Positive Quote for Today

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."— Maya Angelou


Embracing Our Imperfections

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture from Stock Snap. All rights reserved worldwide.

As I was taking my daily walk in my hometown of Kiserian last Sunday, I noticed there was something different in an area near a T-junction in the town. I however couldn't figure out what made the area look different. It seemed like a tree had been cut down but when I scanned the area for a stump, I didn't see one.

The strangeness of the area almost prompted me to ask someone what had changed before I concluded that the matter was not worth my concern. I therefore walked back home without having known what had happened to the area I know so well.

That experience I had last Sunday wasn't the first time my memory has failed me. I have had a couple of other experiences during which I have been unable to recall things from the past. Allow me to give you three examples.

On my arms and legs are several scars which are as familiar to me as the sun. But I have no idea how most of those scars came about. Their causes became blurred and lost in the mists of my own memory.

Then in 2007 when I was an institute student at Starehe Boys' Centre, I saw on a computer a picture of a road that I thought I had walked on before. But try as I might, I couldn't remember where on earth the road was. (Not that I have been out of Kenya!)

And then in 2015 as I was lining up to enter the grounds of that year's Nairobi International Trade Fair, I spotted a man I seemed to have seen somewhere before. But try as I might, I couldn't remember where I had seen him. How strange!

All those experiences during which my memory has failed me bring out one fact: that I am imperfect - just like every other human being. St. Paul, the greatest evangelist who ever lived, pointed out that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Because no human being is perfect, I encourage you, my beloved reader, to quit putting yourself down when you make mistakes. And don't let your past shortcomings ruin your present. As they say, let the shortcomings make you better, not bitter.

Now that you understand no one is perfect, allow others to make mistakes. Don't overreact at minor provocations. And resist the urge to be critical of someone. That's all I am saying. Sayonara!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on embracing our imperfections, you might also enjoy another one on "How to Get Your Mojo Back" which I wrote four months ago. Just click that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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A Great Opportunity I Lost

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Sep 1, 2019
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from the Twitter page of Sanat Thakkar. All rights reserved worldwide.

Back in 2004 when I was in Form 3 at Starehe Boys' Centre, we were taught mathematics by a funny teacher called Mr. Joseph Kasili. He once told us that stealing is a way of sharing wealth. During another lesson, he remarked, "I know some of you are so ambitious that you want to pursue your university education in America."

Perhaps inspired by Mr. Kasili, I developed a desire to study in America. When I was reporting back to Starehe in January 2005 for my fourth form year, I mailed a letter to MIT, the world's premier institute in science, technology, engineering and math.

I expressed in the letter my wish to enroll at MIT once I was through with my high school education, thinking that the staff at MIT would be impressed with the letter and send me a prospectus of the institute along with application forms. They never did.

Towards the end of my fourth form year, a great opportunity opened up for me to study in America. This is what happened: the Washington University in St. Louis mailed a letter to Starehe informing the school administration of a scholarship at the university called the Danforth Scholars Program that one Starehe student could apply for.

Mr. Paul Mugo, the then senior master in charge of fourth formers, hijacked the letter and brought it to me. He did so after I had caught his attention earlier in the year when I let him know of my desire to study overseas.

To qualify for the Danforth Scholars Program that Mr. Mugo wanted me to take advantage of, I had to write a résumé and send it to Washington University in St. Louis. A brilliant schoolmate named Beneah Kombe helped me write the résumé. Actually, Beneah wrote the résumé even though I was the one applying for the scholarship. I remember admiring his good command of the English language that was evident in the résumé.

A few weeks after mailing the résumé, I received a fat envelope from Washington University in St. Louis - the kind that applicants get when they are accepted at top-flight colleges in America. While I can't recall how I reacted upon the receiving the fat envelope, I am sure I thought I was destined to fly to America as it had been my dream.

When I opened the envelope, I read in a letter addressed to me that I had been selected for the Danforth Scholars Program. But guess what! The letter went on to say that I would receive the scholarship only if I got admitted to Washington University in St. Louis.

In order to be considered for admission to the university, I had to fill out forms, write several essays, submit three recommendation letters from my teachers as well as sit for the SAT and TOEFL exams - all before a January 1st deadline that was about a month and a half away.

After I finished my final high school exams known as KCSE in November that year, I considered applying to Washington University in St. Louis. Oh my! Registering for the SAT and TOEFL exams turned out to be too expensive for my family to afford.

Being the intelligent teenager that I was, I approached Mr. Paul Mugo and asked him if the Starehe administration could help me register for SAT and TOEFL exams. He promised me that he would discuss the issue with Mr. Joseph Gikubu, the then acting director of the school. I don't know if he did; all I know is that he came back to me and informed me that the Starehe administration was not in a position to assist me.

With that news from Mr. Mugo, I gave up applying to Washington University in St. Louis. I was therefore not awarded the scholarship I had been selected for. And that, my beloved reader, is how I lost a great opportunity that had opened up for me to pursue my university education in America. Adieu!

***********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on a great opportunity I lost, you might also enjoy another one on "My First Major Setback" which I wrote sometime back. Just click that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Bible Quote

"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do... Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."

~Phillipians 4:4-7 (TLB)

About the Author

Name: Thuita J. Maina
Marital status: Single
Lives in: Kiserian, Rift Valley, Kenya
Mission: To inspire the world to godly living, one person at a time.

Just for Laughs

There was this drunkard named Azoge who loved drinking at Josiah's Bar. On being told a certain Hon. Nanga was flying to America to be conferred a law degree so that he could be admitted to the bar, Azoge replied, "Why fly all the way to America to be admitted to the bar while you can get into Josiah's Bar any time?"



