We live in our brain; the whole world is inside our heads. You are as safe as your thoughts.... You cannot live beyond what you do not understand, conceive, see, know or sense. This is why sometimes people make mistakes without realising; because what they’ve done was clear in the boundaries of their consciousness... Reads a part in 'Mapping of Choices' a book by Fred Mugisha, a Rwandan entrepreneur in real estate development and author. In his book, Mugisha makes an argument that life is not merely dictated by fate, but rather is composed of different choices made over time, which shape who we become. ALSO READ: Meet American author behind the first Kinyarwanda fantasy nov Mugisha, a 29-year-old with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the College of Science and Technology at the University of Rwanda, has always shown a particular interest in philosophy and the natural sciences. From a young age, Mugisha started documenting his thoughts by writing them down in a simple notebook. Initially, he had no intention of becoming a published author and only wrote for his own reference. Being an introvert, he usually prefers to keep his thoughts to himself, sometimes, reluctant to even share with friends. ALSO READ: More memoirs please; don’t keep all that information to yourself However, being an avid reader, Mugisha often indulges in philosophical writings from the likes of Saint Augustine, Bertrand Russel, and Carl Sagan. He came to believe that people constantly make choices that impact their lives either directly or indirectly. This realisation prompted him to reflect on how life is made up of choices and inspired him to write about his thoughts. Within a span of six days, Mugisha had already written enough material for a book, but he initially kept it as a personal reflection journal. It wasn't until he met with his friends and former professors, who convinced him to publish his work, that he seriously considered sharing it with others. ALSO READ: Religion vs science: Local authors’ book explores contradictions Despite moments of self-doubt, Mugisha's desire to share his thoughts overpowered his reservations. “I would wonder if anyone really would want to read these things. But again, I felt it in me, I wanted to share with the world, put it out there, and see what everyone else thinks, he said. To ensure his work would resonate with a wider audience, Mugisha took the advice of others to make the book less scientific and more personal. Starting in 2019, he transformed his writings into a more relatable and accessible form, and then in 2023, after refinement and acquiring several feedback, he decided to finally publish the culmination of his thoughts. ALSO READ: Rwandan author opens up about overcoming depression in new book Mugisha, the sixth born in a family of eight, initially had aspirations to become an engineer due to his fascination with creating things. While his current niche remains entrepreneurship, he firmly believes that his true impact will be through his writing. He stressed the importance of staying conscious of the factors that shape one's identity and understanding one's place in the world. His book further reads; if you carefully assess your own actions and how decisions are generated in your mind, either consciously or unconsciously, you will realise that there are no such things as accidents...Everything happens for a reason as a direct result of the cause that you brought into existence from your spectrum of choices. I wrote a small book (79 pages) because I didn't want to bore people, risking that they may lose the main message, he explained, referring to the less preferability to read brought by the current digital era. Despite shortened attention spans and declining readership, I firmly believe that the art of book writing can still find its place, he said. Mugisha suggested leveraging social media through short videos, memes, and posters to reach a wider audience while preserving the values and culture of literature. ALSO READ: Greener pastures: Rwandan author on book about life as US immigrant As part of the Local Authors for Change Association, Mugisha further called on industry players to actively foster a reading culture and promote writing talent. He made it a point that his book, is not intended to provide definite answers, but rather to pose thought-provoking questions that encourage introspection. 'Mapping of Choices', according to Mugisha, should offer anyone who reads it insights into how their choices shape the future and the consequences they carry. The book is available on fredmugisha.com, on Amazon, or by ordering directly at 0783458808, with a cost of 27,000 Rwf. It will be officially launched on Friday, January, 19 at the Kigali Library.
