ONE KIND ACT THAT GOT ME THINKING

Today, I sit and reflect on how the first half of 2014 was. I remember the kindness and love that people showed me. The challenges I faced and opportunities that I either took up or let go. The promises I kept and those I did not keep. The goals I achieved and those that I am yet to achieve. But in particular, I remember a simple gesture that changed my life.

Some of my colleagues who visited me at home. Thank you guys

On January 17th this year, I was involved in an accident in which I fractured my left leg. For ten weeks I used crutches. That might sound like a short time but trust me, it was really long. Many colleagues visited me, called me up and sent me really sweet get well soon messages. The compassion exhibited by all my friends was just humbling. I am grateful and indebted to everyone for all your virtual and physical company during that time. One of the acts of kindness that really stands out was when I visited my workplace during my eighth week of recovery. By this time, I was in position to use public means because the cast was reduced to "below knee".

On my way back, I jumped off the taxi from the stage around Clock Tower. For anyone who has been from Kansanga heading to town, you will know how crazy riders and drivers are on this road. I couldn't cross the road because those motorists couldn't give me way. I stood for about five minutes contemplating on how to cross the road. Every time I would try to cross, some reckless motorist appeared and never gave me any chance. Any attempt to cross might have ended in another accident because my speed using crutches was low. After a long wait, a young man came over and greeted me. Like he had been observing whatever I was going through, he says to me, "Let's cross together". Wow, how kind of him!

This young man stands on my right hand side, stops the motorists and let's me pass. He does the same on the other side of the road. What a relief that was! I have never seen anyone do that. Well, except when primary kids are crossing. That guy changed me. His act of kindness transformed me. I do not remember who this guy is but who ever you are, you made me a better person on that day.

         

HOW MY DREAM OF GOING TO "OUTSIDE COUNTRIES" WAS ALMOST SHATTERED

Those things of travelling to "outside countries" can be good to hear about but hectic when preparing to make these trips. So I'm in a meeting with my boss when my phone rings. I move out, pick up this call and the sweet voice on the other end of the line asks, "Am I speaking to Ernest?", "Yes you are madam", I replied. "Please come by our offices tomorrow at 9 O'clcok for a repeat of your TB check up", she announced. When I asked her what the problem was, her simple reply was, "we do not discuss such information over the phone". I froze for a moment. I was dumbfounded and I started shaking in my pants (yes, I did shake). When I got back to the meeting, boss asks "Is everything okay Ernest?", my very brief answer was "Yes". From then on, I do not know what transpired throughout the meeting.

Picture from http://www.lung.ca/tb/abouttb/do_i_have/test.html

By 9 O'clock I was there awaiting my fate. I'm called into a private room and this beautiful lady calmly tells me, ".....your results yesterday were not good and the doctor has asked for a repeat". I took a deep breath, with my face buried in my hands and wondered if God had forsaken me. In the X-ray room, the radiographer does his thing and says to me, "I don't know what they (the doctors) saw yesterday, but let's hope for the best today". He concludes by saying, "I'm sorry my friend. These things happen and unfortunately I can do nothing about it". Really? This guy should have just shut his mouth up. I wasn't in the mood for hearing any consolations from any one. I was then told to come back at 2:00p.m for my final verdict. You can only guess how many prayers I said. 

It is now 2:00p.m and I'm in this air conditioned room. My palms were sweating like I was in a sauna. I took occasional deep breaths. At this point I remember saying to myself, "God, I need a miracle". And that was it. I am called to the doctors room. Something about this doctor; She was kind, sweet, humble, and very loving. "Make yourself comfortable Ernest", she tells me. "There was something unclear about your X-ray yesterday and that's why you were requested to come again today", she began. "It isn't anything to worry about. It was just the shadow of one of your ribs. Everything else is fine", she continued. At this point, I remember closing my eyes and saying "Thank you Lord". She smiled at me and asked me to wait for my "no TB found" certificate at the waiting area. You should have seen the relief on my face. Atleast my dream of going to outside countries is still alive. What happened after getting this certificate is a story for another day...

