Life has seasons when everything feels out of place. When the ground shifts beneath us, our good plans fall apart, the people we trust most disappoint us and the opportunities we wanted so much to grasp slide just out of reach. In such moments, it’s tempting to point fingers at badluck, at others and at circumstances. This moment requires us to embrace real change, which begins when we stop blaming and start looking inward. Change is something we do from the inside out while blame is something we pin on the outside. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you think about it and what you do next. That simple shift is the first steady step toward personal growth.
A moment that lives in me
Clarity is the quiet force behind transformation. I learned that in a flash one day, soon after I’d left university. That day, I saw a car pull up outside a design studio in Nairobi and realised the passenger on board was the person I’d admired for years, Marian K. Immediately, I rushed forward with my heart racing and knocked on the window calling her name. She smiled, rolled down the glass of her latest model SUV and offered, calmly, “Hello, how may I help you?” Her humility and charm made me freeze. I opened my mouth to speak but my mind went blank. I had wanted that meeting for so long, but when it arrived I didn’t have a single clear request to make: only nostalgic admiration and a vague hope for “a chance” reigned in my mind. Realising I was wasting her valuable time, she kindly gave me thirty seconds and throughout this time my unpreparedness was obvious. She finally handed me her business card and left. I tried to recollect what had transpired but the opportune moment had already slipped through my fingers. That day taught me a hard truth: opportunities like sunrises are highly transient. They mean little unless you know exactly what you want and you are prepared enough to go after them.
Start your day on purpose
Not everything can be accomplished in a single day. However, how you begin the morning matters more than you think. It shapes everything that you will do on that day. The first hour of the day is your private territory, your emotional compass that you need to guard by all means, or else you will wander aimlessly like a rudderless ship at sea. Unfortunately, many people surrender it to clutter and distraction. Nevertheless, successful people who get things done don’t depend on luck. They deliberately lean on small and steady habits like a quick stretch, five minutes of quiet meditation, reading a line from an inspiring book and a thought scribbled down. These small acts that build momentum and form the scaffolding of a disciplined life. This discipline is what I lacked to meet Marian with purpose on that fateful day. As a lesson, your morning doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need intention. Do small things consistently and they’ll grow into the light that carries you through the day.
The lonely path of vision
Choosing to live intentionally can sometimes feel lonely. That's why visionaries often look odd to others and are always misunderstood. Their discipline seems stubborn, their curiosity seems obsessive and their unconventional habits look eccentric. Think of the person reading a book late at night while everyone else is scrolling through the social media updates. They may look odd and strange now but brilliant later when their discoveries transform the world. People don’t randomly become great. They have to work with the patience of the lone artist sketching ideas, choose the right direction and keep walking, even when others who can’t see the map sow seeds of doubt. You can't stumble on greatness because it isn’t accidental. You have to deliberately choose it. The dream inside you may be too big for others to imagine; they’ll doubt it because they can’t see it themselves. Your job is to protect that fervent fire burning inside you and keep moving, even when the path is still clouded.
A life that mirrors the journey
Teacher Naldo is a common figure in local dailies often called "The Advocate". His life is a testament that while many claim that he had been lucky, he didn’t become a leader by accident. As a child from humble background, moving from school to school sharpened him. Though trained for a caring profession, life nudged him toward becoming a trade unionist. He defended the rights voiceless workers, called out unfair systems, and earned both admiration and scorn. Threats came. He was mocked. Still, he pushed on. “Mockery is the last weapon used against the weak,” he used to say. From walking school barefooted to standing before national leaders, his life shows this simple truth: discipline, courage, clarity and steady vision can bend systems to your favour. No matter how much they mean, connections and chance don’t replace purpose. Knowing what you want reshapes everything.
What really counts
Beyond ambition, the real wealth of life hides in small, steady things that quietly sustain us: a caring family that steadily anchors us in the storms of life, few inspiring lines that lightens us and free us from ignorance and a kind of art that quickens our inner life. It’s in taking a slow walk across a gleaming landscape, breathing in clean air under an open sky, allowing soft music to loosen the knots we didn’t know we were carrying and noticing those tiny acts of kindness that brighten even the bleakest corners. Remember, every choice we make has an opportunity cost in the time and life you trade for it. So invest wisely in things that restore your soul and uplifts you towards who you're becoming
The final call
Instead of chasing perfection, chase authenticity. Tend your inner world and grow toward your truest self. Most of all, figure out what you want because clarity is the seed of greatness. Become someone your future self will thank. If you’re ready for clearer days, start small: steady practice, quiet courage, and intentional mornings. Greatness isn’t sudden. It’s faithful and consistent, built sunrise after sunrise.
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