Being Smart

There are times when one faces a situation that at first glance, you definately are aware of the dilemma that awaits you. You do a quick mental note without sending signals of your anxiety. I was once told, be as smart as you can but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart!

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplish your daily task, go to sleep in peace, for God is awake.

How true are these simple yet very POWERFUL words.
Do more than belong: Participate
Do more than care: Help
Do more than believe: Practice
Do more than be fair: Be kind
Do more than forgive: Forget
Do more than dream: Work!

Designing with conversation

Design is everywhere. With every glance you take of something, mental notes are taken. It's what makes things and life better for people. It could be viewed as an activity that translates, combines and turns a concept into something that is desirable, viable and commercially successful not forgetting that it adds value to people's lives. Design is fundamental and as such, people often need to be reminded that everything around us is designed, and that design decisions impact on nearly every part of our lives. A lot of trial and error goes into making things look elegant effortlessly.

A good design begins with the user. No design, no matter how beautiful and ingenious is any good if it does not fulfill the user's need, hence, designing with conversation. Finding out what the customer wants is the first stage of what designers do. The designer then builds on results on the results of that inquiry with a mixture of creativity and commercial insight. Many a times, the eye-for-detail is usually part of the designer's arsenal of making sure that the design hits the mark.

Life at a glance

Like wine as it ages, it gets finer, so does man. Wine, like people, takes all the influences in life around it. Constantly evolving, gets its personality hence gaining its complexity. To man, when life changes, you change with it. But question is, how many of us accept change?

This is in honor of Max Ehrmann, the author of DESIDERATA way back in the 1920s. Read it. Now read it again, only this time, listen to the words...

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."

Need I say more... Reflect on these words of wisdom.

Gambler!

Life, as many can attest to, is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep! How true that is. There is a saying in my mother-tongue that is often told to teenagers whose hormones often run wild and overwhelm them, which goes, "Kuleni, mgaone!" (Loosely translated to "You will get to see the unfolding mysteries that life has, once you grow up!") And it is at this point, that you are advised to learn from the mistakes you have made to emerge a stronger and wiser person. It is good to enjoy yourself, coz no one can take that away from you. But! Be careful, because, when you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet!

True to their word, once you grow up and eventually face the world head-on as an independent young adult, you get to see and experience the may faces that life has to offer. I think Kenny Rodgers' Gambler song says it best!

"On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere, I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. So we took turns at staring out the window at the darkness, 'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, "Son I've made my life out of reading people's faces, And knowing what their cards were, by the way they held their eyes. So if you don't mind my saying, I can see you're out of aces. For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice."

So I handed him my bottle and he drank my last swallow. Then he bummed a cigarette and asked for a light. And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run. You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done!

Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving, is knowing what to throw away and what to keep. 'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser, And the best that you can hope for, is to die in your sleep!"

When he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even. But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run. You never count your money when sittin' at tyhe table. There'll be time enough for counting, when the dealing's done!

Growing up

Growing up as a child has its expectations, excitements and gloom. The mind needs to be nurtured and it is at this stage that the mind can absorb lots of things. That is why, when a parent(s) realises that there is a child who exhibits special talent, it is nurtured from then and have it grow as the child grows for consistency and endurance of having the child fully unleash the potential within.

The innocence in children is so honest it hurts! I know many parents can attest to this that, at times it takes a lie to tell the truth, yeah? But no matter what, so long as the child knows the truth, there is no way in hell/heaven you are going to convince the little brat otherwise! No amount of daring glances or threats will deter the child. And anyone who is within the discussion/lie or just walked in on it, will just have to take a glance at everyone but only the child's emotions will be your sell-out. But the crookedly smart children, who happen to inherit the genes from their parents, will never tell a soul, till kingdom come! The amazing thing though is that, the sense of unhappiness is so much easier to convey than that of happiness.

When unhappy, the pain and hurt that the child expresses is of hurt and betrayal. I remember some time back, when my second-born daughter, who was six-years-old then, had her facial expression suddenly change after welcoming us (the dad and I) in the house on evening. She went straight on to the matters at hand and addressed the dad.

"Daddy, unajua leo shule..., ule Simon kwa class... alikua ananiangalia alafu anani-smiliaaa..." ("Daddy, you know today at school..., that Simon in my class... kept looking at me and smiiiiling back at me...") with disgust written all over her face! I took a glance at the dad to see his reaction to that. Frankly... he was blank! But you could see a frown in sync with his daughter's. As in trying to feel her, to empathise with her. As for me... I laughed my heart out and whispered, 'I think we have a boy who is smitten'!

But happiness. Happiness annihilates us as human beings. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and peace that is indescribable! It comes with a sense of calmness. By just taking a glance at a happy person, especially a child, the emotions written all over the face tells it all. Need I say more...