Issue Number: Volume V No. 8. Publisher: Kituku & Associates
Date of Issue: August 2006.  © 2006—Overcoming Buffaloes in Our Lives. All Rights Reserved.

An informative and captivating FREE electronic newsletter designed to equip you with powerful tools and timely information to achieve new heights in your professional and personal life.

WWW.KITUKU.COM (208) 376-8724 or (888) 685-1621


It has been said that, “Hard work beats talents when talents are not working hard.” I know we worked hard in my childhood days. That’s how I came to know and say that poverty is largely not lack of material possessions but absence of dreams for a better future.

I am told of the house I was born in. It was a small, circular hut with walls of vegetation materials, mud and a roof of grass. The house that is vivid in my mind was built in 1965. When it was first built, I shared this somewhat rectangular two-bedroom and one living room structure with my parents and three siblings. Four other siblings were born there. To create space for the new arrivals and provide my sister some privacy, my brother and I used the living room as our bedroom.
 



 
Our family shared this habitat with other species. The moment we opened the door, we were intruders in the rats’ domain. They stampeded all over as they scurried for cover. When their numbers were no longer bearable, my mother scheduled rat-reduction days. This was an episode to remember. Hot water was poured in one end of the rat holes by one of us while the rest waited with militant readiness at the other hole with one mission to accomplish. Kill rats as they ran from the hot water. "Muli! There, one is there, get it!" my mother or my siblings would scream at me. I had the reputation for being the sharp striker.

Our home was also the residence for rat predators, snakes and rat blood sucking ticks. We kept our drinking water in a clay pot that was positioned in one corner of the living room. This corner served as a cool haven for snakes as they waited patiently for their prey. Sometimes, when there was little water in the pot, and one had to tilt it in order to scoop water with a calabash or cup, a snake would sneak up its head looking for whomever was in its territory. The presence of a snake brought everything else to a standstill. It had to be eliminated. One serpent dared to crawl over my mother’s legs when she was on her knees praying her Rosary. When it finally left her, she called me, but she had taken care of the snake by the time I arrived with a rock.

Ticks seemed less dangerous and easy to combat. My brother, Kisingu had only one job…to pour water on the floor and thus make it harder for the ticks to jump. I would be the last to advocate for unwarranted destruction of natural resources, but ours was a matter of survival.

It was in this home that I learned; "You can live with less if you have something to live for." Hard work and school were priorities in our home. My hard working father set up a small shop selling clothes, food stuffs and other items Kangundo folks would buy. He demanded to find us reading when he came home at night. I remember him admonishing us on the importance of an education in our future. My mother brought another dimension…faith and folktales to our lives. She offered us a devoted belief in God, prayers before bedtime, meals and work.

The structure that we called our house was unstable and needed constant remodeling. However, love for children, encouragement, hope for a better tomorrow, hard work and the knowledge of the existence of God were not lacking. Rats, snakes, ticks, lack of shoes or sometimes missing a meal here and there were never considered long-term obstacles.

By 1979, the year I dismantled our structure, which by then served as a kitchen, Dad had transformed thoughts of a better future into a fenced compound with nine bedrooms, a water fountain and two sons in higher institutes of learning. He is a living example of the future which a person with vision, determination, and hard work can have, regardless of dismal resources available to him.

Life is a journey with many hurdles to overcome. It isn’t what you don’t have that can help remove the hurdles in your life. Hard work, vision, determination, faith in God and service to others remove all those hurdles, one at a time. You can live with less if you have something to live for.

Looking back, that home was the beginning point for a future scientist, author/speaker, military colonel, nurse, transportation business owner and farmers.
 

Dr. Kituku and Kituku & Associates want to thank the following groups:

1.)












 
Women’s Council of Realtors for inviting Vincent as their Regional conference at Boise, Idaho. Bob Nachman, Education Committee Chairperson wrote, “You made me, and the Regional Vice Presidents, look like ‘shinning stars’. However, it was YOU, Dr. Kituku, that truly was THE shinning star of our conference, and I thank you for your time and energy in delivering your wonderful programs.” One of the participants wrote, “Dr Kituku engaged the audience more than any workshop I have ever been to.” And another one wrote, “The very best cultural diversity presentation we have ever seen. Please have him speak at our next national meeting…please.”

