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


Blogging as a Profession

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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Finding Motivation. All rights reserved worldwide.

In his outstanding book How to Stop Worrying & Start Living, Dale Carnegie pointed out that the two most important decisions we make in life are the profession we choose to pursue and the partner we pick for marriage. That insight by Dale Carnegie has made me resolve to be careful when falling in love. It has also got me reflecting on my work as a blogger.

I first set up a blog in late 2010 when I was a student at the University of Nairobi. Setting up that blog turned out to be as easy as falling off a log because I relied on Google's blogging service known as Blogspot. Back then, blogging was just a hobby for me, an outlet for the thoughts that were simmering in my head.

A number of people complimented me for the blog. One fellow called Meshack Hungu, for instance, who I met at the Kenya National Library in Nairobi, remarked to me on one lovely day in 2011 that a story I had posted on the blog was excellent. His positive feedback warmed the cockles of my heart.

For some reasons unclear to me now, I stopped updating that Blogspot blog some time in 2011. Maybe I ran out of ideas. Or maybe I was dissatisfied with the Blogspot services. Whatever the reasons, I am now glad that I stopped using Blogspot services because later on in 2013 when I began building a new blog from scratch using my web design and computer programming skills, I felt exhilarated whenever I coded something for the blog and it worked.

The day in March 2013 when I shared the web address of my rebuilt blog on social media, I walked on air. You should have seen my face that day - it was glistening with excitement! And I was further enchanted when some friends hailed the blog as a masterpiece. Some commented that its design was simple and appealing.

What I didn't know back in 2013 is that designing and coding a blog only accounts for 10% of blogging success. Much of the work in blogging lies in coming up with content that will keep people flocking to the blog. And creating original, truthful and entertaining content is where I fell short.

Having learnt that important lesson, I rebranded this blog in 2016 to what it looks like now with the aim of posting original contents that are inspiring, entertaining and enlightening. I have kept at it with the zeal of a he-goat on heat. And if there is anything I have learnt from that effort, it is that it takes a great deal of hard work to be a consistent blogger.

I have also learnt that blogging requires perseverance. It has been a bit discouraging for me when nobody has liked, shared, retweeted or commented on a story or video that I have posted on this blog. It has also been discouraging when a day has gone by without me earning a single dollar from the adverts on this blog.

Those shortcomings notwithstanding, I have found blogging to be fun. For one thing, it has provided me with a platform for exercising my talents in writing, singing, piano-playing and computer programming. It has also fuelled my passion for collecting quotes by prominent people, living and dead.

Then, I find it magical how, at the clicking of a few buttons, the stories and videos I post on this blog become instantly available to people all across the world: people from as far as New Zealand to Canada, from Brazil to Japan, from South Africa to Sweden, from Jamaica to Indonesia. It truly is magical.

That fulfillment I have found in blogging is what has led me to convert it from a hobby to a profession. I intend to continue honing my skills in writing and music so that I can compose the sort of riveting stories and beautiful songs that will keep people swarming to this blog like ants.

My blogging role model is Maria Popova, author of "The Marginalian" - a blog that attracts millions of visitors every month and which has been catalogued in the Library of Congress as a material of historical importance. Although unlike me Maria Popova is an unbeliever, I have learnt a lot from her. And I have taken to heart the following advice she gave to the 2016 graduating class of University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication:
Develop an inner barometer of your own value. Resist page-views and likes and retweets and all those silly-sounding quantification metrics that will be obsolete within the decade. Don't hang the stability of your soul on them. They can't tell you how much your work counts for and to whom. They can't tell you who you are and what you're worth. They are that demoralizing electric bike that makes you feel if only you could pedal faster - if only you could get more page-views and likes and retweets - you'd be worthier of your life.
That endearing advice from Maria Popova has emboldened me to keep blogging with consistency even when my blog posts attract few likes on social media. And given the way Maria Popova has become a renowned blogger, I have this belief that I will also attain the same level of success that she has achieved if I keep persevering and working hard. So help me God.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on blogging as a career, you might also enjoy another one on "The Careers I Will Pursue" which I wrote three years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Not Sweating the Small Stuff

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When my friend Dan Waweru came home last week to register my phone number, he also intended to register that of Mum as well. Unfortunately, Mum didn't find her national identity card which Dan needed to register her phone number. Dan gave her some time to look for the ID and when she still didn't find it, he left her with instructions on what to do before the April 15th registration deadline set by the government of Kenya.

After Dan left, I felt sorry for Mum that she had missed a golden opportunity to have her phone number registered in the comfort of the sofa she relaxes during the day. Then I felt compelled to use my energy to look for her ID. I ferreted around the house in search of the missing ID to no avail.

Not content with my efforts, I again searched for Mum's ID the following morning before she woke up, hoping to find it on the sofa where she keeps her medicine and important documents. I looked for it below the cushions and beneath the sofa. Despite my diligent and careful search, I didn't find it.

Having not found the ID, I feared Mum's phone number would be shut off now that she didn't have the ID required to register it. I imagined the time and energy she would use to apply for another ID. And given that she is currently crippled, I thought of the money that would be incurred in hiring a taxi to ferry her to government offices.

As those thoughts raced through my mind, I felt weighed down by Mum's missing ID. Later on, I thought it unwise to worry over a replaceable piece of paper that is the national identity card. What was worth worrying about, I said to myself, was something like Mum being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. With that, I made peace with the fact that Mum's ID was lost and happily went about my other business.

The lesson I had learnt from Mum's lost ID, however, seemed not to have hit home given the way I found myself fussing over another minor issue that arose in the afternoon of last Friday. This is what happened: Mum received an SMS that said she could register her phone number online. Since Mum doesn't know a thing about the internet, I took it upon myself to register her number by following the link in the SMS.

I hurriedly opened the link, hoping to beat the registration deadline that was on the midnight of that day. But alas! Mum's phone turned out to be too outdated to successfully register her number. When I opened the link using my more advanced smartphone, I didn't receive the code required to complete the registration of phone numbers.

Being a detail-oriented person, I was thrown off balance by my inability to register Mum's phone number. My spirits drooped so much that when time to practise the piano reached, I played the instrument without my usual enthusiasm. Not even playing the wonderful old hymn "Abide With Me" succeeded in lifting my spirits.

Fortunately, I felt rejuvenated about an hour later when I learnt from the internet that the government had extended the registration deadline for phone numbers by six months. I shared the news with my parents. While Mum appeared unaffected by the news, I felt happy for her that her phone number wouldn't be shut off later on in the day as I had expected. How foolish I had been for getting worked up about that minor issue!

And that's the problem with me: I have a habit of sweating the small stuff, a habit that often robs me of the joy I need to enjoy the present. From now on, I will strive not to let minor issues sour my day. I will heed the advice of the great French author Andre Maurois who observed:
Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget... Here we are on this earth, with only a few decades to live, and we lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year's time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings. For life is too short to be little.
My beloved reader, I beseech you to also not sweat the small stuff. As H. Jackson Brown Jr. aptly put it, don't confuse mere inconveniences with real problems. And when you find yourself fussing about something, ask yourself, "Will it matter a year from now?" If it won't, don't let it steal your joy. Happy Easter Sunday!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on not sweating the small stuff, you might also enjoy another one on "Breaking the Worry Habit" which I wrote about a year ago. Just click on 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
Nationality: Kenyan
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.


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

Although I'd like to be rich and famous, my supreme desire is to be radiant: to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without hate, guilt, worry, jealousy, cynicism and envy. I wish to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so and to treat all men with kindness - 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)