LESSON FROM AN 83 YEAR OLD MAN

What really motivates us? What really made our First lady, 50 years old Mrs. Margaret Kenyatta decide to run a 42 km marathon in London and finish? What motivated the 83 year old Mzee John Ruengo Gituchi to finish the Lewa marathon, Nairobi and Nyeri half marathon with all the young men and women towing behind him right up to the finish line? In my teens, I remember going for a dance in a popular night club in my small town around mount Kenya region and to my amazement saw a man the age of my grandpa around 70 years dancing in rhythmical steps with a young lady of about 25 years and the way he was synchronizing with the steps and his adjustment to the beat left me in overwhelming feeling of admiration and sure the senior citizen had the coolest moves I’ve ever seen from a man his age.

Not to delve into old age and motivation only, I have a friend of mine from a place called Chaka, Nyeri, who got a nickname’ Rhino boy’ for his motivation into protecting the endangered rhinos single handedly. This unemployed young man woke up one morning and decided that he had to do something about the problems of rhino poaching. He decided to walk for more than 762 kilometers around Aberdare National Park to seek funds for the electrification of the park. His initial target was to raise Ksh5 million. Well, he raised Ksh 3 million earnestly and conscientiously and offered all that money to the KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service).

I cannot probably say that there is much I do out of the ordinary, as my life revolves around normalcy and I don’t normally venture much out of the ordinary.  But that doesn't mean that I can’t wake up one day and do something that I thought I would never do. Everything lies in being motivated. Having that spirit, that inner flame that ignites you to do something, the strong urge to change your life, your relationship, your society, your health, your finances, your style etc. You don’t have to sit up and think of a very big project. Don’t end up with a white elephant, rather being motivated means you can start on your journey into change by being determined and persistent all through. Let me share with you a quote I heard from a friend of mine called Gerrishon Thuo that "Mcdonald Mariga is only great because he goes where the ball is going. It's all about following your passion".