Vincent’s keynote was: Buffaloes in the Workplace: Thriving Change as a Jungle Rod and his two breakout sessions were on: Living and Working with Cultural Differences. Dr. Kituku is a certified instructor and provider of continuing education programs in Idaho
 

2.)






 
Moscow Chamber of Commerce, Pullman Chamber of Commerce and the Best Western University Inn for partnering with Kituku & Associates for the 9 Proven Ways for Marketing with a Zero Budget. Here is what a participant said. "Dear Vincent, I enjoyed your workshop at the BW in Moscow very much and learnt a lot!!! This will be very helpful for my career. Your presentation sparked my imagination into a marketing world of endless possibilities and connections and it will undoubtedly pay off. Thank you." Tina von Moltke, psychologist
 

3.)





 
The first group to participate in the course on How to Speak and Get Paid. As many of you know Dr. Kituku, a scientist, left corporate America in April 1997 to work with organizations and individuals as a full time speaker/trainer and author. It’s about ten years. He says, “These have been the most fulfilling years of my life. To wake up looking forward to helping people live up to their potential. And then you see these people succeed. Words can’t describe the feeling…I am truly blessed.”
 
Vincent has now started a program, How to Speak and Get Paid (read more in www.howtospeakandgetpaid.com), to work with professionals who speak regularly but never get paid or are poorly compensated for their time, efforts and knowledge. Here are some comments from the first group (please note-not everyone qualifies for this course).
 
 “Dr. Vincent Kituku: What an amazing experience! Your training on “How to Speak and Get Paid!” was one of the most value-packed trainings I’ve ever attended. I arrived expecting to learn how to get paid as a speaker and left with a better understanding of my speaking abilities, useful ways to make my speeches stand out, and how to market myself as a speaker.”

Ben Quintana, Programs Manager
Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce
“Vincent-This seminar has been filled with more powerful and useful information then I have ever experienced in a workshop. We covered a lot of information in a short amount of time. I now have practical tools and valuable resources to draw upon to move to the next level with Public Speaking. These tools are not available to the general population. I feel extremely privileged to have received this information. Your approach to teaching and sharing is unique in itself also. Your stories and the wealth of information you shared was most compelling! I was captivated from the moment the class began. I walked away from this class feeling confident that I can do public speaking with competence armed with very practical and useful tools. I know without any doubt that you saved me years of struggling by your choice to share what you have learned and know about Public Speaking.”

Sandra S. Wood
Inner Path Coaching CTA Certified Coach


Many people know what they want to achieve in life but they feel there are more stumbling blocks than steppingstones on their way. They find themselves not doing the things that must be done to get them ahead. Many people, in most cases, sabotage their own dreams with what they are doing or not doing—they can be self-made victims.

To know where you are and what you can do about it, check:
 

1.)
 
Your attitude about life and your mission…is it positive, negative or somewhat in-between?
 

2.)







 
Your sense of purpose. What’s your mission in this world? Your uniqueness has never been with anyone else nor is it with anyone else and no one will ever have it. You are the only one who can enrich your life and your world in your unique ways—by accomplishing your purpose in life. What do you want to be remembered for? What contribution do you want to make in the lives of the people you live with and work with? How can your uniqueness be useful in your school, church, workplace and community? What we do for ourselves can get us by; what we do for others is what gets us ahead, whether in our professional, spiritual pursuits or in our relationships.
 

3.)





 
Your focus: Is your Focus on past failing experiences, or what you assume is wrong and not working or not right about your current situation? To overcome this kind of stumbling block, make a list of what is good about your current situation, be it a project or relationship. What, to the best of your unbiased judgment, is working? When you focus on what is good and what is working, what’s wrong and what’s not working gets out of focus—you can’t see them.
 

4.)






 
How you devaluate yourself: Self-devaluation starts that moment you focus on what you don’t have or think you don’t have instead of what you do have. You wish you were younger, had more education or had more finances. Are you not the one who accomplished what you accomplished in the past? Where did the pride you had in your yesteryears go? You must learn to begin the journey of being who you want to be using what you have now—YOU. Self appreciation is the engine that gets you moving to your future and welcomes people who can make your dreams come true in your life.
 

5.)




