RACE IS NOT FOR THE SWIFT!!

John Karanja

1

GO, THE EXTRA MILE

Winners and survivors pray for God‟s guidance and when they know what it is they have to

do, and then they take action. They do something about it. They have faith in themselves and

their Lord and in the ideas that God gives them. These times we‟re going through are tough,

but if you are going to get through them, it‟s up to you. You must begin to act. Some people

say that success is for others and not themselves. They argue that they don‟t have education,

they don‟t have alternatives, and they don‟t have capital. Listen; you can do anything you

want to do. You can be anything you want to be. You can go anywhere from where you are—

if you are willing to dream big and work hard.

So you‟ve tried to believe, and still you‟re unemployed? You think you‟ve applied faith to

your problem, and it still won‟t go away? You‟ve exercised all the faith you can muster, and

difficulties still abound?

Someone once said to me: “Was Jesus wrong? Did He make a mistake when He said, „If you

have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it

will move; and nothing shall be impossible for you‟ [Matt. 17:20]?” My answer is one that

can give you the inner toughness to see your tough time through until light breaks around

you. Faith is indeed the greatest miracle-working power imaginable. Faith never fails a

person; we fail when we give up on our faith. However, if we cut out any one of the five

phases of faith, we will be disappointed with the ultimate results. Faith is like a seed. If a

seed is not planted, it can‟t bear fruit. But planting is just the first phase. Unless the seed is

watered, it won‟t sprout. Sprouting is the second phase. Once the seed is planted and watered,

growth will begin. But unless the plant is nourished, it will not reach full maturity. It will not

blossom, which is the third phase.

Then when the buds are beginning to form, if the proper climatic conditions do not exist, the

stalk will produce no fruit. There will be no ear on the corn. Bearing fruits is the fourth phase

of the cycle. Only if each phase is properly nurtured can a seed reach full maturity. Finally,

when the fruit is ripe, it must be harvested at the precisely correct time, or winds, rain, or over

ripeness can cause it to drop to the ground, where it will rot. Even as there are what is the

secret ingredient of tough people that enables them to succeed? Why do they survive the

tough times in life when others are overcome by them? Why do they win when others lose?

Why do they soar when others sink? What do people who succeed in life know that those

who does not succeed does not know? The answer is very simple. It‟s all in how they

2

perceive their problems. They look at problems realistically and practically. One day Jesus

was walking in the town of Jerusalem and as he reached a time and he felt very hungry. He

saw a fig tree which was very green and he thought he can find some fruits to eat. As he

approached the tree, there were no fruits and he was very angry about it. And he said, from

this day hence forth, nobody will ever eat fruits from you. He cursed the tree.

The tree was supposed to dry immediately according to his disciple, but that didn‟t happen.

The following day as they passed by, they noticed the tree had died up. And they said to

Jesus; Master, the tree is already dead. And Jesus said to the, whom has a faith will say to that

mountain, be cast into the sea, and the mountain will be moved and casted in the sea. That is

Mountain Moving faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. No wonder

Thomas Jefferson Said “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from

achieving his goal”.

3

HOW IT ALL BEGAN;

I was born on 6th

April in Nyeri County. I was the second born in a family of 5 children.

When I was 3 years, my parents had divorce and my mother went back to her parents. By

then were 3 of us in the family. I was the only son and 2 sisters. Later on as the years passed

on, mother got remarried again to another man and they were blessed with 2 more children is

made our family to have a total of 5 siblings.

My parents were peasant farmers and there had no formal employment. Later in the years my

Dad went to be the Lord and we were left as single parent family. At the age of 5 years, I

was taken to Kairia primary school to start my education. The lord blessed me with wisdom

in class and I was always in the 1st position all through. I became an honor student, the leader

in academics performance. In 1995, when he was in class four, poverty broke into our family

and the I decided to leave school and go to (Mweiga), Kieni to look for job that I can assist

my parents.

