Of Gold, Pride & the River Piedra....

It's been a long time coming....and this is the last time I want to use that phrase again!

It's been a marathon month for me...August that is. Other than being my birthday month, I had a lot going on both in my professional and personal life....and in between I have only managed to squeeze in a few hours of reading, aside from academic studying.

I have been juggling between three books: -

- John Maxwell's Leadership Gold which is on my Start! Stop! list. I intend on getting it out of that list.

- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

- By the River Piedra, I sat down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

All three are amazing books. My highlights so far have been: -

Leadership Gold - A combination of the "best" leadership lessons from John Maxwell. Each page, each chapter is full of leadership nuggets and real life experiences that are truly enriching. I struggle with leading people a lot as I would rather NOT but his book is helping me quite a bit and I can see improvements in my leadership skills. What I love about JM is that he is so real and is not afraid to share the leadership mistakes he has made in the past. I also love the fact that this copy am reading was autographed by him...:-).....make its all the more special.

Pride and Prejudice - Am still trying to get over the scramble for husbands in this story....and how a good husband target was first determined by how much he earned a year - interesting how certain things never change, century in, century out. What am loving about this book is the depth and crisp quality of the English....and whilst am reading it, I can't help but wish AND hope that my brain is absorbing the new words....the grammar.

By the River Piedra, I sat down and wept - I started this one yesterday and immediately one can sense the depth that only comes for Paulo Coelho's writing. I could not help but think about how a writer can not give what he or she is not, or does not have. I believe the depth of his work is a reflection of who he is.  It's still too early to comment...but all I can say is that it's a love story like no other!

I read on....

A long time coming

Hi guys!

Boy..hasn't it been a while. Each time I see a copy of "Living History" am reminded of how I haven't finished penning down my thoughts. It's been a busy time....and whilst I have exams around the corner, I feel compelled to finally finish this so that once am fully back post-exams....we can look at a new book...isn't it?

Now...to begin with, I finished reading the book a couple of weeks back and I must say...the details are foggy and grey ;-). Please do forgive me. I rushed through the last couple of pages....dying to finish the damn book! Like I had said earlier....it's NOT an easy, breezy read. Now that am done with the book.....this is what I can say in summary..

She is Human!

Am talking about Hillary Rodham Clinton of course (just in case you are reading my blog for the first time). She is simply human. I can confirm that she had some really good days....some bad days....and some awful days. Like the day she found out from Bill that he had been lying to her all along about the Lewinsky story. She takes the reader behind the scenes to witness a glimpse of her pain...and the fact that she behaved like any other woman....or so we would like to think. The truth is, she controlled her pain, she respected her husband and did not put him down publicly and she took time out to grieve and deal with her pain. She never brought her drama to the public....at least from what I know. And that, people....that is not how every other woman would take it. In times like this, we like to bring the drama on...we turn it to full volume, so that all the neighbours can hear it (at least), see it and sometimes, we take the drama over to the neighbours house too. We rave and rant and want to show the world how "wronged" we are and how "men are all lying, cheating "xxxx". Well, it's normal to WANT to react that way. What takes a lot of effort, grace and maturity is reacting the way Hillary did. She certainly gave Bill a piece of her mind but in the public eye, she carried her pain with maturity and grace. Now, that's a woman I admire. Well...on her humanity again, as you read the book, you will discover she made a couple of blunders and is quick to admit them. So there....she is human.

A Political Power House

Bill didn't introduce Hillary to politics. It was running in her veins all along. She did a lot of work prior to meeting him and continued with it after they started dating and after they were married. I wish I could bore you with the details herein....but one bored person is enough. Let's not spread it to the rest of the world. If you love politics and especially are interested in America's political history, please read the book. It's full of historical details and other nuggets on the Clinton Administration. A part of me found it fascinating and if I applied myself, I would most certainly have delved into it but I chose not to. Perhaps in the next couple of years when I develop a keener interest in politics, I will take time to re-read the book again.

Technical Competence

Loads and loads of it! Pouring out of her ears, nose and mouth...but I suppose you already knew that...didn't you?

Protective Mother

She did her best to keep Chelsea out of the media and constantly protected her against any undue attention.

Sometimes, what we are looking for is an easy read, a light hearted book - this is not it. However, if you are looking for a serious, educative read full of political nuggets....pick up this book now!

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - A tribute to the late Stephen R. Covey

I first heard of the book from my sister who had interacted with his material. In a word, she told me that I simple had to attend the programme. I never thought that I would have an opportunity to interact deeply with his material, leave alone meet him in person....but only God knows the future....and if he had told me what lay ahead, I would have probably told me "you've got to be kidding".

In 2004, the impossible became possible and I began working with the organization that represented Dr. Covey's organization locally. I got the opportunity to read the book and attend the 3 day programme. As the people who had that privilege can attest - it was and still remains today an absolutely life changing experience! We are not talking about flimsy, self-help mambo jambo but rather deep reaching, practical life principles! His video's were piercing, provoking - honestly, only a blind and deaf person would walk away unchanged because you CANNOT interact with his material and remain the same.

