Dr. Trimm fires up Eve Sisters

Dr Cindy Trimm speaking at Eve sisters [Photo: Standard]

 

By Wangeci Kanyeki and Njoki Chege

Last weekend finally came, and with it the much-awaited mother of all Eve Sisters, which was graced by the phenomenal Dr Cindy Trimm.

Women thronged Hilton Hotel in large numbers and with high expectation, excitement. They chit chatted as they awaited for the sold-out event to start. 

Every seat was taking, the parking was full and the staircase was filled with more women climbing up delicately in heels to attend the forum.

Women were just too eager to listen to the lady of the moment. And when she took to the stage; she got such a thunderous applause the roof should have been blown off.

With quiet confidence and authority, she started with an anecdote from the movie Alice in Wonderland. When Alice is asked where she is going and she says she does not know, her questioner answers,  “Then it does not matter which path you take.”

She asked the women, “Do you know where you are going?  You have got to know who you are and where you are going.  Have the audacity to say it courageously because it produces intention.  There are many different voices. 

The relevant voice is God’s and yourself.  You have got to hear yourself speaking and faith comes from hearing the word of God. The unspoken voice is attitude.  Observe the attitude that people demonstrate to you and use it to improve yourself.”

Dr Trimm enlightened the women on the E=MC2   formula for success, where energy is equal to emotions, thoughts, visions, dreams, passion and intentions.

Her secret?
She continued: “Positive energy draws away negative people. I have so much positive energy. Wherever I go, I change the environment.”

She went on, “What one thing can you do that will change everything.  Are things the way they are because of your choices?  You are responsible for your life. Life is the way it is because of the choices you have made.

Where do you want to be a year from now?  You are only a decision away from where you want to be.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Trimm grew up in poverty, living with her single mother.  She has worked in male-dominated environments including working at the Senate where she would keenly study the weakness of her opposition.

She shared with the audience scientifically tested principles on how to tune your brain to think success.

“Everything you need in life is just beyond the familiar. But your brain (logic) wants equilibrium and familiarity and will fight  you all the way. Stop agreeing with your brain. Your mind is stronger than your mind because as a man thinketh, so is he.  At the folk on the road, make a decision.  If you don’t make a decision, you will be stuck like the Biblical Lot’s wife.”

For those who desire unlimited wealth, instead of wallowing in self-pity, the former Bermuda Senator challenged them to start asking themselves the right questions.

Bubbling faith
And for those who are constantly thinking that life is unfair to them, she shot straight to the point: “Could things be the way you are because of the way you are?  Change your mind about your values, money and your body.  You are one thought away from where you want to be.”

By the time the preacher woman was done, the room was fired up with faith, hearts believing in possibilities.

Besides Dr Trimm was a star-studded line-up of powerful speakers among them Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u, Radio Africa’s Caroline Mutoko and Sue Muraya, Suraya Property Group Director.

Lady  Justice Njoki, who spearheaded the enactment of the Sexual Offences Bill and Employment Act provision for maternity benefits and paternity leave wowed the crowd with her wit and eloquence.
She shared with the women what prompted her to make great strides in the fight against gender-based violence.

Victim of violence
“My dad would come home drank and drive in violently.   He would throw us out of the house and we would spend the night at the cowshed.   Then we would go to the house in the morning and dress up for school.   Violence against women cuts through class rich and poor alike,” the Justice disclosed.

The former nominated MP shared the four fundamental principles for a successful career:

“Plan. If you don’t, you will not go anywhere. Have passion. Don’t do something that you don’t feel passionate about.  Pray. Always pray because it is God who ultimately decides where you go. Have values. Be self-disciplined with moral and professional ethics. Be of service to others and help the sister next to you,” she advised.

The lady justice also challenged career women to use their brain power as opposed to bottom power, saying “success should come from ‘neck up’ and not ‘neck down”.

Justice Njoki persuaded the women to join public service and advocate for the issues that affect women such as contraceptives, rape and maternal health.

“How do you expect the men to make policy on child rearing when they do not do it?  This country’s tax money should also be spent helping you and your children,” she quipped.

But real estate mogul Sue Muraya brought it all home when she encouraged  women to take that bold step of owning a home. 

Sue said: “Many people don’t want to get into housing because they don’t understand the process and dynamics. They think that it is all about the money.

“But on the contrary if you desire to own a home, the determining factor is not money, but the vision,” Sue noted.

She shared how she was determined to buy a house before getting  married to Peter Muraya.  

Once they identified their desired house, rather than rent a house, she  would convert her fashion studio to a bedroom at night and sleep on a mattress on the floor, so that they could raise funds to buy a house. That same house is what they used to develop their current property estates.

Mutoko’s points were straight to the point: “Learn to love yourself, plan, then work it. Every small glitch is an opportunity to do something big and know your God”.

The event was crowned by an electric performance from Jeannette Bayardelle,  who starred in Oprah’s film, The Colour Purple.