I therefore abandoned my studies and proceeded to look for a job. Later I found job as herd‟s

boy in Mweiga where I did it for 1 year. After 1 year I decided to back to class where I found

that my classmates were now in class 6 and I insisted that I should be allowed to join my

former classmates in the same class. This was allowed by the administration of the school on

condition that I have to maintain my 1st position. By the grace of God, I was able to maintain

the position during the end of term exams. That saved me from going back to class 5. I was

able to continue with my studies without going through class 5 curriculum.

In 1999, I sat for KCPE, and by the grace of God I was able to score 428 Marks and I became

one of the best students for the year in Kairia Primary School- Othaya, Nyeri County. Later

in January 2000 I was admitted a Giakanja Boys High school for my secondary education.

Unfortunately, my parents were not able to raise the required school fees for the high school.

To make it worse, they were unable to raise money even for a day high school. My life which

looked bright with a good future now seemed to have lost direction of realizing my dream of

becoming a Professor later in the years.

4

LIFE AFTER PRIMARY SCHOOL

In year April 2000, I remembered Mweiga in Kieni where I used to be shepherds about 3

years ago.

I took my clothes in a paper bag and proceeded to Mweiga. There I went with one motive of

raising enough money school fees and looking for sponsors. Upon arrival, I found that most

people were looking for houseboys, people to look after their cows and goats, watchmen for

their wheat plantations during the day and others thing to do.

I decided to look after the cows and the sheep since this looked as an easy job according to

my age. The salary was shs.250 per month. After the year was over I was not able to have

raised enough money even to purchase all requirements for form one admission. So I even

decided to be sending some money to his parents for the upkeep of the other children at

home.

I now started changing jobs like from shepherd to houseboy to a watch man of wheat

plantation as a means of trying to get the job which will give me enough money to join high

school. In 2003, I decided to move to town and see whether in town I can be able to raise

enough money or get a sponsor. Finally, I landed to Kerugoya town in Kirinyaga County.

There I got a job in hotel and i was assigned washing of dishes because I didn‟t have medical

certificate to cook, handle or serve food.

By the end of the month, due to inexperience in that work I had broken 10 glasses and my

employer said that their cost was equivalent with one month salary of 800 shillings. I was not

paid and I was beaten up and sacked from the job. Due to frustration and stress I decided to

go to karatina the same year 2003. Most of people from my village were businessmen at the

railway market in Karatina selling Mitumba shoes. They knew me and how brilliant I was at

primary school and they decided to help me. I started selling their shoes whereby they were

paying me a commission and one of them by name Paul Kibira hosted me in his resident to be

staying with him. May the lord bless him wherever he is in Jesus name

5

Memorable moments when looking for school fees in Mweiga

After sometime, I had saved small capital to start buying shoes and selling for myself now.

My fellow friends selling shoes encouraged me and they started bringing for me shoes from

Gikomba market as they purchase theirs.

But as the bible says in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 that I the Lord know the plans I have for

you. These are plan of good and to give you hope and future; God has a good plan for each an

every one of us. By all this time I was serving as an usher and a minister at Victor Chapel

karatina under Bishop William Githinji and during this period the lord started speaking t me

concerning my destiny.

The bible says that there is hope for a tree though is cut down and dead in the ground, by a

smell of water, it will sprout again. Through hearing the word of God and prayers, and

service to God, the lord told the lord directed me to read the book Ecclesiastes 3:9-10. It says;

Race is not for the swift, nor the battle for the strong nor the bread for the wise, nor does the

favor for the skillful but time and chance happen to all of them.

6

Then I realized that though I didn‟t go to secondary school, I can still make it in life. The lord

instructed one of my friends by name Mama Wachuka, a colleague at the mitumba ground to

discuss with me about registering as a private candidate.

7

MY LIFE AS A KCSE PRIVATE CANDIDATE

I inquired about the same to one secondary teacher by name Mr. Mwai from Karatina

secondary school by then and he helped me with the needed information.