   

EXCUSITIS IS KILLING ME

So after such a long recess from blogging, I decided to ask myself this question. What happened? Why haven't I been blogging? And guess what...I had no answer. I have been dwelling on excuses for such a long time. Just listen to all this rubbish I have been telling myself.

1) I don't have time. I'm too busy: Whaaat? This is clearly false. You see, I realized there are about 5hrs in a day in which I'm doing absolutely nothing constructive. During this time, I am either Facebooking, dozing off, listening to music or participating in some silly conversation. So, five whole hours doing absolutely nothing is very unserious of me. Isn't it?  

2) I will do it later: Can you imagine? Something that could be now and finished within the shortest possible time is postponed to another time. Mr Procrastinator for sure. This is how and why many of us fail to get things done. And when I fail to do it, I stupidly have the guts to tell my self that all will be fine. Silly....

3) I have nothing to write about: Silly, right? Yeah, I also thought so. With all that's taking place on this planet, how can my big head and brain fail to generate content that speaks to people? 

4) I have no access to the internet: Hahaha....I'm even laughing at myself. What on earth is wrong with me? So how have I been able to post this article? Stupid excuse....

5) I'm tired: Really? What have I been doing all day that has made me so tired? This has been an excuse to avoid doing things that count. 

I think someone needs to give me a serious spanking for being silly and not acting on what truly matters. The thing is, many of you also do the same. You dwell on why things can't be done and not how things can be done. I'm not alone in this struggle. It is time for us to rise to the occasion, kill all this laziness, and focus on what counts. One of my former employers always used to say, "mutabani (meaning son), EXCUSES STINK". They really stink for sure. 

Here's to achieving our goals without giving excuses....          

LYL LOCAL KAMPALA MEETUP: PART 1- INTRODUCING THE ATTENDEES

Truly, Environment is Everything. Lives will always be impacted on when people come together to share their passions, aspirations & goals. That is what happened at the First ever Live Your Legend Meetup in Kampala. Eight amazingly brilliant minds came together for this meetup. Let’s get to know these wonderful guys...  

From Left to Right: Kevin Muwonge, Esther Bayiga, Alice Bayiyana, Lorine Nashemeza, Martin Karui, Ernest Jacob Tuape (Host) & Keem Mutebi (Seated). Emmanuel Ogumale is in the pic below. 

ERNEST JACOB TUAPE: Ernest was the host at the Kampala meetup. His aspiration is to make a contribution towards the fight against cancer both in his country and the world at large. He is currently running a part time business in selling cupcakes, sweets & bracelets. From these sales, he makes a weekly donation for patient support at the Uganda Cancer Institute. He is also leading a team of youth in introducing greenhouse farming to Kisaasi primary school with the main aim of impacting on 10,000 lives in and around the school over the next 10 years. In 2014, he wants to go to the University of Bradford to pursue a masters degree in cancer pharmacology. Before the next meetup, Ernest wants to start jogging for 30 minutes everyday day, increase his cupcake sales to an average 20 per day & sell at least 3 bracelets a day. For Ernest, hosting the LYL Local meetup was an honor. It was a dream come true.   

ALICE BAYIYANA: Alice is an immunologist who is very passionate about children. She almost quit her job last year but due to family pressure, she didn’t. She hung in there and is doing pretty well. Alice teaches children in Sunday school because of her love for them. She is learning her third language- German. Her biggest 2014 goal is to travel to Germany to start on her masters in Bioinformatics. Her ultimate life goal is to build a children’s centre that will provide basic needs for vulnerable children. Before our next meet up in February, she wants to i) Process her driving licence, ii) Establish her mushroom growing project & iii) Become a better teacher for the children. She says she was inspired and learned a lot at the meetup.

Emmanuel Ogumale (in cream shirt)

EMMANUEL OGUMALE: Emma is a jack of all trades and a master of all as well. He is a one man band (plays the guitar, key board, drums & a great vocalist too), a microbiologist, a health and safety manager, a salesperson/marketer, a preacher, a farmer and an aspiring agro-forester. He took a positive psychology course when he felt depressed at his job and has now become one of the most resourceful and indispensible assets at his work place. He says attending a P.R.O & C.E.O conference last year was the light bulb moment for him. He gave us some good advice from one of the C.E.O’s he met “Never start a business that you are not fully incharge of”. He expects to see results in 2014. Emma trains children on how to play musical instruments during his free time. Before our next meetup, Emma wants to have made 5 deals for his company. He also expects to undertake some personal development especially where planning for his life is concerned. His final words for us were “Don’t allow being myopic”.

