Doing What We Were Born to Do

A few weeks ago while sitting on a sofa in the back verandah of our mansion, reading and meditating, I saw two birds flying high in the sky. They were gliding gracefully in the air without seeming to care about anything - the kind of living Jesus taught us to live. And as I watched the birds gliding in the air gracefully, I thought to myself, "Now, these birds are doing what they were born to do."

That got me thinking about us also doing what we were born to do. Every truly successful person I know achieved their success because they discovered what they were born to do and poured their hearts into it.

Colin Powell, for instance, was an average performer in high school. His genius was awakened when he discovered he loved soldiering after he joined the United States military in the late 1950s. His love for soldering led to his promotion through the ranks of the American military to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior position in the military. When Colin Powell was retiring from the American military in 1994, his greatest regret was that he couldn't start all over again.

Then there is Bill Clinton who discovered at an early age that he loved campaigning and governing. It is that love for politics that propelled him to run for the United States presidency in 1992. He won the elections, becoming the third youngest ever elected U.S. President. And during his presidency, he presided over an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity in America.

Another example of a man who discovered what he was born to do and did it passionately is Jack Canfield, a motivational speaker and co-author of the best-selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books. Jack Canfield said that he feels most successful when he is inspiring and empowering people to love and accept themselves more deeply, to open their hearts to others more fully, to trust and believe in themselves more completely, and to pursue their dreams more boldly and passionately.

As for me, I have been on a journey of discovering what I was born to do. And that journey hasn't been easy. Back in May 2007 when I was matriculating at the university in JKUAT to pursue a degree in electronic & computer engineering, I must have thought I could succeed as an engineer. But alas! I had a hard time understanding the intricacies of electronics engineering, such as how electrons are manipulated in a circuit to perform the magic we see in electronics gadgets. On discovering I wasn't wired for engineering, I dropped out of JKUAT in 2009.

After I dropped out of JKUAT, I came to profoundly admire Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy - all who served as American presidents. I would listen to their speeches again and again on a computer and visualize myself talking eloquently like them and radiating a similar charisma.

My admiration for those American presidents led me to believe that I could also succeed as a politician. But you know what? When I registered to run for a political seat in the 2013 Kenya's general elections, I found myself lacking the drive to get out of bed in the morning to go campaign and talk to people.

I especially remember the day in 2013 when the coordinator of elections in my county - a lovely lady called Mrs. Rosaline Kasale - convened a meeting of all political candidates in my county. On the morning of that day, I struggled to get out of bed and made it to the meeting after much emotional effort. It was like I just wasn't wired for a political career either.

With time, I have come to discover that writing and composing songs are what I was born to do. I always feel elated whenever I write a great story or produce a tuneful hymn and someone out there likes it. And the high I experience after penning a great story or producing a tuneful hymn makes waking up in the morning easy for me. I intend to continue honing those talents with the faith that they will open the doors of success for me.

My dear reader, I urge you to likewise find out what you were born to do if you haven't discovered that already. And after finding out what you were born to do, pour your heart into it. Remember, as the great author Leo Buscaglia quipped, your talent is God's gift to you and what you do with it is your gift back to God. Adieu!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on doing what we were born to do, you might also enjoy another one on "The Careers I Will Pursue" which I wrote a few years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.