#YourBetterSelf

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~ Nelson Mandela ~ In 2009 the United Nations General Assembly declared 18 July as the Nelson Mandela International Day. On their website the Nelson Mandela Foundation, affirms that, “Mandela Day is an annual international day of humanitarian action in celebration of Mr Mandela’s life and legacy. It serves as a catalyst for each and every person to realise that they have the ability to change the world through action ” Yes, action! Oh... in case you missed it… the sentence reads each and every person to realise… “But what has Mandela’s life got to do with your life, or my life?” , one may ask? Well in my experience as a Coach, I keep realising that the difference between success and failure is action. It could also boil down to the notion of having or not having courage. The online oxford learner’s dictionary def...

  As 2023 edges on, we are two weeks in to the New Year. For so many parents and guardians, whose children are still in school, so much activity relates to preparation of back to school here in South Africa at this time of the year. Because I also work in the stationery retail industry, I have observed the intensity of these preparations. In the process, I have been impressed once more with the power of gratitude. “How come?”, you may ask. Well the answer to that is not as simple. But two things immediately come to mind. Gratitude towards our bodies and gratitude towards resources and what they have done for us – and continue to do for us, that we can function and support those who are nearest and dearest to us. Allow me to explain: Our physical bodies enable us to get things done. This may sound obvious, until you take a conscious moment to think deeply about it. Our feet enable us to move to where we want to go with the support of the legs. The spine holds bodies uprigh...

  Remaining with the theme of the New Year reviews, I have been reflecting on the process of setting goals for the New Year. In fact the Citizen online newspaper had an interesting opinion piece about the struggle to stick to New Year resolutions. You can read the full article on: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/struggle-new-years-plan-january-2023/ Recently I also came across a meme that read: “Memories take us back, dreams take us forward”.   Each day, we have an opportunity to create great memories, through the work we do (service), and the people we inter-act with. While it is still early days of the month and the year 2023, as one looks back, an interesting question to ask oneself is; what memories did I create in 2022 that are worth remembering or going back to?   Looking ahead, one could also ponder on the question: What memories am I going to create that would be worth going back to, in the years to come? Hence the inspired theme for today’s blog: Lo...

  Here we are… we have made it to 2023. Happy New Year!  May this be a blessed year for you, your endeavours and your loved ones. I once read somewhere a statement that mentioned there is one thing that everyone in the world has equally: twenty-fours each day; and that what makes the difference is how we individually utilise the time in the day. 2022 has come and gone. 2023 is here. As you look back, how did you utilise 2022? What lessons did you learn from 2022? As you look ahead, how are you going to make 2023 count? I have come to learn that time is such a precious resource. And it is not a renewable resource. So how we choose to use it, or spend it, could be the key to achieving that goal, that dream and making a difference. Since coming across the term ‘life-long learning’, I was pleased to know that awareness is not only limited to the class-room environment. One is able to learn, pretty much anywhere and in any situation if one takes the trouble to be a studen...

BOPA MOSADI – Build a Woman! During this past week, I had the privilege of interacting with twenty female budding entrepreneurs, through a Training and Coaching Session. The session was organized as part of an on-going business development project named as Bopa Mosadi a Setswana phrase that means to build or mold a woman. The purpose of this project is to empower the carefully selected young businesswomen, to bridge the economic gap by equipping them with relevant and practical knowledge and business skills. Consequently this aims at enabling them to penetrate and compete in the economy through their small businesses. The project is sponsored by the DO More Foundation under RCL Foods that operates in the Rustenburg area. NIYA Consulting ( https://niyaconsulting.co.za/ )     and AVO Vision ( https://www.avovision.co.za/ ) are partners in implementing the Business Development project, specifically for young female entrepreneurs.   Building a Woman especially from h...

  “Be the Change you want to see .” this statement is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. It is a simple phrase, but like one wise saying goes: “It is easier said, than done”.  My view is that it is not impossible to become. It takes conscious effort and daily commitment to Become . And that is where the work is. Dreaming is easy. Talking is easy. But doing is the crux. In fact one famous ancient writer once said, “Be doers, and not just hearers of the word.” Bruce Springsteen – a famous musician also pointed out, saying: “A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the person you want to become and start being the person you want to be.” Becoming requires action. There is power in actions. Miracles happen, when one takes action. That is the secret to become. One of my favourite writers called Allon Raiz, made a statement that helps me to focus, every time I feel weary or demotivated. He says, “The power of hundreds of little actions creates resonance and waves of forwa...

  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 ...