A Book That Influenced Me

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Read Hoot. All rights reserved worldwide.

One night in 2011 as I was walking in Nairobi, I spotted a young man who looked familiar. I stopped him to ask where we had met. It was then that he told me he was in JKUAT where I dropped out of an engineering degree in 2009. His name was Samson Gatogo.

We exchanged contacts and a few days later, he told me he had a book that could help me: The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz, an American I had never heard of before.

I picked the book from Gatogo and read it, perhaps even twice. It was about how Jacqueline quit a lucrative job with a bank in New York and went to Rwanda to lift people out of poverty. I understand she also pursued an MBA at Stanford after quitting her banking job.

When she was in Rwanda one day in 1987, a young boy walked towards her, wearing a blue sweater she had worn in America in the 1970s before donating it to a charitable organisation. Seeing that sweater again made her realize how interconnected the world is.

That miraculous encounter with the boy wearing a blue sweater that was once hers was what inspired her to title her book "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World". It was quite interesting when I read the copy Gatogo gave me.

On a whim, I picked up the book one night. And wow! It inspired me so much that I didn't sleep a wink. I especially liked the way Jacqueline swore to herself to never acquiesce to mediocrity and how she knew instinctively that a combination of service and adventure could lead to a life of passion and constant renewal.

Those words of hers have influenced me to be the avid blogger I am today. If I may borrow the words, I have sworn to myself to never acquiesce to mediocrity as a blogger and thought blogging could lead to a life of passion and constant renewal.

Now that I returned that book by Jacqueline Novogratz to Gatogo, I can only hope the blogging journey I have chosen - of inspiring people to godly living - will turn out to be as successful as the journey Jacqueline chose of lifting people out of poverty. So help me God.

*********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story, you might also enjoy another one on "Passion for Reading".
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Celebrating Others' Success

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Jun 30, 2025
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
This is me giving advice to my brother-in-law Martin Mareka during his graduation party last Saturday.

One thing I am learning to do is celebrating the success of others, whether younger or older than me, because we are all in this world together and whoever succeeds in doing something good benefits us all.

So when Dad asked me last week whether I would attend a graduation party for my brother-in-law Martin Mareka that was to be held on Saturday, I said I would.

Come Saturday, we left home in a car at around 2:00 p.m. Beautiful thoughts flowed in my mind as the car followed the road. Even thoughts of how I have let some people down felt beautiful.

We arrived safely at the hotel where the graduation party was being held. The food was yummy, the music funky and the people lovely. It felt nice to be among such lovely people.

Some of them gave Martin the kind of advice I share on this blog. One gentleman in particular, whose name I later learnt is Prince Muraguri, had this to tell Martin:
  1. Show up early, every time. Not just to interviews, but in life. Be the kind of person who's ready before they're needed. It builds trust.
  2. Your attitude will open more doors than your CV. Be teachable. Stay hungry. People hire energy, not just skills.
  3. Don't wait for the 'perfect job.' Start somewhere. Learn fast. Every step teaches you something, even the wrong ones.
  4. Build relationships, not just contacts. Most opportunities come from people, not job boards.
  5. Stay grounded. Your worth isn't in your title or paycheck. It's in how you treat others when no one is watching.
  6. Your first job is not your destiny. It's a stepping stone, not a tattoo. Don't obsess over finding the "perfect" role - just get in the arena and start swinging.
  7. Learn to introduce yourself without shrinking. Confidence isn't arrogance. Practice saying your name, what you do, and what you're good at - with pride, not apology.
  8. Work ethic beats talent. Being brilliant helps. But being consistent, reliable, and obsessed with learning? That's what makes people unstoppable.
  9. Make peace with rejection. You'll be ghosted, ignored, or told "no" more times than you'd like. That's not failure. That's just volume on the way to "yes."
  10. Audit your circle. Surround yourself with people who talk about ideas, not just people. Your network is your net worth.
  11. (Bonus point) Kindness is currency. Be the person who says thank you, helps others shine, and leaves rooms better than they found them. People remember that.
When it was my turn to speak, I began by saying Martin is a nice guy and it was nice to see him graduate. Then I brought to his attention what his folks had done for him, and finished by challenging him with this quote borrowed from the Bible: "To whom much is given, much is expected."

Though short, my speech was wonderful, especially the way I connected with the people present. That was very encouraging to me, considering how shy I used to feel in similar settings. It proves there is nothing wrong with spending a lot of time studying like I do, provided the studies are fun.

Having had a good time at the party, Saturday was a wonderful day for me. As the years roll by, I will keep celebrating the success of others, trusting that those who love me will also celebrate mine. So here's to more such parties!

*********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on celebrating the success of others, you might also enjoy another one on "Wishing Others Well".
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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; I have therefore given up the things that weighed me down and I am now living my life to the fullest because the tomorrow I had always hoped to live my dreams 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 Tips

"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 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)