Immediately I chose the subjects to register which were seven (7) the minimum examinable

for KCSE.

I took, English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, CRE and commerce. In early

March 2005, I went to DEO‟s office in Nyeri town and I registered as a KCSE Private

Candidate and I was to take my practical papers for sciences at Temple Road secondary

school- Nyeri.

After registering and all this I was doing it through God‟s guidance, I started reading. The

lord told me that am going to read for one year and do the exam and the glory will be unto

God. This was against the set procedure which says that you must attend 4 years in secondary

school and this is what we call a MIRACLE.

When I started reading, the lord connected me with great man and women some who were

principals of secondary schools, other were authors of revision past papers and they provided

me with materials and encouragement.

I continued selling Mitumba shoes as I was reading but finally my business collapsed due to

my absence most of the times and I started depending on my friends for my upkeep at

Karatina town. Many friends supported my vision but others discouraged me so much. Some

of those who discouraged me told me that “we were there four years and we didn‟t make it,

who you to make it?” But I told them that this is all about God and probably I know

something they didn‟t knew by then.

The year 2005 I did my KCSE having gone to no formal schooling like other students but

doing the same paper and having studied thoroughly for only 1 good year the 4 year

curriculum.

In October 2005, I went to Nyeri Private Candidate‟s center in Nyeri town and during the

exams period I realized that some of the questions I was attempting, I had done them in my

dreams when I was dreaming how the exam will be. Since the day I started reading my prayer

was that “God help me to read only what the examiners will set or if they had set the exams,

help me to read what they have already set in order for me to pass the exams”. My faith was

such great to that level and I knew I will join university and do a degree in business

8

administration before the age of 30 years. My vision was timely and I prayed to God of all

other gods. His name is Jehovah, the God of Israel.

After the results were out in 2006 March, I had scored grade A in two subjects and the least

grade I had was C- in physics.

I had already scored the required minimum university entry grade and points but I could only

join university through self sponsored programs (SSP) and this gave my life another direction

of hope.

Since I knew that God would use KCSE certificate to change my future; and he further

connected me with great men after this victory.

9

LIFE AFTER KCSE RESULTS

In August the same year 2006, I got employed by Kenya Prison Service as a Prison

Constable. After recruit training at prison staff training college I was posted to Meru GK

Prison where God continued to show me favour and mercy over my life.

In 2007, I decide to continue with my studies and I registered for CPA with KASNEB. At the

same time I enrolled to the University of Nairobi and pursed a Diploma in human resources

management. After completing my diploma, in 2009, I registered for my bachelor degree at

the Kenya Methodist University in Business Administration (HRM option). In 2010 April, I

got married to my lovely wife Carol in Meru at Full Gospel Churches of Kenya where I was

youth leader.

Mr. & Mrs. karanja during their wedding together with their Best couples Mr. & Mrs.

Nderitu

Immediately after completing my bachelor degree I enrolled for the Masters of Business

administration Degree (Finance Option) at Meru University of Science and Technology. In

2012 March, after working for the government of Kenya for only 5 years, the government

advertised vacancies in our department for the post of Inspectors of prisons (IP). The first

requirement was that the applicant must be a graduate of which the lord had already made me

one of them by this grace. I applied for the post, and by the grace of God I was short listed

and invited for a personal interview at prisons headquarters, Nairobi.

10

During the interview, the chairman of the panel asked me the first question. The question

was; “Who is John Karanja? Tell us you personal history. The answer to this question was

the testimony that you are reading now. The whole board members got amazed and they said

unanimously, this is the man for the job. After few months, the results were out and I was

promoted to the rank of inspector. Inspector is the 5th

rank in the hierarchy of the disciplined

forces and remember I was in the 1st rank. I jumped over the other ranks and moved in from

junior officer to management level by the grace of God. I thank God for his favor.

