Our greatest strengths are our weaknesses….

My greatest strength is that I care too much for people. Some would look at is as a strength but it comes across as a weakness in the same breathe.  I have discovered that once people notice that you are so caring the attribute it to being naïve and therefore take full advantage of that.

During the 20 something years that I have been on this earth, I have had a handful of friends…. Some from church, school, neighbourhood etc and from hanging out with me, it became apparent to them that I’m ‘easy’ if I may put it as such. Easy to manipulate, easy to twist, lie to, a true walkover.  Realising this they knew they could take advantage of me, id be the go-to person for everything: money, clothes, sympathy, the works.

Being a caring person has worked against me as opposed to working in my favour. Unfortunately I cannot change my personality just because I have been hurt. Friends come and go and I am sure I will find a true friend some day. Peace  JJ

How did they cope?

As a Btech student I am currently overloaded with work…or at least this is my opinion.  I have no time for friends, family, hardly for work, and I spend most of my days at tech.  If im not busy with an assignment I am studying for an exam or test, how did the previous years Btechs cope?

I am beginning to think that maybe I should have split my subjects in two and done half this year and half the next then it wouldn’t be so hard for me. Or maybe not!

Halfway through the year and im still stressing.  The only thing that keeps my sanity intact is the fact that there are only a few months left then I am done with tech.  No more late nights, no more stress, no more group meetings, no more exams, freedom all the way.  But will I really be free next year? You can’t predict the future, no one can, but im hoping that I’ll have less stress though, I pray so.

I need to be motivated to pull through, soon il be graduating and this will all be over.  It’s all really up to me, I will make it and so will you J Peace!

Try a clich'e

Everything happens for a reason…..How many times have you heard this? You’d get into a fight or argument with a friend, you’d hear nothing from them for a very long time and be told that no, everything happens for a reason, if it was meant to be they’ll come back, if not, God has something or someone better in store for you, or better yet, life is a story and their part is over..or whatever..

Is this exactly true? Do things really happen for reasons? Do you lose something and remain assured that it was supposed to happen like this end of story? Or do you probe and try to imagine what life would be without it or keep your hands open for something new?

I am no philosopher so I can’t really confirm that this is true but I can take you through my life experiences and you can form your own opinion of these events.  For instance at this very moment I am not entirely enjoying my job and I have come to think that maybe I took my previous job for granted hence I quit and currently looking for all the wrong things about my current job. Which is which exactly? *pulling my hair out one by one*

Am I ever going to be content with a job, am I too fussy, am I hard to satisfy, am I am I am I ????? Well, I guess EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON….?! Peace J

So moved..

Have you ever done something good for someone and thought nothing of it?

Im sitting here at an internet cafe trying to complete my Research Methodology assignment whent this young boy asks me to assist him with his flash disk as it does not seem to save his work.  As im trying to do so, his computer switches off due to his time being up.  So I leave everything im doing and ask him to insert his flash disk on my pc as I have plenty of time left ( i paid to use the pc for 2 hours) so its all good and I really want to know what this boys problem is and help where I can, he seems nice anyway.  Anyhoo, he inserts the flash disk into this pc and shows me what he was busy typing when the pc went off.  So I offer to pick up where he left off and i start typing, then I realised that it's a book full of words and there is no way that I can finish this on time.  I ask him whether this is an assignment and he says no, im writing a book. I was so amazed and couldnt believe this young boy is smart enough to decide to write a book instead of playing soccer or any other sport to kill time with his peers.  I then realised that he has to pay R5 for every 30 minutes to try and type whatever he can in that space of time and leave everyday.  Not fair!

I was so touched by his will and courage to do this that I offered to let him to use my laptop at home and took his numbers so that when I am available, then he can come through and I can assist him. He is currently in Grade 11 at Fezeka High School in Gugulethu and lives in one of the informal settlements called KTC. I admire this boy so much and hope to see him prosper in the future. He told me that he hopes he can further his studies at UCT and I hope he can achieve this.  I would like to keep in touch with him so that I may assist him with finding a bursary and actually studying @ whichever institution he desires. God bless him:) Peace.

Feelings follow behaviour

I remember the first year of High School like it was yesterday. I hardly studied, always did my homework at the last minute, barely in my teens, no aspirations and hardly motivated to perform at my best….as rebellious as ever. I was 12 and confused and just took each day as it came, as though I was just an invisible being with no direction in life.

Every year our school hosted an awards ceremony to recognise and appraise top students, high achievers, diligent and hard-working students. As the ceremony progressed and kids were coming up and down the hall stage with their awards and certificates, I realised what a waste of a year this had been for me as I hadn’t received a single award and I was devastated. Not only because I knew I didn’t deserve it but had I known of the awards ceremony from the beginning I would’ve worked so hard to make sure I am on that list of top achievers.  I was so disappointed in myself and made a pact with my brain that we’d be working harder next year and aimed for greater heights.

