Never too late

Never too late

I’m currently reading an interesting book SUCCESS one day at a time, by John C Maxwell. John C. Maxwell is a renowned motivational speaker on leadership.

When a friend gave me this book, I was advised that it’s easy to read and that I should read and reflect on each of the inspiring stories. There’s a story that touched my heart at this moment in time in my life.

It’s a story of Robert Lopatina man who never dared to give up on his childhood dream. Robert’s dream was to become a doctor, but instead he joined a family business with his father. So for twenty seven years he worked in the business, and when they sold their business, he had options of retiring and living off the money.

His childhood dream was awakened by a young man he met at a friend’s wedding, who had just finished at medical school. At the age of fifty one, he decided to study medicine and by the age of fifty five, he graduated from medical school.

What inspired me about this story, was the determination of Robert, how he didn’t let age stand in his way. How he went on to pursue his dream, despite his age. In many cases we are discouraged from reaching our potential or are told we are too old to do what we truly want to do. However here is a man, who still believed in a dream, who dared to keep the dream alive.

A powerful quote by Stella Stuart-

Behind me is infinite power.

Before me is endless possibility.

Around me is boundless opportunity.

Why should I fear?

Why I have conversations?

Why I have conversations?

Having conversations with other people is a good way of broadening one’s knowledge. However I also believe in having conversations with myself and with God.

My conversations with God are private and very sacred to me; they hold a special place and have deep meaning in my life. Conversations with my creator, awakens the spiritual side of me, which is often left unattended for some time. Such conversations bring me closer to feeling the connection with God. These conversations, reminds me that I merely a human, given the wisdom to be as productive as I choose to be on this earth, however they remind me, that I have a spiritual part.

Such conversations are more meaningful to me, as I get to be calm, I learn to be still, and listen all around me. Listen to what nature has to tell me. Such conversations, makes me believe that I have a greater purpose on this earth, that I have more potential than I credit myself with.

I have conversations to remind me that I have a dream and that I can’t give up. I am reminded that in life it is not about winning the race, but rather being part of the race and making it to the finishing line. That no matter how many times one felt like quieting before that finishing line, they don’t give up.

My goals

My goals

My assignment to write down my goals, ranging from 1 year, two years and three years, proved to be a challenging task than I had imagined. It is amazing that when we asked to truly reflect what we desire, it’s hard to articulate, yet we know we have the edge to achieve in our life time. It took me a long time to write my goals, partly because I had so much guilt on time I feel had been wasted, but also because it took me the best part of the week to work out how to set achievable goals.

I feel my challenge with writing down my goals was I never did set myself goals, as such. Instead, I had just one singular objective: to work and earn money. That’s all I wanted to do. It’s what I was working towards. I confused the two terms, Goal and Target. Here are a couple of relevant definitions from dictionary.com.

Although the dictionary could not give me the difference that became clear to me

Target: a goal to be reached.

Goal: the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

Within a space of a week, my understanding has never been this clear about my goals.

1year Goal

First my target is to find a job that will help me set my goal for the first 12 months. My goal is to find a position that will put me in a forward-moving company with solid performance and future projections. As part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow the company. I would also need to work hard at my position, so to learn and gain as much experience that is needed to be productive and see visible growth. I also want to learn and gain as much experience that is needed to master my job.

2^nd year Goal

My 2year goal will depend on where the company goes. My plan is to move into a position of responsibility where I can lead a team.

3^rd year Goal

By the third year I feel I would be comfortable in working and being part of a team. Now I feel I would be confident in saying ,  I’m a very driven, ambitious person – but if I don’t have a plan of what I’m trying to accomplish, I end up expending energy in many different directions. So my third years I want to see myself in a prominent position in the company, having have finished my Honours degree as well. 

I now feel my goals are becoming clearer, hoping that I reach my target that I set for myself so I can pave way for my goals. I sure do hope that my writing made sense to you while reading it, as I am still finding my feet in the whole career part of my life. I bet if I were to be asked to do the very same exercise in the next few months, I would become more sure and confident.

“He who fails to plan is planning to fail.” Winston Churchill

Write your bucket list/100 things to do before you die?

Write your bucket list/100 things to do before you die?

Ohhh, wow now let me count my bucket list, what want to do and what I aspire to accomplish in this one life time that is guaranteed. I’m really not sure about the next life time and what might be.

