So over the past month I have had the privelage of working on the Emalahleni Development Conference, as difficult and incomplete as the task is, I must say I feel very enthusiastic about it. Not because it promises to be one of the most extravagent events the city has seen but because it signals the beginning of great things to come within the city of Emalahleni.
I feel very honord to be born in this generatn, as I said on one of my blogs, that I would pass the opportunity to be born during Gen 1:1 to be born in this generatn, I would even pass the opportunty of experiencing June 1976 and even the civl rights movment, all so that I can be right here and right now. This is the 'make it happen' generation, a generation whose agitation of the current state of affairs makes them wish for a better tomorrow, and further more vigilantly pursue it.
The sole purpose of this conference is to launch a series of events that will inspire and provide leadership developments in the city. Moreover it is created to initiate an environment of constructiv engagement with in the youth of the city. By constructive engagment I mean engagement which is key to influencing the future of the city. This means socio-economical issues with in the city, and other politicial and religious engagemtns.
To mentions but a few of the 'topics' that we will dicuss further on in the confrence,
- the role of young professionals over and above their professional careers
-developing the economics of the regions through the development of small business
-the role in which the spiritual community can play an active and practical role in the development of the youth
- Nationalisation, and its practicality and relevance in our generation
-the role that mentorship can play in the development of the youth
These are just a few of the topics that the conference will cover over the years of its existence.
The confrence will solely be built around the development of the region, and will ensure that many of the issues that deal with the youth (directly) are discussed and are efficiently and effectivly dealt with.
As I have vehemently stated this is not a gethering of a sinlg type of grouping, but seeks to engage all the sectors of society.
When we commence the confrence on Friday, we will have a motivational talk by myself on Friday 17:30 @ lynville hall,
On Saturday we will follow with a dynamic and youth specific leadership talk by Lot Ndlovu and Dr. Pat Naves. The speakers lived in Witbank for a great amount of time, especially in the foramtive years of their success. They have both gone on 2 achieve tremendous amounts of success, Lot Ndlovu as once presidnet of the BMF and once Executive Director of Nedbank Group Ltd. Dr. Pat Naves in her careers as a successful academic, human resoeuces though leader and as former director of human resources @ the SABC.
On Saturday we finish off with a wonderful spiritual session by Kabelo ‘Buga Luv’ Mabalane and my personal friend and leader Carol Mkhize. We all know Kabelo and his story, and I will save Carols introduction for when I do introduce her, but both these individuals are going to deal with an aspect which I personally believe is integral to the development of 'effective' leadership.
The confrence was meant to have two legs which were unfortunately canceled due to the lack of support of the event by the black business. We will however begin with a tremendous experience to be followed (hopefully) during youth month.
I hope that we will come in numbers and I hope it attracts more crowds than shisa nyama on a Friday night. As ambitious as that sounds it represents a genuine desire, that if we are to enjoy debauchery we would at least also indulge in constructive sessions for the benefit of the mind and soul. I also hope that the event would spread faster than gossip and that it occupies people’s minds and conversations for months after its staging.
Sounds Ambitious doesn’t it? Not at all, it’s actually very practical and necessary, talking about our future and our children’s future is very practical and necessary.
Emalahleni Development Confrence.... Developing the Next Generation of leaders.
Emalahleni is the POWA!!!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2011
So it's the last day of the year, 2010 comes to an end. If you had asked me five years ago, "where would you be on the 30th of December 2010?" I would've mentioned a couple of places, and a couple of activities but none of them would include sitting in my mothers lounge, listening to Bill Withers preparing a piece for a blog that has about twenty active SA visitors, two from the US and three from the UK...(My blog stats recently revealed this to me, I think it's the CIA and Scotland Yard checking up on me after I made that tasteless status update about 9/11 not too long ago).
I thought and hoped I would definitely be far by now (in terms of personal accomplishment).
Besides the hype around soccer world cup, 2010 for me was meant to be the end of a long, tiring and winding journey, and at the close of 2010 I would be preparing 4 a new chapter.
Well as you can tell by the bitter taste on these lines, I am not quite there. As a matter of fact the original plan has been aborted. Partly by choice and partly by circumstance.
That's the thing with all plans of life, you plan to get to point 'A' on method 1 and all of a sudden the winds of reality have pushed you into an intended direction landing you in unanticipated territory.
There are only a handful of people that have had the privilege of smooth sailing towards their goals.
Yet for those of us who haven't the benefit of reaching our goals in (desired) time, there is always the added benefit of lessons learnt.
When I look at where I was 5 years ago, and I look at where I am now I am quite pleased with the distance covered. Of course I could've covered more, but I do believe I have covered a reasonable level.
One of the greatest deterrents of efficient planning is that individuals have a tendency of looking at the original objective and desired outcome, and forget all the added benefits that come with the journey itself, e.g. when I went to Wits the original plan was to get a degree and get out, a degree that would prepare me for the corporate posts I would occupy over this life of mine. Yes I didn't get there in the desired time, but I had the opportunity of building 2 non-profit organization's and a business. I've rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest 'next-generation' leaders this country is about to see. All of these lessons and relationships are going to be instrumental in my development as a human being, as a businessman, father and whatever else I choose 2 be in the future.
Many of us stop dreaming and planning because we are tired of failed attempts, un-met expectations and the emotional roller coasters. Our hearts get so tired that they settle for no expectation instead of being teased and dropped.
But our lives are so much more than profit forecasts, and cash flow projections...they are a series of experiences, all of which are necessary processes for our next step.
All of these experiences are necessary for our growth, for our health and for our sanity and none of them should be undermined, or despised even in our temporary distress.
I don't believe that the universe conspires to help us reach our achievements (it's probably because I haven't met Mr. Universe), I do believe however that God works everything out for our good...I somehow trust that even though my own life does not go according to my plan, that his hand is somehow involved in ensuring that His plan (and not mine) gets fulfilled, and that is not at all an excuse for sluggish behavior.
As the year 2011 comes through I hope we will look back upon 2010 and smile and we will prepare our resolutions, our plans and desires and pursue them with all strength and determination.
Two years ago I was telling a cousin of mine how the year 2008 had been a rocky one for me, and how I just felt that I had deeply messed up. He advised me as such, "My chief it's alright, what has happened has happened, just make sure that when I talk to you next year on the same date, you are singing a different tune from the current one'
So I put this challenge to you, no matter how good or bad the year has been for you...put your plans down and make sure that when you sit down to sing next year (on the 31st of december 2011) with the orchestra of your achievements, you are singing the exact tune that was penned down on your music sheet 12 months before.
Heppy Heppy
I thought and hoped I would definitely be far by now (in terms of personal accomplishment).
Besides the hype around soccer world cup, 2010 for me was meant to be the end of a long, tiring and winding journey, and at the close of 2010 I would be preparing 4 a new chapter.
Well as you can tell by the bitter taste on these lines, I am not quite there. As a matter of fact the original plan has been aborted. Partly by choice and partly by circumstance.
That's the thing with all plans of life, you plan to get to point 'A' on method 1 and all of a sudden the winds of reality have pushed you into an intended direction landing you in unanticipated territory.
There are only a handful of people that have had the privilege of smooth sailing towards their goals.
Yet for those of us who haven't the benefit of reaching our goals in (desired) time, there is always the added benefit of lessons learnt.
