Monday, March 29, 2010

Forgiveness can restore moral and social order in SA



South Africa is a country with great diversity; we have every religion, every political view, every racial colour and one would ask how does a place so diverse work together, yet, in many ways it does. From my experience since our democracy in 1994, we observe each other and accept the decision made yet we still do not accept each other. Forgiveness is the key to live a long, happy life in a happy environment where people honor each other and their differences. True peace is the work of justice.

There are about 6 billion different nationalities, customs and different ways of living but, when you get straight down to the core you would realize that we all have the exact basic needs and wants. Everyone is South Africa wants to live a safe life, to feel secure with a roof over our heads and food on the tables. Many or all of us want to feel loved, be part of a family and be accepted in our social communities. Parents want to give their children a better life, to give the youth the best opportunities provided.

My daddy had taught me the term “Namaste” which originates from the Hindu religion. I’ve read that Albert Einstein was fascinated by this and wrote a letter to Gandhi asking what it meant. Gandhi answered and said that Namaste means ‘the God in me sees and honors the God in you, and when we are both in that place, we are one’. It’s amazing how one man can make such a profound statement that means so much. Finally, there is somebody that feels the same way I do, that life should not be left fighting on things that do not matter and instead incorporate harmony and peace in all spheres of life and start living.

With South Africa’s high crime rate and corruption one has to wonder how would it be different if all those in lead positions actually forgave one another. What if a man was out for revenge and just about to stab someone out of anger and for one moment he thought; what would this do to my family? Would it bring back the thing or person I lost? If I am to kill him will it put food on my table or a roof over my head? I feel that if everybody thought this way then Polsmoor Prison wouldn't be that full or any prison of that matter. By not forgiving who knows what would happen, you would commit a crime, kill, steal, and the consequences wouldn't be pleasant. By choosing not to forgive, would feel like walking around with a heavy suitcase through a crowded airport. Forgiveness and harmony go together. When you forgive someone, nothing stands between you and that person. Even if the person you forgive does not like you, you have laid your suitcase down and now you can travel lightly.

My Authentic Power



Studying Public Relations Management was pretty inspirational with regards to the opportunities it has to offer in the future yet, as everything else; there are good and bad. During my 3rd year I’ve learned how hard it is to actually find a job within this field and I must admit that this scared me through and through. I’m doing my B-Tech this year and I feel so inspired to do all that I could do to succeed whether it means struggling to find a job after I graduate or not. Its the journey thats all worth while.

I’m not much of a reader but with the start of this year I found my curiosity growing with various knowledgeable books that could benefit my education. I suddenly grabbed all the books that I could find; Marketing, Strategic Management, Research, everything that could increase my knowledge with my current course! For that moment it was amazing, I never knew that I would ever get that much excited over reading educational books that wasn't prescribed but, yet I experienced this enormous craving for so much more.

That moment felt like; I was heading to the most beautiful island in the world and with every opportunity, you row closer to the island. Friends have told me; don’t work so hard – I don’t need to row everyday as the island will still be there tomorrow. This island was my education and my determination to mold and shape my future to the way I want it to be.

This was my first experience with authentic power; it feels good in doing what you’re supposed to be doing, its fulfilling. My life is filled with meaning and purpose with no doubts for fears at that moment I was happy to be alive. It’s like I answered the unanswered question as to why we are here on earth? what is our purpose? I think it is to embrace every moment as your authentic self, to be joyful and make everything exciting and look forward to each day and night.
You can experience authentic power through caring for a child, building a house. It doesn't come from what you are doing but it comes from how you are doing it!

3 Pictures that describe me best!



Ambitious


Determined to achieve what I want





Empathetic


Sensitive to others



Intuitive

A sense of knowing







We are what we do.

In our lives from childhood to adulthood our actions determine our level of understanding our character and how we react to various situations. By turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, shows that you are being considerate to the environment, it shows that you care or by declining plastic bags whenever you are at a supermarket. Many of our parents taught us values and respect and when to have manners. Using the very important ‘thank you’ which many so easily forget yet, it plays great emphasis as to what type of person you are. Saying thank you is to recognize the kindness given to you and you returning this kindness.

It is our simple actions that define who we are and what we do, if you are a good person you would do good things yet, if you are bad you will do bad things. It is as simple as that. We are driven by things that make us beautiful, to have social acceptance, injustice or justice actions to learn. Human actions are driven by societies reaction; what would be the reaction of my friends if I change my hair colour or make myself look pretty today. One can say that it is a way for us to be accepted in our social circles, family or friends and not seem different as we are all mindwashed to think differently. Therefore it is important to think before we act as what we decide to do will impact our actions and we would have to live with the consequences forever. A person who steals, is considered a thief even though they have never stolen before yet, that one moment, that one action determined a new course of his/her life.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

How to mend a broken heart.

In our lives we go through good and bad times; falling in love for example has the most beautiful experience yet, many say do not be blinded by love meaning that love may distract you from reality. Yet, at this amazing point in time, where love is so strong it takes just one moment or one action to make it all disappear and being emotional beings we experience hurt. Many people say no one ever died of a broken heart, but when your suffering from one it sure doesn’t feel that way. Experiencing hurt, especially having a having a broken heart can tear anyone from being the social butterfly to not speaking to anyone. In the beginning we are learned to handle our problems as best we can, to be responsible, know the consequences and frankly I believe that once you allow yourself to fall in love, your taking a risk of possibly getting hurt. I guess this is the beauty of giving yourself to another and allowing you to be vulnerable to that person.

Here are suggestions that may help navigate your troubled waters of relationships that have ended and help you heal a broken heart….

Step.1.

Remember to breath, you need to survive the first day which is the most difficult and remember to take each day one day at a time – your not superwomen , so give yourself the space to mourn, sleep, eat ice cream :-)

Step.2.

