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Time to look back

2011-02-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

As I watched the opening ceremony and the red carpet welcoming of our president to the parliament for the State of the Nation address, I was wondering what was in his mind. Was he feeling anxious, nervous, excited or proud. I also wished I could imagine the state from the president's perspective. To me it looked like president Zuma was content with the progress made so far by his government, something that is contrary to the views of the majority of poor South Africans.

I would be fooling myself if I could say the conditions have not improved since the ANC government took over, but I believe there is still a great challenge ahead, especially with the socio-economic state where the gap between the have and the have-nots is widening day by day. Those who are in management positions want to earn more and more while the ordinary workers have to take to the streets before their voice is listened to.

In his speech the president pointed out some achievements made by the government, such as: More than 80% electrification of rural homes ( That is a distinction in terms of academic rating), decrease in crime, decline in budget deficit ( Something I doubt he will be able to sustain in the current economic condition and lack of jobs) and the improved Matric pass rate.

South Africa has also made significant strides in the global arena, she is a key role player in peace negotiations in the African countries, member of the BRIC and has taken a non-permanent seat in the Security Council.

My deductions from the president's speech is that the country is moving forward in terms of development and making better life for all its citizens. I am hoping for the day where I will see the all important document, the Freedom charter, coming to life.

Predictions

2010-07-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

During the 2010 FIFA world cup, we have seen so many predictions being made about which team is going to beat the other and by how many goals. Watching these predictions have been a very interesting thing to do. Some predictions were correct and others were wrong. It has been more interesting to see how people get frustrated if the results are not in agreement with their predictions. Some would even find ways of justifying why the results were not according to their predictions. Some of the reasons used were; the weather, the referee, the ball (Jabulani), the pitch, the pressure from spectators and so on.

My observation has told me that people confuse predicting with pure guessing and wishes. When you make a prediction you don't say what you wish the outcome could be but you base your prediction on correct observations and analysis of the past and the present situation. It is said predicting is "making an informed guess". We make predictions almost everyday of our lives and predicting is a skill that should be nurtured and developed, hence it is also taught in schools. It is through making correct predictions that enable people to forecast the weather and other climate related conditions. Successful traders, in stock exchange, are those that have good predicting skills. This means predicting is an essential skill in life. Thanks to the World Cup for helping our people, including me, realise how important is being able to predict.

Excitement brings country to a standstill

2010-06-14T03:23:00.000-07:00

It was Wednesday, 9 June 2010, at 12 o'clock noon, when South Africa's major cities came to a standstill. It was a moment of blowing vuvuzelas ( a kind of trumpet used by SA soccer fans) to welcome the World Cup teams and fans. I watched as I drove through the CBD. I had forgotten that there was such an event until I heard noise of the vuvuzelas coming from all directions. The excitement that is shown by South Africans is amazing. Some even say that South Africa will never be the same after hosting the Soccer World Cup. Well, that remains to be seen.

I wonder if the teams and fans feel the warm welcome that is shown by South Africans, but I believe they do. Looking at the way the citizens have come together, united behind the South African team, I wish this unity may last long after the World Cup. Even if we do not win the World Cup there should be goals we manage to achieve by hosting the World Cup.

Human trafficking

2010-06-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Human trafficking is reportedly the second largest criminal industry in the World. It is mostly used for sexual exploitation and sex trading, where young women are the main targets. In some cases it is motivated by the aim of making profit out of forced labour. The increasing number of cases is a cause for concern, especially at the times when people from different countries of the world gather for the international events like the Soccer World Cup.

Each and everyone of the citizens of the world has been urged to stand up and fight against this evil act. The world has become an unsafe place for the children women. Organisations that fight human trafficking need to be supported. I pledge my support for the campaign against this satanic phenomenon. Read here for more information.

2010 READY

2010-05-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

With 19 days left before the kick-off of the long awaited 2010 FIFA World Cup, some feel that we are more than ready to host it but others still have doubts. Others claim that South Africa has won the World Cup already. I am much concerned with the readiness of our boys. To me it looks like they are going there to learn rather than to compete. I do not know if I belong to the pessimists group, but what I say is the result of my own observation. It's good that we have a chance of testing our strength so that we can work harder for the next tournament.

Despite all that, I fully support our National team, Bafana bafana, no matter what their standard is. We have one National team, whether it is good or bad, the fact is; it is our team. The excitement among most of South Africans cannot be overstated. They really feel it. We are looking forward to the big event, to see what it brings for us.

