Reinventing Rock Bottom

Get off the ground, break the chords, dust yourself & start climbing

 

“A lot of times you have to hit rock bottom to have the persistence to have the why-not-attitude, because with it comes the realization that you just can’t keep on living like this anymore. You want a way out and are willing to try something totally different as a last resort. This always feels a bit like dying, because you are giving up your previous conceptual orientation of yourself for a new and uncertain beginning. It is a step into unknown, an experience you haven’t felt or did before.”

I guess most of us if not all never give the term “rock bottom” much thought until you hit it. For many it is an event that happens just once for some it is several times.

In whichever category we might fall under, we can all agree that this is definitely an uncomfortable and frustrating place to be, but we can seemingly convert this struggle into a power that transforms our mind. Let me bring the point home; there will be those moments when you’ll feel like you are on top of your career like receiving a job offer or a new promotion. On the other hand, there will be those times when you’re working two part – time jobs unrelated to your degree, or even worse you’ve been stuck in unemployment for an unbearable long period of time and your dreams suddenly come to a halt. This could apply in any area of our lives.

Sometimes hitting rock bottom can be a wake-up call. There’s nothing that motivates a person more. The only way from rock bottom is up. There simply isn’t any way things can get worse and although you wouldn’t know it at the time, it is actually comforting that this is as bad as it gets.

Believe it or not, it is okay to hit rock bottom once in a while; it is transformational because it forces one to rebuild their life in a way they never thought they would have to do. It opens your mind to think of solutions and the ascent up could lead to a point of satisfaction.

Getting to that point is extremely hard to do but is also extremely rewarding. Some of the greatest accomplishments made by the most influential people of our time started when they hit rock bottom and later worked their way up, giving reference to Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, and Oprah Winfrey among others.

Like any normal human being, they slipped into their cocoons, stayed in the dark and felt sorry for themselves but one day they took a turn ran their fingers against the crag and started pulling themselves out.

I have realized over time that being in this situation is more like flying, the difference is there are strings that are holding you up. 

How you choose to interpret it, is your choice…

Photo Courtesy: Crag Law Center

According to Jason Goldberg; you can choose to be crushed by the rock. You can become gravel that outside circumstances push deeper into the earth with no control over its own destiny.

You can make excuses and pretend that this is your only option. But you would be wrong. There is another option. You can become the rock! You can use it to become a boulder that is strong and can steamroll anything in its path given the right direction and momentum.

You can use the rock as a stepping stone to reach heights of re-invention that may have otherwise felt impossible.

By now we understand that life will always throw challenges at us and when the last straw that breaks the camel’s back leads us to a point of no control; always remember that you can either let it define you, destroy you or let it strengthen you.

Written By:

Dorcas Waringa 

17/05/2015

The Deep Dive For New Ventures

Sometimes all it takes is acting on that daring whisper in your gut instinct that says… “Go for it!”

I used to think Entrepreneurs are geniuses, sometimes I still do; that this sphere was for the chosen few; those that are rich and daring enough.

Time has however proved this to be a fallacy, I have come to realize that any successful Entrepreneur’s journey began with just a single idea and turned into a multi-million dollar international brand. I do listen to young people speak about their passion, their dreams and all I see is untapped potential.

Watching shows like Shark Tank inspires millions of people across the world, these business Sharks each have a story to tell of their beginning and sometimes more often than not it’s not what we perceive it to be. It’s important that anyone who aspires to be an entrepreneur be daring and willing to take risks and follow their vision even if at times it might appear to be leading them to a crag.

Photo Courtesy: TV by the numbers

In my journey to discovering my purpose, passions and dreams  I have certainly walked through the crag not once but a number of times; be it financial, mental, physical or both. This becomes an inevitable part of growth as an entrepreneur as this discovery is linked with taking risks.

No matter what career path you have chosen, launching your first startup requires one to be enthusiastic, self-motivated and excited about that particular project. Human beings thrive best when it comes to what they love doing rather than what they have to do.

Whether employed or self-employed your zest for your business/career and your ability to learn and listen is directly connected to how well you enjoy your work. This can be enhanced by having the right perspective and attitude. Maintaining a negative view or a pessimistic outlook or remaining stuck in on lack of motivation can turn a great business idea into a failure. Think about what you excel at, not what you lack, especially when first launching a new business. Focus on your end goals not all the little steps you must take to get there. 

I love studying the human character and especially how they react to their work and personal life. I watch people wake up very early, take the bus and head to work you can see their determination from a distance not until you interact with them. This has become the routine, we do things because we have to do them but not because we want to or enjoy doing them. I call this the Zombie Mode; a condition in which one is not able to function properly throughout the day and general malaise. We live once and life is not a rehearsal why waste it doing things that don’t bring out the best of you?!

