#YourBetterSelf

  Yes. Conversations. What about them? Interestingly, conversations have a strong influence on our perspectives on just about everything in life. What we believe, or have strong opinions about, be it negative or positive. It is all guided by conversations. These conversations could be with self, or inter-active with other people. Conversations can be described as being: alluring, amusing, attractive, beautiful, compelling, curious, delightful, engaging, exotic, fascinating, impressive, intriguing, lovely, pleasing, provocative, refreshing, stimulating, striking, thought-provoking, unusual, absorbing, captivating, enchanting, gripping, inviting, riveting, stirring, elegant, exceptional, and pleasurable. The list could go on and on. My key interest today, is about the quality of conversations that we have with self. I tend to think that, the conversations that we have with self is where the magic happens. And yet, we seem to take little or no notice at all that our minds ar...

  Earlier this week, I was having a conversation with colleagues on how far we have come in the business venture we are all involved with. As we reflected on the progress made so far, and areas where improvements can be made, the subject of focus came up. This is in terms of achieving goals in a specific time frame, despite competing demands. Later on, as I personally reflected further it became clear that this is something that I had neglected for a while, and could be the very secret I need to have that edge. Wow! Focus. It has become a rare attribute in the way we do things either personally or professionally. In fact one has to make such a conscious effort just to focus. When was the last time you spent an hour without looking at your phone for emails, tweeter-feeds, instagrams, facebook, news-feeds, you-tube videos, linked-In… and the list could go on and on? Has social-media technology challenged us to the extent that we are unable to actually focus? Please do...

  Earlier this weekend I was listening to a Speaker who was explaining an important aspect of our lives - the type of Fruit our lives manifest. In his speech, he challenged the listeners to realize that the Fruit we produce and see in our lives is a consequence of the seed we plant in our lives.  He posed a question. “What Fruit do you want your life to produce?” He further highlighted, saying: when you look back at your life, you can see what type of Fruit your life has been producing.   The thought that crossed my mind was, if I am happy with the Fruit that my life has produced, then well and good. But what if one is unsatisfied with the type of Fruit that one’s life has been producing, what then? Perhaps the question to ask is; What Fruit does one want to produce in one’s life?   This speaks to the vision that one holds for their individual life. A follow-up question could be: “How does one produce a desired Fruit in one’s life that is praise-worthy?” ...

So Lisa Nichols a well-known transformation Coach came up with a slogan that says  yes, Yes!   She explains that that when you shout this slogan, the second Yes must be louder than the first one. The second Yes is to yourself and a shout of affirmation to put any fear you may be facing in the rightful place. In her words:  "acknowledge the fear in your life, but do not let fear take the driver’s seat in your life."  yes, Yes! What a powerful statement. From the feedback I received on the previous blog post, one fellow Coach shared with me how fear grabs us and paralyses us from moving forward. I realized that none of us is actually spared from fear. The difference we see in others, especially those that we may be looking up to, is that they have made fear their fuel. yes, Yes! January 2023 has come and gone. February 2023 has begun. The year is progressing swiftly. The days seem to be going faster than usual. Oh and those goals that you may have set in Janua...

“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...