I was walking through the Nairobi central business district and happened to walk along two men that were literally murmuring about the number of books they had to purchase for their grade one children that joined in August 2021 as was the case in many public schools in Nairobi. They emphasized to me that way back when, in ‘their’ days, the teachers instructed for parents to buy one exercise book which was later divided into sections for the different school subjects.
I intercepted this conversation by reminding these men we are in the era of shifting mindsets and fast pace that we cannot afford our little ones to be left behind. These wrong mindsets and attitudes towards our schools, employers, workmates, etc. eventually affect all that surrounds us. We have to learn how to anticipate change. Even now as we are in these pandemic times. We cannot be comfortable in status quo.
Dr. Shwartz on the power of thinking spoke to the importance of shifting mindsets since that is what will determine our altitude. By virtue of these complaints, these attitudes trickle down to our children and affects their generation as opposed to dynamic thinking that changes our world for good. Be the change you desire to see. A good example I found was in Wanhecheng community in China, some proactive residents went to install cables after devastating floods in that area. They did not wait for the authorities to do it for them and then complain that their lives were in danger, they took immediate action together. That is leadership!
Spencer Johnson wrote a book called ‘who moved my cheese’, an amazing way to deal with change in work and life. The story brings out four characters – Sniff (who sniffs out change early), Scurry (who scurries into action), Hem (who fears and denies change ) and Haw represent the simple and complex parts of ourselves (who learns to adapt in time when he sees change can lead to something better). At what point of your life are you?
Evelyn Ongige 