How I Will Get Engaged

Greetings!!! 18^Th Day of February marks my 4^TH Birthday after teens. I’m thankful to God, that it has been another year of not being self-made. I can boast little of my strength. Thus far, GOD HAS BEEN A WARRIOR WHO GIVES ME VICTORY. I’ve a share of remarkable personal growth and can’t complain. I’m work in progress aiming for perfection daily. Happy Birthday Jeremiah!!!

A New Year, New Agendas

It’s a new year, I’m another year older. Welcome back to my media space. I’ve grown up hearing stories of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and other crazy 20-something-years-old founders making a dent in the technology world. And you do I guess. They have created a sense of urgency in us (the all-too-ambitious-millennial - wantrepreneurs) me included. It also doesn’t help when there are countless stories telling us that there’s no better time than now — when we’re young, out of school, with nothing to lose. Don’t wait until you have a family, mortgage, responsibilities etc. And so we become victims of the sensation of now. We thus have become very impatient to grow and create value.

See also Signs of go and stop in life

We want to get to my goals faster. We want to be better tomorrow. We want to learn everything we can so we can create value ASAP. We feel compelled to use every minute in the most productive manner. We want to make printable marks on our own paths and show we’re better than everyone else. We can do fantastic things to change the world. We want to change how things are today. We end up wanting to be richer than the moguls, famous than the celebrities and powerful than monarchs.

Wantreprenuer? Not me!

But then honestly speaking is that all there is to life? I want to believe there's something better and more significant than just chase “who” and “what” that we are taught directly or indirectly by the society. Mind you it's not all that bad to want to be ridiculously crazy in doing things that create value now and then. Wanting not to make progress in life in your career, business, family and faith is basically being complacent, non-ambitious and pessimistic. But being overly ambitious qualifies one to face trial and be convicted of greed. The desire to become rich has made many to fall into the temptation to lust, to be covetousness and brought destruction to them. However, being content with what we receive and working hard with gratitude and faithfulness brings a greater gain.

Ambitious? Yes, That’s Me!

And so for me while I remain true to my vision and dream I want to be a bit fairer, careful and just to do things that also matter in life that sometimes we take a little less. I'll continue to pursue with excellence my resolution this year and grow holistically. While doing this, I want to spend more time being present in the present and interacting with the current landscape. I want to be mindful of the people and surroundings and culture and the spiritual warfare around me.

I want to establish meaningful connections with the person on the other side of my coffee mug or in the booth across from me at dinner or the passenger seated next to me as I travel in a matatu. I want to lean in and connect with the stories being told. I want to actively console the sorrows being shared. I don’t want to go through conversations absentmindedly anymore.

Destructed By The Environment

After two decades of being distracted by tomorrow and by my phone and by what’s happening in my peripheral, it’s about time I get engaged fully in these moments. I'll not fear coz of tomorrow. I want to connect with the emotions of the presents. I want to share in the joys, in the pains, in the losses and in the victory of the day. I don’t want to be destructed by thoughts of “a ring” around it to connect with the opposite gender. With or without; I want to be engaged in the affairs of people around me gents or ladies.

                                                                                      

A Hobbit A Wardrobe and A Great War by Joseph Loconte - A book about J.R.R. Tolkien’s friendship with C.S. Lewis and how the events of WWI shaped their views on life, transformed their writing, and grew them together as best friends. About what true friendship is, Lewis says, “You will not find the warrior, the poet, the philosopher or the Christian by staring into his eyes as if he were your mistress: better to fight beside him, read with him, argue with him, pray with him.”

I don’t think we’ll ever be fully engaged in the lives of others by staring at them through Instagram or Facebook or by sampling their taste of fashion on whatsapp (all of which I’m fully guilty) Contrary, it happens when we turn off our phones, laptops and TVs and fight beside the people we love and want to know more. It happens when we sit together in the silence of reading or doing a puzzle together or in the gentle murmur of prayer for one another.

I’ll Get Engaged In The Present More This Year

I want to be engaged with this planet in my next year of life. I’ve already explored some of the most incredible landscapes in the past years. I have tried amazing and fantastic things in business, education and in life generally. But I want to try and experiment more. I want to have the world at my fingertips. I'll take time away to rest and leave my house and occupy my body and mind with the waterfalls and mountains and deserts and cobblestone streets of this planet. I want to engage in other cultures and environments and languages in this next year. I want to encounter more new places and faces than sticking to the social norms would allow.