When I look at where I was 5 years ago, and I look at where I am now I am quite pleased with the distance covered. Of course I could've covered more, but I do believe I have covered a reasonable level.
One of the greatest deterrents of efficient planning is that individuals have a tendency of looking at the original objective and desired outcome, and forget all the added benefits that come with the journey itself, e.g. when I went to Wits the original plan was to get a degree and get out, a degree that would prepare me for the corporate posts I would occupy over this life of mine. Yes I didn't get there in the desired time, but I had the opportunity of building 2 non-profit organization's and a business. I've rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest 'next-generation' leaders this country is about to see. All of these lessons and relationships are going to be instrumental in my development as a human being, as a businessman, father and whatever else I choose 2 be in the future.
Many of us stop dreaming and planning because we are tired of failed attempts, un-met expectations and the emotional roller coasters. Our hearts get so tired that they settle for no expectation instead of being teased and dropped.
But our lives are so much more than profit forecasts, and cash flow projections...they are a series of experiences, all of which are necessary processes for our next step.
All of these experiences are necessary for our growth, for our health and for our sanity and none of them should be undermined, or despised even in our temporary distress.
I don't believe that the universe conspires to help us reach our achievements (it's probably because I haven't met Mr. Universe), I do believe however that God works everything out for our good...I somehow trust that even though my own life does not go according to my plan, that his hand is somehow involved in ensuring that His plan (and not mine) gets fulfilled, and that is not at all an excuse for sluggish behavior.
As the year 2011 comes through I hope we will look back upon 2010 and smile and we will prepare our resolutions, our plans and desires and pursue them with all strength and determination.
Two years ago I was telling a cousin of mine how the year 2008 had been a rocky one for me, and how I just felt that I had deeply messed up. He advised me as such, "My chief it's alright, what has happened has happened, just make sure that when I talk to you next year on the same date, you are singing a different tune from the current one'
So I put this challenge to you, no matter how good or bad the year has been for you...put your plans down and make sure that when you sit down to sing next year (on the 31st of december 2011) with the orchestra of your achievements, you are singing the exact tune that was penned down on your music sheet 12 months before.
Heppy Heppy
Sunday, December 12, 2010
FIGHT BACK
Fighting back is about standing up for what you believe in.
If you believe in your dreams you'll fight back when circumstances come your way, when people try to take it away 4rmyou, when lecturers attempt 2 steal it 4rm you.
Fighting Back means that you are not a whiner, you don't cry over spilt milk, or lost wars or failed attempts...you don't cry over what could've been, but u rejoice over what will be.
Your rejoicing does not stem 4rm unsubstantiated emotions, but on the understanding that you are going to give it your all. You are not consoled by false hope, your excitement is not rooted on figments of imagination but on Gods promises...he said he wouldn't leave you, you trust Him, everyday you wake up with that faith that trust, that He who has brought you this far will not leave you.
Fighting back is not only about recovering all that's been lost, but seeking to recover all and more. Its about understanding that the struggles were not 4 nothing and that the inevitable victory is not simply there to restore order, but to create a new order. The order of abundance the order of purpose, the order of new blessings every morning.
Those who fight back know that the Kingdom suffereth violence and the violent take it by force, we know there is an enemy. sometimes he portrays himself as such, other times he purports to b a friend, sometimes he spews violence other times he seems sympathetic 2 our cause. Whatever his strategies we know him now, we have seen him...we know his voice...we know who to run from and who to run to...
Fight back...fight back...nothing in the world will be achieved without fighting.
Throw a punch, or a stone or a brick, swing a slap, kick,put sum teeth and sum nails... , scratch, whatever you do don't watch while circumstances try 2 bring you down, even with your back against the ropes, or the referee counting you out...FIGHT BACK!!!
If you believe in your dreams you'll fight back when circumstances come your way, when people try to take it away 4rmyou, when lecturers attempt 2 steal it 4rm you.
Fighting Back means that you are not a whiner, you don't cry over spilt milk, or lost wars or failed attempts...you don't cry over what could've been, but u rejoice over what will be.
Your rejoicing does not stem 4rm unsubstantiated emotions, but on the understanding that you are going to give it your all. You are not consoled by false hope, your excitement is not rooted on figments of imagination but on Gods promises...he said he wouldn't leave you, you trust Him, everyday you wake up with that faith that trust, that He who has brought you this far will not leave you.
Fighting back is not only about recovering all that's been lost, but seeking to recover all and more. Its about understanding that the struggles were not 4 nothing and that the inevitable victory is not simply there to restore order, but to create a new order. The order of abundance the order of purpose, the order of new blessings every morning.
Those who fight back know that the Kingdom suffereth violence and the violent take it by force, we know there is an enemy. sometimes he portrays himself as such, other times he purports to b a friend, sometimes he spews violence other times he seems sympathetic 2 our cause. Whatever his strategies we know him now, we have seen him...we know his voice...we know who to run from and who to run to...
Fight back...fight back...nothing in the world will be achieved without fighting.
Throw a punch, or a stone or a brick, swing a slap, kick,put sum teeth and sum nails... , scratch, whatever you do don't watch while circumstances try 2 bring you down, even with your back against the ropes, or the referee counting you out...FIGHT BACK!!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Dr. Spin
You have probably caught on to politicians’ mastery of giving long-winding names to straight forward activity. Like the most commonly used term for corruption these days is 'political conspiracy' in a America we saw 'The War on Terror', that as you already know was another phrase used 2 describe America’s attempted takeover of eastern resources. And (of course) “Weapons of Mass Destruction” is a phrase used to identify the figment in the U.S. Government’s imagination of evidence that they (the Americans) will use as the primary reason to attack...it's like the guns or the drugs they plant on people just so they can have reason to arrest them, only in America's case they don't actually get around to planting the evidence, and after their 'war on terror' is over and they realize that the world is waiting for answers they say 'Oops we were wrong, mistakes happen' and wait for the next president to clean up the mess.
This amongst others represents the way in which we as human beings have used the mastery of the English language against (both) others (enemies, people around us etc) and ourselves. For instance these days we have flings, this term is used to denote relations between two individuals that has as its primary purpose the satisfaction of the physical desires of the parties. “Friends with benefits” is another commonly used term.
Quite recently I have heard of the word, “itshotsho” which (directly translated) represents the money that you would pay to an official at the traffic department to get a license or a policeman/metro officer to allow you off the hook even though you smell like a brewery and just skipped a red robot at 200 km/h (in the middle of the CBD).
Of course one cannot doubt the far reaching implications of such tendencies. The war on terror is a perfect example, there is no excuse for the animalistic manner in which basic human rights were violated lives and families ruined, all in the name of oil and the furtherance of the American empire's hand (well) into the pockets of 'developing countries' (another term whose meaning will be saved for a debate for another day).
Our lives are shaped by a variety of factors, all of these are highly important.
A great determinant of the quality of our lives is the labels we place on the actions we partake in and those that happen around us. I think it kind of determines how far we are willing to push the line. The label will also determine the frequency of the action, for instance it is probably more common that you will find friends with benefits now (in our generation) more than you previously would, (of course the validity of my claim is subject to research and the growth of the population) but I think you may agree with me just based on your observation, the level of teenage pregnancy and what your grandparents say about this generation of ours.