Workers' Day

2010-05-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Every year, on 1 May, South Africa celebrates workers day. This is done, among others, to celebrate victories achieved in the past by workers. If one would ask me if I see the celebrations as relevant to the present day situation I would answer "YES" and "NO". Yes, if we talk about the past which is history that tells us how far we have come.

What is worrying is that there is nothing much to be celebrated in what has been happening in the immediate past, that is one or two years ago. We have seen thousands of workers being retrenched and families sinking deeper into the poverty pool, a condition that cannot be celebrated at all. I believe that having a mind of a worker is equivalent to having the mind of a slave. To be a worker means working hard to enrich your employer and giving him a reasonable assurance that he will still be a master in the nearest foreseeable future. Should you fail to give him that assurance you run a risk of being laid off. In light of this belief I hold, I will never be proud of being a worker and I do not see any reason to celebrate Workers' Day. That covers the "NO" version of my answer.

Mighty men

2010-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

This post is a reflection on the importance of the existence of organisations like the Mighty men. The Mighty men is holding its last conference that is ending today, in Greytown, near Pietermaritzburg. More than 200 000 men from the world attended this year's gathering, but this number is said to be less than the previous years' attendance. What does this mean? Does it mean the concept is losing it's value?

I, personally, think that gatherings like this are relevant to South Africa and the world. I believe that men need to have gatherings where they talk about different issues that are of concern to them and the nation, especially in these times of change when men find themselves having roles which they have never thought they would take. Men need to find ways to adapt to new ways of living, to discard old stereotypes and accept being equal to their female counterparts.

Besides all that; men are still expected to give guidance and protection to their families and the communities. To do this successfully, they need to appeal to the Almighty God to give them the strength they need. Evangelist, Buchan, advised men to be like Elijah in order to be able to face challenges of the present world. Unfortunately; every idea has its opposers. There are people who are opposed to this gathering saying that it encourages division among the sexes. Are they correct?

Prayer

2010-03-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

What really prayer is?
Prayer can be defined, in simple terms, as “communication with God.” What triggers prayer? There are many things that can make one think of praying but in most cases spontaneous and sincere prayers come when one finds himself in an unpleasant condition and appealing for a divine intervention.
Other prayers are thanks giving prayers, when one considers his pleasant experiences as blessings from God or when he has been relieved from a condition which could have a bad impact to his life. Christians believe that prayer is essential for keeping one connected to God, hence they have routine prayers. As a Christian, I also believe in praying every day, thanking each day God has kept me alive because I believe it is His mercy that keeps me alive.
What I sometimes ask myself is that: Is it possible for a person who truly believes and fears God to pray for bad things to happen to other people? I guess not. When we pray we hope that God hears us and will answer our prayers.

Lifestyle

2010-03-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

"Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who are you." I am not sure how much truth is in the phrase but I believe the people you identify with tell more about yourself. I have heard, many a times, people claiming that they did not choose their lifestyle but circumstances dictated to them. Can circumstances force you to adopt a lifestyle you do not like? Maybe.

In life there are things a person will choose to do or not to do, irrespective of their circumstances. When is the most critical stage for choosing a lifestyle in the life of a human being? I suppose it is the adolescent stage. The books I read suggest the most critical stage in a person's life is the adolescent stage. Maybe there are other views that oppose this notion. Ones lifestyle is very important, in the following ways: It determines; the types of the diseases that attack you, the activities you are capable of doing; the people you can make friends with; the car you will be comfortable with; the places you visit; the spouse you choose; how long you will live on this earth and most importantly, at what age will you stop being economically productive. The list can go on and on. What I am trying to voice out here is that: People need to think carefully about their lifestyle, they should not lead a life that will bring them to the end sooner than they would normally do.

Talking left, walking right...

2010-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how people fail to walk their talk. It has become acceptable to the communities for the leaders, especially political leaders to tell people to do things, which they personally not subscribe to. I do not know whether the commuity is accepting their behaviour or it is just the tendency of not being bold enough to stand up for what is right. I wonder what is in the hearts of the people who do that. Do they have any concience? Thy are hypocrites to the bone. There is a handful of them in South Africa, they pose as voices of the poor masses, when deep down they kow that their main aim is laying their hands on the country's wealth and give themselves a lion's share. Can somebody stand up and call these people to order? Not in the present generation, may be those who will be born in 2010 will be able to stand for the truth without fear of exclusion or victimisation.

