Life. Seasoned with perspective.
“Life often throws us runaway moments that test our grit and patience. Real progress comes from refusing to quit and being willing to ask for help when the road gets tough. True success belongs to those who keep moving, no matter how hot the sun or how rough the path.”
This past weekend was a working weekend.
I was at a book launch I helped produce. A magnificent event with none of the smoke machines or forced glitz you might expect. Dr. Isaac Kalua Green, whom I fondly call Daktari, unveiled his new book ‘Green for Life’.
Two months earlier, while I was running an errand in Nairobi’s Upper Hill, my phone buzzed.
“Omundu strong, uli omulamu? Come see me this afternoon,” Daktari said. That call kicked off my journey as the audiovisual producer for a project he had been shaping for over a decade. His story, though rooted in humble beginnings, is a masterclass in starving distractions and keeping your eyes locked on the goal.
Let us talk about dreams.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were ready to push yourself to the edge to get it? That is Daktari’s story. It is also a lesson for anyone chasing a goal when everything seems set to fall apart.
Picture this: you have one shot at a future you crave. It is within reach, yet one small mishap could bring it crashing down. That was the reality for a young Kalua and a cow named Katune.
Katune was the family’s only cow. Money was tight. Continuing his education depended on selling that cow, a decision that would test any household. The task of getting Katune to market fell to young Kalua. The market was miles away. He set off barefoot under the scorching Ukambani sun, the sand hot enough to burn. Then Katune bolted.
Imagine chasing a stubborn cow across blazing sand for two and a half hours. Sweat pouring. Heart pounding. No water. No shoes. He refused to give up. A young man tried to help but bailed out halfway. Finally, a woman carrying firewood stopped, dropped her load, and used her rope to help tie the runaway cow. Katune reached the market. The school fee was paid. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now pause and bring this home.
How many times have you met your own Katune moments? In my community there is a saying in Maragoli: Inyingu yadikila hamulyango—the pot breaks at the door. You fetch water from a distant spring and carry it carefully all the way home, only for the pot to slip and shatter as you step through the doorway.
Life is full of Katune chases and broken pots. Maybe it is a brutal economic stretch that empties your savings. Maybe it is a relationship that drains your energy. Maybe an unexpected illness wipes out your plans while friends fade into silence. Whatever form it takes, the test is always the same: will you keep running?
Daktari’s story reminds us to refuse surrender and to ask for help when the chase gets tough. He did not stop when Katune ran. He called for assistance. One helper quit, but another stranger stepped in. Without her, there might have been no school fees and no book launch decades later.
That is the heartbeat of every big dream.
Stay relentless. Ask for help. Expect detours and keep moving anyway. Success is rarely a straight line. It is a hot dusty sprint after a cow that does not want to be caught.
So here is my challenge to you. What is your Katune? What goal keeps you up at night but bolts the moment you get close? Chase it. Rope in allies. Ignore the spectators who give up early.
Dreams do not deliver themselves to your doorstep. They run. They kick. They test your resolve. But if you stay on their trail, even barefoot under a scorching sun, you will get there. And when you do, the story will be worth telling.
About the author:
Kibisu Mulanda is a media executive and strategic communicator with over 20 years of experience in television, NGO storytelling, and youth-focused content. He is the Acting Head of Switch Media Ltd and teaches media at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC). A Certified SIYB Trainer, he blends storytelling with strategy to drive social impact.
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