By Collins Wanderi via FB
Motivation: Leave Petty Fights; they Injure Your Spirit.
Ladies & Gentlemen, not everything in life is worth fighting for. Never waste your time, energy & resources to make a point to people who feel lesser than you in life; business, intellectually or professionally. Allow me to share a personal story.
In November 2016, I was interviewed for a very good position in the Public Service. I emerged the top candidate & received congratulatory messages from the recruiting consultant, professional colleagues & friends at work. But I never got an appointment letter. The clericals who ran the HR department in that public agency told me that it was a directive from a “high office”. I was fortunate to meet the boss of the Agency in a different forum. I asked him why I was not given my appointment letter yet almost every member of his staff knew I was the best candidate. He blabbered an obvious lie citing rules about regional & ethnic balancing. Yet in the same period he had announced promotions of other fellows from my ethnicity & region. Some fellas he promoted were well known leaders of cartels networks of corruption; bribery & fraud. With time, I knew that the main reasons I did not get an appointment letter was because of my humble social origins & non-compromising stance on matters ethics & integrity. Yes, it is that costly to be ethical & a product of peasantry in Kenya. The issue affected my morale for sometime but an older man who had served this country diligently & honestly before he left the world advised me to let go and lie low. He advised me against court battles, even though this was malice & outright discrimination.
With time I focused on self-development & other things. I soon realised that I had more time & energy to achieve my life mission. People opened up to me. I was lucky to learn that the person who had led the crusade against my promotion appointment is someone I considered a friend. A colleague I used to confide in, and whose many limitations I knew quite well. You see, in May 2014 I had competed for another top position with this “friend”. He never went beyond the shortlisting stage but I was fortunate to be among the last 3 finalists without any help from influence peddlers. This small issue seems to have injured my “friend’s” ego deeply. But he is a lucky man who has been assisted a great deal in life. I always pray for him to succeed & for his family and children to never lack. The day I learnt the role he had played in derailing my career path, I left him in the hands of God & made a decision to pursue success far away from his jealous eye. That is also the day I stopped fighting for my rights or promotion with stupid people. I forgave my tormentors, unconditionally & left petty fights to people with nothing else to fight for. I trained my time & energy on my vision; ideas, dreams & destiny. The peace of mind I got was priceless. My hustles started giving good returns & whatever I planted in my small plot of land started producing healthy fruit. I may not have abundance but I don’t lack.
So, my good friends, leave petty fights to small fighters. Stop fighting with online “friends” you will never meet or get to know personally. Stop fighting with gossipers; your relatives; spouse or partner. Stop fighting for attention or affirmation from people who do not deserve your time. Put your energy, time & effort where it is appreciated. The universe will conspire in your favour & respond in kind.
NB: This post is an abstract from a chapter in my soon to published book. It is dedicated to all my friends who disregard “social & political” correctness in the pursuit of their dreams. Allow me to mention Silas Gisiora Nyanchwani & Gordon Opiyo as trailblazers in this endeavour. Silas has written a book, buy it & read it.
