TOWARDS BETTER...

Allow me to express myself not as an expert in this case but first as a human being who happens to be a youth and a citizen of this nation because we deserve better.

For the longest time I have intentionally shied away from matters politics and governance but only previously indirectly participated through awards and innovative opportunities that have allowed me to express my views. I mean every time we talk politics we have to deal with so much baggage; don’t we all hate baggage? I know! We forget or choose to forget reason and logic; we forget that we deserve better, throw caution to the wind and it’s man against man, tribe against tribe, the majority against the minority, the haves against the have-nots, power against the law.

So yes, until we realize much of which we hold in high regard is affected by politics only then we can find our voices of reason and speak up; we are talking governance, global trade, economy, public policy, businesses, national integration and so much more. 

We are being poked guys, are we even aware of that? Constant poking gets painful with time and in extreme cases our bodies begin to get numb. 

Dear youth, 

I know you feel tired, so much strength has been drained out of you by some of the personal issues you have to deal with every day; you are trying to establish your business, it’s not been easy, you’ve been looking for sustainable employment but nothing, you would like to settle down with your partner but there are processes involved, you are not ready. There’s so much pressure from society to succeed and be someone respectable. 

It’s too much, right? Politics is the least of your concerns I know; it’s too much of an addition to all that you have to deal with. We want it all to end but we don’t have the strength to fight, we want it all to end but we are afraid to speak up, afraid to lose our jobs because some of our employers are involved. We want it all to end but are confused on how to go about it, caught up in our comfort zones “I don’t give a damn as long as I get my salary at the end of the month” so we say.

photo courtesy

We are forgetting that we have a choice that we deserve better and we should demand better but this is only possible if we learn to fight together, only if we put aside our personal interests and fight for a common good. We have human rights and civil society organizations but even they are struggling though they have the muscle and with the right support we can push for better. 

What if the millions of youth in this country had a day set aside for a march for change and I don’t mean the vulnerable… no, we’ve allowed them to fight for us too long. I mean you with an independent mind, you who cannot be manipulated by politics, you who understands policies, you who know we deserve better and is willing to take a day off and can in every way humanly possible call for action.

If we can learn to embrace and appreciate the beauty of our diversity, the power it holds then unlearn all the negative aspects we’ve captured through the history of politics in this country, maybe then we can begin to move towards better.

Written By: Dorcas Waringa | 27th March, 2018

DISCONNECTED DOTS…

What better time to find this inspiration, it’s the beginning of the year and many of us have set goals, realigned our vision and are working towards achieving them. I was speaking with a friend earlier, explaining that I’ve been feeling extremely anxious lately, especially at the beginning of a new week or month. He asked me why: in that moment my expectations, goals, and dreams flashed through my mind; “the dots are disconnected.”

I have realized that the moment we find the starting point to our dreams, we usually have predetermined in our minds that it is supposed to unfold in a specific way and then we meet a brick wall, we panic and anxiety sets in. The dots suddenly fail to connect and all that is left are scattered pieces of a puzzle. It doesn’t mean we have to stop working toward our goals; maybe just try if it fits differently. 

Having experienced my share of disappointments, I’m becoming more aware and learning how to hold them in check. A while back I came across a dream opportunity that was empowering and exciting in a way that motivates you through life. Confidently and full of hope, I went for it! Waiting on feedback felt almost like a lifetime, somehow I knew too well it could go both ways but the reality of failing at a first attempt came hitting hard. I was fully immersed in that moment, I froze and everything else paused as my mind spiraled through confusion, disappointment and feelings of defeat loomed. It took me a while to recover from this and even so, sometimes how I realize that it’s not an easy process is when I find myself feeling afraid to expect or hope for so much. Through this process I learnt the importance of not letting all my hopes and happiness ride on dreams coming true and that sometimes you need to allow yourself to appreciate the freedom in just having the opportunity to try no matter the outcome; with that I got a second wind and pursued it again.

The fear of being disappointed is the one thing that plagues us; we get consumed with questioning ourselves while in the process haunting our most daring pursuits. We find ourselves responding as such, “I don’t know what I want but it’s definitely not this” we begin to doubt the process and opportunities that are presented. Subsequently, we refrain from taking the actions we know we must take in order to achieve a desired goal or objective. We all feel this way once in a while, the reality is that fear will always be there; even as we grow and adapt to new situations, there will always be something new or different that scares us. But we have to be willing to face our fears and go for it anyway; it is the only way we will move forward.

 

Most important to note is that your dream life is attainable, but keep in mind things will get hard and seem too difficult to bear, there will be times where you fall and don’t want to keep going. But the rewards on the journey are far greater than the curve-balls life throws.

Life is a series of small destinations, paving way for new discoveries and a fulfilling journey. Sometimes we’ve got to keep our eyes from solely focusing on the goal and focus on the process as it keeps us grounded and shapes our character. There’s no defined path that leads to achieving your goals, connect the dots and create your own path.

Written By:

Dorcas Waringa

29th January, 2018