When I finally got to meet him in 2006, it was such a pleasurable experience. He is one of the few people I have met who smiles with his eyes and has such a deep, honest, warm gaze that reaches deep into your heart. I could see immediately, that he lives what he teaches. His first question to me was "Vickee...do you have a boyfriend?" :-). I can't remember what I told him....only that I blushed and blushed! I should have asked him if one of his sons was still single ;-). My colleagues and I spent one and a half hours locked up in a room with him....and we got to share some special moments. One of the funny things he taught us was to not to say "Cheers" as we took photos but rather to say 'Eight" because it's impossible to say "Eight" without smiling. Try it and see! He was warm, kind, loving and an absolute gentleman. Here we are trying the eight thing out!

Say "Eight"! - Nairobi, Kenya

Out of all the 'Guru's" I have met.....I admired him the most. A few years later, I had the privilege of heading the section that oversaw the partnership with FranklinCovey, SA and I got the opportunity to delve deeper into his material around Time Management, Execution, Leadership, Trust etc. Solid...ROCK SOLID is all I can say. Many organizations and individuals globally have greatly benefited from his works. Around execution, I cannot forget the processes I learnt from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" or 4Dx as it is known internally within FranklinCovey. I also had the opportunity to meet him again in Cape Town in 2008.

As a parent, I plan to bring up my son knowing the love of Jesus Christ & his principles PLUS the 7 Habits as part of the life principles that he MUST live by and pass on to generations to come. I have a copy of the " The 7 Habits for Kids", beautifully illustrated and waiting for Levi to learn how to read.

I feel such a deep sadness at his passing but am more determined to make sure that I do the things I have purposed to do around sharing his material. One of the key ones is giving out his books to students who are performing poorly in school and who have given up on themselves as I believe the principles can transform their lives. Here is a summary of the 7 Habits.

RIP SRC...true to your teachings, you have left a strong LEGACY.

I shed tears for you sir.....I truly do!

Other Books by Dr. Stephen R. Covey

• The Leader in Me
• First Things First
• The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
• Living the 7 Habits
• Beyond the 7 Habits
• FOCUS
• AND MANY MORE!

For more information, visit www.stephencovey.com or www.franklincovey.com


If you have never read the 7 Habits, go out and buy a copy now!

A Green Bill [Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton)

I FINALLY got to the point where Hillary meets Bill. I keep wanting to go back to that point. The course of our lives can change drastically…on account of one person.  Mind boggling.

Am on page 279 of the book..so clearly, am no longer tempted to leave. Hillary takes us through her early school years, growing up and the friends she makes, going to an all girls college – Wellesley (which she chose based based on the photographs of the campus), all the way through Yale Law School where she meets Bill. Important to note is that she entered Wellesley a Republican and exited as a Democrat. At Wellesley, Hillary’s leadership skills begin to emerge even more and I personally began to understand that there was no holding “her” back. She has always been a strong personality and at graduation from Wellesley, she gives the first ever student address, which lands her the first TV interview and a lot of controversy to boot.

When she decides to go to law school, she applies to Harvard and Yale and is accepted to both (obviously) but cannot seem to make up her mind as to where to go. However, during a visit to Harvard this decision is made quite easy for her. A male law student introduces her to one of the famous Harvard Law professors saying "This is Hillary Rodham. She is trying to decide whether to come here next year or sign up with our closest competitor”. Mr. opinionated & arrogant Professor then responded “ Well, first of all, we don’t have any competitors. Secondly, we do not need any more women at Harvard”. Need I say more? Yale it was! As the saying goes….”You can tell a Harvard man…but you can’t TELL a Harvard Man”.

At Yale, she does a lot of good stuff (boring but impactful) that oh so prepares her for the days ahead as the first lady of Arkansas and as the first lady of the US of A. More significantly, she meets Bill. Hillary says he was hard to miss not because he was so dashingly handsome (the handsomeness was still brewing) but because he looked more like a VIKING than the Rhodes Scholar he was! Donning a reddish brown beard and a curly mane of hair. YES…there is a photo to prove it too.  Oh Bill! You looked so Green! You guys probably don't believe me so I will scan it and post it next time.

As I carry on, I come across some interesting facts: - 

1. Bill Clinton’s father wasn’t Mr. Clinton or Pops Clinton. His dad died before his was born and his mother later remarried. Interesting….am not sure President Bill Blythe would have sounded very presidential for Blythe was his father’s name.

2. He had a difficult upbringing with an alcoholic & abusive step-father – Roger Clinton who later died but thankfully bequeathed the Clinton name to Bill…otherwise he would have been stuck with Blythe. 

3. His first attempt at public office was running for Congress. He lost.

4. He later on was elected as Governor in Arkansas. He lost the re-election two years later, then ran again and got elected. From there...the next ride took him all the way to the White House.

5. Hillary and Bill got married in the living room of their first home in Arkansas.

6. He makes her laugh…still. There is a genuine love there....and a high sense of mutual respect. One giant married to another.