If you don’t agree think about two sets of guys. They both have different names for excessive provision of drinks, playing drinking games, and the supplement of social drugs such as weed and then sleeping with girls. One group calls this “Date Rape” the other calls it “Alcohol Lubrication”, which group is (in your opinion) more likely to continue with the action?
The conclusion that labels determine frequency is further entrenched by this fact: once a label is attached, there is a definition that follows, this definition usually seeks to clarify the label (on the action) and further explain the relevance of the action. I actually saw the true meaning on a documentary I caught not too long ago.
Tshepo (a gangster) is interviewed on TV about the reasons he commits the crimes that he does. He started by mugging moved to house break ins, to car hijacking, to cash in transit heists until he founded his own organization that specialize in hijacking and cash in transit heists. Asked why he does what he does, his rationale is that he doesn't steal from black people, (not anymore that is) he only steals from the very oppressors (and their offspring) who took away the wealth that originally belonged to us. In essence he is 'taking back' (repossessing) what originally belonged to him.
What perfectly sound logic behind his cause don't you think?
Tshepo simply believes that he is in the repossessing business, simply taking back what rightfully belonged to us in the first place. Anyone can see some logic in the rationale, it has meaning. This deep level of thought (applied) allows the perpetrator to continue on his mission without the constant burden of his conscience.
The explanation is usually associated with a ‘need’ and an explanation of why the action meets the need. Once constructed this wall of thought becomes a stronghold in the mind of the individual. It now goes further than the phrase, but is further rooted by the reasons given.
“A smoke is a stress reliever, it helps me study.”
“It’s not cheating if she doesn't find out.”
So the first part in this deadly equation is the part where we give it a euphemistic term, to clothe its barrenness. For instance Tshepo would in this process swap the phrase stealing for repossession.
The second part is when we define it, of course in the definition the stage has already been set, and the wording is carefully chosen to fit the already euphemistic term. For instance America would call define the 'war on terror' as: the freezing/safeguarding of eastern capital so as to eliminate the possibility of that vey capital being used against them (America).
That's one of the characters of these words, they possess so much logic that as a listener you cannot help but concede as to the relevance and the need for the action. You agree, sympathize, nod, put yourself in the situation...you understand. “Of course it’s a political conspiracy, he didn't do anything to deserve the charge. It’s his enemies, the whites, the media. He didn't bribe anyone (neither did he accept a bribe). It’s not corruption, it’s a political conspiracy.”
My aim with this piece is not to point fingers, God knows there are three other fingers pointing at me…he also knows there are times when I... *no never mind.*
The primary aim is to present to you the dangers of words, the danger of using words to clothe the real intention of our actions and effect from its performance. The mind is a powerful tool, it knows the desires of the 'flesh' and it can (when pushed) present a range of explanations (for the affirmative) that will contend the original dissuasion.
It knows what you want and what you do not want, and it can assist you to effectively complete the assignments facilitated by human weakness.
The secondary aim is to present to you how low a bar can go. The phrase 'booty call' is more mature in age than its sibling fling/friends with benefits. It is a more raw and crude term denoting the very same thing. One is more likely to accept the phrase fling than booty call, simply because ‘fling’ is more sensitive to the cause. The word booty is a rather unpolished word for bum, and simply translated the word “booty call” means a call for sex (which usually happens in the late hours of the night/ early hours of the morning). Once human beings became more and more acquainted both with the English language and their ‘needs’ they invented a term that depicts more generally (and respectfully) the relations that they sought.
The lower we set the bar for ourselves whether in matters of accomplishment, standard of living and moral value, the lower it has the possibility of going, this is captured by the phrase 'aim for the stars and fall on the clouds'. I say this not because of my motivational speaker title but because of its reality.
I also hope that we would kill the spin doctor within. Yes the guy who keeps on using the English language against us. The guy who says, “Let me just rest” when we know we crossed the lazy line an hour ago. We should kill that guy, he's a liar, seriously. He's also the same guy who told you to bribe that cop, 'just get it over and done with so you can go to your family' good advice aint it. In the greater scheme of things? No! I mean who's going to be crying when their car gets hit by a drunk driver on the M1 who just paid inducement money on Empire Road.
We never really get to see the prelude to the accident on T.V., we just see the accident. We don’t see the guy arguing in his head whether he should or shouldn’t have another beer, whether he should call a cab. We just see a bus overturned and a car underneath it.
We also never get to see the man wrestling within his heart about whether he should get the hot girls number, arguing whether he should call her (or not), whether he should sleep with her or not. We just see a fed up mother leaving with the kids. I can bet you a thousand bucks, it started with the spin doctor within.
We never hear the spin doctor speak, but if you can listen carefully to other people speak you can recognize his voice he sounds a little bit like this: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman", "how can a virus cause a syndrome" and the classic "I am a man I have needs."
This amongst others represents the way in which we as human beings have used the mastery of the English language against (both) others (enemies, people around us etc) and ourselves. For instance these days we have flings, this term is used to denote relations between two individuals that has as its primary purpose the satisfaction of the physical desires of the parties. “Friends with benefits” is another commonly used term.
Quite recently I have heard of the word, “itshotsho” which (directly translated) represents the money that you would pay to an official at the traffic department to get a license or a policeman/metro officer to allow you off the hook even though you smell like a brewery and just skipped a red robot at 200 km/h (in the middle of the CBD).
Of course one cannot doubt the far reaching implications of such tendencies. The war on terror is a perfect example, there is no excuse for the animalistic manner in which basic human rights were violated lives and families ruined, all in the name of oil and the furtherance of the American empire's hand (well) into the pockets of 'developing countries' (another term whose meaning will be saved for a debate for another day).
Our lives are shaped by a variety of factors, all of these are highly important.
A great determinant of the quality of our lives is the labels we place on the actions we partake in and those that happen around us. I think it kind of determines how far we are willing to push the line. The label will also determine the frequency of the action, for instance it is probably more common that you will find friends with benefits now (in our generation) more than you previously would, (of course the validity of my claim is subject to research and the growth of the population) but I think you may agree with me just based on your observation, the level of teenage pregnancy and what your grandparents say about this generation of ours.
If you don’t agree think about two sets of guys. They both have different names for excessive provision of drinks, playing drinking games, and the supplement of social drugs such as weed and then sleeping with girls. One group calls this “Date Rape” the other calls it “Alcohol Lubrication”, which group is (in your opinion) more likely to continue with the action?
The conclusion that labels determine frequency is further entrenched by this fact: once a label is attached, there is a definition that follows, this definition usually seeks to clarify the label (on the action) and further explain the relevance of the action. I actually saw the true meaning on a documentary I caught not too long ago.
Tshepo (a gangster) is interviewed on TV about the reasons he commits the crimes that he does. He started by mugging moved to house break ins, to car hijacking, to cash in transit heists until he founded his own organization that specialize in hijacking and cash in transit heists. Asked why he does what he does, his rationale is that he doesn't steal from black people, (not anymore that is) he only steals from the very oppressors (and their offspring) who took away the wealth that originally belonged to us. In essence he is 'taking back' (repossessing) what originally belonged to him.
What perfectly sound logic behind his cause don't you think?
Tshepo simply believes that he is in the repossessing business, simply taking back what rightfully belonged to us in the first place. Anyone can see some logic in the rationale, it has meaning. This deep level of thought (applied) allows the perpetrator to continue on his mission without the constant burden of his conscience.
