What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?

I would regret not having fulfilled my destiny. That destiny would of course be to involve myself in the lavish industry of fashion. Whether I would be the designer, model *dream of a vertically challenged young lady*, seamstress, photographer or Fashion PR Officer, I would definitely have to be somewhere there.

My inspiration comes from these movies and series that I seem to watch too much. Namely: Gossip Girl, Material Girls, The Beautiful Life to name a few, where everything is just about beautiful clothes, people and make-up. It just seems like a career along those aspects would be great, I would actually be doing a job that I enjoy.

Another thing that I would regret not doing is volunteering for a good cause or involving myself in charity work and just give back. It would mean so much to me to know that even one person has had a better night’s sleep or even a few moments of happiness all owing to me. Changing someone’s life for the better is something I would really like to achieve before my time on this earth is up.

One last thing would be to show my parents, siblings, family and loved ones how much I appreciate having them in my life and how much I love them. I would really regret not showing them or @least letting them know that I am here for them and am grateful for having them as part of my life, in good times and bad. Peace.

Are you aware that someone has it worse than you?

As im growing older and wiser I have come to realise that we all have problems, no matter how small or trivial they may seem, we need to give our attention to these problems in order to find a way forward. While we are facing these problems, we don’t realise that, on a day-to-day basis, the people we meet and converse with, have problems too, some bigger than our own, and we should be careful of the way we treat and talk to them as we don’t know the issues they are currently facing.

Looking at people living in poverty, not knowing where the next meals going to come from, where they’re going to sleep, would you survive? I, for one, wouldn’t. What are we, as the well-off citizens of South Africa, doing to help alleviate poverty? Will it ever come to an end? I should hope so, and we should all look into helping out where we can.

Those suffering from terminal illnesses, knowing that you are going to die soon can’t be easy. Suffering in silence and watching healthy people continue with their lives while you only have 6 or so months to live has to be an unbearable pain.

These two scenarios remind me of how precious life is and that we should really live life to the full, you don’t know when you are going to lose your job, house, friends, family or your life. Appreciate and be thankful for what you have, many are going through seriously tough times and the future seems bleak. Go out there and make a difference whilst you still can, you have the ability and only need the drive. Peace.

We are what we do.

They say you are the friends you keep, how true is that? I have friends from all spheres of all, some help me up when I’m down and vice versa, some very naughty ones that always need to get bailed out of trouble every time, and some that allow me to be myself. I love them all but I don’t adopt their behaviour, not one bit. How does that make me similar to them? I am somehow drawn to their different characterise and maybe it’s our differences that allow us to get along so well, and sometimes, not so well.

The Law of Attraction depicts that we attract the things we allow. Apparently if you think negative thoughts and you allow them to remain in your subconscious, automatically bad things are going to happen to you in three fold because that’s the message you are transmitting through to the universe and that is exactly what is going to happen. The same applies to positive thoughts. To help manifest and use the law of attraction, you have to remove the blocks that hold you back and keep you thinking the same limiting beliefs.  And the biggest block of all is you. You have the power to reach your full potential or fail dismally at anything you pursue.

In essence, we really are what we do I guess. You DO choose your friends, DO choose your lifestyle, DO choose your career path, and DO choose to think positively so that you may attract positive things only. Peace.

We are afraid of the wrong things.

Im not sure whether they are wrong or right, but I am afraid of a few things. Firstly, I am afraid of the dark lately. Out of nowhere I just can’t seem to sleep with my lights off. It feels like something is going to appear in the dark and choke me or something, its really weird. So, what I do is, I leave the passage light on and leave my door open so that if I do switch my bedroom light off, there is some light coming through. Then the mosquitos start buzzing, that’s the second thing I am scared of. Not so long ago, a programme on SABC 3 called Third Degree featured a story about a lady with a humungous leg and it was mentioned that it was due to mosquito bites. Apparently the name of the illness is elephantitis and it’s very dangerous. Seeing that there are mosquito’s in our house, I am terrified, what if the same thing happens to me?

Thirdly, I am afraid of failure. In fact, that is the main thing I am scared of above the rest. I don’t want to believe that such a thing exists, everyone has a choice in this life and you choose the depths at which you perform, whether it’s at work or with your studies. You choose to pass or fail and you choose to rise above expectations. Failure is a state of mind, it’s not inevitable, and I choose not to see it as a reality. It’s an option, not a choice.

With that said, its true then that we are afraid of the wrong things. What could possibly happen to me, in the comfort of my bedroom, at home…in the dark? It’s in the mind right?  What about elephantitis? I’m sure it’s a 1 in a million statistic and I have nothing to worry about. Failure, I shan’t even entertain that thought. Peace.

Fish falling from the sky

Fish falling from the sky, can you imagine this? That is a gluttony of thought as I feel, if i was hungry i would just go outside and catch some fish with a bucket. One reason though, would maybe be if we experienced a Tsunami, the strong wind would travel over the water, pick up flightless fish and carry them up a for a few miles.

In areas that suffer from poverty and drought, this could be carried out as a metaphor whereby if it suddenly rains, these dry places would be washed with rain and the rain could be seen as the fish falling from the sky as it would be a signal of food (rain feeding their crops resulting in more food for them) if this makes sense.

In another metaphorical meaning, as the saying goes: Instead of giving someone fish to eat, its better if you give him a rod so that they can get more fish which will sustain them for longer periods of time.

It could also be seen as a metaphor for money, blessings falling from the sky, as you feel that you can never go hungry again. Blessings are associated with God and He is known to be in the sky.

Peace.