LORINE NANSHEMEZA: At 19 years of age, Lorine was the youngest of our guests but doing amazing things. She wears so many hats and I was challenged. She is a first year student at university pursuing a Bachelors degree in Finance & Accounting. She volunteers with Save the Children as a peer educator. Furthermore, she is the marketing manager of Lovi Events, a family owned events management company. Her main 2014 goal is to raise and pay for her own tuition. Her goals before our next meetup are i) To travel to Kabale district on assignment under Raising Voices & ii) To buy herself a new phone. She thought the meetup was such a mind opener.

MARTIN KAIRU: Martin is a Neuro-linguistics Programmer. This guy had quite an inspirational story. In summary, the company he was working for closed down just 2 months after welcoming a very beautiful baby girl into his family. Worse still, all his money was stolen at the end of 2012. Inspite of those incidents, he says 2013 was his best year in life. Martin bought himself a book that taught him about change management. This is a field he is passionately training people in. He told us “Everything comes with a manual, except human beings”. In 2014, he is focusing on training more people on the concept of change management. Before our next meetup, he wants to have sold out places for his next training taking place in February. He also wants to work on a proper plan for his life for this year. “Amazing” was his comment about the meetup.

KEVIN MUWONGE: He is a Molecular Biologist who aspires to become a professor. He says 2013 was his worst year as he never achieved any of his aspirations. Kevin is a very brilliant guy and has always scored marks that are way above what the average student scores (In fact I should ask him to take an IQ test). He is currently a product specialist with a company that deals in laboratory equipment and supplies. His main 2014 goal is to embark on his masters in Molecular Biology. Before our next meetup, he wants to interact and learn more on “how to make sales” from Martin and Emmanuel. His comment about the meetup- “Best decision I have ever made”.

ESTHER BAYIGA: Esther is an administrative researcher and a writer. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Health Services Research. Her story is of an ambitious young lady for whom every piece of her puzzle seems to be fitting in so well in perfect timing. After working with an accounting firm before completing her undergraduate course, she joined UNESCO as an intern. Attending a conference in Paris last year was one of her most exciting experiences. Her main 2014 goal is to complete her masters research. Before our next meeting, she wants to i) keep her appointments with some writers, ii) Catch up with friend since her social life seems to be dying iii) Get a job opportunity & iv) Work on her plan to travel to Germany. “Brilliant idea. I have been challenged. It’s been worth my time” is what she said about the meetup.

KEEM MUTEBI: A Mass Communication and Journalism student, Keem is a multitalented talented young man. He is an MC, a dancer, a comedian/actor and a craftsman who makes jewellery. He volunteers with KiBO Foundation (a social enterprise which trains the youth in ICT & Leadership) in the external events department. This guy has got a big heart for making a difference in society. In 2014, he wants to train 150 women on how to make jewellery free of charge. He has offered to partner with Alice Bayiyana such that he can also train the children under her tutelage on how to make jewellery as well. He wants to train 50 women on jewellery making before our next meetup. Secondly, he also wants to regulate on his sleep since he has realized he wastes a lot of time in bed. His comment at the end of the meetup was, “I have been encouraged and inspired”. 

Thanks guys for your time. You were such an inspiring group.

WHEN DEATH BECOMES AN INSPIRATION TO LIVE

“Death is not a threat but the condition that maximizes my life”-Laura Rozo

My intention is not to sound pessimistic or dramatic in any way but reality always strikes. I remember playing as a kid with my friend Aziz, climbing mango trees, running around and doing just about everything that kids do. Hearing the news of his passing on at about 22 years of age saddens me. He was still a young man with a great future ahead. He still had so much to achieve in life. Anyway, who are we to question the law of death? It doesn't discriminate between young and old, rich and poor, elite and non elite. It comes without considering whether you have achieved much or little. It’s truly a thief that steals you from your loved ones. One fact remains; we shall all face the wrath of death.