More than that, I want to engage in the invisible war that’s taking place over the souls of the people around me. I want to be fully aware of God’s presence in every moment and not as much like Jacob who woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I didn’t know it!” I don’t want to be one of His own who is too busy or distracted or preoccupied to recognize his presence in every moment. The enemy has quietly and viciously crept into this world and distracted us with empty connections and excuses of worrying about tomorrow.

No more Worrying and being anxious

Biological necessity makes all our passions point in the direction of worrying of the unrealities and impossibilities so that thought of the Future inflames hope and fear. This year, I want to live fully aware of the battle taking place for the weary, helpless souls around me, tomorrow can (responsibly) worry about itself. Why should I be concerned about what don’t have and yet I will not need it? I should be more concerned with what I need and don’t have. Why should I condemn myself because I am not like the great tech innovators of Silicon Valley? I can be excellent where God has placed me. I can make a whole difference in my own world. I can be better pursuing things I’ve passions for than ship wrecking my vision to go after things that will make me “famous”. You walk with me this year

See also why stepping out in faith is an invitation for God to be with you

CONCLUSION

Have a reflective life. Remember to stay in touch with me at jeremiahwakamu@gmail.com or on Facebook Jeremiaho Wakamu to keep this discussion going. And again referrals though you social media network/connection and word of mouth is the best you can do for this blog. SHARING IS COOL AND LEAVING A COMMENT BETTER STILL

How To Deal With Twenty First Century Relationships

Greetings!!! Twenty first century relationships and families are a great deal. More people are finding it “harder to find true intimate love”. It’s at this century that people are becoming more insecure, selfish and hence they result into violence, physical sexual aggression and abuse. Separations and divorces are becoming devastating. People are becoming veiled into sex believing it will keep their relationships and marriages work. But it results in painful break ups when it fails. But in it all lay our desire for stronger relationships and cohesive marriages. We are constantly looking for ways to shower each other with gifts, commitments and affection. We use inventiveness and ingenuity to have good times and demonstrate our interest in each other. We want to learn each other’s character and habits. Welcome back to my media space.

VALENTINES' DAY SPECIAL MESSAGE

I am quite sure that over this Valentine Weekend you expect someone special to take you out for a dinner, buy you a bunch of roses, chocolate bar, Valentine cards or someone whispers the words to you “I LOVE YOU.” I am certain that you will be waiting for that someone special to hold your hand and look directly into your eyes and say, “PLEASE BE MY VALENTINE.” Whether you will you that someone special or not for gents, please make sure you send a “small gift” to the ladies if you can afford. They deserve to be appreciated. Write them a text; offer them a special drink or meal and most important do things that matter to them most. They deserve to be loved. They deserved to be treated with compassion, kindness and care. They are special jewels and rare gems. They are Costlier than the precious gold and diamonds. And for ladies remember to say nice sweet words to a man around you. Be gentle on men on Sunday 14^Th February. Show them grace, spread love. And for everyone, love deeply, forgive another for previous mistakes, bring out the best in your neighbors do a special thing to them.

See also why women are daughters of Sarah

ROMANTIC RELATIONS AND RAISING GODLY FAMILIES

Let’s reflect on two issues: How to deal with romantic relationships in twenty first century and raising godly families. Starting with how to deal with romantic relationships in twenty first century, I say and mean that everyone deserves the best in this life for a soul mate. With all my heart and with all my soul you deserve one. A soul mate is someone who you are beyond thrilled to meet. These are people you long to know whom they are. They are people whose name will be besides ours on our wedding invitations, whose pillows will be beside ours every morning. We wonder if they exist and where we will meet them, either in college, work or places we don’t know. We are thrilled to know their name.

We love to be liked, to be noticed, and to be desired. Unfortunately today people in love and relationships are settling for less. Instead of seeking deeper conversations and deeper moments, they are settling for “talking“. We are texting, snapchatting, liking each other’s’ conversations in social media. This is the twenty first century relationships. We should instead seek everlasting love. We should not expect partners without flaws; we should not give up because we are fighting.

