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	Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku Overcoming Buffaloes in Our Lives WWW.KITUKU.COM 1-888 685-1621 or (208) 376-8724 ========================================================================== Informative and captivating FREE electronic newsletter that brings you timely information designed to equip you with powerful tools to achieve new heights in your professional and personal life. Issue Number: Volume II No. 2 Publisher: Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku Date of Issue: February 3 2002 © 2003 Overcoming Buffaloes in Our Lives. All Rights Reserved. WWW.KITUKU.COM ========================================================================== Privacy Statement: Kituku & Associates will not distribute your address to anyone in anyway. Period. To unsubscribe (and Dr. Kituku is sorry to see you go) just type remove on the subject line. SPECIAL NOTE: If you had requested to not receive this newsletter and your e-mail has not been removed, please be patient. Our system has had strange behavior. ========================================================================== Announcing Premier Sponsors of Dr. Kituku’s Radio Program, “Buffaloes in Our Lives” KBOI 670 that is aired in the Northwest Area, Saturday 7:00-8:00 a.m. Sageland Homes by GRS Construction (Boise, ID and the surrounding areas) 3515 W. Pine Ave., Meridian, Idaho 83642. Phone (208) 941-6449 Tomkat Printing 2207 Overland Rd. Boise Idaho 83705. Phone (208) 388-0633 Because of these sponsors, Dr. Kituku and Diana James, co-host are able to present quality program to thousands of listeners in the Northwest part of U.S.A., every week. ========================================================================== For your upcoming Business or Association Conference, work with Dr. Kituku. You are guaranteed a memorable customized keynote speech and/or breakout training programs. CALL TODAY and book Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku. You will not regret it! Call Vincent at (208) 376-8724, or visit Kituku & Associates website at www.KITUKU.com IN THIS ISSUE 1. Dr. Kituku Commentary: 8 Top Tips on How to Avoid Burnout 2. 15 Bits of Wisdom on Leading with Motivation and Inspiration 3. Featured Turning Point Experience Piece: Human Touch in Times of High Tech 4. A Word on Marketing With Zero to Minimum Budget 5. 7 Top Pieces of Wisdom for Success in Downturns 6. 5 Top Tips for making your speech add VALUE to the lives of any audience ========================================================================== 8 Top Tips on How to Avoid Burnout Even machines need downtime for preventive maintenance. Otherwise, a machine running on a 24 hour, 7 day a week basis at full throttle may burn out its engine. Human beings need to rest the body and the mind. Ours is a generation of mostly filled day planners and high-speed projects. We get upset if we have to wait for an elevator for 10 seconds. If the revolving door is slow, even by a second or two, we notice. We have fast restaurants, instant photo development, high-speed computers and supersonic transportation systems. I marvel how I managed life walking six miles to school. The use of a calculator was considered cheating. We washed clothes by hand and hung them up to dry for hours—I may add that we had only one pair of school uniform. Cultivation was by plowing or digging. Cooking was an adventure to remember – it was a whole day’s job. Gathering foodstuff from the garden, processing it by hand, collecting firewood and fetching water occurred before the three or four hour cooking project began. Statements like, “I am bored” or “I am not excited with my job or life” were never heard. In short, there was no burnout. Burnout, when it persists can and does cause physical problems such as headaches, back pain, exhaustion, insomnia and nervousness. Further, burnout can lead to loss of motivation, lack of concern for relationships, increased absenteeism, sentimental negativity for opposing views, and isolation. If unchecked, burnout can lead to spiritual retardation, marital problems, mediocre performance and substance abuse. Here are some tips on how to avoid burnout: 1. Sleep enough. Did you know that most of all animals take naps? In most countries, businesses close at noon or 1:00 p.m. for people to eat and rest. It is good for the body, mind and soul. God, with His infinite wisdom, dedicated the Sabbath for rest. What is good for Him is good enough for me. 2. Exercise. Physical activities rejuvenate the body and create motivation. 3. Connect your past with your future. Where have you come from in your journey, professional endeavors, spiritual, or in relationships? Where do you want to be in the future? Try to have something to look forward to at any one time. 4. Learn something new. Mental activation is medicinal for fatigue. Read about things you have always wanted to learn about. Visit museums, old penitentiaries or cultural centers. Read autographs. 5. Appreciate the skill of saying NO. And don’t feel guilty for not carrying beyond your capacity – there are others who can do what you say no about. You are the only one who can save yourself from possible burnout. 