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Yes, it’s a struggle. I have been there; done that but there is always a great sunset on the horizon. I know the sweat and the tears it takes to “achieve it” in this primal youth of ours. The Kenyan youth faces a
multitude of demons in search of their great emergence into the elite society. The craving for success is deep in every single youth out here. What defines the gold from the soil? That’s what am here to elaborate to you today. There is a simple method to rise in the ranks in our community.
A great shadow of dim darkness is covering our youth today. Our youths think that where they are they are meant to be there. I have met many along my adventures around this prestige land of ours and have seen the greatest problem affecting our youth, mainly in the low-income areas is allowing themselves to stay in their comfort zone. Not knowing there is a great abyss of opportunity lurking out there. Most youths don’t see that opportunity doesn’t come out of the sky just to fuel their needs for success. Opportunity is earned not given. The great musician T. (Clifford Joseph Harris Jr) once said “Opportunity meets preparation so prepare for your opportunity”. These words I live by them day in and day out. They are my code to surviving in these cold streets of Kenya.
The struggle is a great indicator that success is around the corner. Just like a diamond, it undergoes a lot of pressure to make its magnificent shape and property but if it was just left underground and not mined, it would have never reached its full potential. If you just accept to remain in the rubble and not take the next step you’ll never get to see the greatness that awaits you shortly. You just have to put in the
work. If it is a skill you just have to put it into practice. Practice makes perfect. Just put yourself out there and see what happens. It won’t be easy trust me, it takes a dedicated heart.
Dedication is nothing without passion. Find something that you are genuinely passionate about, something that gives you a great rush when doing it. Look for something that when you do it, time just dilates, you never notice it passing. From there, dedication just becomes easy. It won’t be hard to wake up every morning and just do what you love but remember that doing a lot doesn’t really mean you’re working hard.
Hard work is defined as (according to me) always doing what you have to do to achieve your dreams and never giving up. Trust me it’s a battle and in every battle, there is one great rule. “The harder the preparation, the easier the fight, or as they say train hard fight easy.” Put in hard work to your preparation and when the opportunity is right it shall all pay off.
One of my greatest motivational speakers is Denzel Washington. He said something that has stuck with me till today “FAIL BIG”. He narrated how he got into the film industry and how he went to many auditions and never got the spot but what made him who he is, was he never went home and felt sorry for himself. He kept on practicing and practicing, he kept on going to more auditions but he still kept failing. Till one day he got his big break. Failure is just part of life and our greatest teacher. If you fail, just construct another route and continue with your journey. Mistakes were meant for us to learn and grow from them not to live with them. If you fail big you learn bigger lessons. So never be afraid to fail.
Be the best you can and never let anyone tell you can’t and set out to do it as God almighty called you in this exact moment in time to do it. Do that job so well that neither the living, the dead n’tor the unborn could do it any better.”
Martin Luther
As a youth, we have the currency of time on our hands. Sorry to say most of us don’t see this. They prefer to waste their time doing drugs and chasing empty dreams. I would like to advise them to try everything
and never stop once they fail. The moment you fail, move on to the next. Take time to learn many skills for it increases your market value exponentially. The Kenyan youth of this day are not ready to try new things and learn new skills for they are just not ready to put in the work. Today’s Kenyan youth have been brainwashed to think education is the only route to success but it isn’t. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t study, you definitely should. It helps you understand the world around you. What I can advise you is to follow what you’re passionate about. If it is in the art world paint as Leonardo da Vinci did, with his full heart in it. If it is in the musical realm play the piano like Martha Argerich, for with every key she touches, you can feel what she is trying to portray to you.
As you battle the demons of life just know that like a phoenix, you can rise from the ashes. Nothing should ever make you feel you’re not worth achieving success in this world just like an egg’s power from within brings life while power from outward forces causes death. What you tell yourself is what you become. If every day you tell yourself you won’t make it, you won’t but if you wake up every day and look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you are great definitely you shall become great. Steve Jobs once said, “You can never connect the dots looking forward”. Steve Jobs dropped out of university from his selected course because it just didn’t make sense to him and he joined a class that intrigued him, calligraphy. Even though he came to start apple way far in the future he put what he learned into apple where it had different writing fonts. If he never followed what he was interested in today’s typing could have never had different fonts. Follow what interests you, for you can never connect the dots looking forward, and remember “Knowledge is power only when you use it.”
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Written by GEORGE IRUNGU