7. He  knew he would be President way before ever running for any office and so did many people who interacted with him. 

8. Hillary had very bushy eyebrows. Thank God for tweezing! It came to save the world...:-)

Next, I will pick up on their journey to the White House and the early days. Some funny stories in there. Am trying to read very fast…because I want to get to two words “Monica Lewinsky”. Forgive me but its not the juicy story am looking for. I guess am trying to understand WHY. Maybe I’ll find the answer…maybe I won’t. Either way, their marriage cannot be reduced to that one incident. They are both way bigger than a little stained black dress (or what is navy?).

Hillary - I give you lots of credit for the amount of detail and information provided in the book. Wonderfully boring at times...but wonderful all the same!

Salute!

Tiny Gals!

I wonder if the book would have been famous had it been named so. ‘Tiny gals” as opposed to “Little Women”. I doubt it! Book titles do matter…don’t they? 

I came across a e-copy of the book, amongst many other English classics. I was ecstatic! How wonderful! What a find! Reading e-books is not so easy though but am trying. My next investment will be a kindle. Technology calls….but I still find such pleasure in reading through a printed book. Call me old fashioned and I will answer. Yes…am old fashioned. Flipping through a book is more exciting.

Back to Little women by Louisa May Alcott. I am reacquainting myself with the book. I read it more than 15 years ago when some things in the book probably made little sense to me or had no impact. I enjoyed reading it though. Meg, Joy, Amy, Beth. It’s amazing how books can mean something different to you depending on what age you are and what is happening in your life.

 I journey on to rediscover these “Little Women”, for indeed they are.

Leaving History

Ooops...I meant Living History. For that the is the title of Mrs. Clinton's autobiography. I love calling her Mrs. Clinton, although often people liked to think that Mr. Clinton was really Mr. Rodham.



I salute you Ma'am!



Of course she is tough as nails. You can tell that from the very beginning. I can tell you though, am already tempted to "leave" the history. Her story is good but develops slowly in a logical way as opposed to in an excitable way. One needs a lot of patience to read it.  You have to be looking for something beyond the surface. Had I not a deep admiration of her, I would have left already. But my feeling is, there is more to this book. I want to keep up with it.

One of the things am looking for is if she is who she is by Nurture or Nature or both. When she describes her paternal grandma, you begin to get a hint that part of it could be partly nature for grandma Rodham is tough as nails too. She scares hammers away, for they would break instead. Her maternal grandma is nothing to write home about...so indeed, I will not write about her. Grandma Rodham is a bit of a control freak and a strict authoritarian.  Hillary's dad moves away from home in the guise of getting a job in Chicago but really it is to run away from her. Hillary's mum on the other hand is an exemplary example of surviving adversity. Truly, we always have a choice as to whom we can become. You are who you are because you chose and you choose...every single day.

Am eagerly awaiting the point where she meets Bill, for I will be looking for the beginning of  history. World history. I feel strongly that both of them are truly a product of each other.

On another note, I had a sneak preview into "Loosing my virginity" by Richard Branson. Now that's a book I would not leave! NOT AT ALL. That reminds me, I need to raid a certain somebody's library to get a copy. Ever the perpetual borrower I am. Habits die hard though I cannot say its necessarily been a bad one.

Here is a link to the excerpt. Enjoy! http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/books/losing-my-virginity 

Next week: More on Nurture vs Nature.

Adios!

A Queer Feeling

When I picked up Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - I was extremely excited. I have taken a liking to time-honoured English Authors and am thinking of sending a request God's way to transform me into one. I think I may be a few centuries too late though.

Back to being excited. Yes....I was. Very much so. I wanted to devour the book...literally with a high level of concentration and zeal. I wanted to read it so hard, that the words would disappear from the book as I read each one. No more words would be left because they would be hidden in my heart and mind. A part of me really. I did start....but I found that as I turned each page of the book...my zeal waned and waned some more.

Here is why. I found the conversations between Lord Henry and the very gifted painter Basil quite charming..enchanting even. However, I found the topic of their discussion a bit uncomfortable. They used beautiful words......words one would typically use whilst describing a woman. Only that they were describing a man instead. I got a niggling feeling....a queer one. I stopped reading and decided to google Oscar Wilde. A got a queer answer (pun intended). I must be the last person on earth to discover that Oscar Wilde was bisexual and had even been imprisoned at one point for his homosexual activities and activism.

Well, I will not provide my views on the subject. What I will say though...I found it increasingly difficult to continue reading the book. My question therefore is...Is it possible to separate the character and being of an Author, from his or her story? Are the two really inseparable? I would ask the same of Stephen King for example. Let me know what your views are.

In the meantime, this little queer book has now joined the START...STOP! list....and also has the privilege of being listed under NEVER EVER LAND.

I bid you farewell....till the next book. A clue you ask? Mrs. Clinton is all I need to say.

Asante!

PS: Should you care to read it though, you can access an electronic copy here http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/oscar-wilde/Dorian-Gray.pdf

Oscar Wilde