INTRODUCING GINA… AGAIN.

The last time I posted here, I was ~two and half years younger.

It feels good to be back.

Most of you (classic phrase of Social Media influencers and Youtubers), have been asking for updates on Stan, my life tales, my take on a few factors that make a beautiful life and everything in between.

Here we are, and again- it feels good to be back. 

The last time we were on these streets of The Diary of a Beautiful Life, we talked about staying woke. I have stayed woke in the last two and half years and I hope you have too. 

One thing however has remained constant, my love for love, passion to write, sharing my thoughts and experiences and engaging with those that love short lovely tales filled with love and good vibes. 

I am back to share my diary of a beautiful life with you. Explore and experience life with you. Enjoy the surprises of a beautiful life. And grow spiritually together. 

Get your cappuccino, hot chocolate, whisky- whatever your P0!$0∩ is, and join me on this journey dubbed – Diary of a beautiful Life.

X0X0!

LOVE HAS NO LABELS.

Thursday afternoon and for the last six and half hours I have not lifted my butt off my office chair. It’s just few minutes to lunch and I know, not because am hungry but because a calendar notification pops up on my screen reminding me that it’s ten (10) minutes to my lunch break. Am excited about today’s lunch. Not because I brought what Stan had prepared for dinner yesternight, read that as our favorite meal, but because of the person I will be lunching with. You ask, who be this? I will be lunching with a visiting Diversity and Inclusion expert from Silicon Valley, and am looking forward to exchanging ideas regarding this topic. For the past few months I have been having a key interest on Diversity and Inclusion, which some Silicon Valley organizations will refer to as DnI. Actually, I have bee doing a lot of research on this subject like my life depends on it, so let me shine for a minute! Okay? Thanks.

Diversity is about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.

Inclusion is the effort and practices in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated.

‘Diversity is the mix; inclusion is making the mix work” Andres.

I won’t delve into the details of our discussion with my lunch partner because most of the content is what I will use to build a business case for my next fat pay cheque.*winks*

When done with lunch, my lunch-partner said something that I found to be  very profound and have been thinking about it. Here I am writing about it- Hurray!

“Every day, we have the ability and opportunity to create a more accepting world. Even small acts of inclusion can have a big impact on making others feel accepted.”

So away from the work-space, how do we show inclusivity in our community? To be very honest with you I don’t have the correct answers because I have not put so much thought into the how we do it, but I know how it feels.

Why? Because when I moved to a new neighborhood, my neighbor said HI-Yeah a simple HI. It gave me a sense of belonging. After few days of HIs she welcomed me to her space and we talked about everything and nothing and later our other neighbor joined us, and if I remember, we dined together. This gesture went a long way in making me feel included. This type of engagements as neighbors, old and new, has enabled us to stay connected — and contributes to a neighborhood that values connectedness over exclusion. But I must we need to set and have boundaries.

What I have come to know for sure overtime is that ordinary acts of love can lead to extraordinary amounts of change.

Show some act of kindness or love, stop the implicit biases, reconsider stereotypes, start conversations to create deep connections and you never know! Your partner, your business partner, your new best friend could be just behind that stranger’s face.

#Challenge. I challenge you for the next few days or weeks to take small actions to make others feel loved and accepted. Shall you?

!X0X0!

THE TRUTH.

How are you?

A conversation starter said a thousand times in a day, in a thousand languages around the world!  What amazes me, just like Maya is that, when people ask this question, their mindset is set to hear “Fine, thank you, and you?” or just simply “I am great!”. Because reality is, most people don’t want to hear the raw story of what is going on in your life. Maybe it’s because of the way we are as human beings! We admittedly people please too often, which sometimes does not allow for the truth to come flying out of our mouths at all times. A bad habit which we should strive to break away from, I must say!

But with the people you call true friends, this shouldn’t be the case! You should always have the nerve to tell your friends the truth.

In my life, I am very lucky to have friends like Miss. Malaika and Miss. Kamata aka the Wakeshos who when they ask me this question (How are you?), I can confidently tell the truth. I always have the nerve to tell the truth.  And I will be like “My heart aches, but the project I was working on, is coming out just as I envisioned!”, “You know what, I effed up and now, I feel lost”, “I am weak and feel I can’t do it no more!” I even let loose sometimes and all they do is pass the paper towels. We then laugh about it and we get the conversation going.

They will express their concerns, without sounding judgmental. They are consistently supportive without agreeing to each and every of my decision. I am blessed to have such amazing souls and great relationships in my cycle.