The explanation is usually associated with a ‘need’ and an explanation of why the action meets the need. Once constructed this wall of thought becomes a stronghold in the mind of the individual. It now goes further than the phrase, but is further rooted by the reasons given.
“A smoke is a stress reliever, it helps me study.”
“It’s not cheating if she doesn't find out.”
So the first part in this deadly equation is the part where we give it a euphemistic term, to clothe its barrenness. For instance Tshepo would in this process swap the phrase stealing for repossession.
The second part is when we define it, of course in the definition the stage has already been set, and the wording is carefully chosen to fit the already euphemistic term. For instance America would call define the 'war on terror' as: the freezing/safeguarding of eastern capital so as to eliminate the possibility of that vey capital being used against them (America).
That's one of the characters of these words, they possess so much logic that as a listener you cannot help but concede as to the relevance and the need for the action. You agree, sympathize, nod, put yourself in the situation...you understand. “Of course it’s a political conspiracy, he didn't do anything to deserve the charge. It’s his enemies, the whites, the media. He didn't bribe anyone (neither did he accept a bribe). It’s not corruption, it’s a political conspiracy.”
My aim with this piece is not to point fingers, God knows there are three other fingers pointing at me…he also knows there are times when I... *no never mind.*
The primary aim is to present to you the dangers of words, the danger of using words to clothe the real intention of our actions and effect from its performance. The mind is a powerful tool, it knows the desires of the 'flesh' and it can (when pushed) present a range of explanations (for the affirmative) that will contend the original dissuasion.
It knows what you want and what you do not want, and it can assist you to effectively complete the assignments facilitated by human weakness.
The secondary aim is to present to you how low a bar can go. The phrase 'booty call' is more mature in age than its sibling fling/friends with benefits. It is a more raw and crude term denoting the very same thing. One is more likely to accept the phrase fling than booty call, simply because ‘fling’ is more sensitive to the cause. The word booty is a rather unpolished word for bum, and simply translated the word “booty call” means a call for sex (which usually happens in the late hours of the night/ early hours of the morning). Once human beings became more and more acquainted both with the English language and their ‘needs’ they invented a term that depicts more generally (and respectfully) the relations that they sought.
The lower we set the bar for ourselves whether in matters of accomplishment, standard of living and moral value, the lower it has the possibility of going, this is captured by the phrase 'aim for the stars and fall on the clouds'. I say this not because of my motivational speaker title but because of its reality.
I also hope that we would kill the spin doctor within. Yes the guy who keeps on using the English language against us. The guy who says, “Let me just rest” when we know we crossed the lazy line an hour ago. We should kill that guy, he's a liar, seriously. He's also the same guy who told you to bribe that cop, 'just get it over and done with so you can go to your family' good advice aint it. In the greater scheme of things? No! I mean who's going to be crying when their car gets hit by a drunk driver on the M1 who just paid inducement money on Empire Road.
We never really get to see the prelude to the accident on T.V., we just see the accident. We don’t see the guy arguing in his head whether he should or shouldn’t have another beer, whether he should call a cab. We just see a bus overturned and a car underneath it.
We also never get to see the man wrestling within his heart about whether he should get the hot girls number, arguing whether he should call her (or not), whether he should sleep with her or not. We just see a fed up mother leaving with the kids. I can bet you a thousand bucks, it started with the spin doctor within.
We never hear the spin doctor speak, but if you can listen carefully to other people speak you can recognize his voice he sounds a little bit like this: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman", "how can a virus cause a syndrome" and the classic "I am a man I have needs."
Monday, November 22, 2010
Born for such a time as this!!!
Inspired by Martin Luther Kings' Last Speech.
If by some chance today as I was walking through the street, I bumped into my creator took me for lunch and asked me this question, “Son which area and era would you rather be born?” I would take a tour through the garden of Eden where the beginning began, where the sea was parted from the land and the sky was given its blue. I would watch as the animals were given their names one by one, and the first medical surgery was performed by the creator himself and woman was created from the bone of man.
I would carry on to the time when the Messiah walked the earth as flesh and blood. I would observe the wonder as he discipled the disciples that took the word of faith to the world, where he constructed poetic parables to school us on the soundest and simplest of truths...
I would laugh myself to tears as Lucifer attempted to deceive the author of our faith into sin, and I would rejoice as the messiah himself put truth to the principle: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
But I would kindly refuse to be put into that era. And as he further walked me, my tears of joy would turn into tears of sadness, when I pass through the times of the evil slave trade. When men of dark skin were violated by men of lighter skin, auctioned off to the highest bidders, and shipped away to a destination unknown.
I would weep even further when I see some of these men and women being tossed over the ships when they became unruly, or fell sick from the ocean, or when there was a shortage of food to fill their large and empty African stomach.
Witnessing all of this I would nag the Lord to take me to another place for this era is too painful for my nerves to bear. I know for a fact that he would take me to the times of the Civil Rights Movement when these very slaves started realizing their value and protesting purposefully and peacefully.
I would probably be enticed and inspired by that age. For I would listen as Donny Hathaway sang, “One day, someday we will all be free”
When Bill Withers said, “Lean on me, when you’re not strong, I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.”
I would witness as a man changed his name from Cassius Clay to Mohammed Ali, and marvel as he flew like a butterfly and stung like a bee.”
I would watch from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. as a man shouted from the top of his reverend’s voice as he told the multitudes gathered that he had a dream, a dream that very few saw as possible.
And as the Lord almighty tried to take me to yet another scene, a separate time and place I would stop Him and humbly say, “Lord you have taken through many a place time and various a time, I cannot help but honour the wonder of the world and sometimes ambiguous beauty of your people...it is good.
But I have heard of a place and I want you to take me there, and as he enquired, “Where my son?” I would humbly answer, “Take me to that place between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, that place with the summer rains and the icy dry winters.
Take me to a time ten years after the millennium, 16 years after the birth of a democracy. Take me to the South of Botswana and Zimbabwe to the west of Maputo.
I want to see the Cape of Good Hope where there is a mountain shaped like a table, from there take me to the playground of Durban so I can play the night away.
Take me to Pretoria Mahlanyeng, the city of Supersport and Sundowns where the men drink, gulp and swallow like fish and the women are shaped like 8.
I have heard of Egoli the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, where there’s nothing that you cannot do. Jozi the streets that make you feel brand new and big lights will inspire you.
Take me to that land, lord where the people hosted a certain soccer tournament in their very own backyard, even though the naysayers, the pessimists and cynics said they lacked the capacity to host it and even bound to mess it all up. Yet having said all this the whole World, yes the whole of the earth, (including the fish of the sea, beasts of the land and even the mountains themselves) all witnessed that these those people are people of vision and endless possibilities.
That is where I want to go. That land where the people are pregnant with prospects, are contagious with their can-do character and ooze Ubuntu.
Take me to the land of Tambo and Mandela, of Sobukwe and Biko, of Tutu and Luthuli.
I want to go to the land of wonderful melodies where a lady once sang, “Friday night, yes I know, you must be waiting for me, you must be waiting for me.”
Take me there Lord, that is where I want to go.
And if by some chance God grants me this wonderful wish, I will be very grateful.
I will wake up every morning with a skip in my step and a swagger in my stride, even when the times are tough and the finances rough, I will not lose sight of the possibilities that lie ahead.
I will make as many friends as I can, from as many backgrounds as I can.
