. I never once delayed to go to school. I have never had any fears about going to school. I think that is a good thing. My motive was to be away from home.
Like all children, my first duty in school was to learn ABC and 1, 2, 3. I never really knew then the dramatic effect these pencil marks would have on me. I still use them today. My first teacher, Miss Qusik (sic), must have been from East Germany. Her view of life was very angled and she taught us to write "a" like an upside down triangle with an attached "Nike" sign. She literally imprinted writing in my mind as a form of drawing that had to be mastered over her horn-rimmed specs. She must have been a spinster.
I later met Mr. Mwangura, a man of few words. He chose to use the cane judiciously but unsparingly. You see Peter, I later taught on the same staff with him, understood the word "potential" long before I was born. He casually allowed us to score freely in his tests for the first week. The horror was revealed in the second week when those who did not improve were given a proportionate degree of caning reflecting their potential. He was not really interested in your marks. He was interested in your potential. If you had shown that you were an "A" student and decided to goof off with a "C", you would be caned (whipped)for the whole week, even if everyone else failed the test. Let us just say that he somehow found out that I was not a "C" student. It was never about marks it was always about potential.
It was a relief to enter the easy going Mrs. Kinuthias' class in the fifth grade. I coasted along with a "C" grade in English for the whole time, except for one major interruption. One day I wrote an essay about "How I was made" – I was a car. I got the only "A" I have ever been awarded throughout my entire school life in English. Mrs. Kinuthia noticed. She turned on her chair, looked at me, smiled and said "well done – I knew you could do it". I went back to my "C" grades immediately after that incident and never rose from that place, but deep in my heart, she had given her belief in me to my belief in me. From that day, I became a writer and it no longer mattered what anybody else thought. Whether they gave me an A, B, C or Z, it no longer mattered to me. I'm not sure Mrs. Kinuthia ever realized the impact she had on me.
By the time I came to junior high I knew I was a scientist. Arts were for people who could not do maths. I did maths pretty well. All I had to do was remember Peter. There was one other reason I liked maths. I was a terrible reader. By brothers could read in an hour what took me a week. I only found out late in life that the reason for this was that I only had one eye. Junior high was a terror outside class. However, Rev. Dodman taught with such consistency that everyone in the school thought that life would always turn out alright. He never really got to know my name, but he did make me feel like he knew it – and we could go to his house at any time. His wife was an angel. She was not a teacher. Mr. Ralphs grinned a lot and smoked, but we got along because I was well behaved and did not do poorly in maths. He played tennis and made sure we all went for sport. He was the fair sort. Even if he didn't like you, he would always ref by the rules and not feelings. But he had faith in me as a leader. He was the reason I was chosen captain.
The master class in high school was physics and I was a star. All I needed to remember was the formulas, which was easy for a person who could not read. Mr. Sale made everyone enjoy the lesson but he was also very critical about the world and how things should be, but are not, because some "stupid" guy is in the wrong position somewhere did not do what he was supposed to. To Squeaky Sale, life should be ABC not ABD. However, Mr. Okech knew I would lead long before I understood what leadership was about. In fact, in my leaving certificate he credited me with a double major for leadership. Don't ask me, I do not know what he saw in me.
I had many other teachers of course. All of them made me. All we have here is really touch and go, but it just goes to show that I could not be without all they have been to me. All my teachers are in the hall of fame. They are too many to name. I want you to know that I learned how to learn from them. That was the greatest gift they gave me and then they taught me to believe in me. Thank you. In college, I learned from professors whom I yearned to be like. And now, in life, I learn from others and that is how it is supposed to be.
God Bless you all
Allan
Feb 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Past, Present & Future
321
The past is about what happened. The present is happening. The future is about to happen.
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