When the Student Is Ready, The Teacher Appears

 

Toastmasters Series: My Reflection on a Speech by Prudence Sembua

When I first met her, she had a sparkle in her eye.

Not the loud kind. Not the kind that scans a room demanding recognition. This was a quieter brilliance—an intellect muted by observation, patience, and an almost disciplined reading of the room before she ever chose to speak. There was a humility about her, almost demure, the kind that shows someone is listening deeply long before they decide to be heard.

That was Prudence Sembua.

Before I place her story in context, a few things matter for you as a reader. Prudence is a Toastmaster, and a relatively new member—a cub—at Simba Toastmasters. But don’t let the word new fool you. Prudence is an exceptional achiever. In 2018, she was the Best Lady Graduate in the CPA program in Kenya. She has received multiple excellence awards in her workplace, a blue-chip organization. Her track record stretches back years, and comments from those who’ve worked closely with her describe her—without exaggeration—as a genius in what she does.

And yet, none of that is what stayed with me.

What lingered was her speech. A speech that didn’t shout, didn’t perform, didn’t posture. It invited. It evoked emotion, introspection, and an uncomfortable kind of recognition—the kind that quietly asks you to look at your own life.

At the center of it was a simple idea, almost mystical in its phrasing:

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

As a habit coach, that sentence hit differently for me. Because readiness isn't a moment, it isn't luck. It isn't personality. It isn't talent.

Readiness is a pattern that develops quietly, long before opportunity ever knocks.

“I want to share four lessons I’ve learned about being open, being prepared, and embracing all the color life has to offer,” she started. She presented each lesson as a teacher.  

Teacher One: Being Ready Is an Intentional Choice (Not a Personality Trait)

Prudence described herself as a student of life. That phrase matters more than we often realize. Students don’t wait passively. They don’t sit back hoping inspiration will strike. They prepare. They posture themselves toward learning.

Her personal mantra is simple, but demanding: Prepare as if something meaningful is about to happen.

That line immediately took me to Stephen Covey’s time management quadrants. Most of us live trapped in urgency. Crisis. Deadlines. Fires that must be put out now. We wake up reactive and go to bed exhausted. Tackling urgent and important things with no rest and as a necessity.  

Others live in what seems productive but is actually very misleading—urgent work that is not important. Meetings. Interruptions. Minor emergencies from others. We stay busy. We appear responsible. But we are out of sync and easily distracted. 

Then there’s the fourth quadrant—neither urgent nor important. The quiet thieves of time: trivial activities, digital noise, and comfortable distractions—actual time wasters. 

Significantly fewer people consistently invest in what is important but not urgent. Health. Self-development. Inner work. Network building. Preparation. This is where effectiveness thrives, and that’s where readiness is formed.

Prudence asked us a question that hung in the room longer than most speeches ever do:

When was the last time you truly anticipated something incredible—and prepared for it anyway?

Her first teacher was Pelumi Nubi, a woman who drove a small Peugeot 107 from London to Lagos, crossing deserts and countries many would call “hostile.” On paper, the car was not ideal for such a journey—small engine, limited comfort, modest capacity.

But Prudence didn’t focus on the car.

She focused on the mindset. Watching Pelumi shifted something inside her. The impossible became conceivable. She adopted what she calls the “What if, then” technique:

What if I get lost? Then I’ll have an emergency contact.
What if my internet fails? Then I’ll have an e-SIM.

Preparation stopped being reactive. It became a habit. Readiness, she learned, is a decision you make before confidence arrives.

Teacher Two: Being Ready Does Not Eliminate Fear—It Trains Courage

Fear is usually treated as the enemy. Prudence treats it as a teacher. Fear, she reminded us, does not disappear when you’re ready. It simply loses its authority. Courage grows louder.

She spoke about fear not as something to suppress or deny but as a reminder of our humanity. History backs this up. Joshua, for example, was encouraged repeatedly to “be courageous” — not because he didn’t feel fear but because leadership requires moving forward despite it.

One habit she emphasized strongly was intentional community. You are, as the saying goes, the total of the five people you surround yourself with. Prudence chooses people who dream boldly. People who stretch themselves. People who dare to explore unfamiliar mental and emotional terrains.

Fear shrinks in the presence of normalized growth.

From a habit-formation lens, this is critical. Fear does not vanish through affirmations. It is recalibrated through environment, repetition, and perspective. Through proximity to people who make courage look ordinary.

Fear doesn’t leave. But courage grows louder.

Teacher Three: Being Ready Is Not About Perfection—It Is About Refinement

Challenge was Prudence’s third teacher. And as we know, challenge is rarely polite. Sometimes it arrives unexpectedly. Sometimes it kicks the door down. But its role is consistent—to refine. Like silver in a furnace, we are shaped under pressure. The dross rises to the surface. The mirror becomes clearer.

But refinement demands perspective. Gratitude, she emphasized, is not denial. It is orientation.

Gratitude for breath. For functioning bodies. For mango season (I concluded she loves mangoes). For small victories. For crossing off a task. Even gratitude for challenges—because they stretch us into who we didn’t know we could become.

As Nelson Mandela said:

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

That rise—that habit of returning—is where readiness is forged.

Teacher 4: Letting Go Is a Habit of Readiness

Her fourth teacher was simple, but deeply uncomfortable: let go to make space.

You can't take on something new if your hands are already full. Many people unknowingly carry resentment, guilt, unforgiveness, and unresolved pain. These are not harmless; they take up emotional space and block new possibilities.

Prudence named it plainly:

Let go of the person who hurt you. Let go of the unfair situation. Let go of resentment, guilt, and regret. Sometimes readiness is not about doing more. It’s about holding less.

This is a habit most people resist. Yet it is the gateway to lightness—and lightness changes how life meets you.

Conclusion: The Teacher Was Never Late

Through these four teachers—intention, fear, challenge, and release—2025 became a defining year for Prudence. Solo trips. Career shifts. Inner expansion. New territory charted and claimed.

Looking back, she realized something quietly profound:

The teacher was never late.
She wasn’t ready yet.

And maybe that’s true for all of us.

As we approach the end of the year, the invitation isn't about seeking perfection. It's about openness, preparation, and honesty. Because when the student is truly ready... the teacher will always appear.

Call to Action

This week, ask yourself one question:

What am I being invited to prepare for—even if I can’t see it yet?

Then build one small habit that signals readiness.

That’s how life responds.

 If this message stirred something in you, don’t let it fade.

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