I will find myself a fine African woman, (hopefully from Pretoria lol) , I will marry, have kids and raise them in that land.
I will play like a little boy and sweat like his father, I will dream like a little girl but labour like her mother.
After all is said and done I will go to God with one more request. “Lord help the people of that land. Help them to be aware of their deficiencies, but focus on their strengths (what they do have) and use these to build whatever future they would like to have. If the future is building rivers in deserts, or walking on water, if it is healing the sick or raising the dead, even if it is to run on the surface of the wind...as long as their mind can perceive...through their sweat and hands they can receive it. For I have seen possibilities in that land, possibilities that no naked eye can see and no ordinary mind can comprehend. I have seen your very presence and hand over that land...Lord make sure that you bless Africa, especially the Africa in the South.!”
If by some chance today as I was walking through the street, I bumped into my creator took me for lunch and asked me this question, “Son which area and era would you rather be born?” I would take a tour through the garden of Eden where the beginning began, where the sea was parted from the land and the sky was given its blue. I would watch as the animals were given their names one by one, and the first medical surgery was performed by the creator himself and woman was created from the bone of man.
I would carry on to the time when the Messiah walked the earth as flesh and blood. I would observe the wonder as he discipled the disciples that took the word of faith to the world, where he constructed poetic parables to school us on the soundest and simplest of truths...
I would laugh myself to tears as Lucifer attempted to deceive the author of our faith into sin, and I would rejoice as the messiah himself put truth to the principle: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
But I would kindly refuse to be put into that era. And as he further walked me, my tears of joy would turn into tears of sadness, when I pass through the times of the evil slave trade. When men of dark skin were violated by men of lighter skin, auctioned off to the highest bidders, and shipped away to a destination unknown.
I would weep even further when I see some of these men and women being tossed over the ships when they became unruly, or fell sick from the ocean, or when there was a shortage of food to fill their large and empty African stomach.
Witnessing all of this I would nag the Lord to take me to another place for this era is too painful for my nerves to bear. I know for a fact that he would take me to the times of the Civil Rights Movement when these very slaves started realizing their value and protesting purposefully and peacefully.
I would probably be enticed and inspired by that age. For I would listen as Donny Hathaway sang, “One day, someday we will all be free”
When Bill Withers said, “Lean on me, when you’re not strong, I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.”
I would witness as a man changed his name from Cassius Clay to Mohammed Ali, and marvel as he flew like a butterfly and stung like a bee.”
I would watch from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. as a man shouted from the top of his reverend’s voice as he told the multitudes gathered that he had a dream, a dream that very few saw as possible.
And as the Lord almighty tried to take me to yet another scene, a separate time and place I would stop Him and humbly say, “Lord you have taken through many a place time and various a time, I cannot help but honour the wonder of the world and sometimes ambiguous beauty of your people...it is good.
But I have heard of a place and I want you to take me there, and as he enquired, “Where my son?” I would humbly answer, “Take me to that place between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, that place with the summer rains and the icy dry winters.
Take me to a time ten years after the millennium, 16 years after the birth of a democracy. Take me to the South of Botswana and Zimbabwe to the west of Maputo.
I want to see the Cape of Good Hope where there is a mountain shaped like a table, from there take me to the playground of Durban so I can play the night away.
Take me to Pretoria Mahlanyeng, the city of Supersport and Sundowns where the men drink, gulp and swallow like fish and the women are shaped like 8.
I have heard of Egoli the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, where there’s nothing that you cannot do. Jozi the streets that make you feel brand new and big lights will inspire you.
Take me to that land, lord where the people hosted a certain soccer tournament in their very own backyard, even though the naysayers, the pessimists and cynics said they lacked the capacity to host it and even bound to mess it all up. Yet having said all this the whole World, yes the whole of the earth, (including the fish of the sea, beasts of the land and even the mountains themselves) all witnessed that these those people are people of vision and endless possibilities.
That is where I want to go. That land where the people are pregnant with prospects, are contagious with their can-do character and ooze Ubuntu.
Take me to the land of Tambo and Mandela, of Sobukwe and Biko, of Tutu and Luthuli.
I want to go to the land of wonderful melodies where a lady once sang, “Friday night, yes I know, you must be waiting for me, you must be waiting for me.”
Take me there Lord, that is where I want to go.
And if by some chance God grants me this wonderful wish, I will be very grateful.
I will wake up every morning with a skip in my step and a swagger in my stride, even when the times are tough and the finances rough, I will not lose sight of the possibilities that lie ahead.
I will make as many friends as I can, from as many backgrounds as I can.
I will find myself a fine African woman, (hopefully from Pretoria lol) , I will marry, have kids and raise them in that land.
I will play like a little boy and sweat like his father, I will dream like a little girl but labour like her mother.
After all is said and done I will go to God with one more request. “Lord help the people of that land. Help them to be aware of their deficiencies, but focus on their strengths (what they do have) and use these to build whatever future they would like to have. If the future is building rivers in deserts, or walking on water, if it is healing the sick or raising the dead, even if it is to run on the surface of the wind...as long as their mind can perceive...through their sweat and hands they can receive it. For I have seen possibilities in that land, possibilities that no naked eye can see and no ordinary mind can comprehend. I have seen your very presence and hand over that land...Lord make sure that you bless Africa, especially the Africa in the South.!”
Friday, May 15, 2009
First Annual Motivational Lecture (part 1)
Program Director
Staff of Wits University
Colleagues
Friends and Family
On a day like this, on an occasion such as this, it would only be respectful for me to observe protocol and start from the beginning. Yet if I did that I would be following common routes that statesmen, businessmen, men of cloth and their likes have followed and that would be boring. Solely because if I do start from the beginning while observing this protocol I would be assuming a beginning similar to that of every speaker, and we all know that we come from different beginnings. So let me start from my beginning here it goes:
Mama, thank you for giving me the opportunity of life, the opportunity to express myself and grow through experience. You are truly the love of my life. Thank you.
The greatest protocol to follow is that protocol with which you have come to be groomed, that which is at your centre…and for me, my protocol comes from the Ubuntu principle that says: Sicala Ekhaya (we start from home). Now that my beginning has begun, let us continue
Ladies and gentlemen thank you for taking time from your business, academic and personal schedules to come and hear what we have to say. It truly is an honour today for me to celebrate this day with you.
I woke up this morning and there was just something about this day that engulfed my heart with joy. Though I am locked in the city centre with buildings towering over my view, with no tree in my backyard or grass in the front. I could hear the birds humming a joyful summer tune in winter, I could smell the sweet morning dew off the grass, and the freshness of the morning breeze comforted my innermost being. I had a hunch, a feeling deep down in the bosom of my heart that today, the 13th of May 2009 was going to be a great day. It is for this reason that I have no trickling of doubt in my mind that I am in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.
When I started SGM Motivations I went around seeking peoples’ opinions, looking for them to give me their stamp of approval. I went from friends to family, from teachers to fellow students, sub-consciously asking for their go-ahead. I wanted to make sure that as I ascended the motivational hills I had everybody cheering me on. I wanted all humans with whom I had relations, to be at peace with that decision. Amongst the many obstacles to progress, is the deep desire for those around me to cheer me on. I have longed for people to tell me “Yes Simon, you are doing the right thing, carry on.” Because this has not happened that much I have hesitated in putting SGM Motivations out there in the robust market, so that it can establish itself as a trusted business.
