Changing body and mind.

Am trying my size 36 trousers on, getting ready for church and immediately they obey the laws of gravity. Am lucky this is happening in the confines of my house. So, I tighten my belt; I drill a new hole on it, all in an attempt to hold on to my precious old pair of trousers. To think that I was closing in on size 38 a year and a half ago, and now probably near 33 is phenomenal. Habits create results, even ones not intended for.

Now, many times we purpose to change. Even declare it publicly and create blogs about it, LOL. We declare and start living a sober life. We abhor and strictly keep away from sexual perversion. We decide to do what's noble, just and right. And we succeed for a while. We're happy, and think we're past the old selves, and gradually start associating with old company that controlled our past habits. The power of association cannot be taken lightly. The Holy book states that 'bad company spoils good morals'.In the couple of weeks I have been in my new house there is a line of thought I have associated with; that am too busy with work to maintain the workout routine. Coupled with fast and unhealthy food choices, I could find myself spiralling back to the plus sizes. God forbid.

Now that I have shed off extra baggage I ought to look for new pants that fit. Keeping the old ways/ clothes certainly gives room for negative expansion. New wine will just pour out of old wineskin, and old baggy pants will just make me look awkward. Similarly, the new you cannot coexist with the old friends. Watching and listening to the same stuff will backpeddle the progress. Visiting old social places will revive passions and desires that ought to have been dead and buried . Maintaining the same old eating habits will fast track the onset of health related complications.

He who is in Christ, has become a new creation; the old is gone. And as 2 Pac said, 'lets change the way we eat, change the way we live and let's change the way we treat each other'.

Angry Sales Lady

Ever been in the company of a complainer? Well, today one graced my presence. From first glance she looked nothing but one. Her timid looks and soft speech were disguised in a smoke screen. It simply was hard to tell what was coming. It was like a violent thunderstorm laying low behind a docile cloud.

A loan is what she was offering. Having once been a direct sales person, I could at the very least afford her some of my time. I think she is a natural follower, so I decided to lead the conversation by asking questions. I asked about the interest rates cap; it's effects on the banking sector and the economy in whole. I inquired about the borrowing limits and the silent charges that just pop up on your pay slip. These to me at the moment were genuine questions which could improve my understanding of banking from an insider.

But then she started complaining. Her soft tone became rapid and agitated. Her timid looks disappeared, and voila! I was now facing an activist. According to her, this cap on interest rates was the worst thing to ever happen in the Kenyan banking history. It had a negative effect on borrowing and only benefited the wealthy and government institutions. To some extent I agreed. Then a grimace struck her face when it came to the skyrocketing cost of living. She emphasized that low borrowing had crippled businesses and led to lower spending capacity which in turn raised cost of commodities. She almost shouted when I retorted that the government had the best intentions in lowering the rates and that it was the banks who countered the goodwill by making it difficult for mwananchi to access facilities. It pained her that many of her colleagues had been laid off and were languishing in unemployment. Never at one point did she recall that banks had been making super-normal profits for years.  She decried the bludgeoning deception by politicians year in, year out.

She simply painted a very negative picture about life and to be honest I felt frustrated. I probably agree with most things she advocated for, but was not hoping to have them plastered on my forehead. We live in a very negative world, and sometimes... most of the time, all that we need is something positive. After the ordeal, I wouldn't take a loan from her. Had she painted a good picture, and looked at the flipside; made me feel good about the banks and about life, I would probably consider. Feelings/ emotions are the primary drivers to buying. Media, friends, family, salespeople, politicians, sports all have a negative story to tell. As well as an obscure positive one. Which one will you listen to?