The world wide jungle

2010-02-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

People have become so accustomed to using the world-wide-web to the extent that they even can't imagine a world with no internet. I think I am one of them. When I look at the internet I liken it with a jungle. There are Giants that control how the internet works today and how will it work tomorrow, there are spiders that crawl and read details of every page in the web. There are spies that steal information and use it to the disadvantage of the owner. There are horses called Trojan horses, very dangerous but look harmless. There are viruses that spread very quickly if they get a chance and are deadly. There are cookies, do not mistake them with something you can eat, they are there to watch your internet activity. And there are sites, some sites are like big trees that form the canopy of the jungle, others parasitically grow, sticking themselves on the big ones for survival. The rest lies on the floor of the jungle, no one notices them except those who want to prey on them. These ones can not compete but get their food and light, called traffic, that survived the grip of the giants and fell on the floor. When you go into the jungle you should make sure that you are well armed and protected. It is a nice place to be in but not as harmless as one may be tempted to believe. Enjoy the web with caution.

The day the man walked free

2010-02-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

It was this day, 11 February 1990, when the man who had stayed for 27 years behind bars re-emerged in public as a free man. No words can be enough to describe the excitement of the majority of black South Africans as they welcomed their hero back to the community.

It was the legend, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who had devoted his life to liberating his country from the strong grip of the colonial masters. The day marked a turning point in South African history. The then government had to learn ways of negotiating their handing over of the reins of the government. What a phenomenon? Things had turned, the master had to bow to his slave, something that had been unthinkable before. Really, nothing is impossible.

Things changed very quickly, faster than one could imagine. What was more amazing was the conciliatory tone from the man who had been denied his freedom for 27 years. He did not believe in paying a revenge, he could easily forgive those who persecuted him and decided to invite them to a negotiations table. There is a lesson to be learnt by his successors in this. This is a day South Africans will always celebrate because their human dignity was restored and they could speak out their minds without fear of prosecution. We are proud of Tata, Dr. Nelson Mandela and we will never forget his sacrifices for our liberation.

Never lose hope

2010-02-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

Never lose hope because it may be difficult to restore it. Some people find it very hard to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives after a disastrous experience. They allow their lives to deteriorate to a point that they cannot even imagine themselves building their lives again. The global economic meltdown has had its victims and unfortunately some of them have given up hope and are not even willing to attend any gathering that aims at addressing their plight. They have become very paranoid and aggressive. Unfortunately that will not help. It is true that while people may be a cause of your downfall, rising up is your own responsibility.

While reading some of the issues that were addressed by the World Economic Forum in their last meeting I felt that there is a reason to believe that things will soon begin to improve, though it will not be as soon as we would like. We all know that it takes more time to build than to demolish. A building that was built for years can be demolished within seconds and the process of rebuilding can take even longer than when it was being built for the first time.

A helping hand

2010-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

The reports of death and destruction coming from Haiti are deeply saddening and leave one having too many unanswered questions. Why does this happen to fellow human beings? Was there a way of preventing these death? How can the people know when incidents of this nature are going to happen.

The way the people of this world have responded to the Haiti incident shows that we still have people who care in this world. Different forms of aid have been pouring into Haiti since the day of the incident. Many people who would have died were rescued, thanks to the people who sacrificed their time and resources for the benefit of the earth quake victims. The images that we see on television and newspapers are terrifying and some people have condemned the act of showing these images and called it very insensitive. But the question I have in my mind is: Would the people of Haiti manage to get the attention they got from the world population if the images were not shown to the world? My answer is "No". Therefore, it was necessary to show the world the reality of the Haiti situation. To the people who managed to donate something to help Haitians, I say: Blessed is the hand that gives than the one that takes".

Time to return

2010-01-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

The holidays have now come to an end, life is returning to normal. Some have already started their daily routines while others are about to start. It will be wise to reflect at our spending during the Christmas holidays. Was all the expenditure necessary? It is very rare to find a person who would claim that 100% of his/her expenditure was on necessities.

It is true that the festive season raises the spending propensity among the people. "Spend wisely" was the message that was sent by the government and other institutions through different kinds of media. A few people heeded the call by the government to reduce spending while the majority chose to simple ignore the call and went on spending as usual, also ignoring the fact that we have just come out of a recession (according to media reports) that has seen thousands of workers being laid off.

It is unfortunate that there are people who will be victims of the festive season, as a result of their careless spending. These people have started borrowing money from the loan sharks, which will sink them into the deep end of the debt pool. I hope they have learned from their mistakes though it will take them some time to recover. For the rest who played it safe, the time to return to work is time for a fresh start, a time to put plans into action and pursue new goals.

