BACK TO EDEN

I wanted to be a police officer when i grew up. i specifically wanted to be a traffic police officer. i admired how they exercised their authority, i couldn't get over how a police officer could, with just raising one hand, stop a big bus. That amazed me to no end. But, i was about 7 or 8 years old and in my mind, the service and commitment that the police represented fascinated me.
well, i did eventually grow out of it and found something that resonated within me; law. i fell in love with the subject when i was eleven and am glad to say, i am blessed to live that dream which i had when i was a tween. Nobody told me back then that lawyers make money or are respectable members in the society or even that they are 'liars' as society has often misrepresented.  i had a desire to make a difference in my society and i had the rare privilege of having people around me that believed that i could be and  that i had what it took to be one.
i was a child and in my mind, there were no limitations. i only saw possibilities.

i love the mindset that children have. they believe in anything from the tooth fairy, to santa claus going to giants. they believe anything that their elders tell them. its easy to work with the mind of a child, its in-corrupted, genuine and oh, so pure.

it is unfortunate that as we grow older and gain an education, we begin to embrace certain mindsets. we begin to accept that we cannot be doctors or engineers or pilots. we relegate our dreams to the deep recesses of our minds and begin to apportion our God given vision to others that we consider more gifted, more superior or more exposed. we accept limitations as a way of life and many retire to the fact that their children will live the dream they were unable to realize and as a result we have all sorts of people in universities who are living their parents dream.it doesn't help that our education system doesn't prepare us for success either. what we are taught is regurgitated information, which if we cram hard enough, will guarantee us a good life. By good life, they mean a nice house with a picket fence, a toyota (maybe a mercedez if you study hard enough), 2 adorable kids and an amazing spouse. yea, you get all that when you study hard! not true.
while i believe that individuals should study to the highest level of education they can attain, the truth is that a university degree or a college diploma does not guarantee you a good life. you don't believe me, ask the guy who sells mutura and has a degree or the matatu tout that still hopes that one day his stars will align. am sure you know of this one person whose life seems to have taken a nose dive. i humbly submit that the purpose of the education system is to change our way of thinking, period. i believe the reason why people get an education is so that they can expose their minds, their way of thinking. it is at the tertiary level of education that you begin to analyse, critique and question some things about life. you meet individuals and study disciplines that change your way of thinking. the more information that you are exposed to, the more likely you are to transform your mindset.  therefore, learning is a continuous process, an everyday affair and no wonder the bible admonishes us to not be conformed but rather to be transformed by the daily renewal of our minds. while we cannot control the information we were exposed to while having a formal education, we are in control of the information we have access to now. it is disappointing to meet with adults who have a primitive way of thinking, people who have not outgrown the mindsets that were ingrained in their minds when they were still growing up. some of this people harbor a lot of bitterness and anger towards their more exposed peers; some struggle with low self esteem because they haven't learnt the art of negotiating for what they want or deserve.

Education will be of value only if it can change the way of thinking. individuals should be encouraged to study to get more exposure that will ultimately lead to a richer more fulfilling life. A transformed mind will without a doubt create wealth. a human being has the innate ability to think their way into wealth. our answers, solutions and strength lies in our untapped mind.Just like children, we need to see possibilities. we need to open our minds to new ideas, knowledge and most importantly we need to be active participants in this affair called "our life". i advocate for the rise of thought leaders who will pave the way to success by thinking through the challenges facing us. we need to rise as individuals who can take charge of our lives, we need to have a transformed mind, we need to learn the art of negotiating and more importantly we must go for what we want and live a life that is beyond limitations.
m.