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When you recognise and acknowledge the power of any life strategy, your only choice should be to integrate it into your life.
The teacher may have opened the door but you must walk through by yourself.
How?
By taking action!
This can be a challenge. Imagine you attend a conference, that you leave excited with new distictions you have made, new tools you have accessed -- all learned in an anchored environment.
Then you return to reality -- a reality that may dissuade you from taking the first step. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of taking action immediately -- it will truly open you up to a life of magic and adventure. Don't be the seminar junkie who knows the message, gets it reinforced again and again and still experiences static in their own life.
Get acting!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)
A study—by researcher Dr. Lee S. Berk of Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California—reported in USA Today states that the average American child laughs out loud about 400 times each day. The average American adult laughs out loud only about 15 times a day!
Are you taking yourself too seriously?
When was the last time you laughed, simultaneously releasing endorpins, the pleasure chemicals into your system?
When was the last time you laughed at your failings, oftentimes a fantastic rapport tool in negotiations?
Have a laugh this weekend and set the ball rolling!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)
Betty's Story contd - the final chapter?
Aids?
"He wanted the children.He would come and talk to my colleagues about me. Though I was embarrassed and hurt by his comments I never gave up.
In the court, I was reduced to nothing by his lawyer. He asked very intimidating questions but I stood my ground.
Then the ultimate nightmare.
While the case was still in court he came to school and told staff (male) to inform me that I was HIV positive for he had tested positive. He knew they’d not pass the information so he came one Saturday when I was interviewing new teachers and guards. He called me from the panel and said he had bad news for me.
I told him to get straight to the point and he dropped the bombshell. He told me that He had tested Positive with Aids and he was sure that I and our daughter were positive too.
I saw the world crumble down my feet, I saw the heavens come down, I wanted to die immediately, I thought of my son and daughter I thought of how they’ll be orphaned at a tender age. I saw over 900 smiling children in Gatoto. I saw the staff that has the confidence in me.
I saw the end of my life. All these were not reflected on my face when I stood before this man. I told him boldly even if I had the virus I didn’t care and I wasn’t ready to listen to him any more. I went back to my seat. For the next ten minutes I forgot my role on that panel. I excused myself and went to cry. I continued with the interview till evening.
At home I remembered about a true love, a faithful friend a father who loves me above all. I prayed to God to give me the strength to work for the school. He did, I went for the test after five days and my results were negative. I called him to tell him of my status and he said he too was not positive and that he was lying. I reported the same matter during the hearing of our case and I was granted my divorce in April 2003.
I have learnt never to give up no matter how much pain I incur. Gatoto is one project I chose to sacrifice my marriage for. I have believed it was better for me to loose one man as a husband and help give hope to over 900 people who will have a better future tomorrow. I believe you too can make a difference to the life of these children that we serve. They deserve a better life, they are normal children with many different talents.
As I continue to live I have let myself open to learn more each day. My son is 14 years in standard 8, my daughter is turning 11 in September she’s in standard 5. I have another boy whom I assist and he is 16years old and in Form 1. I believe my children together with those of Gatoto will have a happy ending. So long as we take one day at a time are willing to learn make a difference from our past. Pain and trouble will always be there but how we pull/ react to each of them matters most."
Please help Betty and her fantastic students and staff.
Email kevin@kevinkellyunlimited.com if you want to make a real difference in their lives right now.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
Oscar Wilde
New opportunity.
"In 1994, the community elders of Mukuru in Nairobi advertised for teachers to start a school. I went for the interview with my husband’s approval. That day to my delight, I was offered the principals job. When I reported to my husband the amount of money I was going to get, he told me not to take the job.
My (cooked food) business was paying me about Ksh10, 000 (presently the equivalent to 109 euro) per month and the school was going to pay me Ksh1000 (presently the equivalent to 11 euro). He told me to quit the teaching job at school and go back to business but I refused.
I felt a special attachment to the children of Gatoto because they were living a life similar to mine when I was a child. I thought I could help make a difference so I stayed on.
My home became a war zone with my husband beating me in the presence of his relatives and our children. On other occassions, he threatened to kill me, He told me my death will be a shocking one as people will find various parts of my body in different rooms.
In September 2000. I asked him for a separation so that we could sort ourselves out, he agreed to the suggestion on the first day but one week to the agreed date of separation he said it could not happen.
In October 2000, I invited my father in law and brother who all came to listen to our story. They told me I could not leave because of the children. I agreed.
However, I made it clear that if there would be any more beating or death threats, then I would move to court.
It did not take long before the beatings happened again in November 2000. In December 2000 when I could not stand it any more I filed for my divorce in court."
Final part tomorrow...
