Know Your Friends, Are you in a Thinkers or Spenders Circles?

I'm pensively reflecting on my next goals for 2019 and how I have performed in 2018. Part of our success and failures are attributed by the friends we keep. We must change our conversation as young people if we want a good place in the future we desire. We are made of our own thinking, and imagination, and friends contribute a significant percentage in our journey.

#Quote “Creative thinking inspires ideas. Ideas inspire change.” Barbara Januszkiewicz 

Despite youth being one of the marginalized groups in many spheres of life (social, economic and political), we have a part to blame ourselves in the attitude, action and conversions we keep that I believe also contributes to the already widening gaps.

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The friends we keep may also determine how far and fast you can achieve your dreams, vision and action plan.

Below are two types of friends, according to my diary namely;

1. The spenders (Now mentality and egocentric). 
2. The thinkers (Visionary, team and future). 

The spenders (Now mentality and egocentric). - Instant gratification, OK with the status quo, thinks self, no share and don't care mentality. Let me dive in on some of the triggers around the conversations I come across as in my neighborhood (Eastlands, Nairobi) or when I visit the villages; 1 out of 10 will all be about ideas the rest will be give me something (handout culture) and not around what can we do together conversation.

1. Nitolee form -  Get me in 'form'
 
2. Niachie za macho - Give me something small. 
3. Unatuacha aje? - how do you leave us?
 
4. Nitolee katiku - Give me something

5. Umetutupa? - You have abandoned us!
 
6. Leo kanashika wapi? - Today where is the party going? 
7. Nitafutie kazi – Find for me a job? 

The Thinkers (Visionary, team and future). - Thoughtful, cares, insightful, share idea and questions the status quo. The rare situation you will come across young people not looking at what is at their disposal to make a significant change in their life and that of others. Think about time, skills, network, talent, experiences, personal story etc. This is the type of conversation I would expect from this group;

1. Niko na idea - I have an idea
...
2. Tunaweza fanya nini kuboresha maisha yetu – What can we do to make our life better?
3. I like what you do, how can I be of help or how can I join you?
 
4. When is the next learning expedition we are going to take?
 
5. When is the next networking event to attend together? 
6. I'm looking for opportunity for job creation and partnership? 
7. I have X if we pull together we can create Y? (thinks skills, experience, funds, time etc.) 

Unless we change our conversation, streamline our curriculum to the philosophy of the thinkers and not of the spenders many youth in Kenya and the African continent at large will continue to complain while they live in abject poverty and confusion in resource constrained society.

#FinancialTip To achieve stable financial freedom one needs 20% information / knowledge and 80% behaviour.
We are made of our own thinking, doing, undoing and imagination. Friends have some influence in the patterns that we keep ( Habit, Character, Behaviour etc).

 #Note My view shouldn't be applied generally, but it is a conversation looking at how we relate with our peer groups, especially at the community levels either in creating new opportunities, positive causes, challenge etc. I advocate for quality conversation which means being strategic, empathetic and social in achieving sustainable progress in our personal journeys through our networks, as Porter Gale said your network is your net-worth. Read more about decent conversation