End Month Series, Inspiration
Carpe Diem
Thing I am marvelling at
That it is actually possible to wake up at 3am from Monday to Friday. You know what else is achievable? Functioning on 5.5 hours to 6 hours of sleep. I must warn you though that on week one, the level of irritability on a scale of 1 to 10 stands at 97! You find fault in everything..from the digital water dispenser at the office not doing its one job and you almost want to ask it “What if you had five roles like me and worse still, what if you had to wake up at 3am?” Even worse, you get enraged with the house help for using too much oil while making dinner, and you are short of telling her “I didn’t wake up at 3am to grow fat!” But like everything else in life, this too passes. After two weeks, you start enjoying it to the extent of quoting Proverbs 20 vs 13 to those who get shocked by your early bird tendencies:
“Do not love sleep or you will grow poor.”
Activity I am loving
Taking a 1km walk with my daughters in the neighbourhood every evening after work. The conversations are refreshingly hilarious but most of all, I love the fact that I have learnt to enjoy the process and not to be too eager to get to the destination. On the first day, the kids were continuously distracted which drove me nuts (probably as a result of sleep deficiency). I wanted to run off and leave them walking by themselves. One minute Xena was plucking flowers by the roadside and claiming she was a bridesmaid and the next minute she would break into a dance with her hands in the air like a high school cheerleader, the flowers a hopeless representation of pompoms. And when I would finally get her to back on the road, it would be Xia’s turn to stall us. A cat would suddenly appear from an adjacent house and she would get fixated on it, refusing to make a step forward. You would think she had seen a dinosaur. Everyday when I get home from work, I find them waiting in the leaving room, their walking shoes on. What started as a frustrating exercise is now therapy for me. At the end of the walk, we compare notes to see who picked the most flowers. The winner gets extra dessert.
Marathons I am looking forward to participating in 2019
Vic Falls Marathon (again)because I fell in love with the beauty of Victoria Falls and this is where I clocked my personal best speed last year, and Imbube Marathon in Swaziland because it baffles me that dynasties still exist at this day and age.
Book I am currently reading
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
This book was recommended to me by my friend Ciru. Her initial words were “I know you don’t like theoretical stuff, but just try it. It’s different.”
And different it is, in deed! It has made me put more thought into my decisions, no matter how small or mundane they might be. It delves on human psychology and reasoning and teaches one to avoid cognitive errors and make better choices. It’s all about thinking errors, basically why we think the way we do. Before you dismiss it as lacklustre, you may want to consider this. First of all, the chapters are concise, mostly a maximum of four pages. Second, the examples are relatable, you want to hit yourself on the head for not having figured stuff out. Rolf grabs your attention from the first chapter and keeps you flipping the pages like a druggy. He starts the book by explaining why you should visit cemeteries. The second chapter, “Does Havard make you smarter?” Is my favourite. It talks about Swimmer’s Body Illusion, and how the worlds best professional swimmers don’t have the perfect bodies because they train extensively rather they are good swimmers because of their physiques. The next time you want to break your legs trying to beat Eliud Kipchoge’s world record, cut yourself some slack.
Shoes I am loving
If anyone ever told me I would switch to seeking comfort in sneakers from the six-inch heels I was crazy about, I would have laughed in their face. I am loving my Eco Suede Lacoste trainers and Adidas Gazelles so much so, I am about to introduce a bill at work that will allow us to accessorise official wear with sneakers. If anything, Kalenjins know no other shoes, whether they are suited or not. It could be the secret to their exemplary marathon running after all.
Podcast I am listening to
Value Investing by Jun Kim, CFA.
If you ever wanted to learn how to make great investment decisions in the most simplified manner, this podcast is for you. It takes you through Warren Buffett’s investment journey; from how he started his first investment partnership from a humble background, with no inheritance to his name, to how he became the world’s richest man at some point. His net worth currently stands at $91.3B dollars.
Blogs I am following
Friday Forward by Robert Glazer, who has shown me the power of having a morning routine, and 5-Bullet Friday by Tim Ferris who inspired me to put up this kind of blog as a form of tracking progress in various facets of my life.
Five local resorts I am dying to check out
Naru Moru River Lodge
The Cliff
Lerruat Log Resort
Olepangi Farm
Oldonyo Lodge
Quote I am loving
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”~ Albert Einstein
What I am wishing for
More hours in a day.
inspired …
Need to stop lying in my comfort zone and live life
Joy, thank you for sharing the resources that you come across that help you professionally, personally , financially and in many other aspects. You are a great writer and it is refreshing to read through your blog. Keep it up!
am reading this today and am cracked at quoting prov 20:13. keep inspiring us mama Xena.
Hahahaha better late than never Caleen!
Inspiring and that sounds like my kind of book.I should check it out. Looking good on here and on TV/Newspaper.
Thank you, Faith!
Very inspiring……..and girl you are glowing!
danke 🙂
Awesomeness. Many are times I get mad at you for just leaving us high, dry and forcing your us to sabbatical you need not us. Last one was not different and I took it personal. I put mental note to forget you. That has not worked so far. I am thinking ‘we’ need to stop the sabbaticalI, I beg.
Hahahahaha I am trying, Olive. So far so good this year, no?
I enjoy your blog as usual. But I have a teeny weeny request. Please set the hyperlinks to open in new tab? 🙁 Thank you, I know you are gonna listen 🙂
Thank you Becks, I’ll certainly do that.
Thanks for sharing,I am now looking for the books to read.
Enjoy the reads, Selina!
I always love your blog Joy, you are always inspiring, I learn alot from you. Keep up!!
Hey you, where have you been hiding!
I will blame it on my Thesis! But now I have time to draw inspiration from the brilliant you!
Congratulations!
I love it!!!
Short but loaded… and you look gorgeous
I should have added that I am trying to be brief in 2019 hehe. Thanks dear.
You looking lovely and this is a great article. I am with you on wishing there are more hours in a day. Keep the series coming, its insightful.
24 hours barely gets anything done Lilian! Sigh. Thanks.
Wow!!! I can totally relate to all this, I recently started walking to work and back and my shoe closet has also transformed to fit in my activities. What I love about walking is I get to meditate and appreciate nature and life in general. I really love that even though you’re a mother and wife you’ve found ways to discover yourself and grow as an individual. This is definitely something more women should adopt. Gives you so much happiness in life. Please tell me where I can order the book from am so curious to read it…thanks!!
Good choice, Sharifa! Health and peace of mind is everything. On making time for ourselves, we need to be whole to give ourselves to others.
Amazing insights….’Everything in life is a miracle.’
Everything girl! Thanks.
I love this. You do also sound happier☺️. I’ll adopt an evening walk routine too with my little girl; sounds therapeutic.
I really am, Liz. Thank you!
And you look amazing too..?
Bless you hun!
I love the walking idea i will try it with my girls i hope i don’t end up carrying people all the way back.
It really is refreshing! You can start with short distances like 400 meters.