At last, it happened. The US president visited Kenya and addressed entrepreneurs and the nation, besides attending the State dinner hosted by our president. With his departure came soul-searching. Should we forget his visit so soon? More importantly, how can we keep the momentum that we witnessed during Obama’s visit?
The more relevant question should be if our youth, who were the main focus of the US president’s engagement, can keep the spirit.
Our youth are buzzing with new thoughts and nascent ideas that, given a spark of encouragement, can be transformed into great innovations. The issue now is how we can harness the energy we saw when POTUS was around, and ensure that these ideas don’t die prematurely.
Ideas, in their infancy, are fleeting. David Schwartz writes that ideas in the initial stage are “fragile, and should be handled with care.”
Unfortunately, when an idea is born, it’s never clear. The end is never apparent from the beginning. And that’s where the going gets tough for risk averse people. At the personal level, ideas should be stored in an idea book, written clearly, so that one can go back and try them when conditions allow. But the clarity of an idea shouldn’t be a criterion for starting off. Those who wait for clouds to clear before taking off are destined to wait indefinitely.
An idea will not survive unless the bearer believes passionately in its viability. People who have built brands went through turbulence and discouragement. What kept them going is their firm belief in their ideas. With passion comes endurance and dedication.
The difference between ambition and success is action. This is where the real implementation of ideas begins. It is worth noting that action must come after belief. One must pursue his idea aggressively.
A person pursuing an innovation will need personal and business discipline. He will need to take control of his emotions, manage his bristling energy, and relate properly with society. An idea can not be implemented independent of society, because society is the final beneficiary of the idea.
For the youths who have been challenged by the GES, and the speeches and innovations showcased during the events of the Obama visit, their challenge lies in not letting this momentum ebb.
Some might say they have no ideas, yet they feel deeply that they should participate in making a difference to the Kenyan narrative. The truth is, there isn’t a thinking person without ideas. But coming out and actualising them is the step that’s wanting. It requires courage.
The call is for us to come out of our capsule of fear, harness our ideas, and hurtle down the road of discovery. The road is bumpy. It requires passion, unfailing belief and hard work. While Obama or even the government might not do it for us, the exhortation of the past week should serve as the much needed kick to spark life into our ideas.
Failure to do so will confine us to living in the moment and moving on as soon as the curtain falls.