The Digital Kenyan
How Ordinary People Become Badass!
This Could Be You But You’re Playing
You know what’s the greatest lie of all time? The need for greatness. You don’t need to be great. Just effective.
I’m obsessed with rewatching lessons from Masterclass.com. To absorb the practical mindset tips. While watching David Sedaris, the fiction writer, one thing stood out. Never think that your story is not worth telling.
My fellow Africans, story confidence is important. A crucial skill. We’ve been underrepresented in stories and archives. All this while your ordinary life and ideas are fascinating to others who haven’t lived it.
The Joy of Ordinary
To be ordinary is a gift. Every day is a gift. But the age of superstars and superheroes convinced us that we need to be an outlier to make a dent in the world. This is the greatest deceit of modern times. It’s ordinary people who end up changing the world.
In Kenya, Loise Machira rose to accidental fame when she documented the plight of people who were illegally evicted in the wee hours of the morning. Right in the middle of a global pandemic! She was moved to visit them and after recording what she saw on her Instagram Stories, she went viral! Kenyans were outraged and moved to help.
Changemaking can be accidental. You’re living your normal life and then bam! You’re suddenly famous. That is an awesome problem to have. Loise was a wellness blogger who accidentally became an activist and agent for change.
In less than two weeks, she formed a committee to manage donations, got volunteers to help, and created an Instagram page to document the process. A beautiful journey that started with Instagram stories.
Was it a fluke? Her lucky day? Maybe. However, there are lessons that we can pick up from Loise and apply to our lives. Simple principles that turn your ordinary itches into a way to improve the world around you.
1. Identify the Problems That Nag at You
Everybody has that thing that keeps nagging. The problem you wish someone would do something about. That thing that compels you to move. Just move. It’s important to you because you probably possess what it takes to solve it.
How much better would the world would be if we all decided to start exploring the problems that nag at us?
2. Take Stock of Your Skillset or Things That You Have Access To.
It’s easy to underestimate your skills and thoughts because you have them every day. Familiarity truly breeds contempt.
Get into the habit of airing your thoughts and you’ll be surprised at the impact you can create. When an answer to something seems obvious to you, never assume others feel the same. Start that dialogue and you could lead a movement that sparks change.
Some people have access to large networks of people. Maybe all you have is one phone number to someone who can pull strings. Sometimes all you have is a smartphone and a modest social media account. Just move. You never know what one retweet could do. It could touch the heart of people who can move things.
Change doesn’t come from people with deep pockets. It comes from the willingness to explore ideas and solutions. This way, people with money and resources become drawn to help you and your cause.
3. Speak to People Like You
Intrinsic values are a strong motivation to act. When you learn how to speak to the value centre in people, you will learn how to move them to action. Loise spoke to the Kenyan sense of family and togetherness and this sparked a series of generous contributions.
When you speak to people like you, you speak to people who like to be associated with a certain value. People who want to reinforce their belief in their goodness. It’s a subconscious human need to be accepted by the larger society. Create a cause that people are happy to identify with.
4. Face Your Fears and Share Them
To kick it up a notch, don’t be afraid to reveal your true self. When you show your emotions and fears, you are instantly likeable. Vulnerability is uncomfortable but deeply rewarding. The depth and honesty of the response will be worth the effort. After all, what we need is to feel connected to something larger than us.
Change starts when you start to trust your thoughts. Trust that your ideas are valid. Trust that the normal around you could change through you. Ordinary people become profound when they realize that they are the change agents they have been waiting for.
This article was created from an episode of my podcast, “Kalongolongo Life”. It is a podcast about the process of reinventing normal by creating hope. We explore the mindset and habits that help you navigate change and become impactful.
Listen to this episode on your favourite podcast platform. Listen to learn, reflect, or get a nudge to re-imagine life. Short and sweet episodes that you can have with your tea or coffee.