 
Fear of the unknown: Worrying about what the future may bring takes away creativity and energy that you can use NOW to create the future you want to have. Excessive fear can curtail you from doing anything with what you have. Focus on what you are doing now. The future depends on the sacrifice, the investment, and the effort we devote on what we are doing at the present time.
 

6.)






 
Your circle of associates. Do you gain anything from your relationships in the way of what you learn or contribute to the welfare of the association. Do you let others have input into your life without fear of being criticized? Check out the kind of relationships you have, how connected you are with each relationship and what benefits you derive from the relationship. Know that good people are attracted to good people. Your personality is the door that either opens to let people in to your life or closes them out. The richness of your life might be directly proportional to the kind of relationships you have.
 


7.)





 

 How you compare yourself with others: Comparing yourself with others kills your motivation in being the best you can. You lose the focus of what you can achieve while focusing on what others may have. Make a list of your strengths. How can you describe yourself? How would you want to describe yourself five or ten years from now? Begin working on how you would like to describe yourself in the future now.


8.)




 

 How you are progressing: A Chinese proverb says, “Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.” It is on very rare occasions that giant steps land people in the places of their dreams. It is the small steps, day in, and day out, a sweat here and a sweat there, a loss here and gain there that will bring joy into your journey.


This course is designed for participants who want to get paid as professional speakers/trainers or consultants. You will not only learn your speaking strengths, but also how to make them financially profitable. Not everyone QUALIFIES for this course. It is for professionals who are want to make a SIX figure income, and have fun doing it.
 
 When:
 August 24th 5:30- 8:30pm (Thurs)
 August 25th 5:30-8:30pm (Fri)
 August 26th 9:00am-3:00pm (Sat)
 Where:
 The Waterfront Facility
 3200 Lakeharbor Lane
 Boise, Idaho
 PART 1

Why and how to turn your fear of public speaking into a rewarding possession

How to gather information and tailor it to relate with your audience expectations

Organizing your information for maximum audience learning experience

How to use your uniqueness and deliver presentations skillfully

What, why and when to use visual aids and when not to

How to create a platform image that captivates audiences all the time

Top must know steps on how to make each of your presentations memorable

Proven ways to motivate your audience to want to listen, learn and act

Must know tips that will help you avoid presentation pitfalls
 PART 2

Getting from unknown to a celebrated and well paid speaker/trainer or consultant

9 proven ways to market your business with minimum budget for maximum returns

How to create a dominance presence and derive rewards in a competitive market

The Be-MISH strategy that gets you paid for your expertise and speaking skills

The 7 streams of income that keep dollars flowing into your business

Strategies for leveraging your services to add value for clients and increase your fees

How to skyrocket your profits and minimize your costs

Guarantee: You will not be disappointed!

Visit www.howtospeakandgetpaid.com
to learn more, find out if you qualify and/or to register.
 

“Muli, you will repeat Standard Seven.”
These devastating words came from my father. His
voice and facial expression affirmed to me that my fate was sealed. His decisions were always final. I sat there, saying nothing, but my tears said everything. My soul was wounded, and my future blurred.

It was on a Saturday of January 1974, when the results for the high school entrance exam were announced. I had a “C” average, and as such, I couldn’t be admitted to a government high school.

My uncle and my father’s foster son, both my classmates, had better grades, and both were admitted into good schools. Now I had to have my brother become my classmate. This was a nightmare. My brother was three years younger and was the best student in his class. I hated to be humiliated by his excellent performance.

I hid myself in back of our house and cried, “Oh, God…how come I am the only one who has to repeat?” My mother, after not seeing me for hours, called my name. When I responded, she came and found me.

With her arm on my shoulder, she said, “It is just one year and you could go to a good high school. My child, do not give up.”

Why would I not give up? This was not the first time I was told to repeat a class. I had repeated second and sixth grades. Those earlier times were not as bad; I didn’t have to be left behind by family members. In those other times, my fate was not determined by exams. My father made the decisions. I also knew neighbors who had sat for this high school entrance exam for seven or more years without succeeding. Repeating Standard Seven was not a guarantee that I would get good grades.

When my mother left me to do other things, I determined that I would study more than I had before and choose new friends. By the end of the day I had developed a success plan which has worked wonders for me ever since.

