“Father of light and life, though Good Supreme!

O teach me what is good, teach me Yourself!

Save me from folly, vanity, and vice,

From every low pursuit; and fill my soul

With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure;

Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss!”

Been a long year, with a lot that has come to pass!

As I start my 31^st year of living here on earth, I can’t help but note that I am really getting old, fast. I spend the last day of my 30^th year at my ‘official’ place of work, i.e Technical University of Kenya (TUK), enjoyed teaching one of my classes there as well as interacting with my colleagues. This is also the end of my 2^nd year of working at TUK. So as I start my 31^st year of living, I shall also be starting my 3^rd year of teaching. Thoughts on other years: 30, 29, 28.

Last year was one of my busiest, and maybe the best so far? Completed and submitted my thesis for examination around June 2019, travelled to Canada to present some of my research work at IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference, became serious about completing some books have been writing (check “books”), and met the girl of my dreams, the one I had been searching for, for years, did and passed my professional engineer (PE) Interviews, Bought a guitar (a dream I had for years) and now can play some notes and chords, met and made more friends etc.  The list is endless.

And have learnt that no matter what you do, despite your best efforts to do work and excel, you shall always meet gatekeepers. But whatever that happens, it is always for your own good. God’s grace reigns.

Few thoughts on the following:

Health.

I tried to improve on my sleep. It has been really hard to have consistent sleeping times, but I try to sleep at least 7 hours.  Still do two meals a day. Increased my morning press-ups (now minimum of 100 press-ups).

Been postponing joining a gym but I guess it may not have been a priority.

Learning.

I still strive to read on a daily basis, and especially when travelling. When on my long flight to Canada, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Antifragile kept me company and made the flight more tolerable. Read, more books (40) last year than I read in the previous year (31).

My focus is still now more on business, marketing, psychology, philosophy related books. For a list of the best books I have read in the last 4 years, click these: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

Completed my MSc thesis and submitted it for examination in June 2019, it’s still being examined??

Even though I passed my PE interviews and I am also pursuing these other titles, I have of late become suspicious and sceptical of my intentions for pursuing such. People still do wonderful work without titles. Titles could be a trap. Some people become ensconced with titles and end up attaching their ego, self-respect and identity to such. Hence why some people feel insulted if you don’t address them by their titles.

My model of learning and doing shall be like that of Benjamin Franklin.

Writing.

I still journal on a daily basis. I write on whatever interests me. Been developing some three books and hope to finish them probably within the next one year.

I still record most of my thoughts on A6 notebooks I carry around wherever I go. I really enjoy writing my thoughts down.

Work|Business.

Still, balancing this with other responsibilities is tough. So my businesses (or hustles) still have suffered a lot as I have focused my efforts elsewhere. Been meaning to fully focus 100% on these but still find it hard to break from salary addiction. Funny though, I like teaching and think I shall always teach and do research no matter what else I do.

Have improved on some of these hustles and also managed to integrate MPESA with one of my sites, https://www.eeducationgroup.com/. Much more details to come as the year goes on.

Been also working on some art marketplace, Pambo.store.

Those who are interested in partnerships, advice, check some of the stuff I’ am doing at www.benardmakaa.com, under the “work” section.

Relationships.

I made more friends last year. Have also learnt to stay detached from unfruitful friendships and entanglements.

Met a girl that I deeply love and care for. I never knew such kind exist until I met her. For those curious and want to know who this girl is, try your luck here, “My Muse, Study & Focus”

Lessons in general.

There is a time for everything and everything happens at its own appointed time. As I age, I have come to witness the truthfulness of this statement.

Have learned to use “The Regret Minimization Framework” as once espoused by Jeff Bezos. The idea is to project yourself into the future and look back on your decision from that perspective. For Bezos, he thought of when he would be 80 and if he would regret not trying to start this company. Yes or no. His answer was quite clear.

As Bezos puts it:

I knew that when I was 80 I was not going to regret having tried this. I was not going to regret trying to participate in this thing called the Internet that I thought was going to be a really big deal. I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried.

I aim to die empty and hence have some sense of urgency and immediacy in doing and completing tasks and works that are meaningful to me.

Thank you friends for being part of my life.

Here will I hold. If there’s a power above us

(And that there is all nature cries aloud

Through all her works), he must delight in virtue;

And that which he delights in must be happy.