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


Rooting for Brazil

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
This was the 2006 Brazil soccer team. As my Starehe Institute schoolmate and fellow soccer fan Benjamin Seadori would put it, these were men with balls.

FIFA World Cups fascinate millions of soccer fans all over the world. The first World Cup that took place when I was old enough to remember things was the 1994 one held in the United States. Even though my family owned a black-and-white television set that aired the matches, I didn't take an interest in the World Cup simply because I was too young to understand and enjoy soccer.

I don't think my brothers were interested in the World Cup either. It was one of our neighbor's children, led by Ludovic Kahoro, who watched the World Cup matches on our television set. They would come home at night when the matches were aired. Kahoro, who is now a Catholic catechist, never tires of reminiscing about those nights they visited us in 1994.

The 1998 World Cup took place when I hadn't been influenced to love soccer. I therefore also didn't take an interest in it. But some of my primary school classmates did and idolized Ronaldo, the then talented Brazilian striker. They would exchange several photos of soccer stars, which were attached to one chewing gum brand, for one of Ronaldo.

I also didn't take an interest in the 2002 World Cup which took place when I was a first former at Starehe Boys' Centre. The World Cup matches were held at night and Starehe had a rule that required us first formers to be in bed by 9:30 p.m. Even without the rule, I wouldn't have followed the World Cup because soccer was still alien to me.

The 2006 World Cup was the first one I followed with keen interest after some of my high school classmates influenced me to love soccer. I was still in Starehe, pursuing a diploma in information technology in the institute division of the school, when the World Cup took place.

As I waited for the World Cup to begin, I created a software on the World Cup fixtures using the computer programming skills I was learning in the institute. Creating the software was a deeply fulfilling experience.

I was rooting for Brazil which I believed would lift the World Cup under the stewardship of its then talented and experienced attacking combo of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. When the World Cup began, I managed to watch some of the matches by sneaking out of Starehe with some of my institute schoolmates. Boy, wasn't I heartsick when Brazil lost to France in the quarter-finals!

The 2010 World Cup took place when I was at a low ebb. I had just dropped out of an engineering degree the previous year and was still unsure of what to do with my life. When the World Cup began, I thought it would rejuvenate me.

How wrong I was! I felt guilty some of the times I went to watch the World Cup matches in a restaurant not far from home. And when Brazil lost to Netherlands in the quarter-finals, I didn't feel as heartsick as I did in 2006, probably because I felt in good company to not be the only one going through hard times.

I also took an interest in the 2014 World Cup and rooted, as usual, for Brazil which lost heavily to Germany in the semi-finals. It lost 1-7 but that didn't depress me perhaps because my capacity to handle setbacks was improving.

As for this year's World Cup, it has taken place at a time when I am beginning to feel in control of my life. Since I am rooting for Brazil as usual, I am delighted that they hammered Mexico 2-0 in a round of 16 match held today in the evening. Viva Brazil!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on the team I am rooting for in this year's World Cup, you might also enjoy another one on "Scoring in Life" which I wrote some time back. Just click that link in blue to jump straight into the story.

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Thinking, Believing & Daring

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Jun 27, 2018
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Quote Fancy. All rights reserved worldwide.

In a thought experiment, I am imagining myself 50 years from now. It's 2068 and I'm 80 years old. Sitting on a sofa while listening to Handel, I begin to reflect on my life: the career successes and how I've been able to provide for my family. I think of all the great moments I have had with my friends.

But then I start to regret all of the things I didn't do well. I can guess what my regrets will be.

In 2068, I will wish I had appreciated my parents and told them how much I valued them before they passed away. I will wish I had married a better partner - someone who filled me with joy and emotional contentment, with whom I shared similar values and interests, who respected me for who I am.

I will wish I had spent more time with my children. I will wish I had used my gifts to empower others and make the world a better place. I will wish I had pursued my passions: music, writing, gardening and public speaking. I will wish I smiled more, laughed more, danced more and created more.

As I am regretting my shortcomings, an angel of God appears and tells me, "Thuita, you are a good man. For that reason, God has decided to give you a second chance at life." All of a sudden, I find myself where I am seated today.

It is 2018 and I am in my pleasantly fit and pain-free 30 year old body. I actually have the chance to do it all over again. To have the same career successes and deep relationships I will wish I had. Now I can smile more, laugh more, dance more and create more.

My parents are here with me again, so it is my chance to love them like I will wish I had done before they passed away. I can be the source of positivity that I wished I had been the first time around. What a lucky young man I am!

Following this chance I have been given by God, what do I need to do with it? Okay, let me tell you about it.

Firstly, I need to greet each day with a smile and be a source of positivity. And if I may borrow the words of a writer I can't recall, I need to realize or even rationalize that the grass is truly greener on my side of the fence. Just the belief that it is becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Secondly, I need to pursue my passions and follow my heart. If I may again borrow the words of a writer I can't recall, I should remember that real success comes not from external status or money or praise but from a feeling of contribution. A feeling that I am using my gifts in the best way possible.

Last but not least, I need not be depressed or overly worried about anything. When I feel stressed, I should look up at the night sky and ponder the distance to the next star and the age of the universe. That will help put things in perspective.

The ball is in my court. I need to be inspired to achieve my dreams so that when the year 2068 comes, I will look back on my life and gladly say to myself, "I have made the most of my life. It has been fulfilling."

My beloved reader, I beseech you to also take time to think about your future and the life you'd love to live. Identify your talents and tap into them, for that is the key to having a rewarding and a fulfilling career. That's all I am saying. Sayonara!

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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)