#YourBetterSelf

  On 27 October 2022, I met a wonderful gentle-man called Jim Murphy. Jim is a well-known Catholic lay Teacher and Preacher of God’s word in the United States. In fact one interesting fact about him is that, in 1992, he was inspired by the American Bishops’ letter on Heritage and Hope. Therefore, Jim undertook a 4200-mile (6759km) journey on foot across America, carrying a six-foot cross in an effort of prayer and evangelization. The journey took eighteen months… and fourteen pairs of shoes! Wow… Isn’t this an amazing demonstration of faith and courage? Despite this and many other achievements, Jim is a very down-to-earth person. Jim is very conversational and he likes to ask questions. So during one episode of our conversations, a few days later, as I shared with him about my Coaching practice, he asked me a question, “In your opinion, what is the distinction between Self-help and Personal Development?” I responded to him by saying: “Self-help is when an individual embarks ...

  I recently came across an intriguing quote by Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie, an Indian-born British-American novelist. It reads thus: “Those who do not have the power over the story that dominates their lives, power to retell it, to re-think it, deconstruct it, joke about it and change it as times change, truly are powerless, because they cannot think new thoughts” This quote provokes me to think about how to think new thoughts and the power of story-telling. On 30 th September 2022, I had the privilege to attend the launch of Rusty Global Media (RGM) TV here in Rustenburg, a Community TV Station. During the event, I had the privilege of listening to stories of ordinary women who have made extra-ordinary achievements in and around the North West province of South Africa. What is common among them is that their stories are untold, yet they have positively impacted countless lives. In fact the vision to establish RGM TV was inspired by the story of Mrs Diratsagae (RIP) who achi...

  It was on Thursday 08 September 2022 at 8:05am that I received an email announcing the sudden passing of Pranesh Anandlal. My body went into shock and disbelief. I read the email at least 5 times just to be sure I was not dreaming. The reason for my unbelief is that Pranesh had sent me an email invite for the monthly webinar he hosts under Yelusa Coaching Academy. This is one of the various platforms where as Coaches we gather to discuss about the trends of our growing profession. This particular webinar was scheduled for 19 th September 2022. The email that conveyed the news of Pranesh’s passing was from COMENSA for another Webinar, where Pranesh would be the main speaker on the topic: ‘The Future of Coaching.’ This webinar was scheduled for 22 September 2022. The email was sent to inform us that the event was being cancelled due to the untimely passing of Pranesh. I would have inter-acted with Pranesh, at least twice this month, during those Webinars besides the emai...

  Very often, we take the simple pleasures of life for granted. Waking up, placing your feet on the floor as you get out of bed, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, getting ready for the day ahead… and so on. It is not until we are ill that we realize how valuable the simple things of life are. Lying on the hospital bed and staring at the ceiling for most of the day, while depending on others for basic care to get well, can be torturous for the mind if not scary. But it is also something you can be grateful for. It is about eighteen months since I was discharged from hospital, having recovered from a severe COVID-19 attack. Since that time, I have learned to be grateful for every little aspect of life, no matter how minute or challenging, on a daily basis. During this past week, there are three people who have passed away that I have known fairly well over the years. Their passing has sharply reminded me about being mindfully grateful for the gift of life. John Etyang (RI...

  Transformation Change. What a broad topic to discuss. I was privileged to be invited as the key note Speaker of the 10 th Commencement Lecture of Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) on 05 May 2022. This was on the eve of the 27 th Graduation Ceremony. UMU is my Alma Mater. I graduated during the 2 nd Graduation ceremony on 18 th October in 1997. Hence receiving the invitation from the Prof Edrin Kyamanywa – the 4 th Vice Chancellor  to be the keynote speaker at this August occasion  was an honour and humbling. The theme for the commencement lecture was: “Agility, Flexibility and Creativity towards Transformational Change.” Quite a timely theme, as we arise from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparation for the Lecture, I had to do some reading and reflection. This has actually sparked a deeper interest for me to delve deeper into the subject of Transformation and Transformational Change. As a Personal Development and Leadership Coach, this is an area...

  What do you do when you are deeply disappointed by a loss? How do you handle betrayal from someone you thought you trusted? How long do you celebrate a triumph?  Everyone has a way of dealing with the aftermath of incidences of this nature when they occur. Some ways can be destructive, even leading to depression. Other ways can be helpful in moving on, and staying the course towards a more desired or positive outcome. After watching the Netflix Docuseries, entitled, “The Playbook: A Coach's Rules for Life” I got an interesting insight on how to move on after facing a loss, an undesirable situation or even a victory! The Series provide a fresh perspective with behind-the-scenes views from some of the biggest coaching names in athletics. The Coaches share the rules they live by to achieve success in sports and in life. The featured coaches include: Doc Rivers, Jill Ellis, José Mourinho, Patrick Mouratoglou, and Coach Dawn Staley. The sub-title for the series: ‘A Coach’s...

  So today – 17 April 2022 marks 18 years since I walked down the aisle with my beloved Sweetheart and Wife - Gertrude. Prior to the wedding, there were several hurdles we worked through, including: arrangement of the dowry negotiations, preparation of the traditional wedding and later the white wedding we held on this day 18 years ago. Coming from different cultures, we had to quickly acquaint ourselves with each other’s’ cultural dynamics.   At the same time we had to (and have had to) chart a unique course for ourselves acknowledging our respective cultures while mindful of how to celebrate our love towards each other. I still recall our wedding day like it happened yesterday. It was wonderful; and it went fast! Our family and friends joined us to witness our exchange of vows. Through the years, we have done our very best to live those vows – through thick and thin. Today we are Celebrating this Milestone of our wedding anniversary. We have heard stories of people...