I have been held back by a few utterances that have stayed in my head…both by forces of failure and people alike.
I have asked myself, “What if they don’t like it?”, “What If they don’t trust it?”, “Who do you think you are Simon?”, “What have you achieved?” and this to a certain extent has held me back, still kneeling at the start of the race. I have been on my mark, already gotten set, yet I have hesitated to run even though the shots have been fired in the air, more than twice.
But I thank my creator that after some work, I have now grown the wings strong enough to fly against the winds of resistance. I have come to terms with this following fact:
SGM Motivations is a motivational business, with motivation coming before business. But we will by all means invest in our brand as much as we can, to establish ourselves in this market of supply and demand. I have decided with little advice from outside forces.
I have noted that the biggest rewards in life. Come against the greatest resistance. Resistance from the outside but greatly from the inside. If a human being can arrange a board meeting with his mind and heart, taking advice from his purpose and dreams, and consulting with his creator. If from that meeting he concludes that he will do something, he will most certainly do it. If a man can decide today that he will become president tomorrow, he can. If he can decide that he will win a war, climb a mountain, or swim the seven seas, he will…whether the general pubic approve or not…he will do so, solely because he has decided. There is great power in outside forces, I do not doubt that, but there is an even greater power in the intimate decision-making power within an individual.
I enjoyed a documentary on television sometime ago, detailing the role of the teachers in the Soweto uprisings of 1976. One of the interviewees, a principal on one of the schools had this to say, “We decided as a group of teachers, that we could not teach under these conditions, so we decided that we would stop coming to school…though it was tough, because we were not receiving salaries and our families were looking to us for income…it was a decision that we could not go back on”. The operative word in that statement is “Decided”. You see something happens when people decide…the universe cannot help but make a way for a decision maker. Something happened when Obama decided he was going to be the first black president of the United States. Something happened when Steve Biko decided he was Black and Proud. Something happened when Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and others decided that South Africa was a country for all who live in it. Something happened when Martin Luther King decided he was not a nigger, and when South Africa decided they wanted the FIFA World Cup to come to African soil.
Something happens and I don’t know what this something is, but it definitely does happen.
This brings me to the conclusion that the reason why some of us are living the way we are, is because we have decided to live that way. South Africa is the way it is today, because we as South Africans have decided that that is the way it should be. You see because we are at war today…in our beautiful republic today, there is a war that threatens the sovereignty of the South African flag. We are at war with HIV/AIDS, we are at war with crime, we are at war with teenage pregnancy , drug and child abuse. We are at war with the fact that today right now as we sit here there is a school in Soweto that has a broken science laboratory and bear minimum equipment. A school that has no library, to feed the young minds of South Arican students. A school that has dehumanizing environments for both teachers and students, where bathrooms wreak of unmentionable odours.
We are at war with the fact that that particular school houses a black generation that is expected to do well and produce matriculants that will be fit enough to cope and succeed in university.
We are at war with the fact that today somewhere in the sweetness and hope of the morning a young girl woke up, took a bath and dressed in her bright coloured school uniform. She hugged and kissed her mom after scoring some pocket money and hopped her way to school. But when she got to the school gate, she didn’t go into the school grounds…she chose rather to spend the day in the company of someone other than her fellow students, in the supervision of someone other than her school teacher.
We are at war with mediocre leadership, where leaders are put into positions of trust and responsibility but take it upon themselves to pocket as much monetary benefit as they can from that position.
We are at war with amnesia where people are easy to forget where we come from as a nation, and quick to undermine our present and potential brightness of our future.
We are at war in schools, in government and churches. We are at war whether walking in the street, the mall or in the comfort of your own home. And this calls for firm decision makers, because sometimes the reason why we lose these wars is because someone chose to turn a bind eye. Sometimes we fail not because we are incapable of succeeding but because one of our counterparts chose to turn the other way. You see because the only thing that is needed for evil to prevail is for noble men to do nothing. People who decide not to decide.
Over the past month Karabo Masia, Obakeng Lebethe and I got together and created a Non-profit organization called Moti-Vision. This organization will adopt a school in Soweto. We adopt this school and commit to giving them motivational talks, mentorship programs, and career exhibitions. The aim is to ensure that matriculants come out of that school with at least a full view of the possibilities that await them in the world outside. Yet that is the minimum requirement.
We do not think of ourselves as angels, impeccable saints or world changers. All we know is that we cannot stand aside with our hands folded while our brothers and sisters struggle to ascend the academic hills. We will do all that is in our power to ensure credible mentorship and educational inspiration.
All we know is that quality education should not be words that only exist in the dictionary and the mouths of politicians. They should not be words that only exist during election campaigns and television commercials. They are not words only to be echoed in parliament or the suburbs, but they should be words that are alive in the most remote of villages and roughest of neighbourhoods. It should be alive in Sandton and Soweto, Witbank and Winchester. It should be alive in Senoane Secondary School and St. Stithians School.
Fellow South Africans, as we enter into the coming presidential term let us remind ourselves that a country is only as good as its people. Our country is not a land of political parties but a home for all South Africans…if there is anything that needs to be changed let it not be at the discretion of a manifesto, or the guidance of a policy. If there is any growth let it not be dictated by economic forums, but let it be up to us. If there is any delivery let it not be stalled by bureaucratic redtape, but let it be secured by us.
Let us remind ourselves that democracy is a government by the people, for the people to the people. Let us remind ourselves that a country’s success or failure is not determined by its presidents but by its residents.
There are enemies that are raging war against South Africa’s 14 year innocence. Some are secretly creeping in under closed doors some are not even afraid to hide their faces. If there is one mechanism for the defeat of these obstacles to progress, it is the alliance of all decision makers. We may not defeat these enemies, they may overpower us and take over our homes. They may ascend the hills, come through the city gates and tear down the city walls. Yet let us not go down easily, let us stand firm and know this, we will try all that we can, we will fight as much as we can and God will do for us what we cannot. Because we asked him to, remember we asked him to be with us…we got down on our knees and asked:
Nkosi Sikelela i-Afrika
Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo
Yizwa Imithandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikekela Thina Lusapho Lwayo
But we did not stop there, we continued on to say,
Morena Boloka setjhaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho
O se boloke O se boloke setjhaba sa heso
O se boloke O se boloke setjhaba sa- Afrika
It is for this reason that we shoud stand tall and say to all our enemies, these forces of bad and evil
We stand against all forms of hate and anger, violence and fury. We stand against all forms of bad and evil and we say unto you: Bad And Evil, bring all your friends, your cousins and machinery of death. We challenge your fury and confront your laws. In defiance we rage war against you; on the battlefield we challenge you... we stand not alone.
And as you come we warn you:
You may kick and shoot, hit and boot;
You may punch and grab, smack and stab;
But if God is for us no-one can be against us.
You may bully and push, slap and swoosh;
You may wrestle and hit and your poison spit
But if God is for us, no one can be against us.
And after all war has been raged and weaponry used. If it is in times of despair and darkness in air, even if it has taken our physical bodies and their agents celebrating… we will rejoice in our spirit, sitting with our God, singing “If God is for us, no-one can be against us”
Staff of Wits University
Colleagues
Friends and Family
On a day like this, on an occasion such as this, it would only be respectful for me to observe protocol and start from the beginning. Yet if I did that I would be following common routes that statesmen, businessmen, men of cloth and their likes have followed and that would be boring. Solely because if I do start from the beginning while observing this protocol I would be assuming a beginning similar to that of every speaker, and we all know that we come from different beginnings. So let me start from my beginning here it goes:
Mama, thank you for giving me the opportunity of life, the opportunity to express myself and grow through experience. You are truly the love of my life. Thank you.