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)
Over the past few years, I have had the honour of attracting many amazing teachers. Over the next few days, you will be introduced to Betty Nyagoha, charismatic principal of Gatoto Primary School.
Betty is another example of a person who has truly lived in the gutter but has managed to continually see the stars.
Enjoy her story told in her own words.
"I was born into a family of ten in Marakusi Location, Makutano village in Western Kenya in 1969. Just after starting my primary school education in 1975, I had a terrible experience. At seven years of age I was raped. At school, my mates would call me names (especially boys) saying how unsuitable I was to be in their class because I had a ‘husband’. I was scared and hurt but resilient.
I wanted to prove the community wrong because most of them said I would never concentrate in school. I also wanted to help my parents in many ways. My dream was to become the head of school because my brother and his wife were both teachers so I wanted to be like them or even better than them. My brother took me from my parents and I started staying with his family. I sat my Primary exam in 1983 and joined high school in 1984.
Sporting opportunity.
Raising my high school fee was a problem to my peasant father and my brother. During the first year I was in and out of school due to lack of fees. In the second year, I was recruited into the school’s extra-curricular teams. This gave me an advantage because in two terms of the year, there were competitions so the school needed my services in Netball, Drama and basketball and for that reason
I was meant to be in school throughout for practices. I wasn’t send home for the next three years though I had school fees balances on each term. I sat my final secondary exam and passed to join higher education. I could not continue because my father, my financier had passed away while I was still in form three.
I was happy with my results because I was the second best in the whole village and the only girl in my own family who managed to reach that level.
I was lucky to get a teaching job in a government school but my joy was short lived because I was sacked due to tribal politics (They wanted to employ people from their own community/tribe and from the same district). They also wanted trained teachers.
Life took a new turn from Nov 1989.
Marital bliss?
I was four months pregnant when I lost my job. I did not want to go back to my mother with the pregnancy. I felt I had lost all I had wanted in life. I had not planned to have a child that soon but it had happened and I was to face the reality and accept to carry my cross. I got married to the man who impregnated me. He too had just lost his job.
Life was unbearable because both of us had not saved any money. He took me to his rural home where I stayed with his family. Finally our son came when I was only 71/2 months into the pregnancy. With no money to go to hospital, I had to deliver at home. After two weeks I worked on a neighbor’s farm to get my first three nappies which were second hand.
One year into our staying together, the marriage started to turn sour. I was battered severally. I did not want to quit because I believed my husband would change. I had always believed we were in love. In March 1993 while I was 4 months pregnant with our second child, he threatened to throw me into the septic tank.
At the same time, I started a small business to sell cooked food in companies in Nairobi. The business paid well and my husband was happy. The business provided for our rent and other basic needs."
More tomorrow....
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
So inspiring and renewing was my trip to Gatoto School in Nairobi, Kenya, I committed to helping them overcome their biggest current obstacle – providing hope to the students who leave the school after class eight.
Very simply for the majority of students at Gatoto, paying school fees is not an option – remember for many, the only food they get all day is at the school.
On the other hand, their willingness to learn, determination to succeed, ability to dream would inspire and move a stone – you are left with no option but to help these wonderful children.
To help overcome this obstacle, I have agreed to fundraise in excess of €400,000 euros over the next two years to finance a secondary school in the area– negotiations for the site are already well advanced.
Though this appears to be a fairly substantial amount, when you break it down it is 2000 people contributing approximately €4 a week for the year – thus for the price of one alcoholic beverage you can give a life, a future, to a child from Mukuru slums.
To facilitate this, you can organize a monthly credit transfer to the following account for whatever amount you can afford – obviously the more the merrier:
Bank: Permanent TSB, Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland.
Sort Code: 99 07 25 Account Number 86336340
IBAN No for international donations: IPBSIE2D
Or
Send a cheque/ draft marked “Gatoto School Fund” to Kevin Kelly, Fahy, Rosscahill, Oughterard, Galway.
Or
Of course organize a fundraiser in your local area.
Please help now.
“No” is not an option.
If you need any help email us at kevin@kevinkellyunlimited.com
Renew The Spirit in The Slums.
Over the next three days, I will be introducing you to the charismatic, visionary principal of Gatoto Primary – a living example of someone who has truly triumphed against the odds. She was truly in the gutter but still managed to see the stars.
Her story will be told in her own words.
Join us tomorrow for more.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:29 AM | Comments (1)
The greatest challenge every culture, every organization faces is harnessing the collective power of its individuals; expressed differently- to move the group from a focus on independence to interdependence.
In the school I visited in Mukuru Slums in Nairobi, each teacher donates ten per cent of their monthly income to a nominated member of the staff. This allows the later to buy something significant for their home or family.
Teachers wages in this school range from €70 to €180 per month.
Draw your own conclusions.
