Irene Murethi, CEO Personal Development Institute: 'My life has been a roller-coaster '

Up close and personal, Irene Mureithi, comes across as a sweet, down-to-earth and easygoing woman, passionate about God and life. Her easygoing nature is certainly apparent in all that she does, from the way she communicates to the way she interacts with those around her.

“I asked Jesus Christ into my heart at the age of 14, and this has become a ‘hot’ love affair with my creator,” she quips.

For her, life has been a roller-coaster. She has had to go through a lot of personal crisis that have shaped her into who she is now. Born in Bahati in Nakuru, 39-year-old Irene recounts memories of the harsh environment she had to endure while growing up.

“I was born in a family of three sisters and I happen to be the last born. My elder sister lives in heaven and my other sister lives in the US,” she says.

“It was nice growing up because I had a loving mother, sisters and a grandmother who loved me to bits. But at the same time, it was tough growing up without a father. Dad walked out on us when I was about three years. I have vague memories of the times he would visit us in my childhood. It was emotionally difficult because other children around me had fathers,” she says regrettably.

She reconnected with him when she was 30, after authoring the book celebrate the Hard Times.

“I went looking for him. I did not need any financial support from him because by then, I was working in the bank. I just needed to find him and we are in touch to date.”

As if the pain of growing up without a father was not enough, Irene has had to endure seasons of financial distress and broken relationships.

No pity party

“At some point in my life, I used to walk from Westlands to Donholm, a distance of 18 kilometers, because I lacked bus fare. I hated being poor and being unable, and I believe this is one factor that inspired me to work even harder,” she says.

She also suffered another blow when her fiancé rejected her just as they were about to get married.

“The dowry had even been paid.”

We were just waiting to walk down the aisle but he called off the engagement at the last minute. I never saw it coming. I was devastated. I cried into the night asking myself why it had to happen to me. But I decided to leave it all to God. He knew why it had to happen that way,” says Irene. That was not all.

In 2003, she worn a Green Card but after making frantic efforts to search for a visa, her application was rejected and that dashed her dreams of going to the US.

“There were too many negative things that were happening in my life. But instead of sitting back and feeling sorry for myself, I looked at them as opportunities to tell the world my story and influence someone in a positive way,” she says.

After college, Irene landed a job in the banking sector in 1997. At least this gave her some assurance for a better life. However, part of her still felt unfulfilled.

Unbearable season

Her personal search for meaning in life is what saw her quit her well-paying job in the banking sector to pursue her dream of becoming a life coach and a transformational speaker.

She opines: “After working in the banking sector for ten years, I called it quits in 2007. Working in the bank, I was busy but not fulfilled. I started suffering from a disease known as ‘Tripple B’- Bored Beyond Belief! I wondered whether there was more to life than waking up, showering, getting into traffic, working hard all day, getting into evening traffic, dinner, shower and sleep, and the cycle continues for life. It was unbearable.”

Her decision to quit was met with a lot of criticism.

“My family and friends thought I was crazy and foolish. I lost so many friends,” she says.

From there, Irene purposed to develop human potential. She has risen to become an outstanding and highly sought after motivational speaker.

Today, Irene is the Founder and CEO of Personal Development Institute (PDI) an institution that trains, coaches and mentors people to develop their full potential in a balanced approach.

“There is no manufacturer who creates a product that has no specific reason for its existence. God creates every human being with a very clear purpose and mission in life. Since our education system from kindergarten to university does not teach us about our purpose, many people go through life very unfulfilled. PDI helps people to gain clarity of their lives’ purpose in a balanced approach,” Irene, who is also the founder and CEO of Royal and Rich Ltd says.

According to the motivational speaker, you can have all the money in this world and be very unfulfilled and unhappy. You can also be penniless and be unfulfilled and unhappy. Purpose is the key to happiness.

Photo: pdi.or.ke