Taking Stock August: +5 Life Lessons from Bob Collymore!

Happy New Month my friends! 😀 Today as we Take Stock, we  pause to celebrate Bob Collymore, a life well-lived, and reflect on lessons we can learn from his life…

 

5 Lessons We Can Take From Bob Collymore On Living A Full Life!

July, though one of my favourite months, had its fair share of bittersweet moments here in Kenya.

A month ago today, we lost a good man… Bob Collymore, the CEO of Safaricom Limited passed away on 1^st July, 2019, after suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He fought bravely. And he fought well.

I never met Bob Collymore in person. But from the stories shared by the people he held dear, it really does feel like we all knew him, right?

Bob Collymore was a man just like any one us, doing his best to live a noble life. And here are a few life lessons we can borrow from him…

 

 1. A Person’s a person, no matter how small.

Whether listening to his wife Wambui’s Eulogy, or reading the heartfelt tributes about him online… One thing’s clear about Bob Collymore: he treated people with great importance, no matter their station in life.

Bob Collymore rubbed shoulders with some of the most powerful men & women in the country. He also enjoyed great success in his life. Yet he never lost his sense of humanity.

He made people feel heard, seen and valued.

I trust the world would be a better place if we each, in our own ways, treated one another with kindness, and sense of value.

 

2. Always stand up for what you believe in.

His friends tell of how stubborn Bob Collymore could be, when he believed in something. He wasn’t afraid to stand up for an idea. And when it didn’t work out, he was not afraid to admit it.

Many times, the right thing will not always be popular. From Bob, we learn to stand up for it anyway.

I hope we can adopt that stubborn belief for the things we really want in life, no matter what.

 

My purpose is to help as many people as I can to do the right thing ~Bob Collymore

 

3. Reach back and help someone up.

We currently live in a world where people are afraid of, and feel threatened by the successes of others…

But Bob Collymore chose to live differently. I love the story told by one of his closest friends, Joshua Oigara, the Group CEO of Kenya Commercial Bank.

When Joshua Oigara was first appointed as CEO, Bob reached out to him.

Understanding the immense responsibility that comes with high-level leadership, particularly at a young age, Bob offered help & a listening ear. This eventually led to an amazing friendship. 🙂

At different points in our journeys we’ll need help. And someone will need ours. I hope we find the wisdom and grace to pay it forward. 🙂

 

4. Be a True Friend First.

A wise old man once said: don’t live your life in seclusion. Find a few people you can trust, share your life with and keep each other close.

Bob Collymore did this, and very well indeed. Not only so, but he was a friend first.

I think we all felt awed by the ‘Boys Club’ episode that aired on Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange Live.

Listening to his friends, it’s clear that his friendship touched their lives. He sought to serve and add value to the people in his circle.

I hope you surround yourself with true, loyal friends, and to be a real one to them as well. 🙂

 

5. Live, and live life without abandon!

This man Bob Collymore truly lived… He played the Sax, painted, married the love of his life and the list goes on…!

He didn’t allow his illness to serve as a death sentence, but possibly  a license to live!

 

All we truly have is the present moment. I hope you find inspiration in Bob’s life… To chase your dreams, tell the ones you love how you feel, live your best life & take out that best china set! Deal? 😀

 

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Taking Stock August 2019

 

Buying: More books on Kindle. 🙂

 

Craving: A thick, juicy burger!

Tip>> Check out my post on Must-visit Burger Joints in Nairobi.

 

Cooking: Less black tea. Sigh.

 

Drinking: Coffee. Rather, trying to find alternatives for black tea.

 

Enjoying:  The beauty of the sunrise whenever I catch it.  It’s surely one of God’s most epic creations and show of His beautiful artistic nature… 🙂

 

Feeling: Grateful about our journey together on Scrapbook Journeys. I appreciate you for showing up each Thursday to read and comment. Bless your hearts!

 

Learning: The art of listening more. It’s a work in progress…

 

Listening: To Alan Walker’s “The Spectre” Piano Orchestral. 🙂

 

Making: Daily decisions to live even more purposefully.

 

Missing: The beauty of Kinangop. 🙂

 

Noticing: Positive effects of positive self-affirmation.

 

Playing: ‘Old’ music from the 90’s on occasion… It’s such a treat! You should try it. 😉

Ha! Pardon me my younger readers. Okay, Carry on. 😀

 

Reading: The 5 Am Club by Robin Sharma on Kindle, and Unbowed, A Memoir by Wangari Maathai on hardcover.

What’s on your reading list?

 

Wanting: To travel more, and experience new cultures…

 

Thinking: About my upcoming trip back to a place I really like… Any guesses? 😉

 

Watching: A Ted Talk on ‘A Love Story about the Power of Art as Organizing’, by Aja Monet and Phillip Agnew.

I am also kind of hooked to Money Heist on Netflix. 😀

 

Wishing: For a Moment Lens.

 

Working: On consistently doing 30 Days of Yoga. 🙂

Tip:

>>Check out my post on 6 Easy Yoga Poses For The Road Here.

 

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I celebrate you for making it this far! Thank you! 😀

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Taking Stock Post and the lessons from Bob Collymore and his full life.

Do leave a comment down below and let me know what life lessons you’ve picked from Bob Collymore. 🙂

 

<<Stay. Inspired. Always>>