Sages & Teachers
2021: It’s a Mindset Game
Our 2021 mindset will play an essential role in our growth, development and success this year. Therefore, we need to reconcile the events of 2020 in a positive light by asking ourselves a number of questions.
read moreInner peace is at your beck and call
Inner peace must be one of the most universally sought after states of being. However, most of us are looking in the wrong place for it. When I ask people what they want out of this experience we call life, most of the answers include health, happiness and inner peace. Inner peace must be one of the most universally sought after states of being. However, most of us are looking in the wrong place for it. Lasting inner peace is not something you’ll find once you finish a project, start a relationship, find a job, or solve a problem. The sense...
read moreEven if nothing changes, if you change, everything changes
It’s mesmerising how a subtle shift in how we perceive a given situation can change what we say, do, or feel about something. Reflextion of the week: “Even if nothing changes, if I change, everything changes” Do you remember the last time you were upset at something someone said or did? Can you recall the emotion you felt? Was it anger, frustration, dismay, disappointment, indignation, or something else? Now I invite you to review the same incident, but from the perspective of the other person. What if this person was going...
read moreDo you like what you do?
We are all born to fulfil a purpose, have you found yours? I’m 100% subscribed to the principle that we are all born to fulfil a purpose. Even if we think that we don’t have a purpose, our purpose in this instance is to find our purpose and then act upon it in order to serve others. Some people believe that they have the wrong job when in fact they might just be in the wrong role. Sometimes all it takes is putting yourself forward for a project that takes advantage of your natural strengths. When you get to use your strengths...
read moreFailure is an option!
The memorable phrase that came from NASA “Failure is not an option” has given people the wrong idea about the positive aspects of failure. One afternoon, when my daughter was about eight years of age, she came into my studio with a white piece of paper and a word written in bold, big letters across the entire width of the paper. The word was F.A.I.L. With a cheeky grin on her face, she asked me, “Dad, do you know what FAIL means?” Sensing that she was up to something, I replied, “You tell me.” With...
read moreDo we really need to be so busy?
We have more control over our workload than we think we do. A while back I came to a simple yet powerful realisation: the more I hurried, the less I got done. And to top it all off, the end result was not what I had envisioned in the first place. I decided that it was time to focus on what was really important and to allocate the time it required to do it well. I had to make many “sacrifices”, like saying no to projects, ideas, proposals and requests for my time in many different ways. Although I still need to keep myself in check to make...
read moreHow can you express solidarity?
Increase your sense of belonging and fulfilment through acts of solidarity As I was driving my daughter to school this morning, she asked me “Dad, what does ‘solidarity’ actually mean”. Given the current context, I wasn’t surprised that this word had been lingering in her mind. We talked about supporting people, shared values, togetherness, feelings, compassion and the many ways in which solidarity can be expressed. As with many things, there is a dark and an enlightened side even in gestures of solidarity. Quite frankly, what really matters...
read moreWhy I am thankful that my dishwasher broke
The unexpected joy that derived from a trusted broken appliance This is a strange thing to admit, but I never thought that a broken dishwasher could give me so much. Allow me to explain. A few weeks ago, when I realised that my dishwasher forced itself to a well-deserved retirement (after many years of operational excellence I have to admit), frankly, I was a bit annoyed, to say the least. I knew getting a replacement in the present context was going to be a bit of a challenge (and it was). My first thought was, “what a drag…washing dishes...
read moreThe emotion and action that will give you instant fulfilment
How simple acts of gratitude will trigger persistent feelings of pleasure and wellbeing. Gratitude is not just an emotion or an attitude. Gratitude is an intentional act to recognise the positive aspects of our lives and the things that bring us joy and fulfilment. Gratitude does not have to be reserved for the big events of our lives, like “I’m grateful for the love of my partner”, or “I’m grateful for being able to provide for my family”. Gratitude can be expressed for even the smallest of events “I’m grateful for the comforting feeling of...
read moreHow to get rid of the toxicity of resentment
An effective way to help you move from resentment to liberation Are you feeling bitter about having been treated unfairly? Are you still annoyed with someone for what this person said or did? Resentment is one of those difficult or unpleasant feelings which, if left unchecked, could do us more harm than good. As humans, we are emotional beings by nature. Emotions are part of the human dynamic, so if we ever feel resentful, we should not feel guilt or be too hard on ourselves. What creates the damage, however, is holding on to resentment....
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