When good things happen out of the bad ...

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There I was looking great and feeling even greater with medium grey clouds hovering over me. Despite several warnings that the weather in Cape Town would bring a staggering hundred percent rainfall, I insisted on a much productive calm day ahead. And yes it was a productive day. I had much prepared for a presentation my for Management Practise lecture which was due yanks ago!. It was something I was pretty much looking forward to...

Well, that was until my colleague alerted me five minutes away from varsity that the presentation would only take place in like what … TWO WEEKS! By this time my gorgeous polished hair was soaking wet, I went from being glamorous to being goofed. At this point I was thinking 'No presentation, at least I have a lecture to look forward to. And ironically I bumped into the same colleague only to tell me class was cancelled! And stupid enough this was the perfect time to despise my lecturer, yet I find myself liking him even more …. Rudolph van Jaarsveldt is just one of those people you cant hate regardless of how hard you try! Once again, I was defeated.

By now you're thinking, 'Surely what's so good about this tale?' The perfect answer would be: the creation of this blog *smiles*.

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?

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 The same way you got up I guess! While this may sound sarcastic but its pretty logic, unless of cause you have those cute precious things called wings. Whether you climbed there, used air transportation or Lord knows what else!, fact is you got up there, there surely will be some way to get down.

In a more figurative manner, people would associate it with the saying 'the same way you go up, is the same way you come down'. Which simply put merely means if you treat the same people you stepped on and helped you to get to the top like crap, the same people will frankly take you down to the ground or at times you take yourself down!. This is nothing new really, we witness it everyday. Its just one of those things we can never get away from or rather: step away from...

'We are what we do'

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‘Actions speak louder than words’. Yes a cliche indeed, but do they really?  I had a conversation with a friend a while back and he mentioned something that stuck with me till this day: It is by words that war is created. And ironically recently someone tweeted my way that ‘the tongue is the strongest muscle of our bodies’ literally and to much extent figuratively speaking.

This got me thinking which one is it really… Are we our actions? Or our actions provoked by the words we give ‘life’ to? Well one thing is certain, we’re different people at different times. The way one acts within their social environment is different from their working one, the contrast between family and strangers, our places of spiritual enhancement and so fourth… 

Which brings me to conclude, what we do is influenced by our surroundings. And despite people assuming ‘we are what we do’, truth is we are more than our actions. We all know we matter and even when we think otherwise there’s forever that voice inside each and every one of us that reminds us of our ‘true being’.

‘That’s the beauty of the journey …. ‘We are every people, everyday’.

Why we wait till the last minute

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This is one topic that hits home. I’m one of those persons who’ll leave something till the last minute.  And I always shoot in myself in the foot!  Is there such a thing as one ‘working well under pressure’ or is it just plain laziness put more subtly. 

In the last week I remember woke up in the morning and had a real moment to myself. And all of a sudden something struck inside of me that ‘This could be my last day on earth’.  To an average Joe this sounds silly and contrary to being profound, but I felt so bare and vulnerable in an instant. Was God trying to tell me who’s skipper of the ship? or was it really ‘it’ for me.

I realized there and then the arrogance of the human species in thinking tomorrow is ‘owned’ and guaranteed to us. We wake up everyday, go about our daily living, go to bed with the notion of tomorrow being ‘yet another day’. It’s been three days since my ‘incident’ and still finding my way around my whole new outlook and meaning of my existence. I’ve tried to not leave anything important till the last minute such as admitting I’m at fault, stopping the ‘snooze on my alarm or teasing my siblings! I still have a long list of adjustments to be made.  Yet I’ve learnt it starts with every blessed day.

We are afraid of the wrong things

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At an early age we’re predominantly taught ‘right’ from ‘wrong’. From the time we’re in our diapers till never! Do the following statements sound familiar ‘ Touch that and you’ll burn’, ‘You’re not getting any ice-cream till you mouth that last pea on your plate!’, ‘God sees everything so if you’re lying your name is going to be written on a huge stone in heaven’ the list goes on…. Our parents and kinder garden teachers were the most creative and influential life teachers.  

I remember growing up silly stories my parents would ‘make up’ just to keep me on the right path. One story in particular stands out. It’s a story about a mysterious ‘unknown’ man who had a long black car, at a certain time of the day he’d abduct kids on the street and drive off with them. This was of cause their way of getting me indoors by 5pm! But there were a lot of loose holes in the story such as ‘did this man have an assistant?’, ‘judging by his description, was he a pimp?’ and most importantly ‘what happened to his victims?’

And at times my folks would say things such as: ‘Little Johnny from three doors away got abducted by the ‘Mystery man’ because he was out till 5:30. That’s the last time he was seen’. And being the truthful parents they are, I’d believe them.  Comes the next day, you’d be playing rope with your friends and out of nowhere would appear Little Johnny, lollipop in his hand and with the other waving cheerfully at you. Parents!

 To end on a serious note, we are afraid of the wrong things because not only do they bring us undesirable, unfulfilled results and consequences. But because deep down inside we’re all aware that we are greater than our imperfections. 

