Pursuit of purpose triumphs everything

Awareness of Mortality

Living Life with an Urgent Sense of Purpose

"Pursuit of purpose triumphs everything."

Listening to Dr. Keith Ndindi on Dr. King'ori's show left me reflecting deeply on life, death, purpose, and what truly matters.

Dr. Keith shared a powerful observation from years of working with people facing the end of their lives. He said that on their deathbeds, very few people think about how much money they did not make, the deals they did not close, or the wealth they failed to accumulate.

Instead, they think about moments.

They think about time.

They think about their children, spouses, parents, friends, and the memories they never created.

If many of them were given another chance, they would gladly give away everything they own because money can be made again. What cannot be recovered is lost time.

What remains at the end are the moments we shared with those we love, the purpose we pursued, and whether we lived the life we were created to live.

For me personally, I do not live oblivious to the reality that one day death will knock. Every one of us is on that journey. Once death comes, the next meeting is with our Maker.

One question constantly drives me:

Did I live the life God intended for me to live?

The Bible reminds us in Ephesians 2:10:

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We were not placed on earth merely to survive, make money, pay bills, and die. We were created with purpose.

Dr. Keith recommended the book The Enemy Called Average, and one of the themes he discussed was how people nearing death often reflect on significance. They think about the dreams they never pursued, the relationships they neglected, and the things they always intended to do but never did.

Living with Urgency

Dr. King'ori shared a story about someone who walked into a hospital for what seemed like a routine medical visit. Nothing appeared serious. Yet that person never walked out of the hospital alive.

Life can change in an instant.

Most people do not think about death that way. Yet for Dr. Keith, and increasingly for me, awareness of mortality becomes a powerful reason to pursue God's purpose daily.

My desire every day is simple:

To pursue God's ultimate purpose for placing me on this earth.

To exceed expectations in my calling and deliverables.

To live with the understanding that life is fleeting and death is inevitable.

There is an urgency that drives me.

An urgency not to settle for average.

An urgency not to simply watch days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years while secretly knowing there is more I should be doing for God's glory.

The average life expectancy for a Kenyan male is around 60 years. Human beings generally live between 70 and 80 years globally. When you view life through that lens, you realize how short it truly is.

Life has to count.

Life has to mean something.

It cannot simply be about chasing jobs, promotions, businesses, associations, fame, wealth, or status.

Sooner than we imagine, we will leave this earth.

Sometimes I look back and wonder how high school feels like it was just the other day.

The Story of Enigma

Dr. King'ori also shared a story told by one of Raila Odinga's former bodyguards about the late George Oduor, popularly known as Enigma.

According to the story, they woke up one morning and went for their usual walk. Everything seemed normal. As they began their routine rounds, Enigma suddenly collapsed.

The last thing they heard him say was:

"Aiiih!"

And then he was gone.

One moment he was alive.

The next moment he wasn't.

That is life.

Dr. Keith noted that many people seem to sense when they are nearing their final moments. Some become unusually reflective. Some ask for certain people. Some seek solitude. Others become emotional.

Many families have stories of loved ones saying unusual things shortly before passing away.

Death reminds us that life is precious.

The Hospitality Executive and His Five Children

One of the most heartbreaking stories Dr. Keith shared involved a prominent hospitality executive suffering from a terminal illness.

He had five children.

For seven days he remained in hospital.

Not one of his children came to see him.

When Dr. Keith asked him about it, the man replied that even if he called them, they would not come because he had not made time for them when they were growing up.

Now they were living their own lives.

Although he appeared to have accepted the situation, Dr. Keith could see the pain.

Later one night, Dr. Keith persuaded him to provide one of his children's contacts.

He called the son and explained that his father was dying.

The son's response was heartbreaking.

He said he did not care.

Even if his father died.

Dr. Keith called again and pleaded with him to come.

The son then said he had no transport money.

The irony was painful.

His father was a respected professor and a wealthy man with significant property, yet his own son could not afford fare to visit him.

Dr. Keith sent him money.

The son came.

There was hesitation.

There was pain.

There were years of unresolved wounds.

But eventually the son approached his father's bedside.

The professor, weak and barely hanging on, turned and looked at him.

The son reached out and held his father's hand.

The father squeezed it back.

Then he spoke two words:

"I'm sorry."

The son broke down.

The father cried too.

A few days later, the professor passed away.

After the funeral, the son called Dr. Keith.

He thanked him for insisting that he visit his father.

He said that among all the siblings, he was the only one who had found closure.

That moment changed Dr. Keith's perspective on life forever.

And it challenged mine as well.

Success Without a Successor

One observation from the discussion stood out.

It is often easier for men to build businesses than relationships.

Many men know how to grow companies, assets, and investments.

But relationships require vulnerability, presence, patience, and intentionality.

Yet at the end of life, the greatest regrets are often not financial

They are relational.

Missed opportunities.

Missed conversations.

Missed moments.

Dr. Keith shared something his father often says:

"There is no success without a successor."

If your definition of success does not include a successor, then your definition is incomplete.

The ability to build healthy relationships with your spouse, children, family, friends, and business partners is part of true success.

Many people appear successful publicly but privately wrestle with strained relationships that rob them of peace.

Success cannot be measured only by money.

If the price of success is a broken family, a failed marriage, or estranged children, then something is wrong.

If your pursuit of greatness causes destruction in every other area of life, then it is time to reassess what success really means.

What Success Means to Me

One of the fastest-growing industries today is mental wellness.

People are spending enormous amounts of money pursuing peace.

Why?

Because peace cannot always be purchased.

Dr. Keith described success not through wealth but through simple moments.

Appearing on a podcast with his teenage son.

Celebrating 21 years of marriage with his wife.

Those things matter.

The rest is a bonus.

For me, success looks like Sunday lunch with my children.

It is laughing together after work.

Listening to inspiring podcasts while driving them to school.

Sharing jokes.

Creating memories.

Being present.

Those moments are priceless.

My Greatest Takeaway

For years I thought I was unusual because of what drives me.

I live with an awareness that my time on earth is limited.

After listening to Dr. Keith and Dr. King'ori, I realized I am not alone.

Life is fragile.

Life is temporary.

Life is a gift.

And because of that, I choose to live with urgency.

Not panic.

Not fear.

Urgency.

Urgency to pursue purpose.

Urgency to love deeply.

Urgency to build meaningful relationships.

Urgency to leave an impact.

Urgency to live the life God intended for me.

Because one day, when my final day comes, I do not want to be remembered simply for making money or paying bills.

I want to know that I lived fully, loved deeply, pursued purpose faithfully, and used my time on earth for God's glory.

"Life is not measured by its duration, but by its significance."

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