'Just Me'

Imagine walking up to someone and just conversing with them. Bombarding them with your ideologies and views without a simple ‘hello’ or introduction of who you are. Well that’s me to you. Quite a nerve and cheek I have! Let’s start all over again..

My name is Ayanda Mbadlanyana. A young South African woman in her twenties (a woman never tells her real age!). I’m currently completing my B-tech in Public Relations at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology; I concluded my undergrad studies in Marketing Management at the same institution. What can I say I’m a sucker for CPUT!

Growing up, I’ve always been surrounded by strong women with just as bold principles. Sorry Joes, you’re totally outnumbered within my immediate surroundings. Yet much credit to my dad for moulding me into the incredible, grounded woman I am.

I’m a vibrant ‘full of life’ soul. I totally dislike conflict and I’m a humanitarian at heart. It then goes without saying that I love interacting with people and have a ‘we are’ rather than ‘I am’ outlook in life. My ultimate vision in future involves being influential in changing people’s lives and reaching out whole heartedly to change the things I can change within my environment, both immediate and on a pretty large scale as well. Talk about an Oprah moment! That’s me in a nutshell.

If I were the boss?

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If I were the boss everyone would like me! Well I hope they would. I mean an average person spends five days, eight hours per day and pretty much forty hours at work per week. I could go further as to include on  per month and annual basis,  but  frankly it doesn’t take a genius to figure out  we spend majority of the time with  our ‘corporate families ’; our colleagues and  the one  person we dreadfully hate or questionably love known as: THE BOSS. 

While it’s impossible to know every employee’s name, depending on the size of your team and level of the organizational hierarchy you find yourself in, I’d try by all means to remember names! No kidding, who on earth wouldn’t want their boss to remember their name! The office environment would be ‘Ally McBeal’ meets ‘The Apprentice’. When I play, I play hard. And when I work, I word VERY hard. I’d basically expect the same dedication from my much appreciated employees.

We would annually take home a Loerie Award or two! Without any prediction, the Loerie organizers would know that with my team, it’s a done deal. By all means my troops and I would be featured in ‘The Hundred most influential companies in SA’. And yes, I’d push for the Global market. This girl thinks BIG!

Through it all we’d all give each other appraisals on the awesome work done. Yay! More play! And every year on my special day I would receive the most colorful, big, yummy cake with everyone’s name artistically visualized. And right there in the middle of the bake, there’d be a sweet: ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WORLD’S GREATEST BOSS, EVER’.  Can’t wait!

Two people come out of a building and into a story

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Two people come out of a building and into a story, a path separating into two different trails. The building represents a common place where we all hail from: Life itself. For all we know these individuals could be total strangers, friends, siblings or even lovers ‘ready to paint the town red’. Regardless of their relation, each has a story to tell.

Who knows what it is they were doing inside that building, which floors they visited or occupied. Fact is they were both there for a reason which is known only to them. Its not any different to our own lives, we all come from different come places and spaces.Yet what binds us together is the fact that we’re living. Some of us may not know what we want from the ‘Building of Life’ in fact, from time to time we all get lost trying to find our way around it.

But the intriguing thing about life is:  just like any building we enter, we guaranteed a different direction and view once we come out of the building…

Size Zero: The reality behind the fantasy

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The subject of skinny models and celebrities is pretty much cliché and one that I’m frankly not much interested in, well that was until I had my own ‘size zero’ experience. Watching the Late News slot over the weekend which featured our Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi addressing the ‘Our country’s obesity rates’ with emphasis on staggering findings by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa. It’s on record that seventy percent of women over the age of thirty-five and fifty-nine are overweight. And for a moment I thought to myself ‘that’s not me!’ up until it was revealed that anyone over the age of fifteen in South Africa was likely to suffer hypertension and be classified ‘obese’. 

And there I was in my chair thinking: ‘That’s me’.  Having my beloved send me a lovely message earlier what a beautiful maiden I am, only to add that I had a few extra pounds begging to be shred, didn’t make the situation any rosier… Being the pleasant human being I am, I agreed to his much disturbing plea: ‘To go on a healthy eating plan’. 

I’d never felt so motivated, I actually started eating healthy foods pretty much most of this week. That was until someone I had never seen for the last two years had to comment on my weight! He went ahead and told me how big I was, I froze.  Of cause I was intrinsically cursing and calling him all sorts of names! Like seriously Mr. I haven’t seen you in seven hundred and thirty days and you have the nerve to tell me ‘I’M FAT’. Please …Grow some height!

Whether be a Minister, a lover or ‘Casper’. Men, ‘NEVER COMMENT ON A GIRL’S WEIGHT’. Period!

First Impressions last a lifetime

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‘First Impressions last a lifetime’ as the saying goes… But are they truly everlasting? Or do we get a second chance at gracing our reputations after messing up the one time to ‘sell ourselves’.

This certainly isn’t foreign to any of us, each and everyday we’re constantly ‘making that first impression’. We witness it within our workplaces, with the stranger seated next to us on our bus trip,  the bank teller who makes a 

 confusing first impression with her ‘enforced smile’ or the guy across the room who you exchange a warm smile with for a few seconds, only to be joined by his ridiculously stunning girlfriend !  Not talking from experience, it’s called ‘creative writing!’

 

I remember recently being given the opportunity to introduce myself in front of my peers, no more than twenty individuals. And in my introduction I had to mention something interesting about myself.  Out of all things I could’ve mentioned! I went straight ahead and revealed how I had an interest in ‘horoscopes’, how Zodiac signs help me relate to individuals generally. I thought about it afterwards and was shocked at my revelation! But in essence I felt so liberated that  as intelligent as I am,  I  too can take interest in a subject perceived by some fickle and pointless as astrology. Nonetheless, it was MY very own ‘First Impression’.  

 

How hard is it to follow instructions?

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 Well the best answer to such a question would be it’s relatively easy to follow instructions when they’re set in a simple, straight forward manner. And most importantly when the instructor makes sure that you understand what it is that is expected of you.

At times ‘WHO’ the instructor is plays a crucial part in how successful we are in following instructions. For instance if your boss (typical example!) instructs you to do A, B and C. No questions asked, you’re on it immediately! But when it’s your spouse or anyone you like bullying and kicking around… Seriously! What are the chances of you abiding by their rules…

And of cause not forgetting the biggest part of it all: ‘What’s it in for me’. The truth is majority of us always seek a reward in most things that we do. Whether it be in our personal or professional lives. Something’s got to give!

Therefore, instructions are hard to follow when there is no reward for efforts put in them succeeding.