In the words of Kian Kaze (RockstarPreneur), “if you’re someone who believes in going your own way and in having a lot of fun doing it - which it sounds like you are - then you’re already on the right track. Go ahead wear your passion on your sleeve for all to see and do a lot more listening than talking. And remember when in doubt, trust your instincts.”

It’s time we stopped taking the back seat and hoping somehow things are going to work out. Remember, it only took an idea to create an empire for most of these successful entrepreneurs. Don’t underestimate the power within you; don’t underestimate your abilities; sometimes all it takes is for you to act on that daring whisper, have a winning spirit, love what you do and determination to prepare yourself for the journey unknown.

“If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” -- Bishop T.D. Jakes

Written By:

Dorcas Waringa

28th February, 2015





The Art of Making Sacrifices

“No matter what path we choose, there is sacrifice”

Experience is by no doubt the best teacher and if there’s one lesson life has taught me in the previous years it’s the art of sacrifice. There is no decision that we can make that doesn’t come with some sort of balance or sacrifice.

I’ll compare sacrifice to playing chess. A chess player understands this concept well. When playing the game, a certain piece will be sacrificed in order to win the game, or to gain an advantage over the other player.

I remember my transition from books to the practical world; I wanted to be in charge of my career journey, the milestones and my destination. I had a plan, to position myself, to drive my ambition and for my employer to see value in me at the level of strategy and business thinking.

Early in our careers most of us want to advance, make more money, and perhaps have more influence. As professionals, managers, executives, and leaders in organizations, we are often on a path of working and hoping for a promotion, preparing for the next level, or facing new challenges after a promotion. As an entrepreneur, innovator, professional, or leader in many fields we also look to make things happen and expand our positive impact in markets, communities, and organizations.

With all these in mind, I had to ask myself very difficult questions, my thinking couldn’t just be based on reward and compensation. I had to ask myself questions such as ‘What I’m I doing in the establishment beyond earning a living? Is it where I want to be or found myself? What follows now that I’m already there?’

Reality suddenly hits and you realize that nothing in life is truly free; you give some to get some. Success in our career needs planning, we must make sacrifices. I must admit there are days I feel stuck and especially when I have to make a success out of the new challenges at the next level and this lack of progress sometimes leads to exhaustion and the barrier of our limits. However, I’m convinced that if I am going to make my boat sail better, it implies sacrificing so much and assessing whether the sacrifice I’m making is really worth it.

Our sacrifices must create meaning and value for ourselves. This is accomplished when our sacrifices reflect our own passion, meaning and value for others and ourselves and determination in achieving our goals. We can climb the ladder of our career and encounter hurdles. Sometimes we see them; sometimes we just fall on them. Every new level of our journey in life requires a new level of skills and actions.

In this journey we face set-backs, our expectations are often crashed. We sometimes need to enter the world of complexities, and challenges that no one has ready answers for.

Every day we make sacrifices. Some bring great rewards and joy; others are difficult and hurtful. Some are hard to accept as we have to do it every day, while others are small and remain unnoticed. We sacrifice our time, money, and sweat. We do what we do to make a better life for us and the people we truly care about. Often, we sacrifice our own happiness for other people to smile and be happy.

We all have goals of moving forward in life. There’s always going to be a cost to move in the right direction. You have to accept that you must make sacrifices. It’s life. Once you make your sacrifice, there is no getting it back.

Written By:

Dorcas Waringa

15/01/2015

Breaking Free - Reflections of the Year that Was..

A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change.

I echo the words of Sarah Ban Breathnach

Looking Back

Amazing how time flies, days turn into weeks, months and years. One moment we are infants the next we are adults. It’s been a while since I last posted on my blog, for a reason or 2 it’s been difficult just finding that space, quiet and some good music for this. I’m hoping this will change with time though.

Back to the agenda…

As I read from the script of my life; we have moved forward to a new year, I can’t help but reflect on the year that was. The year 2014 began, as most do, with a lot of expectations, hope for the best and anxiety for the future. It’s been a year of a kind; tears, laughter, surprises, milestones and breaking free.

If the value of a person’s life is measured by their experience, and whether they've lived their life to fulfillment. I think I’ll give 2014 a pass; I can summarize my culmination of 2014 in two simple words “Breaking Free” free from my comfort zone, to explore and discover the newness of life.

2014 was the year I made several marks in my career, made tough decisions, treaded on fiery grounds, I simply out did myself! And not to forget that this is the year I achieved a milestone in my years of existence – thanks to God, I celebrated my silver anniversary! And honestly it was the best feeling and the most memorable moment for the year – my silver lining. I am pleased I have been patient, after all that is one of the toughest things to do, but being patient has allowed me to learn and grow as an individual and hopefully 2015 will be a reflection of my sacrifice and input over the past 2 years.