Twitter stories have happy endings…

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I recently took it upon myself to research the number of users on Twitter. Not because I had ample free time to spare, but because I had recently become part of a mega community of 175 million connected individuals. My Twitter experience has been a pleasant one thus far, not only do I get to communicate with my colleagues and random strangers, it’s become my own personal ‘haven’ where I can get away from everything and just ‘be’. Yet what is life without any surprises!

The other day I was going on as per usual with my ‘tweeting’ when I received a much personal message from a colleague stating that ‘someone was saying bad things about me’. My natural instinct led me to enquire about her much disturbing statement, with no luck there wasn’t a response. A few minutes later my status read ‘Lose up to 145lbs within a month....’ with a link attached to ‘my’ message. Sadly ‘I’ was sending related messages within forty minute intervals! I immediately picked up that there DEFINITELY was something wrong as I didn’t remember posting such Mambo Jumbo!

 Lucky for me I have a technologically blessed buddy who simply stated that my account had being hacked! I was calmly assured that within a few days my account would be blasphemy free, and yes it was.

In less than two days I received yet another message, only this time it was from “Twitter”. Requiring me to change my password as there was a suspicious ‘third party’ using my account for their advances. I immediately changed my password and was back to my old ‘happy tweeting self’. I LOVE TWITTER! *smiles*. 

Fish falling from the sky

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As I looked up, I saw fish falling from the sky. There were thousands of them, in all colours; yellow, purple, green, blue, every streak of the rainbow. They marvellously landed on my feet. I caught one and to my surprise these things felt like velvet on the palm of my hand, soft and mushy. I curiously took a bite off one of these bright creatures. WOW! They tasted sooooo good. I couldn’t believe it,

fish shaped candy falling from the sky!

Every colour had its own unique taste, these were ‘heavenly fishes’. I reached out my hand and caught yet another fish. As I was about to take a graceful bite, I realised I had caught the most odd-looking, unappealing, revolving fish ever! It was the dullest grey, brown, blackish…. I couldn’t make out what this fish looked like (that bad!). Out of deceit and much anger, I threw it away and didn’t dare look where it landed.

Seconds later I felt a tingly sensation on my hands, and as I looked I saw sparkly gold, silver and platinum traces: a star galaxy. If I had waited a few more seconds it could’ve metamorphosis into a beauty. I looked around and couldn’t see it. As I lifted up my feet, to my realisation I had stepped on the it. I sat on the ground and sobbed, hoping that another ‘special fish’ would appear. I waited and waited for the longest time. The fish kept falling from the sky, yet no sight of my ‘magical fish'. 

‘The most beautiful, gracious fishes are odd, dull and grey’.

What’s in a name?

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Identity is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of names in general. Although they don’t make up the greater part of who we are, nonetheless they fit the pie.

 The other day I was doing some research on the net on consultancy names and what’s behind an ‘organization’s identity’. This was much inspired after a revelation of a pattern in PR consultancies attaching bizarre, unappealing identities behind their work. In media websites such as Bizcommuity there’s an army of them!  One is greeted by names such as ‘Two green cars’, ‘ Open-closed Window’, ‘Pink velvet tongues’ ( A stretch in exaggeration but nonetheless true!).  

While a consultancy’s name provides differentiation, edge and identity from its competitors, some consultancies miss the plot. They brainstorm consultancy names for the sake of ‘being different’.  And overlook the long-term, strategic implications which come with naming their companies.

Whether re-branding or starting a consultancy, companies always should remember: In business, ‘A name is worth a trillion dollars’. 

What colour is the wind?

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The wind as we know it is without any form, its invisible, its invincible. It's forceful, catastrophic yet calm and soothing. Truth is, we can never make out what the wind is all about.

If I could have the wind in any colour it would be purple. Not only because its my favourite colour, but the colour purple is two dimensional. Or rather has dual facets, which would bring much 'character' to it. I would hug it, kiss it, roll on it, smell it, touch it. Metaphorically that is! I would have a BLAST with my lavender wind.

But sadly, I wouldn’t be able to see the beauty of nature, the serenity of a little footprint on sand, the dignity and grace of staring in one's eyes into their 'being'. While having a purple wind sounds great, in retrospect, it wouldn’t be worth it.

The colour of the wind is perfect as it is. Its a palette of our imagination...

Dance girl, dance girl move your feet. They're adorable, they're so sweet.

Its no secret the amazing connection social media brings us with the rest of the Globe. Only this week I read a chapter from 'The Cluetrain Manifesto' which pointed out how much impact our voices have on the Web. How we as individuals can escape from the 'controlled' and 'managed' system of our workplaces, into a world where our voices are a representation of who we are. As much as this subject had me thinking, I couldn’t help but think of the wonders of social media and how it brings us together. How this form of communication not only builds relationships but allows new ones to formulate.

If it were not for social media, I would not have met a sweet little soul by the name of 'Nomfundo'. This is one groovy, spunky girl. She's carefree and oozes the most amazing confidence ever!. This is how I met her...

I'm not exactly sure when, but my sister sent me a video of a 'dancing toddler'. I fell in love with her spirit that very second. I can't recall the number of times I've repeatedly viewed the video, she's grown on me. Family dinners are filled with 'Nomfundo', she's became a cheer token amongst toddlers and anything in between. Shes drama! 'The cheek', She's a little dancing machine'.