Taxi strike

Due to the current taxi strike, I am unable to go anywhere. Buses are being burnt and private cars being demolished if suspected of loading passengers without permission, Taxi drivers or owners personally attack anything that moving. Its a really sad day for me as I'm not well and couldn't go to the doctor as I don't have access to a private car, couldn't go to work either and unfortunately cant attend any of my classes due to the transport debacle aswell.

I am curious as to what led to this decision? What led the taxi-drivers or taxi association to decide to forbid any form of transport to operate? How fair is that on the commuters? How are we supposed to travel? What do we do in this instance? Who can answer these questions for me?

I overheard a stranger saying that the taxi's are striking due to support of their fellow Johannesburg comrades, who say that their taxis are impounded by the government and not getting any subsidies for their impounded taxis, and they want to be involved in the BRT system too. Apparently they say that this whole thing is depriving their kids of food and a better life.

I think they could have thought of a better solution than involve everyone in their own problems. Its very unfair on the commuters. Gosh i need a car!

What is the colour of the wind?

The wind has no colour, you can’t see it, but you can feel it right?. Just the other day I was on my way to CPUT,

Roeland Street

. It was about 5-ish and I was wearing a dress and heels. After I got off the bus, the wind started having its way with me. I had to hold on tight to EVERYTHING. My weave (hair), clinch tight onto my dress, my bag and try to walk in the process too. It was just horrible, having to hold on to poles to keep myself balanced and from getting blown away by the wind.

In my opinion, the wind is whatever colour you want it to be. Currently the colour that blows me away like the wind is navy blue.  I recently bought myself a top, shoes and scarf, all navy.  So, whenever I plan an outfit for the day, even when im late for work, it has to be co-ordinated with navy. It just boosts my confidence somehow.

To conclude, the colour of the wind is navy. It blows me away, from Cape Town Station to my destination, CPUT.

Giving rather than receiving..

So my friend asks me last week what I would like for my birthday, I froze for a second then I answered: You don’t have to! She obviously thought I was being modest, I mean, who doesn’t like gifts? What she didn’t know was that I was actually serious. She gave me a quirky smile and asked again: “What would you like for your birthday friend, I need to prepare my budget and your birthday is only a month away.” She was so keen I just couldn’t resist, so I told her she can get me anything.

You are probably wondering why I don’t like gifts. The thing is, it leaves me so guilty when someone buys me something, immediately I feel obligated to do something for them and I just can’t face them until I return the favour. In fact, I would rather buy someone something instead of being on the receiving end.  I feel more fulfilled when I know I have made someone’s day than otherwise. It’s not that I don’t appreciate gifts, and as clichéd as this may sound; it’s the thought that counts. If someone calls me on my birthday or gives me a hug etc, nothing materialistic, I appreciate it. I believe that the most powerful gifts are those that come from the heart.

Anyway, that is just me. Someone might prefer expressing appreciation in the form of a gift and thats harmless, but still, please dont buy me anything:)

If I could do it all over again, would i change anything?

If I could go back and change anything about my life, its definitley how I spent my high school/adolescent years. Those are supposed to be the most fun years of your life and that’s where you learn most of lifes tricks, at precisely those tender years.

In High School I was a very ‘straight’, if you may, individual. While my classmates were partying, enjoying extra curricular activities, socialising etc, I was busy with homework..NOT! On a serious note, my grades were very good, had a very ‘clean’ record when it came to demerits, absenteeism, late coming, etc, nope, not me. Yes, in the end, it worked out well for me as I was almost always in the top 10, got chosen for science expo’s, became a prefect (guardian), some sort of ‘miss-goody-two-shoes’.

The thing is, what really drove me to work hard in those days was the pressure I got at home.  My moms older sister expected nothing but the best from me  and I think she saw a lot of potential in me and tried her utmost best for me to live her own dream, and I had to live up to those expectations as Im not one to disappoint people, infact I hate it. She practically forced me to study Maths and Science on a higher grade and I just couldnt say no. Mind you, its not because she paid my school fees or anything, I just HAD to deliver…whether I liked it or not. I didn’t like it and couldn’t  tell anyone as I was really scared of her…

When I look back now, yes she may have shaped me into a disciplined, hardworking lady  and i should be greatful, but everyone deserves a break.  Everyone deserves to make his/her own choices in life, positive or not. You may assist someone in choosing subjects, hobbies, educational institutions and basically offer advice but don’t run their life, its not yours to run…really.

In essence, if really I could change it all, I would have participated more in school, be it play more sports (yes I played netball..lol), maybe join the debating team, participate in events and engaged more with my school mates. Would you believe that I had 2-3 friends in High School? All 5 years I spent there, I only made that few friends……to be continued..:)

If I were the boss

I have always wondered how I would treat my subordinates should I be in a authoritarian position one day. Gosh, imagine! Having people answer to you all day, everyday. That, I think, would put a lot of pressure on me as I would have to set an example and live up to very high expectations.

Being boss doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do any wrong. Having people that depend on you, constantly seek your approval and aim to please can’t possibly be an easy job, I should think.  You too have to follow suit. Happy employees are productive employees and if I were the boss, I would make sure that this is achieved. De-motivated employees don’t pitch up for work; don’t work properly, high absenteeism rate and less productivity.  129

I believe a good boss should give the necessary recognition to hard-working individuals, whether it’s through performance appraisals, quarterly bonuses, commission etc so that the employees can be motivated to perform, knowing that their hard work won’t go unnoticed. An open-door policy is also very key; employees need to know that their boss is there when they need them, whether it’s for personal problems, office politics or work-related issues.

To conclude, being boss means performing the duties of a mentor to your subordinates, someone they can look up to and respect. Even though respect is a two-way process, it goes a long way.

Boss-lady signing out!