But it hasn’t all been sunny days; dark days were experienced too it has been a tough year. I’ve had a lot on my plate and at times it has taken its toll. I’ve felt like running away more times this year that I’d care to admit. The feeling of being pulled in so many directions when my heart simply wants to go one way has been tough. At times I’ve felt selfish, at times I’ve had my patience fail and been horribly overwhelmed. But my resilience has been outstanding I’m here and I made it when there were certainly moments I thought I wouldn’t.

It doesn’t go without mention though that as each year passes by we come across angels in our lives and moments that take our breath away. I would like to appreciate my friends and family for the special moments we shared in the past year.

This year I managed to not only find myself but make peace with myself. On a deeper level, that has been the most personal of journeys for the year and one I am proud of.

I believe in living life the way that you want to live it every day, and if you do that, you don’t really need to have New Year’s resolutions. 

– Tom Ford

Each year is a gift, filled with profound opportunities for growth and enlightenment. If there was one lesson that was most significant in 2014, it would be resilience, sacrifice, determination to act on what I believe in, that after all has been said and done I have me, my future to build on.

Once upon a time, 2015 sounded so futuristic. Now it’s here. It’s the year of new beginnings and discoveries. My horoscope says… Go for what you believe in, explore, discover and live life to the fullest!

Break Free!

Written By:

Dorcas Waringa

1/01/2015

SAVE OR SPLURGE..?

Just how much is too much? Who’s the Judge when it comes to an individual’s spending?

I recently had a discussion with a friend after watching this one particular episode of “My Dream Wedding” that featured a couple that was so determined to realize their dream wedding regardless of what it would take and how much it would cost.

The catch was, their budget; it cost them a whooping 136,596 dollars to finance the event this translates to about Kshs.12 million. While some of us were left intrigued, others were in awe and the rest holding their chins in thought wondering if they had a chunk of the moolah they would invest it elsewhere! As some would share in the same sentiments I feel otherwise. 

Here’s my perspective:

Most of us if not all have luxury goods/activities that drive us into a frenzy and regardless of their expensive nature we would go rushing to the bank, right? Could be your dream car, house, vacation or like the couple your dream wedding.

One would argue that a wedding is just a one day affair and so you really don’t need to spend that much. They might have a point, but look at it this way… you probably might never have a second opportunity to make it happen. What if that was the last thing you had to celebrate together? I believe in living a fulfilling life within your means though, if your dream is big then the more you’ll have to part with/the more sacrifices you’ll have to make to realize it and if you have the cash and resources, why not? Of course by the time you are spending that much you definitely will have sorted out the other key areas of your life. You don’t want to walk out of a celebration broke!

Setting Boundaries

Kat Kinsman – CNN once stated that, “It's easy to get caught up in a nuptial excitement. At every turn, family members, friends, experts, magazines, blogs are there to offer inspiration and instill panic. A bride or groom's "nice-to-have" is inevitably someone else's essential ("You can't possibly get married without a DJ, champagne toast, church full of flowers, fill-in-the-blank!").”

At the end of it all the couple still remains married regardless, your car doesn’t seize being a car because someone else has a more expensive one.

Growing up, I learned all kinds of money lessons from my influencers, but one thing that stuck was the fact that after a hard day’s job after considering investing my money on what I deem necessary, there’s me to reward.

You want that expensive car, go for it! You want that expensive house, go for it! You want to go on an expensive vacation… do it! Do it within your means, set the boundaries! Once in a while it’s always good to reward yourself. I have interacted with people who are extremely frugal, it is good to save but at the same time you don’t want to miss out on the exciting bit of life. 

Who’s the judge?

More often we usually judge other people’s spending and chances are, we’re usually right. Yet each time we judge others’ spending, we’re less likely to actually look at our own spending and do something about it. And just as we think someone else probably overspends on “ridiculous” things, so do we.

I’m a believer of spending extravagantly on the things I love, while cutting costs on the things that really don’t matter as much to me.

It’s clear, that after all’s said and done you are the ultimate boss when it comes to your spending, search deeply within your conscience and if at peace… make the decision.

There are so many things that we want out of life, but only a limited time on earth to accomplish them. All these are possible, but we need to do it within our means and let you be your own judge.

Could be you are about to take that pricey stride down the aisle, to the car dealer, on a vacation to the Maldives, or you are yet to undertake on a pricey project; think critically,,, be your own judge!

Written By: 

 

Dorcas Waringa

1st August, 2014