5/6/2012 during promotion Captured on daily standard newspaper

I want to start my PhD studies on August 2014 towards realizing my dream of becoming a

professor.

11

THE TESTIMONY

If God can change somebody from being a houseboy, a maid, a shepherd, a watchman, a

waiter, a hawker to a senior government official, then he is God.

If God can change somebody who was a class 8 dropout, Give him a KCSE certificate

without going through the secondary formal education i.e 4 years and then make him a

Graduate, Jehovah is God.

My dear friend, what is that you may be going through and pressing you down, remember,

that it is God who lifts one and honors a person. And for your information Jehovah God is not

a respecter of anybody. If he did it for me, he can do it for you. Trust him since in Him, we

are all safe.

Mr karanja having a light moment with His Excellency the former Vice President

Kalonzo Musyoka and Minister Dr. sally Kosgei

12

HOW TO GO ABOUT IT; - RENEW your Life

The times of hope, despair, enthusiasm, and depression have all passed. Today the sun is

shining. The sky is blue. The dream has come true!

How do you renew your strength and spirit during a brownout time? How do you pick

yourself up in time to prevent a burnout and prove the truth that tough times never last, but

tough people do!? Let‟s look at the word renew. I‟m going to deal with each of the five

letters that make up the work renew in the hopes that you will know and will remember how

to renew yourself whenever you feel you‟re about to burn out according to Robert Schuller.

R - Review your past.

Where have I come from? What was keeping me going? Review the persons that have been

in your life; close to you, as well as the projects and problems you faced. Review your private

practices, your philosophy of life, your value system, and your religion.

Review what was the source of your emotional energy. What turned you on in the past? Why

aren‟t you excited now? Was it a special person or a project that inspired you before? Has the

person left or is the project now complete?

Or were you being challenged by a problem, and the problem is now solved? Perhaps you

were challenged by an adversary. The spirit of competition motivated you.

Was it a private or public life-style that kept you going? Have you forsaken your ideals?

Have you accommodated yourself to questionable ethics or a dubious moral standard? And is

this like a silent termite eating away the youthful enthusiasm?

Was it a false expectation that enticed you and led you onward and upward? Shakespeare said

that many of our goals in life are really like needles in haystacks: “You shall seek all day

until you find them, and when you find them, they are not worth the search.”

Too often our goals rise from a defective value system. And the energy to remain enthusiastic

in life, marriage, and career is often drawn from the search and the hunt rather than from the

final harvest and the ultimate ingathering.

What was the taproot of your positive emotion that kept you light burning through the years?

Review your life carefully.

E - Examine all the possibilities.

What would you set as your goals if . . .? What would you do if you had the money, if you

had the education, if you had the training, if you had the contacts, if you had the support

13

base? What would you do if you had the marketing system, if you had the right people on

your team? What would you do if you had the time, if you had the plant, if you had the

equipment? What would you do if you knew it could not fail?

There are far more possibilities than you think. Examine them.

N - Name the price you’re willing to pay.

Are you willing to go to school for two or three years? Are you willing to move? Are you

willing to go through six to eight months of physical therapy to walk again? Name the price

you‟re willing to pay. When Henry Ford transported Thomas Edison‟s entire laboratory to

Dearborn Village, he also brought the trash pile. Why? Because he wanted everybody to see

how much Edison had to throw away in order to finally have some success. Every sales

person knows this. There‟s always a pile of rejections in order to get the “yes.” What price

are you willing to pay?

E - Elect the best possibility, no matter what the price.

Choose the best; shun mediocrity. Mediocrity has a way of shriveling up enthusiasm. But

commitment to excellence taps and incredible source of energy. Elect the best, no matter

what the price tag.

W - Wait and work.

Probably nothing is more difficult than to keep waiting, working, plodding, and maintaining

patience through dark times. But we must. And in God‟s good time, hope and help will come

our way. Oftentimes someone‟s unexpected, off-the-cuff comment or curt answer to an

important question can be the breakthrough to a new emotional sunrise.