The greatest protocol to follow is that protocol with which you have come to be groomed, that which is at your centre…and for me, my protocol comes from the Ubuntu principle that says: Sicala Ekhaya (we start from home). Now that my beginning has begun, let us continue
Ladies and gentlemen thank you for taking time from your business, academic and personal schedules to come and hear what we have to say. It truly is an honour today for me to celebrate this day with you.
I woke up this morning and there was just something about this day that engulfed my heart with joy. Though I am locked in the city centre with buildings towering over my view, with no tree in my backyard or grass in the front. I could hear the birds humming a joyful summer tune in winter, I could smell the sweet morning dew off the grass, and the freshness of the morning breeze comforted my innermost being. I had a hunch, a feeling deep down in the bosom of my heart that today, the 13th of May 2009 was going to be a great day. It is for this reason that I have no trickling of doubt in my mind that I am in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.
When I started SGM Motivations I went around seeking peoples’ opinions, looking for them to give me their stamp of approval. I went from friends to family, from teachers to fellow students, sub-consciously asking for their go-ahead. I wanted to make sure that as I ascended the motivational hills I had everybody cheering me on. I wanted all humans with whom I had relations, to be at peace with that decision. Amongst the many obstacles to progress, is the deep desire for those around me to cheer me on. I have longed for people to tell me “Yes Simon, you are doing the right thing, carry on.” Because this has not happened that much I have hesitated in putting SGM Motivations out there in the robust market, so that it can establish itself as a trusted business.
I have been held back by a few utterances that have stayed in my head…both by forces of failure and people alike.
I have asked myself, “What if they don’t like it?”, “What If they don’t trust it?”, “Who do you think you are Simon?”, “What have you achieved?” and this to a certain extent has held me back, still kneeling at the start of the race. I have been on my mark, already gotten set, yet I have hesitated to run even though the shots have been fired in the air, more than twice.
But I thank my creator that after some work, I have now grown the wings strong enough to fly against the winds of resistance. I have come to terms with this following fact:
SGM Motivations is a motivational business, with motivation coming before business. But we will by all means invest in our brand as much as we can, to establish ourselves in this market of supply and demand. I have decided with little advice from outside forces.
I have noted that the biggest rewards in life. Come against the greatest resistance. Resistance from the outside but greatly from the inside. If a human being can arrange a board meeting with his mind and heart, taking advice from his purpose and dreams, and consulting with his creator. If from that meeting he concludes that he will do something, he will most certainly do it. If a man can decide today that he will become president tomorrow, he can. If he can decide that he will win a war, climb a mountain, or swim the seven seas, he will…whether the general pubic approve or not…he will do so, solely because he has decided. There is great power in outside forces, I do not doubt that, but there is an even greater power in the intimate decision-making power within an individual.
I enjoyed a documentary on television sometime ago, detailing the role of the teachers in the Soweto uprisings of 1976. One of the interviewees, a principal on one of the schools had this to say, “We decided as a group of teachers, that we could not teach under these conditions, so we decided that we would stop coming to school…though it was tough, because we were not receiving salaries and our families were looking to us for income…it was a decision that we could not go back on”. The operative word in that statement is “Decided”. You see something happens when people decide…the universe cannot help but make a way for a decision maker. Something happened when Obama decided he was going to be the first black president of the United States. Something happened when Steve Biko decided he was Black and Proud. Something happened when Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and others decided that South Africa was a country for all who live in it. Something happened when Martin Luther King decided he was not a nigger, and when South Africa decided they wanted the FIFA World Cup to come to African soil.
Something happens and I don’t know what this something is, but it definitely does happen.
This brings me to the conclusion that the reason why some of us are living the way we are, is because we have decided to live that way. South Africa is the way it is today, because we as South Africans have decided that that is the way it should be. You see because we are at war today…in our beautiful republic today, there is a war that threatens the sovereignty of the South African flag. We are at war with HIV/AIDS, we are at war with crime, we are at war with teenage pregnancy , drug and child abuse. We are at war with the fact that today right now as we sit here there is a school in Soweto that has a broken science laboratory and bear minimum equipment. A school that has no library, to feed the young minds of South Arican students. A school that has dehumanizing environments for both teachers and students, where bathrooms wreak of unmentionable odours.
We are at war with the fact that that particular school houses a black generation that is expected to do well and produce matriculants that will be fit enough to cope and succeed in university.
We are at war with the fact that today somewhere in the sweetness and hope of the morning a young girl woke up, took a bath and dressed in her bright coloured school uniform. She hugged and kissed her mom after scoring some pocket money and hopped her way to school. But when she got to the school gate, she didn’t go into the school grounds…she chose rather to spend the day in the company of someone other than her fellow students, in the supervision of someone other than her school teacher.
We are at war with mediocre leadership, where leaders are put into positions of trust and responsibility but take it upon themselves to pocket as much monetary benefit as they can from that position.
We are at war with amnesia where people are easy to forget where we come from as a nation, and quick to undermine our present and potential brightness of our future.
We are at war in schools, in government and churches. We are at war whether walking in the street, the mall or in the comfort of your own home. And this calls for firm decision makers, because sometimes the reason why we lose these wars is because someone chose to turn a bind eye. Sometimes we fail not because we are incapable of succeeding but because one of our counterparts chose to turn the other way. You see because the only thing that is needed for evil to prevail is for noble men to do nothing. People who decide not to decide.
Over the past month Karabo Masia, Obakeng Lebethe and I got together and created a Non-profit organization called Moti-Vision. This organization will adopt a school in Soweto. We adopt this school and commit to giving them motivational talks, mentorship programs, and career exhibitions. The aim is to ensure that matriculants come out of that school with at least a full view of the possibilities that await them in the world outside. Yet that is the minimum requirement.
We do not think of ourselves as angels, impeccable saints or world changers. All we know is that we cannot stand aside with our hands folded while our brothers and sisters struggle to ascend the academic hills. We will do all that is in our power to ensure credible mentorship and educational inspiration.
All we know is that quality education should not be words that only exist in the dictionary and the mouths of politicians. They should not be words that only exist during election campaigns and television commercials. They are not words only to be echoed in parliament or the suburbs, but they should be words that are alive in the most remote of villages and roughest of neighbourhoods. It should be alive in Sandton and Soweto, Witbank and Winchester. It should be alive in Senoane Secondary School and St. Stithians School.
Fellow South Africans, as we enter into the coming presidential term let us remind ourselves that a country is only as good as its people. Our country is not a land of political parties but a home for all South Africans…if there is anything that needs to be changed let it not be at the discretion of a manifesto, or the guidance of a policy. If there is any growth let it not be dictated by economic forums, but let it be up to us. If there is any delivery let it not be stalled by bureaucratic redtape, but let it be secured by us.
Let us remind ourselves that democracy is a government by the people, for the people to the people. Let us remind ourselves that a country’s success or failure is not determined by its presidents but by its residents.