GOLDEN RULES IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

The golden rules in twenty first century relationships and marriages are:  Cultivate a friendship without which there can be real conversations and shared interest. Personal conversations and friendships helps people discover one another and get to know their qualities and flows. Do not be driven by passion. Do not settle for friends with benefits.

Be friends with your both sets of your parents. When a girl and a boy respect their parents, their love matures. By both of you relating amicably with your parents, you can share when issues arise, you will not have to hide on sexuality and you will get their blessings and go ahead signals when planning to formalize the union, get children and make important decisions. Keep sex and co habiting matters away during courting before you both say ‘I do’ Sexual relationships have the power to strongly unit two people and prolong unhealthy relationships based on sexual attractiveness. People get ‘trapped’ in relationships they would like to end but they can’t find a way out because of the emotional bond to each other. It more hurting leaving a guy you’ve shared intimacy to the level of physical ties.

Another rule in twenty first century romantic relationships is to be more generous with each other than being selfish. Do not compete with your partner. Do not ask for more and more without giving out. That way you won’t quarrel or fight often. Look for ways to enhance your intellectual, artistic and social potentials by putting your energy you save from quarrels. Do not look only at ways your partner will satisfy and pleasure you, but how you can bring out more happiness to them. Don’t focus only on your own pleasures but that of your partner, how you can make them happier and not being obsessed on self-gratification and cravings.

FAMILY DISCIPLINES AND VALUES IN TWENTY FIRST CENTURY

Our last focus is on raising godly families in twenty first century is on family disciplines and values. We must endeavor to raise our families fearing God. We must teach them to obey Him who created the heavens and earth. In our households, respect for one another must reign. Family as the fabric of the society must be highly regarded. Children must learn to love, trust and understand their parents before learning to do so other members of the society. Parents must not exasperate their sons and daughters. In the family is where people must learn to negotiate fearlessly, ethically before going to engage in business deals. It’s in here that children learn to express their ideas. It’s in the family set-up that kids learn of the identity, status and significance of their family name, inheritance and causes they stand up for.

Otherwise when one day when we wake up and find out that we have lost this fundamental institution, we will weep. Perhaps, our own deluding minds will cheat us that we are doing well while we sure are not without family. The delusions will have momentum to carry us along for some time, but when the truth dawn on us we’ll know we a living a lie. It won’t be long before we realize we missed out on the most important things in life to pursue things that matter less.

CONCLUSIONS

Have a reflective and happy Valentine. I love you all. I would love to hear from you. Remember to stay in touch with me at jeremiahwakamu@gmail.com or on Facebook Jeremiaho Wakamu to keep this discussion going. And again referrals though you social media network/connection and word of mouth is the best you can do for this blog.

How To Use Money from Streams of Income

Greetings!!! Welcome back to my media space. We continue with our discussion on perspectives on wealth creation. I hope you are still enjoying every bit of it. Make sure to leave your response or a question by writing a comment or email me.

INTRODUCTION

Last time we discussed identifying streams of income. I hope it worked for you. You were able to choose on one or many to concentrate your energies on. Now that you’ve one or multiple streams of income, you need to take a step further and know how to deal with what is in the pipeline. My assumption is you own both the pipeline and the content flowing in it or you either own the pipeline or the content. Both are important and when you own any or both, the end is what you do with them. Let me explain a bit, when you own the pipeline and the content, you own the whole stream of your income say a telecom company and you develop solutions for your clients. You could also be employed to work in that company in that case you have own the content inform of your service you are hired to do. Otherwise you could be an owner of the telecom company but other people use it to showcase their innovations in which case they pay you as the owner of the pipeline.

BASIC RULES

The point is you are earning. There is a regular, sufficient, convenient and genuine income flowing into your bank account. How then do you identify appropriate projects and items to spend it one? As a basic rule a fifth of this income must always be reserved for future use. This is in lay terms savings. A further tenth must be reserved for charity giving and donations to the religious group you are affiliated to. With those deductions, it’s time to spend the rest.

CONSUMPTION FOR VALUE

To spend our money, you must begin from a perspective of wanting to gain maximum value for it. And so for the sake of this discussion, our assumption is that you will only spend your money only on objects that have value and nothing less. Sometimes we may not for real know for sure what we need to spend the three fifth parts of our income but we know what we don’t need to spend it on. From this starting point, we move from the unknown to the known.

