9. Intelligence alone does not guarantee success

We live in a country that puts a big emphasis on exam results and book smarts. However important classroom performance is, it is not the only thing that will help you be successful in life. More important is so called emotional intelligence, how you relate with other people and the so called 'soft skills.' Coming from a technical background I've come to realise how important this is in the marketplace. Out in the real world it's not only the hard skills that count but how good you are at building relationships with the people around you.

8. Generally people care less about what you know but would rather know that you care

Having knowledge and information may be great but when somebody is going through something they'd rather you take your time to listen than load them with facts. Everybody likes to have somebody who cares not necessarily one who has the answers or the solution. A lesson we as men are learning all the time...

7. Everything in it's time

"There's a time for every purpose under heaven" comes from the famous words in Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. Timeless wisdom right there (pun not intended) Timing is an art that is hardest to master and there's nothing better than doing the right thing at the right time. It takes a lot of wisdom to discern the times and seasons but it is always best when you get it right. For example how beautiful it is say in a game of football when the striker arrives just at the right moment to receive the pass and strike the ball into the back of the net.

That sense comes with practice and attention. Learn it!

6. Do not confuse motion with progress

I got this little pearl listening to John Hagee on TV. He was talking about how the children of Israel spent 40 years going around in the desert because they refused to learn the lessons necessary to go into the promised land. Even in our lives we could find ourselves doing round in circles instead of towards our goal. Another way of saying it is don't confuse activity with productivity. It's easy to engage in a lot of activity to procrastinate but in the end it is wise to invest in activity that will take you forward.

5. Be on time. If you don't like people wasting your time don't waste theirs

I can be sure nobody likes their time being wasted. I'm one of those who doesn't like tardiness but as much as I don't like being kept waiting I find it important not to keep others waiting as well. Speaking as one well acquainted with African time I know all about people being late. However in these days of mobile phones it is at the very least polite to say when you'll be late.

4. Go where you're celebrated not tolerated

One of the things about overstaying your welcome is that you don't know quite when you're doing it. The old Kiswahili saying goes 'akufukuzaye hakuambii enda' - The one who chases you away does not tell you go. The best place for one to be is where your contribution makes a difference and where you're solving a problem and making things better. However this does not mean you always hang around yes men as there are places where you'll not have a very welcome message but the hearers need to hear it. Generally if you're in a place where your contribution is not being appreciated it's time to move along.

3. Bad things happen to good people

We always wonder why there's so much suffering in the world, hoe God allows it to happen, why the bad guys look to win. Some of these things make no sense whatsoever and you wonder why the good guys end up having bad things happening. One of the mysteries of life doesn't make sense to me either. However even though bad things happen do the right thing anyway for the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord Ps 37:23