Issue Number: Volume VIII No. 12 Publisher: Kituku & Associates
Date of Issue: December 2009.  © 2009—Overcoming Buffaloes in Our Lives. All Rights Reserved.

Without inspiration, the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.

- Johann Von Herder


The focus, energy, creativity and determination fueled by inspiration is immeasurable. You see people without skills, experience or resources reach higher heights of accomplishments and you wonder, “How did they do that?”

The simple answer is that they were not pushed or manipulated but pulled by an inside fire that couldn’t be quenched by what others consider limitations. They envision and focus on how their lives will be when their goals are achieved instead of impeding their potential by paying attention to obstacles.

It is not unusual to get results through manipulation. The spanking I got from my father had some impact on making me study. I hated being washed by my “merciless” mother, who used to scrape a thick layer of dirt on my legs with a stone. That forced me to wash myself before she had to. The results, though positive, came out of fear.

Long term reward come when you do things because you cannot do otherwise. The vision you have relentlessly pulls you to itself. You find yourself in a world unknown to others. You forget time and obstacles and ignore anything said that might stop you from turning your vision into reality.

 
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Writing pulls me. Regardless of what’s happening, putting thoughts and ideas into readable format is a force I don’t know how to stop. It has taken me from the deepest pain of grief. It has riveted my thoughts when I am at the peak of a mountain. It has rescued me from boredom.
 

When we do things that pull us we take risks. We are courageous, confident and determined. We don’t even think as employees. We own what “pulls” us, thus we feel like we own the organizations that provide us with a place to thrive. We enlist anyone who might help in our inspired decisions and actions.

Do you love what you do or do you feel pushed? When you are inspired you become a lifelong learner. You are self-initiating and you don’t care about job descriptions, you do what needs to be done. You are willing to tap the richness of other people as a contributor and team player and to turn obstacles into opportunities.


Seminar Information:

WHERE:  Nairobi, Kenya
WHEN:    January 27 and 28, 2010
For more information visit www.howtospeakandgetpaid.com


Christmas in Kangundo, Kenya, in my youth was simple and meaningful. It was Chapati (a tasty wheat fried bread), goat meat, attending Christmas services and free entertainment from drunkards.

The Christmas spirit started with a song, “Kilisito nusyaiwe, ukai tutanee…” Christ is born, come we rejoice, sung by The Salvation Army.

Their singing marked the beginning of a special day, a day when the rich and the poor ate alike. In almost every home, there was one meal, Chapati. The day before Christmas was when we slaughtered Christmas goats, but on Christmas day, roasted or cooked the meat before neighbors and relatives from afar arrived. My father used to invite all to share our feast.
 

From dawn, Chapati’s aroma filled the air. There was no isyo (corn and beans) or ngima (cornmeal). Everything seemed to look or sound new, even though brewed in the same African pots. Men who had little or no exposure to the English language, after sipping a few calabashes of traditional liquor spoke English—to the best of their abilities. You could hear a man say, “You me blood” that is, you are a relative, or “You play don’t no more me with” you, don’t play with me anymore. My favorite was when someone, pointing at Chapati said, “Son, chapati eat?” Son, have you eaten a chapati? The structure of the language didn’t matter. It was Christmas.

Christmas was the only day each year we tethered cows and goats because their keepers were where the action was. The deserted rivers and other water sources attested to the importance of this day.

Christmas Mass was a welcome relief. Bishop Albanus Kioko conducted mass absolution sparing me the agony of burdening a priest with my indulgences. I longed for his last line of the mass, “Inukai misa niyathelaaa,” go home, the mass is over. It was a sentence welcomed by those with a date.
 

I lived for Christmas—the only day my family had Chapatis in the 60s. In 1966, Christmas events took an unexpected turn. There was no Chapati—essentially becoming the only 24 months in my life when Christmas didn’t happen. In 1967, as my mother was cooking the first Christmas Chapati, steaming cooking oil splashed from the frying pan and landed on my bare chest. The burn created a constant physical reminder of the vulgarities of impoverished living.

I recall the Christmas I celebrated a few weeks after my mother bought me my first underwear at 13 and another when my mother gave me my first shoes when I was 17. What more could a young Kangundo man ask for on Christmas? Chapati, goat’s meat, underwear and shoes and mass followed by active dating, the elements of Christmas memories time cannot erase.



 


In some parts of Kenya, there are children who will not have Chapati (fried tasty wheat bread) this Christmas. Many children and their parents in Kenya are starving to death as a result of a famine brought about by three consecutive years of drought.

My earliest recollection of the hurtful experience of hunger was in the mid 1960s. We ate one meal a day at night. It was Ngima ya muvya, dough made of millet flour. It tasted like soil. But we had “food.” In 1972, there was another famine that again relegated my family to one solid meal at night and porridge for lunch.
 

PHOTO CAPTION:
Children watch their mothers receive corn and beans.

The food was bought by the Boise based Faith Evangelical church members.


Both famines were short lived and families were able to return to reasonably diverse dietary portions. The current famine catastrophe has brought bad memories of students fainting in class because of hunger. I recall a woman who had to go to a neighbor’s garden at night to steal bananas after her son had starved to near death.