For years that followed things went up-hill. I was always on the top 10 list of achievers in my grade, each and every year. I realised that my ‘i-don’t’care” behaviour in Grade 8 returned feelings of regret, disappointment and inadequacy in me and made sure that this wouldn’t happen to me again. This just goes to show that you truly reap what you sow.  Invest great efforts into something and reap great rewards. Peace!

Friendships in the workplace

Are employees allowed to engage in friendships in the workplace or does it vary from company to company and does it depend on the core business of that organisation?

I worked at a company a few years ago and it’s a sort of callcentre environment with a few ladies and I must stay I appreciate the opportunity I was given to work there as it was my first ever job. As we were a few female agents, one of us became friends with the supervisor and boy was it hell for the rest of us.  First of all, she would be the first to get trained on any new systems, be the first to be promoted, earned a higher income, and received higher raises while assuming the same job title as everyone else.

I would rather everyone be the same with the next person to avoid unnecessary favouritism which then affects productivity because if you know someone else is a friend with your superior then it will most definitely affect your productivity as you won’t want your fellow peers earning more at your expense, you might aswell kick back, relax and let them earn their penny.

Employers or people in superior positions should not let their personal lives affect the work environment.  Remaining neutral is key to the companies success and a platonic front should be maintained. Peace.

It is better to practice a little than talk a lot.

Picture this, You are the Chairperson of a Youth Committee at your church. That would mean that the Youth practically live by your standards, see you as an example, aspire to be like you and follow your rules. However, they have expectations of you as their leader aswell.  They expect you to practice what you preach, do only good, set a perfect example, foster good relationships with everybody and basically a goody-two-shoes character.

What happens when you break the rules? One small mistake and the respect and authority you have earned goes straight down the tubes. The subordinates (youth) no longer believe in anything you have ever taught them because it might not be true and might be worth nothing, like your word ever was.

It is better to preach what you believe in and strongly practice. Not only does it earn you good merit but also a lot of respect from your peers and it comes easily to you because you live it. It is easy to influence the youth and when they see an example in you, they try to mimic your actions and strive to be the best they can be. It’s better for your actions to speak for you than speak and act in a different manner.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !

Oh gosh Winter is upon us and all I can think of are the fabulous clothes one has the opportunity to buy during this season. From colourful scarves, leg warmers, opaque tights, biker jackets, boots and the list goes on. All I wanna do at this point is shop till I drop, if I could afford to. Money is always an issue hey, well for some of us.

However, this is not entirely what Winter is about. It’s also about warm nights spent with loved ones around the dinner table near the fire place, with great company and long conversations. For some it’s time to get closer and more intimate with their partners due to the cold, gosh the cheesy status updates on facebook about hooking up and getting all snug with your partner, some even have ‘blankets’ just for Winter time and once the season is over, so is the relationship.  How sick is that.

Anyhoo…I think Winter is also a time to SWITCH OFF THE AIRCON!!  Man I get so irritated when I get to work and the place is even colder than the outside. I mean, who switches on the aircon when it’s cold? How about a heater?? Somebody, anybody!!!!!!

What I do enjoy in Winter though, is piling on anything because who cares what you’re wearing in Winter? LOL. Oh and the wonders it does for your skin! In comparison to Summer, atleast you don’t get surnburnt , ugly, and constantly under pressure to look your best in scorching hot circumstances…..energy consuming if you ask me.

*Sipping on some hot souppppppppppp* Peace!

Wedding cake in-the-middle-of-the-road

Imagine your wedding day, or shall I call it “the big day “as it’s referred to by some.  You only dream of one thing, for everything to go smoothly with no unnecessary interruptions.

Everything is planned to the T, catering, venue, bridesmaids and their attire, hair and make-up, the wedding dress, décor, catering and more importantly, the rings. What could possibly go wrong? You have waited for this day all your life, even planned it in your sleep, aaah the fantasy of your dream weddingJ

The long anticipated day has arrived and the bride is counting on everyone to ‘come to the party’, from the décor group to the hair and make-up artists. You have an hour before you walk down the isle and things seem to be working out perfectly and you just can’t wait to be your Mister’s Missus.

You’re busy with your last touch-ups and just living up to the old ‘culture’ that a bride is ALWAYS late. You’re so busy doing nothing and don’t realise that you were supposed to confirm with the caterers whether they had delivered the cake.  Nope, everything else was on time…everything BUT the cake!  You start panicking because the guests and future hubby are at the church already and you don’t know whether to laugh or cry! This is a nightmare…

The catering people call to say that the wedding cake is on its way and you need to stall a bit longer. There’s a sigh of relief but the thought that your wedding cake is still somewhere in the middle of the road brings chills down your spine…anything can happen. Relax!