Success and Significance.
If I was given a chance to change my career today, I would wholeheartedly choose to be a primary school teacher. I have worked with an International NGO for 3 years, local NGO for one year, government office for 5 months, private company for several months, The largest bank in the country for a couple of months, today I own a group of companies and fulfilled by creating opportunities for many people and touching hundreds of lives with what I do, BUT, my most fulfilling job and that which had a great impact till today was when I was a primary school teacher at Anestar Primary School in 2007/2008 before I joined the university for my undergraduate studies..
Despite the lives I have saved in my emergency response in the different incidents that have happened around the country, I do receive emails, texts, letters, calls and even do meet most of the pupils I taught who are somewhere pursuing their dreams and purpose and one thing they always say to me is,”mwalimu, you changed my life”,”mwalimu ,you told me that I can become whatever I wish to be and today am pursuing my career”,”Teacher, you remember when you told us that…..its working”…etc. Those are the most fulfilling words that you would wish to hear, they are worth more than million dollars. Making impact is not about the salary you get but the lives changed and inspired.
During an international football game, at the end of the game, the players celebrate having won and their team rising in the performance more than the income they get.
Nobody remembers the halftime score; where you stand at the end of the game is what really matters. At the end of your day/term, what matters is the significance not the returns. Significance happens when we enable those around us to discover their own significance.
Your job should be related to your calling and purpose in life and that is why we are encouraged to live a purpose driven life. If you stop learning today, you’ll stop growing tomorrow. Your career is what you’re paid to do; your calling is what you’re made to do. Is your God given assignment here on earth.
In life, there are four stages that we must go through in every stage of our life. There is an appointed time, departure time, time to give an account and time to receive a reward. The job that you are in right now ‘si ya mama yako”. Soon somebody will be in your position and will perform better than you are today and will be esteemed than you are today, so, give it your best knowing that its an assignment given to you by God and soon you will give an account.
Don’t be that kind of a person who has to be driven and pushed to report early and achieve the targets. Driven people think it’s all up to them. Called people understand that life and work are gifts of God’s grace. Get under God’s agenda and out from under your own. Success is all about getting; significance is about giving back.
People have no time anymore to call their friends and to spend time with them, but waste hours of their valuable time online, on Facebook – checking status messages, addictively playing games, chatting with random strangers or watching videos on YouTube. You can hear people mumble, “I’m in a rush” or “Haven’t got any time” while they rush from their workplaces to their entertainment stations, called home.
Listen to your heart when you make important decisions and try to neglect the promising external factors (money, etc.) just for a moment. Have the courage to follow where your heart leads you! Become aware of the things that your heart desires and ask yourself the question if you really think that your heart might desire something as superficial and material as money, fancy cars and jewelry. When looking behind the scenes you might discover that it isn’t tangibles that your heart truly desires, but – more valuable things such as – true friendship, happiness, love, but also fulfillment, consciousness, awareness and inner peace with yourself.
Knowing God and believing that there is a plan and purpose for our lives should fill us with joy. Devote the rest of your life to doing those things which you know to be good and profitable for humanity, and that means especially for the human beings who live around you.
Living a life of service to others can be on a small scale with a big impact, depending on your gifts, talents and resources. If you leave this earth and one person is better off because you were here, that is significant.
The most meaningful work is that which involved helping other people. Sharing your wealth through charitable giving and philanthropy is important, but sharing your knowledge is every bit as important. It’s the opposite of ‘fame and fortune,’ but it has lasting significance. I’ve often said, ‘The fruit of my work grows on other people’s trees. I spend most of my knowledge to share and build people without expecting a salary out of that but it gives the most fulfillment.
Joy has more to do with being in alignment with your task or assignment from God, and being in a right relationship with him and your significant others, than with your sense of personal gratification or happiness.
I want you to ask yourself this question and give yourself an answer,” If you were at the end of your life, looking back at where you are now, what would have to have happened for you to feel good personally and professionally about your life?” Give yourself an answer and start your life there.
I ask myself, What am I supposed to do today? And what will contribute the most benefit from what I’m supposed to do today?” “Lord, I can’t do anything about yesterday, and tomorrow may not come. Let me be your man today. Let me serve your purpose; let me add value to your kingdom today. Am your vessel, use me to serve you through the opportunities you will bring to me today.
What gets me up each morning is the whole prospect of building something that will last beyond my own life. Adding value to one person either through my daily posts and tweets, my articles and meeting with a needy person somewhere.
When you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, it’s like writing with the wrong hand. You can do it, and after awhile you can get pretty good at it, but it’s always awkward. But when you find the sweet spot-what you were created to do-it’s like putting the pen back in the hand where it belongs.” (Tom Wilson, 104)
1Thesalonians 4:11 Also, make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
As I finish, I want you to put it into your mind that this is your appointed time so do not misuse it, always know that your time to departure is coming, time to give an account and time for your reward is coming so live your life well and know that its an assignment to God . @AmbSteveMbugua www.ambstevembugua.co.ke

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