Philosopher Baudrillard explains Consumption in the age of consumerism this way, “Consumption is a system of meaning. We assign value to ourselves and others based on the goods we purchase and how useful they are to us. One’s identity is now constructed by the clothes they wear, the vehicle they drive and music on their iPod. In short what you consume.”

CONSUMERISM AND IT'S DANGERS 

In consumerism spirit, the answer to why we live is to consume and the answer to how do we find happiness is to “acquire things”. Todays’ markets are full of products that lead people to be slaves of possessions and create restlessness inherent to consumerism that creates a perpetual need of new products.

Consumerism is the worst cause that came to deny people value for their money. The greedy merchants tangle the greedy consumers to believing that the more they increase quantities they buy for commodities, the more they gain economic benefits. This is far from the truth! More consumption does not necessarily lead to more satisfaction. Consumption does not always lead to happiness. If consumption of one more unit does not add more value, we should stop at the last number of units.

Empirical evidence show that consumerist attitudes are associated with consumer wellbeing: lower satisfaction with their life, a greater tendency to compulsive spending, higher incidences of depression and lower ethical standards. 

SUPERFICIAL GRATIFICATIONS

We must not be caught up in the pursuit of false or superficial gratifications at the expense of experiencing our personhood in an authentic way using our hard earned wealth. In this age we must no squander our wealth in the dignity of “biting what our mouths” cannot take. Advertisements in the market must not have us chasing anything and everything we don’t need. We must acquire because we need. Take this example, if I need one pair of shoe, why should I buy two. If in my house one set of TV is all we need for entertainment, why should I go ahead to acquire a home theater? If in my Office we will be wasting resources by hiring two secretaries when we need one.

We are not inferior if we fail to consume due quantity and quality. We must consume excellently for goods for our personal enjoyment. We must not be accustomed for minor luxuries available in the shops. The customer, we are made to believe is the king, and as a result the brands of merchandise that are displayed for us and for our experience in consumption share in our value system and identity.

PRODUCTION OR CONSUMPTION?

I want to sum by suggesting to you, not to be carried away by brands and experiences in music, books, t-shirts, conferences, jewelry or cookies. We must live out the values and ethics of spending with prudence. Don’t just use your income from your streams of expenses that aren’t justifiable. No luxuries, no entertainment. Use your money on production instead of for consumption. Grow your own food if you can, raise your own meat in your own livestock, build your own house if you can, clean your own house instead of hiring guys to do it, skip an intoxication party for the sake of staying with our own family sake, repair a broken tap, mend a torn trouser and invest in your talent or education. Remember what you manage you will give an account of.

In the next part in perspectives in wealth creation, we take one more step and take on golden reasons why we should become wealthy.

Have a reflective life. Make and grow wealthy. Would love to hear from you. drop a comment as a suggestion, question or complement. Remember to stay in touch with me at jeremiahwakamu@gmail.com or on Facebook Jeremiaho Wakamu to keep this discussion going. And again referrals though you social media network/connection and word of mouth is the best you can do for this blog.

Indentifying Streams of Income

Let’s get talking money matters and further pursue perspectives in wealth creation. In particular further an all important topic of identifying multiple streams of income.Thank goodness but will repeat it again, I have not sold candies as an eight year old kid to claim authority in having made tens of hundreds like we are made to believe is the only pointer to making and growing wealthy later in life.

INTRODUCTION

Greetings!!! Welcome back to my media space.All in all, those kids who made small profits selling candies know one of the ways to earn income. At their young age it worked and they had a stream of income daily or weekly while studying. While most of us are not the lucky “hardworking, creative and enterprising” kids, we’ve no reason whatsoever to remain poor. Everyone has the responsibility of growing their finances.

It’s absolutely fundamental that before you talk about making savings and investments you Start where it all begins.It all begins with having at least one stream of income. Note I’ve used “at least” because I believe in the course of my writings here you should have thirty streams of income. Insanely ridiculous! I’m not sounding so?

AN ART OR SCIENCE?

Well, the art and the science of growing wealthy start when say a young man so gets employed and learn how to earn a salary or a say a farmer prepares his land, plants and cares for crops until they end up into the market for consumers where he/she sells for a profit. Or say an artist who uses his skills and talent in a theater or in stage performance and for that they earn compensation from gate collection.

