It was a long holiday & there were not many chores to do at home and the planting season was over so no farm work. We just played away. Every morning we converged at the Obiri or in front of Elder’s veranda to plot the day’s adventure.
We had lots of ideas of what to do but most days we ended up with the usual things such as ‘hide and seek’, ‘banana hunting’, ‘bird catching’ etc. We hardly pursued our innovative goals such as build the model car, or castles with bamboo because of plenty of reasons, the biggest being that we lacked the resources to finish them.
But the Kite season that year changed my perspective in life. The boys in the neighborhood had great kite their parents had bought for them from overseas. The local kites were manufactured by experts who charged way beyond our reach. But despite the odds, we were determined to fly kites.
In life, we have many worthwhile ideas and schemes that we never embark on as we are afraid to start simply because we think we may fail since cannot see the end of the horizon. Sometimes what we see is a huge boulder or mountain in the horizon obstructing our way and we think it impossible to realize our dreams. And indeed it would remain such until we start.
There is so much power in starting. What we see as obstacles from afar may actually be huge stepping stones when we get near them. We may often plan to scale the mountain, only to find a detour around it. I have found out from all I have encountered and overcome that every problem has its solutions built into it and you will never unlock this power until you start – that is a secret of life – the inherent power in starting.
We got Newspapers, string, gum, and bamboo and started making our kites in the manner of the other kites but our contraptions wouldn’t fly high and set. But we kept at it, and soon enough after a few weeks our determination paid off – no, we did design the desired kites, help came! My older cousin who was already a grown man at the time took pity on us or maybe seeing us fly kites brought back great memories to him and he offered to help us. He was an expert & not only did he build the best kites that set, but he also taught us how to build them. I cannot remember a more fun-filled holiday; it was groovy all the way!
Now you know it: help is often withheld until we prove that we are determined & ready to do that which we claim. The one who can help you will not do so until he is sure you will not waste his resources. Think about this: All things being equal, who will you help in a business venture, the One who has started, utilized all his resources & has reached his wit’s end or the man who has refused to use any of his resources but wants you to bring yours so that he starts in a grand way? We can never know what help is available until we start the journey. Many who believe in God attest to the fact that He acts in the same way. You got to start and then help will come, not the other way round.
To further illustrate the importance of starting, imagine that your ideas are the best seeds ever. As long as they remain in the jar preserving them, they will remain just that- seeds! But the moment you take that step in planting them, they attract the nutrients they need from the soil and air and they become all sorts of trees – oak, mahogany, mango, apple & so on. Plant your ideas by starting!
Those worthwhile goals and schemes that you rigmarole on all along and afraid of initiating? Don’t let anything stop you. Start Now! If you don’t, you may likely see another person excelling in it soon enough. Worse of all, in years to come, you may be compelled to start and you’d regret why you didn’t start earlier.
There is a scriptural perspective to this as well: https://welikrus.com/let-your-talent-grow-start/
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#LessonsLifeTaughtMe #IgniteYourLife #SharedProsperity #YouShouldStartNow
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