#YourBetterSelf

  So in 2015, I met a wonderful lady. Her name is Deyshun Diesel. She is one of the pioneer South African women who scaled the famously daunting mountain Everest. At the time of our meeting, Deyshun was presenting a talk on leadership and business development, based on her experience of climbing the Everest. She used the term known as Base Camp for expeditions that adventure the Everest peak. It is the inspiration of my theme for this post, as I write from the Pearl of Africa, my home, my Base Camp . According to Deyshun, Base Camp is the place on the Everest were all Climbers are further prepared mentally, physically and emotionally to summit the peak. She says averagely it takes about two months to summit the peak, yet about 9 days to return from the top of the mountain to its bottom. The reason for that, is the body has to acclimatize to the altitudinal conditions of the mountain. There is even a place where oxygen becomes quite limited and one’s body has to adapt to the con...

So last week on my way from Lanseria I accidentally visited Maggie’s Farm. Well my son spotted the place. While my eyes were focused on traffic, he was able to notice the Antique sign. So after a brief bargain, I made a U-turn and went back into Maggie’s Farm (the home of the chicken pie). https://www.facebook.com/homeofthechickenpie . What a surprise and warm welcome we had. The venue has such a pleasant atmosphere. As we arrived, we were greeted by a peaceful and serene vibe. The highlight was the Cradle Antique Store operated by Peter. His passion as a Collector exudes with such ease as he explains the historical details of some rare collectible items in the Store. The store is home to items from the 1800s meticulously preserved over the years and still in mint condition.   I watched as he and my son Judah interacted about the vintage Camera collection in the store. When I asked Peter what inspired him to open an Antique Store, he answered with beaming pride, “I have alw...

Every now and again, it is important to take a worthwhile break from the busy hustle and bustle of work schedule. Work/Life Balance if not well handled and managed, could consequently result into a burn-out. And once this happens, productivity could be negatively affected, let alone the other potential extreme mental health side-effects such as depression. To reset therefore, becomes a viable opportunity to regenerate one’s own mental, physical and spiritual strength to get a fresh start. For one to reset, it simply means taking time out for oneself to do something refreshing and enjoy-able. It is an activity that enhances and renews one’s positive energy. There’s a part of us that always needs to be reconstituted. And this can be achieved by doing things that restore a sense of balance in the way one feels and looks at life. There is no one-size-fits-all prescription on what must be done to reset. What matters is that it is done on a regular basis. For instance, one can choose t...

  Recently, I inter-acted with Kgosana Dr Koketso Rakhudu ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrh-kgosana-dr-koketso-rakhudu-7b94ab254/ ). He was the guest speaker at a business development training that I was facilitating under the auspices of the Do More Foundation ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-do-more-foundation/ ), in collaboration with Niya Consulting ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/niya-consulting/ ). Whenever I am in the company of greatness, I become an attentive student. So as Dr Rakhudu addressed the participants, I also took notes. His motivation speech revolved around an acronym that he has coined, known as FLAP. In full, FLAP stands for: F ollow, L ove, A ccept and P rofessional. Dr Rakhudu’s brief motivation left me with food for thought. I have been reflecting on the acronym since he talked about it. Hence the title of this post: Are you a FLAP Entrepreneur or Jobpreneur? Living in a community where the unemployment rate is at an all-time high, and the y...

  Vulnerability is many times associated with some kind of stigma. Many times the term being vulnerable is used in situations where people are perceived as victims, weak or defenseless. Recently, I had the experience being vulnerable, by allowing myself to open up about my deepest thoughts and feelings. It was risky. I was not sure about the outcome, whether I would be accepted or shunned upon. All know for sure that, in the moment, I was never the same. I felt a lot much better. The burden of pains and hurts that I had felt heavy for some time, were lifted in the moment. I found new strength and felt refreshed to be myself again. It was in that very moment that I realized how powerful it is to be vulnerable. Upon reading some more about being vulnerable, I realized why it is important for everyone to be aware of some deeper aspects of being vulnerable. Hence the theme for this post. Interestingly, I came across an article with a statement that says, “ Vulnerability is about ...

  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...