STREAMS OF INCOME

Different people will choose completely different streams of income based on various factors. Whatever the case, it’s incredibly important that one chooses a road they are comfortable walking. You don’t have to sound so insanely perfect to discover that it’s under your nose that you can start with that small income and use it to become wealthy. I mean you don’t have to identify sources of income we’ve never heard so that we qualify you to have a source of income. Start right with what your senses is able to grasp. If you lucky enough to get a formal employment, great you almost there. That is the place to start, it’s a regular stream flowing. You don’t have to worry coz you know you will get a salary, wage or whatever other form of compensation your organization organizes for you at the end of them day.

Formal employment will not work for everyone of us. Some can opt to capitalize on skilled labour while informally employed. They will provide services from their homes or hired premises. Others will invest in shares, government investments and earn interests and dividends. Some others still will engage in agribusiness, mining, insurance or blogging and academic writing. None is better than the other. They all earn some income. The point is be contented but be ambitious. Give each stream deserving attention and be patient. It will reward in due season.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD STREAM OF INCOME

And so from those streams of income we can conveniently close by saying a good stream of income should have the following characteristics:

It must be regular to mean its Occurring at fixed intervals or its Conforming to a pattern such as in the case of a salary at the end of each month or a bonus given annually, dividends shared quarterly. It will give you a good picture to plan on how to spend it and save it.It must be consistent; you can expect it after a passage of a scheduled time slice without fail.

It must result from some work done.Primarily, it must be from what you engage in diligently with your hands, mind and skills. You don’t have to rely on speculative activities to earn an income.  Venture capitalists always insist that you don’t have to invest on a company that does not pay dividends yearly simply because you want to grow your money. Betting, gambling and other get rich scams are not in my classification of a stream of income. They exist to take your income. Income must be earned and a stream must flow. Income is earned from services rendered or goods sold. A value must be exchanged.

A good stream of income must be the most convenient for you to create and develop. Get it right, a good source of income should be one in which we are acquainted and ready to work towards. For every source of our income, we must have the grace and skills to earn from. We must have the knowledge, necessary networks and desire to work and get income from that venture. I only expect you to earn when you are trained in an industry, earn from talents you possess and make use of items you possess. I won’t care if you are incapable of signing, no one will pay you loyalty. But if you can professionally clean, I will care and demand that you earn from cleaning homes and offices. If you’ve no knowledge to invest in gold mining you can invest in telecom where you’ve training and experience. However you can invest on finding necessary knowledge, objects and technologies.

A good steam of income must be sufficient enough to cater for your basic needs.Such a stream must be capable of creating minimum value for you to live with. It must be handsome enough to pay for food, shelter and clothing budget that isn’t bloated. It makes no sense to expose ourselves into the business of working and yet find no return for our daily bread. Anyway who works under their own salary obligation? None, I presuppose. If you ain’t working for charity and depending solely on donations, you’ve no basis not to demand a fair price for your hard work. A stream of income must support you and your dependents entirely before the nest installment.A good stream must allow you to have the right and unrestricted use of things to develop fully mentally, spiritually and physically.

Should one stream of income do not lament forever about it, be quick and identify another stream of income. While you can do something to recover it, there isn’t any cause of alarm to be depressed about. While you’ve the energy, mind skills and strength you can create another stream of income. You’ve got to have the guts to pursue another and make it your new source of income.

CONCLUSION

The original purpose however, for your identifying a suitable stream of income must not get lost in the details of planning in life. You don’t have to plan life time when you get what works for you to create wealth. From that initial stream, harness and leverage on it to create and add value. The difference between the have and have-nots is in the value we place on each stream. In any case, will them that work fearlessly, faithfully and shrewdly while on earth not be invited into heavenly places? Certainly they will. No one will deny them rest in old age and in the age to come. It will be good for such servants whom the master finds watching when he comes. He will dress himself to serve and will have them recline (sit) at the table and will come and wait on them. (Serve them yet he is the master?)

Let’s do this again in our next article still on wealth perspectives and look at the ways to use income that we’ve just earned from our streams.

Have a reflective life. Remember to stay in touch with me at jeremiahwakamu@gmail.com or on Facebook Jeremiaho Wakamu to keep this discussion going. And again referrals though you social media network/connection and word of mouth is the best you can do for this blog.