As I remember my friend who has gone so soon, Laura Rozo’s  TEDx talk “If Not Now, When?” comes to mind. I’ll quote part of Laura’s talk to share her powerful thoughts with those who have not yet watched or listened to it.

“…….I tell you my story because I’m dying. The bad news is that you are dying too. The only difference between you and me is I know what’s killing me. The good news is that you don’t have to be diagnosed with cancer to claim your life. I tell you my story because the minute you realize that you will die, you’ll finally start living. You will take that leap. You will make that jump. You will fly. So, what makes you think that you have eighty or ninety years to live?…Seriously. There is enough time but none spare. If not now, when?”

Laura might be gone but she still lives on. Even to me who only got to know her through watching her TED talk. That talk has transformed my life. I know that one day, I too will be gone. Therefore, I have purposed to be happy, give my absolute best at everything that I do and do something that matters to me and to the world. When I finally leave this earth, I want to be remembered as someone who made a worthy contribution. I want to be remembered as someone whose life inspired at least one person. I want to be remembered as someone who successfully played his part and fulfilled his purpose on earth. How about you my friend? What are you living for? 

A LESSON FROM 7 YEAR OLD TERRY

If we all had the ambition that children have, we would be very successful. Children set their sights on the highest of goals which they believe is achieveable. One such a child is my 7 year old cousin, Terry.

Terry just got his report form and is back for holidays. When I asked to see how he performed in school, he reluctantly handed over his results to me. With such a disappointed look, he said to me, “I should have done better than that”. “I’m capable of so much more and I’m not happy with those marks”, he continued. Just to let you know, out of 14 sets of activities and subjects Terry has to do, he scored nine A’s, four B’s, and one C. His annual average was 87.86% which I thought was really good. To Terry, this was not good enough. His goal is to score straight A’s all through with an average mark of 100%. He is aiming for the highest and has refused to settle for less. His promise to me was to get back to school next term and give it his absolute best. He does not want to be the best in his class. He just wants to score straight A’s regardless of what other people have scored (Talk about being your own competition). He wants to prove to himself that he is better than his previous marks. I see a very successful man in this little boy.

You should have seen the embarrassment I felt. This little boy was teaching me what I thought I should have been teaching him. He got me thinking and made me critically look into myself. I realized how low some of my goals have been. How many times have we settled for less than what we really deserve? How many times have we settled for just average? Terry is essentially challenging us to know our worth and set Big Hairy Audacious Goals. All he is saying is, “Only the best is good enough”.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

It is amazing how many opportunities life presents us with. What we have is the power to either say YES or NO. About a month and a half ago, I got a job offer. Well, this offer had almost everything that a recent graduate would probably need. At that time, I was leading a team of youth in organizing a blood donation drive. Taking this job would mean leaving what I was already doing and relocating. My heart swayed between going for this job (where I would get paid) and leading my team (where I would incur transport expenses and do work voluntarily). On one occasion, I received two emails urging me to take up this job. My sister was on my case to take up the opportunity. How would my uncle feel if I didn’t take up the job that he worked so hard to get me?

After about a week of thinking, I decided the job wasn’t for me. After all, I was looking for something that I really, really, really wanted to do. I wanted something that would bring me joy and satisfaction. Of course my sister was so disappointed in me. Little did I know that sticking to my leadership role was going to be one of the most fulfilling things. The blood donation drive was such a massive success. We exceeded the expectation of the blood bank by 12 units. The director of the blood bank was very impressed by what we the youth were doing. I was filled with joy at the end of the day for such an achievement. By remaining at the KiBO Foundation, I have been in position to listen to so many successful people speak to us, I have started my own business and I’ve made so many fantastic networks and partnerships. I even got to attend a business breakfast meeting where top entrepreneurs in the country shared insights on business with us. I got the opportunity to meet and speak with my business mentor Mr. Patrick Bitature. It was an honor for me. It was like meeting Richard Branson or Warren Buffet. Of this I'm sure; so many great opportunities are yet to come my way for sticking with my colleagues and being a loyal leader.

I am glad I no longer make decisions based on any financial gain but on what I can contribute towards the growth and development of my society.