The 7 Deadly Sins

  1. Pride
  2. Envy
  3. Gluttony
  4. Lust
  5. Anger
  6. Greed
  7. Sloth

Author's Note

I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination. So I am striving to enjoy each moment even as I anticipate to fulfill my dreams, especially meeting my soulmate and traveling abroad. Tomorrow may never be mine.

Fun Facts

  1. The fear of having no cell-phone service, running out of battery, or losing sight of your phone is called Nomophobia, reportedly affecting 66% of people.
  2. A single Google search needs more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. The Apollo computer was less equipped than a modern toaster.
  3. Besides being some of the biggest names in the tech industry, HP, Apple, Google and Microsoft share another commonality. They all started in garages.
~Extracted from Codingforums.com

Health Tip

"So many of us take for granted the wonderful construction of the human body and the workings of its various parts. Some of us even expect it to function efficiently with less than the minimum care and attention. Learn the much you can about your body and how the care of it can help to give you that greatest blessing of all - good health."

~From Your Body (A Ladybird Book)

Wonders of the Modern World

  1. The Simplon Tunnel
  2. The Sky-scrapers of New York
  3. The Boulder Dam of Colorado
  4. The Panama Canal
  5. The Golden Gate Bridge
  6. The Taj Mahal at Agra in India
  7. The North Sea Oil Drilling Rigs

Great Example for Politicians

"My life in politics was a joy. I loved campaigns and I loved governing. I always tried to keep things moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to live their dreams, to lift people's spirits, and to bring them together. That's the way I kept score."

~Bill Clinton

Scientific Marvels

  1. Space travel
  2. Heart surgery
  3. Fibre-optics communication
  4. Concorde
  5. Radios
  6. Computers
  7. Anesthetics

My Supreme Desire

To borrow the words of Elbert Hubbard, my supreme desire is to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without fear, hate, guilt, worry and jealousy; to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so; to treat all men with kindness; and to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.



Greatest American Presidents

  1. Abraham Lincoln
  2. George Washington
  3. Thomas Jefferson
  4. Franklin Roosevelt
  5. Theodore Roosevelt
  6. Woodrow Wilson
  7. Andrew Jackson

Making Peace With the Past

"Dwell not on your past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."

~Eileen Caddy

Toughest Colleges to Get Into

  1. MIT
  2. Princeton
  3. Harvard
  4. Yale
  5. Stanford
  6. Brown
  7. Columbia

Why You Should Trust God

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities and pour out peace."

~Ezra Taft Benson

The 7 Greatest Scientists

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Isaac Newton
  3. Galileo Galilei
  4. Nikola Tesla
  5. Aristotle
  6. Archimedes
  7. Charles Darwin

You Matter

"Always be yourself. Never try to hide who you are. The only shame is to have shame. Always stand up for what you believe in. Always question what other people tell you. Never regret the past; it's a waste of time. There's a reason for everything. Every mistake, every moment of weakness, every terrible thing that has happened to you, grow from it. The only way you can ever get the respect of others is when you show them that you respect yourself and most importantly, do your thing and never apologize for being you."

~Unknown

The Most Industrialized Nations

  1. United States
  2. Japan
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. United Kingdom
  6. Italy
  7. Canada

Keys to Success

"...in his effort to withstand temptation, to economize, to exercise thrift, to disregard the superficial for the real - the shadow for the substance; to be great yet small, in his effort to be patient in the laying of a firm foundation; to so grow in skill and knowledge that he shall place his services in demand by reason of his intrinsic and superior worth. This is the key that unlocks every door of opportunity, and all others fail."

~Booker T. Washington

The 7 Social Sins

  1. Politics without principle
  2. Wealth without work
  3. Pleasure without conscience
  4. Knowledge without character
  5. Commerce without morality
  6. Worship without sacrifice
  7. Science without humanity

Cherish What You Love

"Cherish your visions, cherish your ideals, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts - for out of them will grow all heavenly environment, of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."~James Allen

The World's Largest Cities

  1. London in England
  2. New York in the United States
  3. Tokyo in Japan
  4. Berlin in Germany
  5. Chicago in the United States
  6. Shanghai in China
  7. Paris in France

Benefits of Optimism

"In terms of success, optimistic people out perform their pessimistic colleagues. Research shows that they are consistently promoted higher and make more money while working fewer hours than those who think pessimistically. Optimists also contribute more significantly to social progress. It is the optimists who start and run successful companies, who win elections and carry out reforms, and who make breakthroughs in the realms of science and technology."

~Pepe Minambo

The World's Greatest Lakes

  1. Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
  2. Lake Superior in North America
  3. Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
  4. Aral Sea in C.I.S.
  5. Lake Huron in North America
  6. Lake Michigan in North America

Demonstrating His Love

"Take your communication for instance - the way you address others. It ought to be with loving, gracious and edifying words. Never talk people down. Never use words that hurt and demean people. Communicate excellently with others without destroying their self-image or making them feel sorry for themselves. Talk to people in a way that they never forget the excellence of your words, the love and grace of Christ that you communicated. It's how God wants us to love."

~Dr. Chris Oyakhilome

World's Longest Rivers

  1. Missouri-Mississipi (U.S.)
  2. Amazon (Brazil)
  3. Nile (Egypt)
  4. Yangtse (China)
  5. Lena (Russia)
  6. Zaire (Central Africa)
  7. Niger (West Africa)