THE ARTFUL DESIGN OF YOUR BRAND AND LEGACY WITH INTENTION, PURPOSE, WISDOM AND STRATEGY
The Legacy of Hard Work and Industry
“You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty,”
An African proverb that’s a tongue-in-cheek wise saying appreciating the gift of hard work above beauty.
Traditionally it was shared to beautiful African women and their daughters, and by extension, handsome men and their sons. It basically chided those who were naturally attractive yet drunk with narcissistic self- admiration, spending all their days engrossed in showing off their physical attributes.
Sound familiar?
The problem is that such people end up with misplaced energy. Instead of settling down to studying, regular employment and improving their lot in life, they spend time seeking admirers and never having enough of the adoration of others.
With time, drunk with the effect they have on people, they fail to differentiate the fake, manipulative or abusive admirers from the real ones.
Finally, lost in self-absorption, they lack the perception to avoid being exploited.
The fact is that busy hands keep the devil away. Wisdom and good judgment shows us that hard work is a necessity, not only because it provides us with our personal needs - food, shelter, education, training but it also focuses our attention, heart and soul away from idleness and gives us purpose.
Industry also means hard work or steady endeavour. This doesn’t necessarily mean working for someone but refers to keeping busy or occupied. Working hard and smart, day after day, only happens through consistent conscientiousness. It then becomes a habit, and a way of life that results in longterm success.
However just like hard work, idleness can become a habit that infects the whole individual – spiritually, mentally, physically, academically, socially.
Idleness leads to taking shortcuts in life. Some which result in riches. In fact one may argue that society has many wealthy people who do not have to lift a finger, and yet they drive expensive cars and live in luxury homes, all because they have learnt to defraud, bribe, extort and steal. So why bother with smart, hard and honest work?
There’s always someone whose quick to argue that the end justifies the means.
But any one who truly wants to leave a legacy will model industry, diligence and hard work. S/He will clarify that the only treasure that is worth boasting about is that which is honestly gathered, for this brings no sorrow with it.
No matter how small your wealth, as long as its honestly gained, it will bring with it a generational blessing - a multiplying effect that is felt for many years.
However, that is which is gained through corruption and fraud will reap curses and pain for many generations; hurting and causing misfortune that impacts families, children, communities and our world.
Here’s the crux of it. Easy money, easy wealth and easy privilege has its dark side. So buyer beware. Industry, hard work and diligence are worthy legacies to pass on and be proud of, complete with the patience and pain that accompanies steady work and the sweat of honest enterprise.
Insight Inspiration
Steadiness presupposes the ability to withstand the peer pressure of running after quick riches, wealth and fame.
Legacy builders ought to remind those in their charge that as they steadily climb up the ladder of life, they should not compare themselves with those who shortcut the process and ‘shoot past them’ as if on a roller coaster.
This is because those who excel slowly through diligence and steady hard / smart work will often meet the fast riders plummeting down, a fact that almost, always accompanies a cheat and fraud. You only have to read the daily news to see how those who rise fast, fall hard and wither away.
Think on it.
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About Dr Gladys Mwiti
The Legacy Insights series is authored by Dr Gladys Mwiti, an internationally recognised trauma psychologist who has served two electoral terms as Member of the Board of Directors for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS); is Co-Chair for the Lausanne Congress Mental Health and Trauma desk, Global Board Member for Langham Partnership Board, is the current Chairperson of the Kenya Psychological Association (KPA); Interim Chairperson of the Kenya Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; member of ChildFund Kenya Board of Directors, immediate past member of the Board of Trustees for the Kenya Methodist University (KEMU); member of the American Psychological Association (APA); and immediate past Chair of Council, Cooperative University College in Kenya.
She was the lead psychologist overseeing a team of highly trained trauma counselors providing crisis intervention during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the US Embassy bombing in 1998, the Gujarat (India) earthquake in 2001 and violent aftermath of the 2007 Kenyan elections. She was also lead coordinator post the Westgate Mall terror attack in Nairobi, overseeing the training of over 400 psychologists and counselors as well as managing the massive intervention and therapist supervision that reached over 2,500 survivors of the terror attack. Her current client list includes the US Embassy, USAID, Coca Cola, IBM, British High Commission, Syngenta, Google and Mastercard, amongst many others.