In day when “friendships” come and go easily as choosing Facebook status, true friends are hard to find. What a gift to have friends who you will tell them your truth and they also risk telling you the truth to your face instead of chattering behind your back.

I am doubly blessed because some of these same friends just don’t celebrate my success with me, they weather the storm of my life with me-even the storms that I may have foolishly created myself.

Dr. Angelou said that, we should tell the truth to people but again warned that telling people the truth might get them avoiding you. Good news is, if people avoid you, you will have more time to meditate and do fine research on a cure for whatever truly afflicts you.

!X0X0!

 

 

 

 

 

VULNERABILITY.

Taking a walk across the office, from our east wing to the west wing, moments of last evening with Stan linger over my mind. Most of our conversations are usually deep while others are just fun with some sense of tittle-tattle of what is trending.  Yesterday it was the former and we talked about how we both have changed overtime. One of our conversation took me back to one and half years ago when I had my “aha! moment”.

Over a year ago, while reading one of Maya’s literature the following words became imprinted on my soul: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Forty-one words that stirred a yearn to seek my vulnerability and authenticity. They say with age comes wisdom, but what I like most is the maturity that comes with experience.

Reading these words, I had my tweetable moment which has been my anchor for becoming a woman who draws strength from her vulnerability.

Growing up I had believed that vulnerability is a weakness. Not anymore! My vulnerability, has overtime given me pure and utter strength. I have stopped hiding my true feelings, hugged my child-like spirit, began being totally in tune to what I like and dislike, ceased hiding behind a smoke screen and letting those that matter know that I miff up about certain things, have lost my way along the way, or simply need help in a certain matter.

Vulnerability has empowered me to find courage in being imperfect! I have embraced letting go of who I thought I should be or ought to be, in order to be my true self. I am not afraid of being vulnerable and authentic anymore, especially with closest of my friends and family and above all myself. I definitely want to belong because I am a social being but I also have courage to stand alone and belong to myself. I belong to me. I have found freedom in belonging everywhere which is nowhere or specific place at all.

Go forth and be vulnerable & authentic because this is how you become true to yourself. This is how you begin living free – not living in bondage which equals STRENGTH.

COMPASSION.

I have found a new gem in the heart of Nairobi city which somehow calms my soul. It’s a place I go when I need to watch the city by the night as I release what has built throughout the day. It is a spot that is only appreciated by the few who just want to sit tranquilly by the coffee bar with their feet dipped in the mini-warm pool while watching the city environs by the night. The reflections of the lights on the water surface are magical and I always fall in love with them every time. They do really excite my senses.

Today as I walk past the bravura reception and approach the hallway I bump into Clare. I met Clare during my last visit-which was two days ago. This spot has been her home for the last one month and it’s still going to be, for the next two months as she completes her project in Nairobi. Clare has the warmest and most genuine smile I have ever seen and it always gets my attention. However, today what caught my attention was the fancy tee shirt she has perfectly matched with some Levi pants. Actually, not even the tee shirt but the boldly printed words on it.

COMPASSION.

I always believe that compassion and kindness should always be our shared religion. These two must be the biggest love quotient and ultimate show of real love. This is because kindness and compassion for others creates kindness & compassion for oneself!

Compassion though does not mean being mean to yourself or putting others before thee. It means taking care of yourself and then you are in a capacity to share what you have with others. Sometimes we experience overwhelming feelings of guilt when saying “no” to something or someone. The selfishness we critically experience when we seemingly put our own needs and wants first before those around us is a killer one. Let’s not even talk about the insufficiency we are compelled to endure when we are torn between the two.

I come baring good news that, these feelings and experiences are triumphantly replaced with logic and reason evidence: I have to give to myself in order to continue to give to others. I can’t possibly give what I don’t have.

Not because you are arrogant, egotistical, apathetic and want to showcase at center stage, but because when you are giving to yourself, feeling strong and complete in your body, mind, heart, and soul – you give yourself the unique ability to do more with yourself, be more of yourself and give more of yourself in every level.

When you are full, be it of energy, positivity, abundance, inspiration, motivation and love – there is far more available from within you – to spread to those you are fortunate enough to touch and engage. However…. when you feel demotivated, weak, depleted, negative, fearful and lacking, there is far less, of anything accessible, for you to share with those you are blessed to serve and love.

Therefore, it is an obligation to yourself and your audience to ensure that you look after yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And only in this way, you can deeply and truly enrich your own life through every passionate role you play, where enthralled audiences throughout your daily world are too captured, entertained and engaged- all the richer.

Go forth, show compassion to yourself and it will flow to those around you.

!X0X0!