Imagine working in an organization where employees and management truly cared for each other – would there be a motivation issue?
I doubt it - developed wisdom from the undeveloped world.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
"He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first installment on the debt."
Seneca
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)
A new study conducted by Freiburg University documented in the British Journal of Psychology, has given dramatic proof that we do indeed have powers beyond “the accepted ordinary.”
In one experiment, a volunteer was connected to electrodes that measure the electrical activity of the skin. The research team put another volunteer in a different room which was lead lined and instructed them to watch his colleague on closed circuit television.
Although the volunteers had no idea if or when they were being observed, the scientists found that their skin “prickled” when they were being watched. This result was consistent for hundreds of volunteers.
In a different experiment, the ability to affect the feelings of another person through the power of thought alone was assessed. The second volunteer had to try to make their colleague comfortable or relaxed through thought alone. The results according to Dr Schmidt showed “small but significant effects.”
Would you like to try out your psychic powers?
Next time you have some downtime, focus on the back of someone's head for thirty or more seconds – notice the reaction!
They may turn around or record some physiological response, eg scratch their head etc.
I wonder what would happen if you declared your intent to the universe – to God –to the collective unconscious.
Would this work?
Do you possess the power to attract teachers, circumstances, information and events using the same technology?
I think so.
Very simply – you got the power.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
No. no, not on a Monday morning, please!
Monday Morning Audit.
How excited were you going to work this morning?
Have you already began the countdown?
Is it advisable to live exclusively for the weekends, thus eliminating over 200 days annually due to work commitments?
Is your lack of focus/ enjoyment hampering your job prospects?
More importantly is job dissatisfaction having a negative impact on other aspects of your life?
Are you surrounded by like minded people, ie the permanent weekender association?
Would you like to do a job you love, and never work a day in your life?
Would you like your job to be like your hobby?
Would you like to attract positive peers into your life?
When are you going to commit to a life less limiting when you thank God it is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday......
DO IT TODAY!
Remember, here today, gone today - LIVE LIFE NOW.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)
The following is a contribution from my American colleague Gregg - please note that the views expressed are not those of the resident author!
An eagle was sitting on a tree -- resting...doing nothing.
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing"?
The eagle answered, "Sure, why not?"
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson...to be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
"Not just the act, but the meaning of the act should be paramount."
"Listen well, so you can seperate the cream from the milk."
"In the garden of your mind, would you like to cultivate pleasant thoughts or thorny memories."
"How can you reach the pinnacle, when you aim for the base?"
From teachings of Hinduism.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)
While short spurts of stress can boost the immune system, lengthy doses lead to a breakdown of immune function, says a study in the July issue of the Psychological Bulletin.
Psychologists Suzanne Segerstrom, PhD, of the University of Kentucky, and Gregory Miller, PhD, of the University of British Columbia, analyzed the results of the nearly 300 studies that included a total of 18,941 people.
This review of previous research confirmed that stress does alter the immune system.
It also revealed a distinctive pattern.
Short-term stress revs up the immune system. This is an adaptive response that prepares the body to fight infection or injury.
But chronic stress inflicts a great deal of wear and tear on the immune system, causing it to collapse.
The study also found the immune systems of older people and those who are already sick are more prone to stress-induced change.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:50 AM | Comments (0)
"Every day is a gift, that is why we call it the Present."
Anonymous
Shared by Barry - thanks!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
Take a group of people with ability and desire –
+ a strong passionate leader with a clear vision of where he wants this group to go.
+a sense of clarity for group members– roles have been clarified with all members of the group
+ the spirit of interdependence.
+100% commitment to the cause – Success after all is 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration according to Edison.
What do you get?
The European 2004 Winners – Greece.
No superstars, just real star quality effort.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)
When was the last time you exceeded your customers expectations?
When was the last time you secured business for your customer?
Have you analysed why some of your customers have left?
Are you building on existing relationships or spending fortunes trying to attract new ones?
Are you using the same strategy that has failed in the past, to attract new business?
Are you converting your customers into friends - remember, customers leave friends dont.
Are you managing and monitoring every moment of interaction between your organisation and the client.
Are you investing in your people?
Management thoughts for the weekend - enjoy!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)
"Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life, '' a book penned by Harvard Business School's Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson posits that there are four "spheres of life" -
Happiness (feelings of pleasure or contentment about your life).
Achievement (accomplishments that compare favorably against similar goals others have strived for).
Significance (the sense that you've made a positive impact on people you care about).
Legacy (a way to establish your values or accomplishments so as to help others find future success).
The researchers interviewed hundreds of people who had achieved professional success but still could not stop striving for more.
Laura Nash says society's fascination with celebrities can make people feel perpetually inadequate - that no amount of money or power or success can ever be enough.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)