1.       Go on a road trip

2.       Go backpacking

3.       Live through 4 seasons of the year – Spring, summer, autumn, winter

4.       Read a book on a subject you’d never have thought of reading

5.       Go bungee jumping

6.       Fly a plane

7.       Get to work for a charity organisation

8.       Be involved in helping the homeless and part of a major project

9.       Sing on stage with thousands of fans watching

10.   Deliver the greatest speech that will touch people’s lives

11.   Have a positive influence to those around me

12.   Go on holiday and get swiped off by a total stranger

13.   Save money to travel for a year

14.   Experience Africa and its beauty

15.   Learn to speak  Greek

16.   Walk on the Chines Wall

17.   Make sure my son’s get to live their dreams

18.   Hold my grandchildren

19.   Go on a romantic gate away with the love of my life

20.   Go on a retreat session for six months

21.   Swim in the ocean in the middle of the night

22.   Sleep under the stars with no fear

23.   Climb Kilimanjaro

24.   Be a good chef

25.   Build my mom the house of her dreams

26.   To work hard and contribute to society, so that my legacy stays long after I’m gone

27.   Laugh all day, for no apparent reason and enjoy

28.   Hold a new born baby every morning  for a month

29.   Read a book that  every day for one full year(365 days)

30.   Acquire the taste of red wine

31.   To ululate  at both my sons graduation days

32.   To go on a roller coaster without the fear of vomiting

33.   Tell intsomi(bed time stories) to children the way my grandmother shared them with us

34.   Learn how to dance tango

35.   Host my own tv show

36.   Donate to schools that need the help

37.   Build my dream holiday home

38.   Go to Greece and experience their rich history

39.   Go to Scott land and listen to their music(just like in Brave heart)

40.   Run in the comrades marathon

41.   Learn sign language

42.   Educate as much people as I can about albinism

43.   Adopt a baby girl

44.   Write and publish my book

45.   I want to work with international charity organisations

46.   I want to feed my spirituality

47.   I want to love in abundance

48.   I want to look after my health and stay fit

49.   I want to learn a musical instrument

50.   I want to laugh out loud

What happens when they leave?

What happens when they leave?

Children are the world’s greatest gift, because they are part of this life and we have children, they have children, and so the rule of mother nature continues.

You remember the first time you touch each and every one of them, the joy that filled your heart. They were precious, fragile and wanted your protection. From that day you vowed with yourself as a parent that you would safe guard them, until they could fend for themselves. However that is not always the case.  We love our children and live for them, every decision we make while they are young revolves around them. We find our lives based on what is best for our children, and sacrifices are made along the way. Not that it’s a bad thing; however some of our decisions come back later on.

We forget that we are grooming adults and that they will soon leave the nest and go into the wild to find ways of surviving. That can open a void for a parent, because now  one is left alone in the house, no children to drive around. As parents the house starts being lonely and you feel lost, some parents even go for therapy, to help them cope and adjust to their new lives. The fact that they won’t call you as often as you would like them too, hurts and makes one feel lonely.

So I have decided to live now and have a life too, so I don’t resent them and blame them for dreams that were lost along the way. I need a purpose, so when it’s time for them to leave the nest, I can wish them well, as teary as I would be. It would bring me comfort knowing that I’ll look forward to my space and embrace my next phase, in my journey of life.

My big fat BIG dream.

My big fat BIG dream.

My big fat big dream, so much comes to mind, however my biggest of dreams would be to see a united South Africa. I know you’re most probably thinking, I’m crazy, but it’s my big dream. I have this dream that if we could be a united South Africa, wonderful things would start happening in our country.

Right now South Africa is dived by so many things. We are divided by racial factors, sexism, ethnicity, social levels and religion. We all pride our self for this beautiful, a land of opportunity for all, if we could learn to get along. If we could put those differences aside and focus more on our common goal as a country. My dream  of seeing a South Africa that uses its natural resources that belongs to all those who claim it.

My dream is to make sure that our children live in a South Africa that lifts up the flag in pride, who sing their National Anthem with pride, understanding the deep meaning of the song. Respecting that our flag represents us all and that the National Anthem seeks to unify us and Knowing that South African people accept and respect each other’s individual’s view.

My big fat Big dream is unity, with no fear, discrimination of any sort, but one goal that makes us a patriotic South Africa.