When I heard of the book title ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ I was keen on reading it. Almost everyone around me was raving about Robin Sharma and this fantastic book and I wanted to read it too. When I did read it, I loved it. It wasn’t an aggressive self-help book written by someone who needed counseling more than I did. Well, that was my deduction anyway.

I, too, recommended this book to a lot of friends and also gifted it to many. There even came a point in life when my stress and burdens were so many that I used to joke that I’m the one who bought the Ferrari from the Monk. Er.. yes, well. Ha. Ha.

On Saturday Robin Sharma was in Nairobi and I had the huge honour of being in the same room with this dynamic man who allowed me to look at myself and what I was doing in life and make a positive change. He didn’t drum into me what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. What he did do was give some awesome tactics and suggestions to incorporate in my daily personal and working life to empower me, enlighten me and educate me.

Dean Martins Corporate Communications had organised the seminar at Safari Park, and the wonderful Dean Martins got in touch with me via a mutual friend and invited me to this event of a lifetime. I have never been to any such seminar before because most that have been organised have generally entailed someone like me having to sell a kidney or part of my spleen to attend. DMCC had actually made it very affordable for one to attend and the seminar kick started off with Kenya’s very own Joyce Mbaya who we popularly know as the Kenyan representative for The Apprentice Africa.

Many times in life we think we’re doing just fine and don’t need someone else telling us how to get on with our business but there are times when just a ray of positive light shined on you can energise you so much more that you move forward even more than you ever thought you would. Joyce had a great one-on-one approach and spoke of her experiences and her vision for helping individuals like myself enrich life by just making a few changes here and there.

After the lunch break came the moment we were all waiting for and Robin Sharma walks in and my first thought was ‘He looks taller in his pictures’. You know how it is. You meet someone famous in real life and the image your mind has of them is usually not corresponding to what you see in real life. The only image that was shattered was the height. He’s not short but he’s also not 6’6” as I had thought he was!

Robin has a great approach when talking to a roomful of people. I sat there feeling like he was talking straight to me. He made eye contact, he laughed and joked with us and also imparted a huge vat of his knowledge on each and every one of us in that room.

Up until Saturday I used to love to say ‘My get up and go just got up and went’ but I wont be saying that anymore. I am going to be responsible for my own actions totally and completely, and I will stop being a victim because as Robin ever so plainly put it, ‘Only victims make excuses.’ After listening to Robin I also know I don’t need a title before or after my name to be a leader. My leadership qualities will henceforth shine in my actions, deeds and words and not some random title that allows the world to know my designation at work or in life.

You can find out more about Joyce Mbaya on www.joycembaya.com and you can catch up with Robin Sharma on www.robinsharma.com.

And you can catch up with me on www.kamalkaur.com too.