Criticism versus Analysis

2009-12-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

My exposure to different types of news media, books and discussions has prompted me to reflect on the two terms, which is; criticism and analysis. For so many times I have heard people who are said to be analysts, when asked to give their analysis of the situation, engaging in criticism. I have always wondered why so many people are very fond of criticising instead of analysing.

An analyst would analyse the situation, approaching it from different angles, breaking down every aspects of the situation at hand to get a complete picture about what it is and what it is not. The analyst is always aware that there would be a negative and a positive side in what he/she is trying to analyse. The analyst will always give an informed advice. An analyst is aware of the danger of allowing emotions to influence his analysis. It is this awareness that allows him to stay focused and give an unbiased analysis.

On the other hand, criticism is more concerned with convincing everyone that something is not good. Criticism tends to focus more on the negative than the positive aspect of the given situation. Criticism stifles intellectual development. A person who puts much effort into criticising does not have time to think creatively. His/her actions are always reactive. I like Robert Kiyosaki when he says "Criticism blinded while analysis opened eyes", he further writes: "Analysis allowed winners to see that critics were blind....." Criticising only strengthens the one who is being criticised while analysing benefits everyone who is concerned with the situation.

Christmas Day

2009-12-21T00:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner, the bells are ringing closer each day. Yes, it is that time of the year again where gifts change hands. Santa Clauss's list of gift recipients is getting longer each year. Choosing the best gift for someone you care about can be a challenging task. One has been sending gifts to the same person for the past ten or fifteen years, it has become difficult to chose, the choice is becoming narrower each year. Or is it time to start from the beginning or repeat some of the gifts that one sent during the past years. Christmas games, christmas cards, flowers and gadgets are among the list of possible and easily affordable gifts. A Spa voucher, holiday or a lunch out can be a good gift too. But I can't take everyone out for a holiday, so I still have to look for the perfect gifts those I cannot take out.

What meaning is there in giving? The bible says: "Blessed is the hand that giveth than the one that taketh". Only love should compel one to give. A gift that comes from an uncaring person is as good as nothing. It's bad that other people give for all the wrong reasons. Christmas day is about caring for each other, giving and having great moments to share.

One Memorable

2009-12-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

In life, there are days that cannot be easily forgotten. Those are days when there were significant events that took place and memories of may last forever. After reading Rummuser's post on the topic, I became interested in writing about my memorable day.

It was December 1978, when I was doing my first grade in school. It was time for the announcement of results and all the learners and teachers gathered in the school hall. There were prizes on the table, for those learners who obtained first positions in their classes. The grade one teacher was the first to announce her best achiever and would call her/him to the front of the packed school hall to receive his/her prize. It was my first time to attend an event of that nature.

I didn't know anything about that event and I was there to watch and learn how things are done there and applaud those who would win. I was not aware of my performance and I didn't even think about myself being named the best performer. To my surprise and shock; my name was called. I didn't know what to do. I cried, tears of joy. I could not utter any word, even when my teacher asked how I felt. I received a pen as a prize. That was the first pen I owned.That day marked the beginning of my long successful journey at school. I stayed at the top for the rest of my school life. That is one memorable day.

16 Days of activism

2009-12-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ten years after the campaign was launched, it seems as if it is far from achieving its goals. What has gone wrong? There must be something wrong somewhere. The neccessity for the community to protect its children can not be over-emphasised, the same applies to women and men also. My belief is that nobody should be subjected to abuse.

I wonder if the architects of the "16 days of activism against women and children abuse" ever review and evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign. I do not subscribe to the opinion that the campaign should be stopped but I believe that it needs to be reviewed , reinforced or re-engineered. Campaigns start and end but it looks like this one is far from reaching its end point. Cases of abuse are increasing instead of going down. Are we the society that has abandoned basic human values? Do we need someone else to come and teach us values. Girls are no longer safe in the hands of their fathers. Mothers of today cannot leave their children in the custody of their fathers because they may be subjected to sexual abuse. It is better to leave your child with a woman stranger than the father.

The society cannot rely on the police for the safe upbringing of its own children and expect those children to grow into good and responsible adults. Parents of today also have a very bad tendency of shifting the responsibility of caring for their children to the government. What a shame! It should be every citizen's responsibility to ensure that we create a safe environment for our children, in particular and every citizen, in general.

Getting ready for the big event

2009-11-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

"It always seems impossible until it's done." said the world icon, Doctor Nelson Mandela. In times of hesitation, when the pessimist forces try to overpower the optimist's, it will be always fruitful to refer to the words of the great leader, to gain strength and courage to pursue one's dream, which may be viewed as impossible by others.

