Finding refreshment

There comes a time in the life of every worker when the spark is no more; when the things you loved  doing with all your heart become utterly boring to you, or seemingly so. Work becomes drudgery whereby it's no longer out of passion that you do what you do but rather to put food on the table.

Take a break to recharge your batteries

If this is happening to you, you don't need special prayers! And it's not because you are experiencing midlife crisis already! It's just that just like a professional soccer player sometimes experiences a dip in form, we also go through dry seasons. It's normal, so we should trudge on knowing that times of refreshing will surely come and we shall gel again.

That time of confusion and utter boredom can however be used to reflect on your future. It could be that you studied law because that's what your parents wanted, in which case practicing law may not be what you were created to do. When the excitement of arguing your case on behalf of clients wanes and making big bucks begins to lose its lure and there's turmoil in your heart, it's time to listen to the still small voice. It may be telling you to shift into new things where you will discover your true calling. So in whatever you are doing, stay open-minded and be willing to embrace change because change snuffs us out of comfort zones and gives us a soberness that is good for steady progress. 

We also need daily doses of inspiration to keep going. Vision and purpose provide the inspiration for our fruitfulness. If your purpose is to save enough money and build a house, it keeps you focused until you achieve that dream. But when there's no clear purpose, it's easy to lose heart without which work and life become empty. Take a break and use it to rediscover yourself and come up with a vision and purpose tailored around your skills and passions. This will redefine the way you do things and bring you deeper fulfillment.

Living again

I was looking through an old family photo album when I came across a picture of a boy of about eight years old sitting on the shoulders of his big brother, and there is a lot of laughter in their eyes.

That picture evoked many great memories. We were lucky to grow up in the village without TVs to preoccupy us. So we spent our free time in the grazing fields getting involved in all sorts of mischief.

This bonded us and made us live without inhibitions; true to ourselves. We climbed trees like monkeys and innocently played hide-and-seek with little girls.

It seemed like we had a clue of what it means to live to the full without a worry in the world. Life was sweet because it was lived in pure simplicity. We made mistakes and were spanked but the pains did not stay in our little hearts because the joys therein, so it seemed, would never be erased by the pricks of life that are part of being human.

Never forget the child in you

We had so many dreams of greatness and we were swept along on a current of their beauty that we had no time to bother our minds about how they could be fulfilled. We did not know that there were difficult life questions whose answers we had to have hard times searching for.

Thinking about it now, I see the complexity of life begins the moment we lose the simplicity that defines the early years of growth. The greatest teacher of all time, Jesus Christ, advised adults to be like little children because children don’t spend their nights gnashing their teeth over the mistakes made in the day, nor worrying about tomorrow. Children are quick to forgive and forget, and take on life like they would never stop. They have absolutely no fear and believe they will succeed at anything they attempt.

Let us find the child in us and we shall live again.

Ali's secrets

Last week the world lost the greatest boxer ever, Muhammad Ali. I spent my weekend reading about him and learned five things we can apply to be successful:

• Find what you're good at and determine to be the best at it. When Ali was introduced to boxing at the age of 12, he immediately felt he had found his calling. And since he wasn't the smartest in class he vowed to be the greatest at boxing. What are you good at and what are you doing about it?

• Be an optimist. Ali always believed in himself. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. If you think nothing can stop you from being successful, nothing surely will. Faith in oneself always pays off. Ali often predicted he would "whup" his opponents, and did. Do you believe in yourself?
  

• Be courageous. Fear hinders many people from making headway in life. Ali never cowered; he took on the toughest opponents and what he won for his fearlessness outweighed what he lost. He said, "A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life."

• Create your own style. In writing we call it your distinctive voice. Ali's signature style was leaning back from punches than moving his head sideways. His graceful footwork was compared to a floating butterfly and his fast unpredictable punches likened to the sting of bees. He said, "I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be who I want."

•  Put in time. Ali never chose the easy path. He said, "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses -- behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." He was talking about training which brings fitness, improves skill, builds stamina and gives one an edge over others. We must work harder everyday because true success is not delivered on a silver platter.

Consider it a blessing when you are persecuted

The commemoration of the Uganda Martyrs on Friday got me thinking about an interesting paradox that should encourage us never to back down from a worthy cause even if death is breathing down our necks. This is the paradox, that what our enemies use to destroy us is the very thing through which we are blessed immeasurably, inspiring the world more even when we are long gone, as the story of the martyrs demonstrates.

In using the basest cruelty to annihilate a group of humble Ugandans for their faith, Kabaka Mwanga ended up achieving the opposite of what was intended. He meant to make an unforgettable spectacle of them; that whoever witnessed or heard of what they went through would never ever entertain the idea of becoming a Christian. Instead, his act emboldened others to follow in the footsteps of the martyred believers much like the feeding of the believers to lions in the Roman colosseum by the vicious Emperor Nero had consequently led to a spiritual revival rather than squash Christianity altogether. 

 History is littered with incredible examples that prove that nothing, not even death, can stop something that serves the greater good. That's why by harassing Dr Kizza Besigye, the government has instead turned him into a cult hero because people feel his cause is worthwhile; they are persuaded the change he's advocating for will greatly benefit the country. Dr Besigye is convinced about that as well, a conviction that fuels him to keep on keeping on.

Should you then shrink from an honourable pursuit because of opposition? Not at all, because all the antagonism we face in life is there not to destroy but to bring out the best in us. No one knew the true character and courage of Uganda Martyrs until they faced Mwanga's blazing fire. Likewise you may never know what you are capable of until you are unfairly sacked from your job. There is a daredevil in each one of us, and the tougher the storm the better we become if we don't balk. It's in times of adversity that the spark that transforms individuals and nations is often provided.