Category: Life

“But the highest rung of what’s possible is far beyond the world you can see…” Trevor Noah

I have just been listening to Oprah’s chat with Trevor Noah during her Super Soul Sunday podcast.  For years I have been fascinated by and enjoyed the comedy of Trevor Noah.  I don’t see him as a comedian though, I see him as a storyteller whose stories make us laugh.  I never imagined though that he would climb so high that he would break the South African ceiling and ascend to the world’s stage.  I never imagined but I did hope.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his book when it was released in the hope of getting some insight into the life experience that gave rise to these stories and it did not disappoint. I guess as a Coloured person I saw him as one of “us”  and, technically, by the old government’s definition, he is.  His upbringing though was very different and in a lot of ways unique, so his life experience was unique.  It was as though he is born to walk straddling two worlds at a time.  I know that sounds strange so let me explain what I mean.  He is neither white nor black but grew up as a black person.  He was treated differently even within his own family because his skin was lighter.  This led to very unique experiences for him as a child.  Now he is a South African (and a proud one at that) living in New York and hosting a top-rated American show once again allowing him to experience the world from a unique point of view.  I guess we all do but this guy…eish…his experiences seem to be the stuff of legend.  Ok Ok I exaggerate but you know what I mean 🙂

I am in awe of Trevor Noah for various other reasons as well though.

  • He is authentic- He has no airs and graces.  He is always true to his roots.
  • He has integrity – when he was first called by Jon Stewart and invited to the US, he turned him down because he was in the middle of a tour and didn’t want to disappoint his fans.
  • He works hard– not just on the daily show.  on everything.  He puts 100% into everything he does.
  • He is passionate about what he does – I love his Trump rants especially..lol
  • He gives back – He has just launched the Trevor Noah foundation but that’s not all.  Before he became an international sensation, he was touring South Africa with up and coming local comedians using his notoriety to raise theirs.
  • He is wise – he views the world from a different perspective to most of us and, together with the wisdom his mom has handed to him, he has gained insight about the world that has led him to model behaviours and make decisions that have led him to where he is today.

I truly hope that he is working on part two of his book.  I don’t know about you but I am dying to know how he went from becoming a stand-up comedian to the host of The Daily Show.  He has done a ton of travelling in between so I can only imagine the stories he has to tell.  I can’t wait.  (Please release the next episode sooner rather than  later Trevor!)

There is no way Trevor Noah has reached the top rung of his ladder yet.  There is definitely more beyond the world that he can currently see.  May he continue to rise.

What I love most about Trevor’s story though is that it is a reminder that anything is possible if you work hard.  It’s a reminder that you don’t have to come from a rich family to achieve.  It’s a reminder that we are all capable of greatness. We just have to believe while we work at it. It’s not gonna happen overnight, but it can and will happen.  Don’t give up.  Keep on rising.

I’ll leave with another of Trevor’s pearls of wisdom…

“Progression, in my opinion, is often identifying shortcomings – whether it’s views or the things you’re doing in your life, your relationships – and trying to find the places where you improve on those.” ~ Trevor Noah

If you enjoyed this post, you know what to do…please like and share 🙂

5 life lessons to keep me moving forward

At the beginning of this year I promised myself that I would make some changes so that I could move closer to achieving the goals that I set for myself. You see, I had made a conscious decision to put my plans on hold over the last 2 years for various reasons. I have no regrets but I have also learned a few valuable lessons through the experience.

Lesson #1: Pay yourself first

The financial gurus always tell you this and, as a woman and as a mother especially, I find it hard to do so. It’s like we are preprogrammed to give of ourselves and never take. I have learned that I need to pay myself first not only financially but also physically because poor health doesn’t help me or anyone else. Of course I have to pay myself emotionally because being a woman requires an inner strength of note. It’s easier and quicker to replenish that strength before it is depleted and not after. Lastly, I have to keep my spiritual self in balance as well. Life is so much easier when you know you have a higher power on your side. This is a tough one but a lesson I had to learn. It’s not selfish, it’s as necessary as living and breathing.

Lesson #2: Not everything you do will be appreciated. Do it anyway

Those people who know me well, know that I like to give of myself and of the little that I have. I love to see the delight on people’s faces especially when you surprise them with an unexpected little gift or compliment or act. Sometimes all it takes is a smile to light up someone’s day. This helps me replenish my spiritual and emotional self. My only expectation has always been that you either pay it forward or that you help yourself move forward. It breaks my heart when that doesn’t happen but I have learned that I should do it with no expectations of the recipient. Of course I also won’t do it indefinitely if I see that you are merely abusing my kindness. That would just be stupid on my part. I will continue to do it anyway though because I don’t know what the knock on effect could be. It might not be visible to me right now but I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason.

Lesson #3: I do things differently and that’s ok.

