WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

In many awesome ways at this year Kenya got the privilege to host the global entrepreneurship summit. Through which has brought out many youths sharing their creative business ideas taking the Country to another level of development. This generation is one of the most entrepreneurial in a long time.

As great as it is to strike out your own, we skip the crucial step of learning from someone who has been there before. In every step of my life I got a mentor who guided me in every step, and I have carefully sought excellence.

Millions of young youths are confident, smart and talented, trying to “make it” alone. Spending many years of trying to figure out a craft and then start excelling much later in their years, what if one attaches them-self with a mentor. There will be acceleration in the process to success.

In choosing a mentor is critical, Masaaki Hatsumi, the famous martial arts grand-master, once said, “students deserve their teachers.” So do not choose poorly. Look for mentors who have interest in your given field, visionary leaders, writers and communicators.

The mentor you choose to speak into your life is a sacred choice. Many young leaders damaged by submitting themselves to the next strong personality, the strong personality maybe impressive and self confident but with no personal concern for you. Worse they simply flatter and use you to build their own platform.

The same way a good mentor imparts wisdom, character and craft, a bad mentor will impart their habits, reactions and particular worldviews as well. A bad mentor can be like visiting a bad chiropractor, leaving worse than you start.

Once a mentor believes in you, it does not feel like a possessive thing. He / She do not insist you do this or that, feeling like a patient, listening friend. Mentors often become great guides and friends’ not just advice dispensing machines, they are people who are genuinely interested in you.

Young voices are echoes, striving to sound like others but echoes have diminishing returns, they get weaker with each resounding. When one finds their own voice they create something original and this is where the power is, finding your divine fingerprint and walking in it no matter what others think.

A mentor who helps you find your voice is a rare gift. Part of finding your voice is allowing others to say hard things and speak direction into your life. Find and emulate the rhythms of great mentors.

It turns out what is missing from most youths is the professional work of a mentor.

By Muthuita Lucy.

The Sweet Spot

THE SWEET SPOT

To be on the sweet spot one must be confident in behavior and style. Being confident is not necessarily easy but it is a skill that can be learned. It starts with understanding of whom you are and a belief of the value that you bring.

Awareness is the greatest percentage of the change, it comes with the clarity of your strength and opportunities always raise your confident level of direction in what you can work on. Communicating assertively will give you confidence, strength of your relationship with people. Helping you be more effective, through this you gain support and respect of others.

There are six steps to being at the sweet spot:

Admit it: Rather than spending energy and effort in hiding your fear on being on the spot (it brings the additional anxiety of being found out), you would be better off admitting it, embracing it and learning all you can. Also don’t forget looking for opportunities to practice.

Be present: We are only anxious of the future or about the past. Never about the present so if you focus on this very moment when you are on the spot while sharing your opinion in front of the audience’s rather than what they will think about you or how fast you can finish your thoughts and take a seat. In all this know that deep breathing helps you calm down.

Turn your internal dialogue into a conversation: When you are in your head, you feed your own fear when on the spot by imagining dozens of scenarios. What if I forget the main point I am trying to make?  What if my mouth is so dry I can’t speak? The more your abilities the more negative you get, the more you block your energy flow and what you put out there. Instead of having an internal monologue, talk to your audience, share some anxiety and let their empathy make you feel more comfortable with the situation. When you do not have to pretend, you can focus on what you really want to say. It is amazing what happens when you are honest. People naturally want to help. Let them.

Connect: When on the spot there is a common behavior of people fearing the audience. One being on the spot tends to talk faster and faster it leads to breathing shallowly which generates more anxiety but you lose clarity. An important thing that one should always maintain while on the spot is eye contact which leads to connecting with your audience.

Relax: There is no worst that can happen when you are on the spot since literally the worst has already happened previously.

Wow!! That is all what the sweet spot is all about.

By Muthuita Lucy

ONE STOP YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER

 In response to the needs of the youth in Mariakani, 13^th May saw the birth of One stop youth resource center. It is within our hearts to support growth and empowerment of the youth, raising their quality of life. This was made possible with the help of PaperSeed Foundation who are dedicated to strengthening educational opportunities for children and young people in under served and resource-lacking communities around the world.

Youths utilize an integrated approach to youth development by providing youth with safe spaces in developing Mariakani, where they meet and access information and resources critical to youth-led development including sexual reproductive health, entrepreneurship and life skills. The center offers youth friendly services and contributes to their socio-economic development.

The youths have understood, appreciated the center since they have learnt it’s a place where they assess, identify and obtain information towards life. At the center we offer Computer packages; screening of movies, training on social entrepreneurship programs to youths who have business ideas and those have already existing businesses. This presents a platform to share ideas and network.

Our mission still holds the stand we use innovative technologies that are relevant in Africa to empower and facilitate positive change in the community.

      The world has become competitive thus requires a person who is creative and dynamic. The One stop youth resource center nurtures youth to be leaders, ultimately adding value in the society and impacting change. We intend to improve the livelihoods of the very many marginalized youth in Mariakani.

     In addition One stop youth resource center helps in stressing good governance and democratic space agenda. The youth are provided with a channel to lobby their issues which can make serious contributions in the society.

      “It starts with you, change the way you see the life and the way you face it. Then make anyone who is around you see how you approach life.”