6. Develop a hobby, but not at the expense of your family time. 7. Set achievable goals. Realistic goals will keep you motivated and also flexible to enjoy other aspects of life 8. Remember, God’s second best gift to us (the first is salvation) is other people. Associate with people who can help you grow spiritually, professionally and socially. Serve the less fortunate. Have friends in different age groups. ========================================================================== 15 Bits of Wisdom on Leading with Motivation and Inspiration Working with football teams that have won conference championships and Bowl games has provided me with an opportunity to learn about the skill of motivating and inspiring people to live up to their potential. These are some bits of wisdom I have learned from the coaches: 1. Have deep conviction on why you do what you are do 2. Know your stuff 3. Sell yourself to assistants, colleagues and the community 4. Treat people as individuals 5. Teach, demonstrate, imitate and repeat what is good all the time 6. Focus on discipline, physical and mental fitness 7. Be in-charge of your limitations 8. Preach love, selfishlessness, and family 9. Be innovative, imaginative and creative 10. Lead by example 11. Be a human being—laugh and cry with the team 12. Give credit to others for any success and accept responsibility for shortcoming 13. Prepare for each project like it is the only thing you live for 14. Do things to succeed 15. Commit to excellence. Good enough may not always guarantee success ONE MORE: The past cannot change the future…unless you use the lessons learned to create the future you envision ========================================================================== In 2002 April’s newsletter, I promised to share what I have learned in different areas of life/business in the last 5 years as a full time speaker, writer and seminar leader. Every month there will be a Featured Turning Point Experience piece that reflects a unique circumstance either in speaking or writing arenas. This month’s piece is about Human Touch in Times of High Tech This is a story of Paul Reynolds of Twin Falls, Idaho, a man who teaches the value of human touch in times of high tech. A time when the desire to move forward dictates that we give our loved ones the leftovers of our time and energy. These are times when the pursuit of bottom line has relegated business ethics and the value of fellow human being into secondary status. Times when we are so wired with the world yet unaware of the triumphs and tribulations of our next door neighbor. Knowing and being a friend of Paul has brought me memories of my childhood with my paternal great grandfather. I carried his traditional three-legged stool as he traveled from home to home, restoring harmony between estranged relatives. Paul’s life perspectives and practices do restore hope for family and business relationships. His wisdom on growth in professional and personal endeavors without leaving relationships behind in our times is invaluable. But you have to know how we met. As I was closing a speech for the Kiwanis Club, Twin Falls, I quoted Mark Twain, " Let us endeavor so live that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry." A man in the audience laughed so hard I had to find out why. It was Paul, an undertaker since his youth as he helped his father run a funeral home. He has owned and operated it for decades. He took me to his premises and so humbly displayed an angle of humanity hardly seen in today business climate. We learnt about ourselves. Paul grew up in Idaho and I grew up in Kenya. He was raised by a Catholic mother and so was I. We both cherish the rich friendship we shared with our mothers. Another common bond is we each have three daughters. But the depth of understanding and living with clear picture of the power of human touch is what sets Paul apart in these times of high tech. When I asked about the most important lesson he has learned in his business, Paul said, "Don't look at the bottom line. Look at the help line…ask yourself is what I am doing benefiting my fellow human being?" He then shared a story of years ago when his cousin died in a car accident. He realized that while he was a service provider, he was a grieving family member, too—that changed his view of business. Strong family relationships, I learned, are the vital root that provides Paul with the anchor to thrive in a chaotic world. He says Christ, "Has been the whole powerhouse" of his 40 years of marriage with Roberta. Mr. Reynolds is quick to tell of how the family has found a way of being together on Sundays for lunch. And being there for each other is an understatement. Just imagine, when their adult daughter's dog died, Paul and Roberta drove for 2 hours and spent a night in Boise consoling Holly. I am yet to meet Paul’s daughters but feel like I have known them for years from way their father talks about them. Paul's involvement in his community can never be commemorated with a token event. We can only ponder it in our hearts-because some things are better not talked about. His own words-" I always felt I had obligation to give back to the community that has given me so much." From working for homeless people to youth activities to driving an ailing servant of God hundreds of miles for medical check-up, you can count on Paul. On resolving conflicts, Mr. Reynolds advice is to, “Look at people through your heart…eyes see faults but the heart sees the soul.” He admonishes family members to hold hands, no yelling or hitting. For friends and business relationships he says shaking hands, and looking at the other person in the eye while talking helps bridge gaps. There are people whose life’s purpose and accomplishments cannot be portrayed by a physical monument. These are people who have found that the journey to happiness and fulfillment is through people’s hearts. That is what Paul Reynold’s life mission is all about…touching hearts, whether family members or business clients. © By Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku, Author, Motivational