This 2007-2009 famine has reached a new, albeit devastating height. It’s killing my neighbors. I was born and raised is an area with average to above average rainfall, I have never heard of anyone dying of hunger like in drier parts of the country. My father just informed me a neighbor I know died. I went to school with his children. By developing nation’s standards, his family was a middle class.

In some parts of the country, schools have had to close to allow pupils to scavenge for food. Johnston Kiseve, a pastor I have known for twenty five years talked of how hunger has forced women, even churchgoers to unthinkable acts of prostitution to save their children. It is heartbreaking to think of the repercussions of these low acts in areas where deaths from aids are more common than births.

What, however, is humbling is to know how possible it is to save lives. The congregation of the Boise based Faith Evangelical Church has donated about $4,000 this year. People have given $5, $10 or whatever their heart feels moved to give. That has fed over 1,000 people. Mothers are spared the agony of watching their children die or becoming prostitutes.

Not a single penny is send to the corrupt officials or used for administrative costs. All, 100% of the contributions is used to help mothers feed their children. We require and get the names of all recipients, the number of the members in their families and the quantity of corn and beans they receive.
 



Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope
Idaho United Credit Union
P.O Box 2268
Boise, ID 83701


or to any group that is already helping with the situation. To learn more about the situation, just Google Kenya famine or call (208) 376-8734



 


When you purchase Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life (our best seller):
 

Your will receive a free Chapati recipe and the recipes of 5
other classic meals we ate in Kangundo
30% of your investment will be donated to help the Kyumvi
families affected by famine
You will receive Dr. Kituku’s inspirational poster…
Top 45 Must Know Lessons for Top Achievers
 

ORDER Your copy NOW!

To allow timely shipping and handling you need to order at:
www.overcomingbuffaloes.com
BEFORE the 19th December, 12:01 p.m. Mountain Time.

Or call (208) 376-8724, 1-800-685-1621. 24/7  FAX: (208) 323-7612


Is having balanced life in chaotic times important for you?

Do you want proven strategies on how to be the CEO of your life?

Have you learned how to re-discover and use your un-used talents?

Do you want to learn how to be creative, motivated and focused on
your goals?

Is having a positive perspective on life every Monday morning something you want?



 

If so, Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life will equip you and your organization. Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life provides practical tools to help individuals, corporations, public and nonprofit organizations, teams and families increase productivity, provide exceptional customer service, and stay motivated and focused. The fresh ideas in this book will take
you to new heights of work experiences without leaving your life behind.

Book specifications:
ISBN: 978-1-60585-958-3
Hardcover with glossy dust jacket, 5.5 by 8.5
112 pages
Retail price:
$19.99 US   $25.99 Canada
 

Dear Vincent…As a trainer, I truly recognize the importance of stories. I am in awe of your gift to succinctly and powerfully put words to a story or experience…I would be the first in line at the book signing. Thank you

Shelli Elmer, Employee Training and Development Manager,
Lumbermens Underwriting Alliance


 

Native of Kenya, Africa, and resident of Idaho since 1992, Vincent has been a featured speaker and trainer at numerous Real Estate conferences and training programs. An award winning speaker and writer, he is one of the less than 7% of all professional speakers to earn a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), the highest award for professional speakers. Dr. Kituku has worked with championship sports teams and trained leaders on how to inspire productivity all the time. What sets Vincent apart is his ability to weave life experiences in Africa with corporate America and culture in providing solutions for personal and professional growth.


Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku is known as a research-based motivational speaker. He presents motivational keynotes and training programs on leadership, employee motivation, overcoming buffaloes at work (change), customer service and living and working with cultural differences. Vincent is the founder and president of Kituku & Associates, LLC, a business that is dedicated to developing leaders and employees in business and in life.

What has set Dr. Kituku apart is the ability to use his experience in research to evaluate/assess client needs and then tailor his keynotes/training presentation to meet their objectives. Harold G. Delamarter, President/CEO, Prestige Care Inc. said, "Before the Retreat, Dr. Kituku gained as much information as possible about our company and the industry we are involved in. He made telephone calls to management team members to tailor his seminar very closely to the needs of our employees and the circumstances they face each day in the present economy. Dr. Kituku was so widely received in July, the decision was made to ask him to return to again present to our company in October."

Vincent's clients list includes Cisco Systems, Micron, Hewlett Packard, Genworth Financial, US Fish and Wildlife, US Air Force, Women Council of Realtors and National Association of Mental Health. He has been the motivational speaker for the successful Boise State Football Team since 1998. Dr. Kituku works have been featured by numerous publications including the Presentations Magazine, SkyWest Magazine, National Speakers Association Magazine and many newspapers which publish his weekly columns. Vincent holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation that is earned by fewer than 7% of all speakers worldwide.
 


If results are important to you, then
Dr Vincent Muli Kituku is the speaker/trainer for your group.
Call (208) 376-8724, or email Vincent directly at Vincent@kituku.com



Read Dr. Kituku’s newest articles online at: www.kituku.com, Idahopress.com, Casper Star Tribune Idahostatesman.com, Argus Observer, Business IQ, Post Register, Idaho Catholic Register, Idaho Press Tribune, Idaho Senior Citizen News, and Presentations Magazine.

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