Dr. Konye: The Lazy Young Farmer Who Found His Own Field in Medicine

Life does not give you a syllabus.

It does not tell you when the end is coming.

And yet, so many people keep postponing their living for ‘later.’

I have learned that later is never guaranteed.

So my biggest goal now? Live as fully as I can today, while still preparing for tomorrow.

My name is Konye wa Njoroge. Dr. Konye, some call me. I was born and raised in Nakuru. I went to Mama Ngina Primary School, then Menengai High School. That town raised me. It gave me the foundation of family and the deep sense of connection that comes from knowing your roots. I was lucky enough to meet all my grandparents and they poured values into me that still guide me today.

I remember visiting my late grandmother’s farm. She used to call me a “lazy farmer.” I would take a hoe, dig for a couple of hours, and be ready to quit. She would laugh and tell me to find a career that would let me do what I love, when I want to do it-because farming clearly wasn’t it. She was right.

Her influence shaped my values.

Discipline: because I have seen what chaos looks like without it.

Loyalt: because my people know I will always tell them the truth, even when it’s hard to hear, and

Honesty: because you cannot watch someone walk toward a cliff and stay silent.

One of the most important lessons I have  learned is to travel light. I do not carry other people’s baggage anymore. I carry my own load, and when it gets too heavy, I set it down, step back, and see it from the outside. Most people hold onto things for years until they wear themselves down. I’ve learned to let go sooner.

If I could speak to my younger self, I would say: Don’t fear failure: fear standing still. See, when you fail forward, you learn. You grow. You get better. My early years in America taught me that sometimes the limits people place on you come from lack of knowledge, not ill intent. You have to look beyond what is immediately in front of you

My first job was unloading trucks at Walmart in the dead of winter, around 1999. I quit without another job lined up. People told me I was crazy. But that moment taught me something I have carried into every part of my life: it is  okay to walk away from what is not right for you. Sometimes you do not even realize you are in the mud until you step onto dry ground. Then you see clearly.

I am grateful I moved to America young. There is  opportunity here, but you have to plan. You need to know when things are not lining up, when to change direction, and you cannot be afraid to ask people how they got where they are.

At the end of the day, life is short. No one knows what tomorrow holds. So live today like it matters—because it does.