Speaker and Trainer. P.O Box 7152. Boise, Idaho 83707. Phone (208) 376-8724, www.Kituku.Com ========================================================================== A Word on Marketing With Zero to Minimum Budget When economy heads south, marketing budget is the first item to be cut. After September 11, some local media outlets experienced significant decline in revenue, from advertisements, that they are yet to recover. The small business category has not been spared the woes of bad times. However, experts concur that there is need for creativity in marketing, using strategies that require zero to minimum capital input to keep your products/services in the eyes and ears of consumers. There are basics of marketing that business schools don’t teach. Like, if you and your competitors sell mashed potatoes, you must differentiate yourself by providing unique gravy. Schools also don’t teach that good marketing for poor quality products and services is an excellent way to get out of business. In marketing, especially in chaotic times such as today economic climate, to thrive a marketer of goods/services should be good before the marketplace tells him/her. With the above perspectives in focus, entrepreneurs can then use existing platforms to promote their products and services. Do you know the power of being interviewed, about your business or your involvement in the community by your local newspaper or radio or TV? You pay nothing for interviews or having your photo and write-up in the moving up section or for press releases and much more. Another strategy is to outthink your competitors. For instance, why would you send a Christmas card or gift to a suspect or prospect or customer who is receiving hundreds of cards and gifts from you competitors? What impact or impression would your card or gift have if it is received on Mothers or Fathers Day or any other time when your target is not encumbered with other items? Your marketing has to be magnetic… that is having a strategy that makes your company (plus products/services) the first thing a customer thinks of when he/she or someone else they know has a need of products/services similar to what you offer. Remember the wisdom of the ages, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Be sighted often. 7 Top Pieces of Wisdom for Success in Downturns 1. Strive to do one thing extremely well. If you can outsmart your competitors in one thing, you are in the right direction 2. Stay creative. Markets, consumer tastes, and employees’ expectations change. Change creatively. 3. Hold your wallet tight. Every penny counts…viable cash flow may be your only survival thread. 4. Be a product/service provider to both your vendors and suppliers 5. Even if you are a donkey, run with horses. Build great relationship with powerful companies that will keep your products/services in front of consumers 6. Grow cautiously. Largeness with no focus is bad business. 7. Have grass ready in case there is no beef. African wisdom has it that even lions eat grass when they can’t get meat. Prepare a backup plan. ========================================================================== Dr. Kituku presentations available to you (these are ½ day-morning programs) Motivating and Inspiring Employees in Chaotic Times. Sponsored by Job Services. February 13, 2003. To register or to ask for more information call Linda Garman at 364-7781 ext. 3144. Marketing with Zero to Minimum Budget Sponsored by Boise Chamber of Commerce. February 26, 2003. To register or to ask for more information call 472-5227 ========================================================================== SPECIAL OFFER FOR A BOOK YOU WILL TREASURE Rays & Storms ~ As the River Flows By Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku Book Background: A poet by “accident”, Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku’s poetry lifts the Mukamba song with great clarity into today’s unprecedented technologically fast-paced life. It reminds us of our humanity, our roots. The Kamba people’s culture has new birth, a birth labored in western influences, but with an umbilical cord of a Mukamba, as presented by Vincent’s use of English without the constraints of English-speaking writers. This first-of-its-kind poetry book shines a spotlight on this world’s literary and folk traditions. Dr. Kituku highlights the essence of poetry, letting his soul sing to our hearts as we hear the song of a son to a mother, haunting romantic forces mourning for the loss of loved ones, and lamentations of a mother whose womb’s fruit has turned sour. To commune with Divine Providence is not a remote passage, for Dr. Kituku. To his teacher and master, he cries, Teach Me, in My Remaining Days. Readers are taken to his birth village in The River: Where the Fish Swim Facing the Sun and then brought to the experiences of Corporate World, where the …magic of few good men has been discovered. Read more at WWW.KITUKU.COM A Blanket For The Sky Good evening, my ostrich, The perpetuator of my ancestor’s family tree, if you will. The smoothness of your movement has no equal, movement of a grazing gazelle’s gracious steps in the absence of predators. The scorching sun has no strength to hold you down. Toils of the day have no powers over your unfettered will to pave the way of matrimony. The closing darkness is not the match for your rekindling dreams of tomorrow, A day when your shinning eyes will nap under the shade of our barn. Hear of him whose blood flows in my veins: Grandfather, a man of wisdom, harvester who doesn’t uproot, custodian of this African Solomon’s cultural heritage. A benefactor of the undocumented