Tag Archives: Nelson Mandela

Thoughts on Mandela Day

18 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Attitude, Gratitude, Positivity, Projects

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What can I say about this week?
I have to say that I was really battling to come up with something to write because it’s been an awful week filled with war, violence and hatred.

But since today is Mandela’s birthday and we celebrate a man who left a legacy of caring and giving, it is a great opportunity to choose today to be the day that we start with a new attitude towards all the horrible things in the world and find something positive to focus on.

The directive in South Africa is for everybody to try to donate 67 minutes of their time to a charity or help out in your community.
It brings an incredible spirit of togetherness and community for the givers as well as the receivers involved.
Following the events of the week, I would love to suggest the following:
Even if you cannot give anything close to 67 minutes, my challenge to you is to spend some time talking to somebody who has a different opinion to you or someone from a different background or culture.  Not to fight or argue, but just to understand.
Or spend some time just showing somebody that you care about them.
And most importantly, because this is the I don’t want to be stressed blog – spend some time doing something to help yourself too!
I think this is a time when we really have to realise how blessed we are.
For every morning that you wake up and your life is not in danger, you are blessed.
For every opportunity that is presented to you, no matter how stressful it is, you are blessed.
Every time you arrive at your destination safely, you are blessed.

Times are definitely more stressful these days.  Even if you are not living in a dangerous situation, our lives are more stressful than ever.
So it is up to us to make the most of what we’ve got.
We need to find beauty in the everyday.
We need to celebrate what we’ve got rather than mourn for what we wish that we could have.
Enjoy the small things, celebrate tiny achievements.
Laugh, sing and dance!
Spend time with people who love and appreciate you.
Do something that makes you happy.
Give some of your time to make other people smile.

Let us make this our mission in honour of Mandela’s memory.

RIP Nelson Mandela

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Advice, Being brave, Gratitude

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There is a strange silence in the air this morning – our leader has gone.
It was with a very sad and heavy heart that I learned of the death of Nelson Mandela – the father of our country and inspiration to so many.
The silence reminds me of a poem by WH Auden:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

It is a heartbreaking poem and I know that many people will feel this way today.
As have many in the past when they have lost loved ones.
It is easy to say, let us not be sad, rather let us have good memories of what was.  But sadness, and anger, is a part of mourning.
Give yourself time to mourn – to express it in the way that you want to express it but know that there will always be happy memories, things that you will laugh about, positive inspirations.

May we all learn lessons from the humility, gentleness, compassion and ability to forgive that Nelson Mandela taught us.
We are all better people for having lived in his time.
Rest in Peace Tata Madiba
Lala ngoxolo Tata Wethu uMadiba

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Achieving greatness through adversity

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in Advice, Freedom, Life journey

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Today our beloved Madiba, Nelson Mandela, turns 95 in his hospital bed.  And my thoughts and prayers continue to go out to him.
Every year, on his birthday, South Africans from all walks of life dedicate 67 minutes of community service in honour of him (and his 67 years of fighting for the freedom of our country).
I am always on a mission to do more to serve my community but right now, I am spending 67 minutes writing this blog and I will contine to dedicate myself to helping anyone who reaches out to me in need!

The one thing that I often think about when I my thoughts turn to Madiba and his achievements in life, is that I wonder if he would have been so great if he hadn’t struggled to get what he believed in.
It may be controversial to say that but I believe very strongly that if things always come easy for you, you are more likely to stay in your comfort zone.  But if life throws you challenges and difficulties, and you overcome them, you are more likely to be great.  This is because it forces you to step out of your comfort zone and see things in a different light.

When you are at the absolute bottom, there is only way to go and that is up.  You only understand light when you have experienced dark.
Passenger sings this so eloquently in his song “Let her go”:

Well you only need the light when it’s burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missin’ home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA

Believe that there is a reason that you are going through all of these difficulties – they are the lessons and the stepping stones that are taking you to heights that you may not even believe you are capable of reaching.
Think big! Step out of your comfort zone!
Soar to great, great heights!

True freedom

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in Attitude, Freedom, Life journey, Positivity

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I am still on the subject of Pesach (Passover) because I am living and breathing it at the moment, not to mention the time I have spent so far crunching through matzah.
Passover is a celebration of freedom so I have really been thinking over the past few days about my own freedom.
On the surface, it seems very simple.  I am free. I am not a slave in Egypt.  I live in a country where human rights and freedom of speech are important aspects of living.  I am a woman living in the 21st century where woman and men are equal.  I don’t owe the bank much money.  So I am free. Right? Wrong!
The more I thought about it, the more I realised that I don’t feel free at all. And when I spoke to other people about it, they said that they felt the same way that I did.

Nelson Mandela said when he was leaving prison, “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

We are slaves to our kids and to our family’s expectations of us, we are imprisoned by our own negative attitudes and poor self image.  We are chained to time and deadlines and expectations. We are most definitely slaves to our phones and computers, to social networks and the fear of missing out on important information like what our friends ate for dinner (or where they went on holiday that will always be more exciting and more adventurous than our own lives).
In a world where we are always on the go, and continually surrounded by information and marketing, we are not free.
We imprison ourselves and we do it by choice.  Well I think it is our choice. And truthfully, I’m not sure what the solution is. But there has to be one and I think that it is different for each person as we are all individuals.  We have to choose to do things differently.

Do something different and discover your own freedom before you burn out. Before it is too late.
Because you are worth so much more than just being a prisoner for the rest of your life.