Always tell yourself that it is OK for you to be feeling down but, don’t let this overtake your emotions. Your are human so congratulate yourself for opening your heart to love. What always works is to consistently fill your head will positive thoughts – “this will pass”

Step.3.

Friends are so important and reach out to those closest to you, it helps you to share your thoughts and make you feel a bit bitter. Hang out together and watch movies, take a night out into town although you don’t feel like it.

Step.4.

Exercise, go out for a walk, clear your head. Keep a diary near by and write your feelings down on paper, play music to make you feel good as this usually works best.

Step.5.

Do not call your ex! Resist the urge to contact him at all costs. Write a letter to him but do not mail it, or go out of town to resist the temptation to call, a changed environment usually works well.

These are probably the 5 simplest yet, hardest steps to ever get through as everything in life; ‘it is easier said than done’. Think of your experience as a learning curve, as an opportunity to determine new goals to spend some time with yourself and build confidence. Which you hardly did because, you were always thinking of two individuals but, now it’s all about you!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

We are afraid of the wrong things

We are human and being afraid is one of the emotions that we have; fear has a lot of benefits but, at the same time it has a negative side too ,if we had no fear we would put our hand in a burning fire yet, we are afraid of getting burnt. Fear of not succeeding can make us succeed. Through our lives we also notice that through being afraid we do not do the right things. We are afraid of criticism as there will always be two opinions for all our actions. The act will be seeing wrong by the one and acceptable by the other therefore, how are we to decide what is write or wrong. At that moment you have to ask yourself whether your mind is clear or not, what is your conscience telling you and do whatever you have to do happily and courageously.

Many of us are afraid of being blamed for something or the other, by society, family, friends and many are afraid of disease or death as we might suffer a similar fate. We are afraid of being judged by our actions whether we were thinking at that moment or not. We are afraid of repetitive events that make our hearts ache, the sorrow that our mistakes might cause. Fear can be driven through kindness, love, regret, anger, all these emotions can be displayed through fear from what has been done or what might happen.
Fear is generated in our minds and what can be done to get rid of it. Some believe that fears are carried over from earlier reincarnations which are carried out from the very beginning of life, in the womb of our mothers. I feel fear is a consequence from the leassons we learn in life, we can choose to make the right or wrong choice because, as we grow we learn valuable lessons in life as well as the consequences and when we wrong these we fear those consequences.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Drifting icebergs and global warming

Icebergs are huge masses of ice which have broken away from glaciers in the Artic and Antarctic regions. With the iceberg recently heading towards Australia many people were thinking whether it go into Australia’s land mass and the concern for fishing swept the nation yet, these huge masses of ice gradually melt away as the upper part is warmed by the sun and the lower part by the warmer waters into which they drift.

The iceberg may be as much as 250 feet high, although only one-ninth is above the surface of the sea it can really be a hazard to shipping. The worst disaster that we all know well enough was the British passenger liner, the Titanic. This fine ship was thought to be unsinkable because, she had double skin and 15 watertight compartments. In April, 1912, the liner struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and despite her double skin and watertight compartments she had knocked into the iceberg and quickly sank. From the 2,207 people on board, more than 1,500 drowned.

These remains of massive ice floe which splits from the Antarctic as air temperatures rise due to global warming. We have all experienced the drastic effect that global warming has on our land mass with the increase of temperature and now bigger parts of the Antarctic are breaking up and producing smaller ones which will continue to float along the currents. Many are anticipating more icebergs as the Earth’s temperature rises and larger ice break up.

Fish falling from the sky

Fish falling from the sky is something we would and would not really like to see, the actual fact that fish are falling from the sky or the feeling of fish falling all over your body is not something really pleasing. A summer’s day in the year 2000, local newspapers from Ethiopia reported fish falling from the sky. This unusual and very paranormal image dropped from the sky where millions of them were either dead or others struggling for survival. The local farmers from the area recalled the incident and panic swept through these religious farmers, some of whom thought this was a sign that the world is going to end. I wouldn’t see fish falling from the sky as a ‘sign’ that the world is going to end, seeing balls of fire hitting earth has more promise in its destruction than fish.

In fact, this is just one of countless cases and studies of rains of fish, frogs and periwinkles and even alligators that have been catapulted from the sky. According to paranormal researcher Charles Fort these creatures have been in fact come to be known as ‘Fortean’ activity. These paranormal activities have been said to be the result of severe storms, tornadoes and water spouts. Being as crazy as all this sounds, the theory has not been proven yet, the strong winds from these environmental disasters holds strong winds which pick up the fish from areas around ponds, rocks, streams or lakes which carry them from miles and miles and eventually drop them over land.
The tricky part is that, it only rains one kind of species of fish but, this cannot be explained as to how can wind be discriminating, as the storm scoops up water from a pond why are there not all kinds of things falling down from the sky like, frogs, weeds, sticks etc.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

What colour is the wind?

The wind is blue and yellow; blue is the colour of the wind when people are sad or depressed. For example; it's a rainy day and the wind is blowing profusely, it is blue because, at that time people are unhappy about the weather. Many relate to blue days such as the 'blue Mondays' its the colour of feeling down, unhappy or gives your a feeling in the morning to stay under the covers because, if you go out for the day it cannot turn out for the best.

The wind is yellow on the days especially with that cool breeze on a very hot sunny day where, we all welcome that long awaited breeze on a 35 degree day. Yellow is the colour of happiness, it is the colour of the sun, it lightens our day and is seen on Sunflowers when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky.

To conclude if one has to classify wind as one colour, it would be green, as blue and yellow mixed together makes green. Green is a symbol of life, growth and nature where we all need one another to live. We plant the trees and the wind refreshes us on a very hot day and helps with the pollination of flowers.