will. His thoughts: A home is not bought and hands do not construct. A wife is the home. She is the sky. She opens up for thirsty lands to flourish. An elastic sky that expands to accommodate changing family needs. A sky with a rainbow to uplift a sinking spirit. A warm sky for a shivering child. A sky that holds her thunder until the visitors leave, then it pours. A sky whose blanket is love. My beloved, will you…will you be my sky? I will be your blanket. Yes, a blanket for the sky. © By Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku Teach Me in My Remaining Days That life is not a rehearsal, Yesterday is not a place. Neither is tomorrow; Life is a series of now. To know my neighbors before learning what is in Jupiter; To check how my neighbors are faring before going to bring rocks from the moon; To think of the hungry masses before I cry for an extra piece of German chocolate; To know I need others before I can enter into Thy Kingdom. To love before judging; To build strong ties before constructing bigger houses; To forgive before I am forgiven; To reach out before I am reached. That in life there is no drive-through; I need to get in and dine with others; That others with whom I differ are spring boards, not an hindrance, for the future; That conflicts that divide us are part of growth; That you are there to teach me in my remaining days. © By Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku SPECIAL OFFER for autographed copy or copies: FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING! Pay the Reg. Price $9.95 (plus 5% for Idaho residents) and ZERO for S/H. Mail check to KITUKU & ASSOCIATES, P.O Box 7152. Boise, Idaho 83707. Or Call Toll Free 1 888 685-1621 for immediate shipping. Please have your Visa, Master Card or Discover credit cards when you call. You are guaranteed FULL PAY BACK, the special sell price of the book, if you are not satisfied within 30 days. Just call our toll free number. ========================================================================== Marketing Strategies For Times Like These! THIS IS A REPEAT FROM LAST ISSUE DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND 7 Basic Steps You Can Take to Spur Your Business Onward to New Horizons 1. Sell the vision. When you visit with decision-makers purchase your products or services, create an amazing picture of the multitude of benefits awaiting them and their organization. 2. Point out residual benefits, the long-term benefits that your products or services provide. How will what you offer improve your customer/client’s live for years to come. Don’t leave it for them to figure out. 3. Present support system and tools. Today’s buyers love programs that have support beyond the point of transactions. The traditional road map, or you can call it a blueprint of how your system works provide a peace of mind all buyers need and must have anyway. 4. Establish you-gain, I-gain relationships. Care for their future, show it and live it and they will take care of yours. When misunderstandings or other problems arise as they usually do, cherish the opportunity and turn the challenges into opportunities to serve and grow. 5. Commit your energy, creativity and time to the delivery of value. A Swahili saying that, “Kibaya cha jitembeza, kizuru cha jiuza” literary meaning an item of value sells itself while poor quality item tries to advertise itself. Deliver value and more value. Never let today’s value of your products/services stop you from getting better. 6. Highlight trouble. What limitations do you foresee? Offer remedies or information that can help. The key is to equip your customers/clients with whatever it takes to make them accountable for their destiny. 7. Flow with your purpose. When you know your purpose in life, you enjoy every bit of it in and out of season. Challenges become pathways toward your destiny. Flow with your purpose involves love for your work. This love propels you to deliver more than you have to and in the progress improve your attitude, vision, commitment, and ultimately you quest for excellency. ========================================================================== 5 Top Tips for making your speech add VALUE to the lives of any audience 1. Be authentic - clones are easily detected and dismissed 2. Be aware of what they care to learn about from your speech 3. Be believable – why should we rely on your story? 4. Be consistent - your life off the platform is part of your speech 5. Be someone’s stepping stone, your story must be part of their life henceforth 6. Be available for one-on-one “talk” after your speech Stay Tuned With Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku Stay Tuned With Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku, host of “Buffaloes in Our Lives" 60 minutes weekly radio program, aired in the Northwest area on KBOI 670 AM, Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. Read Dr. Kituku’s newest articles in, Zidaho.com, Idahopress.com, Idahostatesman.com, Argusobserver.com, Times-News Magic Valley. ========================================================================== You can order Dr. Kituku’s books and tapes in any of the following methods: Call Toll Free 1-888 685 1621 or (208) 376-8724 (orders are mailed within 24 hours) (Visa, Master and Discover cards accepted) Mail order: Send check or money order to: KITUKU & ASSOCIATES, P.O Box 7152, Boise, Idaho 83707. Electronic Order: Order directly while you are here. Your information is confidential. Orders mailed within 24 hours after your information has been processed. You can also order from Amazon.com (Note: not all books and tapes are sold at Amazon.com).