Thoughts and Stuff

An Oscar perhaps? Epic KCSE results? Fanikisha na M-Shwari? Anything? Nothing?

I hope you have won something, or at least you think you have. If you think you haven’t, listen up (or rather read.)

I have won a lot over the past few days. I have won little victories that some would not even consider winning. I am not going to go all cliché on you by the way, I am talking business. Also, this is not some thing I do to make myself feel better about stuff, it is the truth.

I win every time you click the link I share and proceed to read this. I win every time I make you smile. I win every time you laugh. I win every time you share. You share because you relate and want everyone you know to share in the moment. I win. You win. Win-win situation.

I win every time someone else wins. I cry with them when they are up there on a podium lifting up a trophy or statue because I know their win represents an indirect win to me. A distant win that tells me I have miles to go before I am doing anything similar on a stage, because they did too. Same thing you feel when your alma mater emerges top in exams. You feel the win is your win. Legit.

Today morning as I walked to work, I stumbled upon one Sho Baraka track on shuffle, Revolutionary Died. I had never paid any particular attention to it before today. (I tend to do that a lot, ignore a song until years later when I listen to it through renewed ears, literally.) So I am walking up that hill across Nairobi River and I hear some words that prompt me to repeat the track.

I know one song can’t change the world
But maybe dude next door’ll stop beatin’ his girl
And maybe we can get some brothas out trap
I just wanna change my block we’ll see what happens after that

I know this post will not change the world, but maybe it will make you look at your situation differently. When I write, I always hope that I can change the negative and cement the positive out there. If you feel your KCSE results were not what you expected, chill out. I have been there. Trust me. It is not the end of the world (cliché, I know but true). You can cry for a bit then resolve to do things differently. Do not let anyone decide what you are. Only you know and only you can do it. Take advice though and learn to discern messed up advice from the real deal.

I have also been quiet around here, accepting awesome blog posts from friends. That was some major winning right there. Letting other people tell their story. Receiving the honour to be their host. I cannot begin to explain how y’all just blessed me in a crazy way. In the process you blessed an audience out there and I got some heartfelt feedback from various quarters. Thank you.

(Feedback comes in interesting ways on this digital space. People may not like your post on Facebook, retweet your tweet or comment on it but they will text you or inbox or even call or just subscribe to the mailing list. You get all these kinds of feedback and you learn to appreciate the diversity that is people. I am not sensationalizing anything, just telling you like it is.)

So there you have it. I may not be winning any tangible awards. You may also not be winning any either. But you know what, they are coming. Just keep doing what you are doing if you are making any headway. If you are not, think again. Restrategize. Also, do not feel bad when other people are winning. Best thing you can do is cheer them on and observe what they do. It may work for you, it may not. Get wise. (A Sho Baraka track again. I am probably all over his tracks because he will feature in the LIVE LIFE LOUD concert in Nairobi this Friday.)

We are all winning. We lose sometimes and that’s alright. We win other times, even when we don’t know it. Just focus on the winning and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. There is a greater joy in knowing that your win goes beyond yourself.

Now, I ask again, have you won something lately? Happy March! I also stopped by somewhere as a guest in February. Just in case you missed it, check it out. Here: If You Love Something Let It Go.