I have spent my whole life lambasting myself for not fitting in. There are very few people in this world that “get me” and accept me as I am. You know what…that’s ok. I view the world differently. I am a “deep” thinker and not a “quick” thinker. Don’t tell me a story now and ask for my opinion. I will probably stare at you blankly. I often need time to process what I have taken in and when I do give you an answer, it will be worth the wait. I am an introvert. I actually love that I am. I love that I don’t have to be part of the hustle and bustle of life 24/7. I don’t have to be on social media constantly (although I do admit to a mild addiction to Twitter in particular 😜) I am different and that’s ok. It actually feels like I have taken a load off every time I write that. Wait gotta do it again…I am different and that’s ok. 😁

Lesson #4: I am enough

This one stems from lesson #3. It’s not enough to just accept that I am different. I am also enough as I am. I don’t need to be better than everyone else at everything. I just need to work at getting better at things that I need for everyday and for the future. At work we set “stretching” goals for ourselves every year in different areas so that we are continuously growing ourselves as people, our skills and ultimately the business. That’s all I need to do in life to keep myself challenged, moving forward and growing as a person. I am enough as I am but God has given me the capacity to keep growing so who am I to say no.

Lesson #5: Travel is a gift to yourself. Give it.

I love traveling to new places and doing different things. I especially love exposing my son to new places and people and then watch him grow because of the experiences he has had. This is one of the items that was put on hold over the last two years that I need to get back on track. My trips overseas this year reminded me of what an exciting experience it is. The exposure to new cultures helps me look at the world through different eyes. Even a trip within the country is enough to get perk the brain up😁. I am so excited just thinking about it! I can’t wait for us to go on our first trip!

As always, I leave you with an African proverb to ponder on…

#Africanproveb #Life #lifelessons #groundedafrican

If you enjoyed reading this, you know what to do … like, share and, if haven’t already done so, follow me. You email is safe. I definitely don’t like spam and wouldn’t subject you to it either.

Changes and Travels

It’s been a hectic start to the year!  My poor brain has moments when it just feels like it wants to shut down.  So I gave it a break from blogging and a few other endeavours for fear of overloading it.  Time to hit the road again so welcome back and enjoy the ride 🙂

My first two months of 2018 has been filled with change and challenges and lots of excitement.  I am thrilled to say that March will not be any different!  In fact, I was sitting in a meeting this afternoon which was attended by a new director.  Turns out he is a very curious mind and approached the topic under discussion from a very different angle than I had encountered in a while.  It was a refreshing and energising change.  It got me thinking about how easy it is to develop tunnel vision when you are constantly surrounded by the same people or get yourself into a rut when you get into a routine.

Now don’t get me wrong. Some routines are a good thing.  They help give your day structure so that you do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do.  (Got that one from Denzil Washington on Oprah 🙂 ) They also help you implement good habits that you may want to instil in yourself.  So yes, routines definitely have their place.  Some routines eventually just become a bore though and before you know it, you are feeling like a hamster in a wheel.  Round and round you go.  I feel like have been that little hamster for a while now.

Then 31st December rolled around.  I saw in the new year with my loved ones as well as a few new people.  It was the first time in about 7 years that I had stepped out of my comfort zone to see in the new year.  It was as if that small change has triggered lots of  new experiences for me.  I don’t always realise that I am having a new experience or experiencing something familiar in a new way until the moment is over.  Fortunately, I do realise it at some point after and am able to take a moment to be grateful for the experience.

What’s all this new stuff you ask…well…where shall I start?  I have rekindled an old friendship and bonded with some of my favourite cousins.  I largely only see my cousins at family gatherings as we live far apart.  It has been refreshing and fulfilling bonding with them all.  These are people that I can be myself with and they love me anyway and that means the world to me. They also enlighten me by sharing their life experiences with and challenge me when I am going off on a tangent.  I love it!

I have finally fufilled my promise to take my son to the museum.  It’s probably seems like a small thing but it was a big deal to him.  We both love museums so I was pretty excited to go as well. I must say that it was much smaller than we anticipated although they were renovating so perhaps that’s why.  Mr suddenly got a bee in his bonnet about seeing snakes so he ended up missing an entire section (just in case…sigh).  The joys of having a smart munchkin who can also be a bit OCD about certain things…lol.  He makes my day everyday though!

About 2 weeks ago I had the privilage of spending a few days in Dubai for work.  All very last minute and very daunting as we were hosting our global VP.  I was beside myside.  I had never had to have breakfast, lunch and super with my VP for 3 straight days before. Glad I had the opportunity though.  She is a remarkable woman with loads of knowledge that she enjoys sharing.  It was a huge learning curve.  In those 3 short days, I also fell in love with Lebonese food, rode a camel, saw springboks in the desert(!), marvelled at the architecture (especially the Burj Khalifa) and was floored by the sheer size of the Dubai Mall. Oh wait…I had a cappuccino with camel’s milk as well (Super rich!).  Totally by accident of course but hey it counts as a new experience and I also had my most expensive cappuccino at the hotel. I could have bought 3 for the same price in South Africa!

My trip home was a daytime flight so for the first time I was able to see the landscapes we were flying over.  As we flew over the desert just out side Dubai, I was amazed to see that every “farmhouse” had a tree or two next to it.  The landscape varies over the Middle East but it is all brown.  Once you enter Africa, the landscape changes to green and stays that way. Beautiful to see.  I love Africa!

#travelling #Godscountry #DubaitoDurban #groundedafrican #african
Saudi Arabia to Tanzania to South Africa

Well,  that’s just a taste of some of the change that has happened in my world of late.  Like I said, lots more still to come so do stay tuned.  Better yet…sign up via email so that you don’t miss out.  I promise your email will not be shared or sold.  I hate spam as much as you do.

I’ll leave you with a Kossi proverb about change…#Africanproverb #african #groundedafrican #change #life