Henry Ford was born on a farm, left the farm at the age of sixteen, and got a job as a

mechanic in Detroit. Then he became a fireman in the Detroit Edison Company and worked

his way up until he became the chief engineer. Of course, Edison was just a big name to him.

When Thomas Edison was visiting the company, Henry Ford told himself that if he ever got

close enough to this famous inventor, he would ask him one question. Ford got the chance in

1898. He stopped Edison and said, “Mr. Edison, may I ask you a question? Do you think

gasoline is a good fuel source for motor cars?” Edison had no time for Ford; he simply said

yes and walked away. And that was it. But that answer turned Ford on. Henry Ford made a

commitment. It was in 1909, eleven years later, that he turned out the Tin Lizzy. He took

14

criticism, but during those eleven years he worked and he waited, and he waited and he

worked. He experienced brownouts, but never burnouts.

“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” The Lord might strengthen you

through some person, or a chance meeting.

It may come through someone God uses to encourage you. I know this is true because there

have been times when I needed to be encouraged. And there have been other times when God

used me to give encouragement to someone else. “Wait on the Lord.” Remain in touch with

God through prayer.

You‟ve heard of Florence Nightingale. But did you know that she was born to wealth and

social prominence in London, England? This brilliant young girl from a socially prominent,

wealthy family wrote in her diary in 1851 at the age of thirty-one, “I see nothing that I desire

today, other than death.” She came close to burning out. But she renewed herself. How? She

reviewed her life. Money, social position didn‟t do anything for her. Then she examined the

possibilities. If only she could help people. She wanted to be a nurse. Her mother and father

said that such a status was beneath their dignity. But she named the price. She was willing to

be ostracized by her parents and society. She elected to be a nurse. Her mother wrote, “We

are two ducks, my husband and I, and we‟ve given birth to a wild swan.” But Florence

Nightingale‟s biographer said, “The mother was so wrong, for Florence was not a wild swan

but an eagle.” The Crimean War broke out. Florence chose to go. “Possessed by demons,”

her family said. “Victim of a nervous breakdown.” She was ostracized, criticized, considered

insane. But for three years she waited and worked among the dying men, their blood, their

amputated legs. She came home three years later in 1859, and she wrote and published notes

on how hospitals should be operated. And she changed hospitals.

You and I have the benefits of it a century or more later.

“Wait on the Lord” in prayer and He will renew a dream. And a brownout will give way to a

light-up.

Brownouts are not necessarily burnouts. Tough times pass. Tough people survive. If there is

only one principle you remember after you put this book down, let it be this: Brownouts do

not have to be burnouts.

15

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in

the positive present moment

3. Don't overdo; keep your limits

4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip

6. Dream more while you are awake

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/ her mistakes of the past. That

will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the

curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a

lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Life:

15. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

16. GOD heals everything

17. Do the right things

18. However good or bad a situation is, it will change

19. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up

20. The best is yet to come

21. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful

22. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it

23. If you know GOD, you will always be happy. So, be happy.

16

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people

you school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with. Not

only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

I will write to you again after am through with my PhD and encourage you more as I

revisit this testimony for the glory of God.

God bless you.

For more on this you can get my book entitled empowered for victory.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

17

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Karanja is Associate Member IHRM-K and he holds Master degree of Business

Administration (Finance option) from Meru University of Science and technology, Bachelor

degree of Business Administration in HRM from KeMU, Diploma in HRM from UoN and he

is a Certified Public Accountant.

He is the founder and CEO of Self empowerment leadership center which is one of the

leading leadership development Company in Kenya.

He has been reading books, listening to audio tapes, going to seminars, and working with a

life coach in the field of self-improvement for several years and he is a renowned

motivational speaker. He is passionate about human potential and personal growth, and writes

to help transfer his knowledge to you in a condensed, easy to understand, and practical to

implement way.