There are enemies that are raging war against South Africa’s 14 year innocence. Some are secretly creeping in under closed doors some are not even afraid to hide their faces. If there is one mechanism for the defeat of these obstacles to progress, it is the alliance of all decision makers. We may not defeat these enemies, they may overpower us and take over our homes. They may ascend the hills, come through the city gates and tear down the city walls. Yet let us not go down easily, let us stand firm and know this, we will try all that we can, we will fight as much as we can and God will do for us what we cannot. Because we asked him to, remember we asked him to be with us…we got down on our knees and asked:
Nkosi Sikelela i-Afrika
Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo
Yizwa Imithandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikekela Thina Lusapho Lwayo
But we did not stop there, we continued on to say,
Morena Boloka setjhaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho
O se boloke O se boloke setjhaba sa heso
O se boloke O se boloke setjhaba sa- Afrika
It is for this reason that we shoud stand tall and say to all our enemies, these forces of bad and evil
We stand against all forms of hate and anger, violence and fury. We stand against all forms of bad and evil and we say unto you: Bad And Evil, bring all your friends, your cousins and machinery of death. We challenge your fury and confront your laws. In defiance we rage war against you; on the battlefield we challenge you... we stand not alone.
And as you come we warn you:
You may kick and shoot, hit and boot;
You may punch and grab, smack and stab;
But if God is for us no-one can be against us.
You may bully and push, slap and swoosh;
You may wrestle and hit and your poison spit
But if God is for us, no one can be against us.
And after all war has been raged and weaponry used. If it is in times of despair and darkness in air, even if it has taken our physical bodies and their agents celebrating… we will rejoice in our spirit, sitting with our God, singing “If God is for us, no-one can be against us”
Monday, March 30, 2009
A message to the people of Purpose
One thing that I love about our lives is that they are part of a long term purpose. Each and every one of us are part of this long term purpose that God has planned out.
This long term purpose is made up of short term purposes, where each and everyone is created to come in and play their own uniquely defined role in it. It started with Adam and Eve, and then passed on to Abraham, then to Moses, to King David and to the Apostle Paul. All these are individuals who had a small role to play in this long term purpose.
Julius Caesar came in and played his role and passed on, Martin Luther King came into earth and played his role and in the long term purpose and passed, Steve Biko, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo came in and played their roles and passed on. Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and Fela Kuti came in and played their roles and passed on. Our very own great grandparents and grandparents played their own unique roles and passed on.
Like a relay race each and everybody runs their designated piece of the track, they run as fast or as slow as they can, sweating it all out racing against the possibility of failure…and once that race is run (no matter how fast or slow the pace was, no matter how much ground the pacing has covered), they have to pass the baton.
And now the time has come for my generation (and I) to play our role in this long term purpose…to grab the baton and run…Our time is now, It is now our time. My body/physique, my abilities, strengths and weaknesses have all been borrowed to me in order that I may fulfill this purpose.
There will never be another time or opportunity for me to be the best that I can be, but the current time. There will never be another stage for me to display how much I can do, to express my talents and stretch the rubber of my potential but this stage.
I say this because there exists a deeply entrenched belief in some of us that we can let go of our opportunity to board the train of time and another will appear for us to make our way to the land of success and greatness. We believe that we can waste time and catch up with it later. We purposely let this train of time leave without us and hang on tightly to the false hope that another one will come and take us to our next destination en route to 'Purposeburg'. But let us not be fooled or become victims of our own illusions, because the mornings are shorter, the afternoons are much quicker to fall into the night and the night is in a race with the morning… it is true my brothers and sisters we are visitors on this earth.
They say: Procrastination is a thief of Time.
In the Business world: Time is money.
Therefore as the (maths teacher would say) procrastination is a thief of money. If anything procrastination steals off the ground of greatness to be covered, and adds more seconds the stopwatch. Procrastination has its hands in our pockets, stealing in cents (cent by cent, rand by rand) millions of rands worth of the “success” we could achieve. Procrastination is like a thief in the night, terrorizing slowly and smoothly the people of purpose…and he must be stopped.
The only way in which he can be stopped is if the people of purpose can greatly appreciate their present and dedicate their lives to completing all tasks as early as possible. His hands can be tied by mass declaration to execute all tasks as and when they arise and not close to their expiry date. If anything procrastination will be hung in front of the masses, for all to see, if we could appreciate that we are living on borrowed time and leased bodies that house our possibilities, the only rent required is for us to make a decent attempt at being the best we can be. I hope the rightful owner of time and the landLORD of our bodies will be patient on us…because as we toil everyday in the field of our lives, we sometimes fall short of the rent money, paying only a percentage of our BEST…
Our time is now
This long term purpose is made up of short term purposes, where each and everyone is created to come in and play their own uniquely defined role in it. It started with Adam and Eve, and then passed on to Abraham, then to Moses, to King David and to the Apostle Paul. All these are individuals who had a small role to play in this long term purpose.
Julius Caesar came in and played his role and passed on, Martin Luther King came into earth and played his role and in the long term purpose and passed, Steve Biko, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo came in and played their roles and passed on. Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and Fela Kuti came in and played their roles and passed on. Our very own great grandparents and grandparents played their own unique roles and passed on.
Like a relay race each and everybody runs their designated piece of the track, they run as fast or as slow as they can, sweating it all out racing against the possibility of failure…and once that race is run (no matter how fast or slow the pace was, no matter how much ground the pacing has covered), they have to pass the baton.
And now the time has come for my generation (and I) to play our role in this long term purpose…to grab the baton and run…Our time is now, It is now our time. My body/physique, my abilities, strengths and weaknesses have all been borrowed to me in order that I may fulfill this purpose.
There will never be another time or opportunity for me to be the best that I can be, but the current time. There will never be another stage for me to display how much I can do, to express my talents and stretch the rubber of my potential but this stage.
I say this because there exists a deeply entrenched belief in some of us that we can let go of our opportunity to board the train of time and another will appear for us to make our way to the land of success and greatness. We believe that we can waste time and catch up with it later. We purposely let this train of time leave without us and hang on tightly to the false hope that another one will come and take us to our next destination en route to 'Purposeburg'. But let us not be fooled or become victims of our own illusions, because the mornings are shorter, the afternoons are much quicker to fall into the night and the night is in a race with the morning… it is true my brothers and sisters we are visitors on this earth.
They say: Procrastination is a thief of Time.
In the Business world: Time is money.
Therefore as the (maths teacher would say) procrastination is a thief of money. If anything procrastination steals off the ground of greatness to be covered, and adds more seconds the stopwatch. Procrastination has its hands in our pockets, stealing in cents (cent by cent, rand by rand) millions of rands worth of the “success” we could achieve. Procrastination is like a thief in the night, terrorizing slowly and smoothly the people of purpose…and he must be stopped.
The only way in which he can be stopped is if the people of purpose can greatly appreciate their present and dedicate their lives to completing all tasks as early as possible. His hands can be tied by mass declaration to execute all tasks as and when they arise and not close to their expiry date. If anything procrastination will be hung in front of the masses, for all to see, if we could appreciate that we are living on borrowed time and leased bodies that house our possibilities, the only rent required is for us to make a decent attempt at being the best we can be. I hope the rightful owner of time and the landLORD of our bodies will be patient on us…because as we toil everyday in the field of our lives, we sometimes fall short of the rent money, paying only a percentage of our BEST…
Our time is now
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