This childlike resolution consoled my heart. With rekindled hope, I repeated Standard Seven. Yes, my young brother did perform better than I did several times. Other people made jokes about my academic abilities, but I did not let their opinion about me became my reality. I knew I was to be a different person from the one they knew. I hit the books harder than ever before, prayed and attended mass as regularly as I could.

As fate would have it, just before the exam time, I suffered from malaria. I thought this was the end of my dream of ever joining government high school, but I was relatively well a few weeks before sitting for the exams. When the exam results were announced in January, 1975, I had an average of “B”, and I was admitted to Tala High School. My brother and I were two of about ten students from a class of 120 who were admitted to government high schools.

Four years later, I was admitted to a two-year advanced level high school after another international exam that forced thousands of students out of their dreams for further education. After the two years, I sat for the university entrance exam. This was known to be an exterminator. For every hundred students, less than ten made it to the university. Again, I made it.

Precisely sixteen years after my father’s words, “Muli, you will repeat Standard Seven,” my schooling culminated with a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming.

I don’t believe giving up is a solution.
 

The change, morale, fear of taking risks, dealing with unpredictable challenges and
balancing work and life, in the workplace could be compared to the appearance of water buffaloes in an African village.

 Buffaloes invaded villages without
warning, devastating social structures, uprooting the harmonious livelihood of villagers and left them feeling insecure
and stressed out.

A leader is the one who knows the buffaloes, where they are and has the right spear. If you need the “spears” to motivate and help your employees to be creative, inspired and focus for the
overall success of your organization,
then this seminar is for you.
 

Here are some highlights of what you will learn:

· 7 Must Know Key “Spears” to
  Succeed as a Leader

· What Employees Need When they
  Think There is a Buffalo (change)

· What Makes People Focus on
  What You Wish They Shouldn’t

· What You Must Do to Make
  Change Work

· Know 5 Attributes that Will Make
  You the Leader Employees Want
  to Emulate

· Top 9 Tips for Motivating People to
   Succeed in Any Situation

Bonus: Over 49 metaphors, stories or quotes to use immediately and change your workplace
 
 
 What others are saying:

“…Unlike most management courses/seminars…you taught skills rather than imparting theory alone…I am confident to say that we are now better prepared to survive the appearance of water buffaloes in our workplace.”

Betsy D. Sterk, Human Resource Manager, American Ecology.
 

“Dear Vincent…I can’t tell you how much you help me personally. Thanks for being a mentor and special friend to me. Your advice and insight helps keep me grounded and able to navigate the many troubled waters over which I must travel…”

Dan Hawkins, Head Football Coach, Boise State University (WAC Champions 2003, 2004 and 2005; Winners of Humanitarian Bowl 2003 and Fort Worth Bowl 2004)
 

Do you want your employees inspired to new heights of productivity?

Do you want your leadership team empowered and focused on vision, decisions and actions that bring results?

Do you want the conference you are planning to be a turning point for participants?

If results are important to you, then Dr Vincent Muli Kituku is the speaker/trainer for your group.

Call (208) 376-8724 or email Vincent directly at Vincent@kituku.com
 

Read Dr. Kituku’s newest articles online at: www.kituku.com, Idahopress.com, Casper Star Tribune Idahostatesman.com, Argus Observer, Business IQ, Post Register, Idaho Catholic Register, Idaho Press Tribune, Idaho Senior Citizen News, and Presentations Magazine.

You can order Dr. Kituku’s books and tapes by any of the following methods:

Telephone:
Call Toll free 1-888 685 1621 or (208) 376-8724.

Orders are mailed within 24 hours.
(Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted)

Mail order:
Send check or money order to:
KITUKU & ASSOCIATES, P.O. Box 7152, Boise, Idaho 83707.

Electronic Orders:
Order directly from WWW.KITUKU.COM while you are here.
Your information is confidential. Orders are mailed within 24 hours after your information has been processed.

You can also order from www.Amazon.com (Note: not all books and tapes are sold at www.Amazon.com).
 

To unsubscribe (and Dr. Kituku is sorry to see you go), go to WWW.KITUKU.COM.
You can unsubscribe from the home page.
SPECIAL NOTE: We learned that some emails were included in our list by relatives who
have enjoyed our newsletter. Please check with family and friends before you request us to
remove your email. Or write to us at
Kituku & Associates, 3050 Lakeharbor Lane Ste 215, Boise, Idaho 83703.