When the idea of a world cup coming to South Africa was termed a "crazy idea" by detractors, the organiser were not discouraged but instead strengthened their efforts to make the South African World cup a success. It is not a success yet but it will take a strong pessimist to foresee the 2010 world cup a failure, given the timeously implementation of the preparation plans.

The completion of the stadiums within the planned time frame is the good reason for dismissing a neccessity for plan B. The statement that was made earlier, that says only a natural disaster can prevent South Africa from hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup has gained more meaning. The infrastructure is ready, thanks to the government, sponsors, soccer bodies and committees involved. We are anticipating a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Taking stock

2009-11-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is here again. It is time to look back and see how many of our new year's (2009) resolutions and plans have been achieved. To what extent have we tried to execute those plans we made in January 2009? If you managed to successfully carry out your plans you should pat yourself at the back. Weel done! But for those, I think I am one of them, who could not successfully implement all their plans, it is not the end of the world. You need to carefully evaluate the process you went through and see where you missed the point.

Analysing the 2009 action plan will help you to correct mistakes and employ better ways of planning and enacting your plans. See if all the plans are still valid, some may be obsolete and need to be discarded and others need new and stronger effort. There will also be new goals. Be careful not to "bite more than you can chew". If you stick to your plans and only deviate when necessary, you will succeed.

Embarrassing moments

2009-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

It's surprising how differently people can react under similar embarrasing moments. Perhaps this difference comes from their perceptions of the situation or their experience. It can also be their levels of emotional intelligence. It also depends on the type of embarrassment, as there are two types, namely; Prefessional and Personal embarrassment.

Dealing with embarrassment can be really challenging sometimes. Trying to avoid an embarrassment can also result in embarrassment. This is a dilemma. A well respected man from rural area, with a group of his surbodinates, visited a hotel in the city. Among the foods there, were starters, desserts and main course. Trying to avoid embarrassing himself the man did not want to ask for the waiters' help. He then decided to take the platter and dished all the food in one plate. He sat at the table and drank all the water that had been used for hand washing. While sitting at the table, looking around, he could see that other people have different plates and bowls for the different dishes. Trying to cover his embarrassment, he said: "I wonder why people waste time dishing their food in different plates? all the food goes to one stomach, there is no need to seperate them." The people could not hold their laughter. He felt very embarrassed and could not even finish his food.

Here are some embarrasing events:

After standing in the queue for a very long time you discover that you are in the wrong queue.
Your secret has been revealed.
Having to run to the loo because if you do not run something worse may happen.
Being unable to use audio-visual equipment infront of the audience.
Arriving late at the function where you have to deliver the keynote address.
It is the end of the function, everyone is driving off and your car's engine does not start.
While standing infront of the audience you find that your trouser's zip is open.

There are many examples of embarrassing moments. Some are avoidable but others just crop up unexpectedly.

Exams and meals

2009-11-08T11:24:00.001-08:00

"Do not study with an empty stomach." This is my advice to those student who are writing their examinations during this time of the year. Studies have proved that concentration improves if one eats enough nutritious food. Do not let examination stress lead you to eating too much food. Too much intake of food can lead to tiredness, drowsiness and very low concentration, which often leads to low perfomance and disappointment.

Make sure you eat fruit and other protein-rich foods. Cereals and wholewheat products are recommended by nutritionist as a good source of energy that will keep you going during examinations. Panicking during exam sessions is one of the causes of poor results. Panic causes very low concentration and forgetfulness. It also disturbs the logical flow of ideas and may result in writng unsubtantiated facts wich will cost you marks. The idea is to eat properly, be well prepared and keep calm. If you prepare yourself very well in time your are sure to get good results, which every student is strivinf for.

Honourable ministers

2009-11-01T11:06:00.001-08:00

When listening to parliament debates, one would hear, more often, the words ‘Honourable member’ used as the way of addressing each other by the ministers. This is an honorific that is used as a symbol of respect for the position the individual is holding in the society. I believe that this title does not only carry the honour but also brings responsibility to the individual who is being addressed as “Honourable”. It also shows that the society has high expectations about the individual’s ability to perform the duties brought to her/him by the position she/he holds.

I have always wondered if our ministers are always mindful of the society’s expectations of them. Seemingly, some regard being given these positions as rewards for being active in the community rather than a responsibility that comes as a result of being trusted by the community. Those who think being appointed as a minister is a reward are there to enjoy luxuries, like expensive cars, posh houses, state of the art furniture, all-expenses-paid vacations, and so on. I do not mind our honourable ministers getting these incentives but they should know that these were designed to be part of a remuneration package for the “hard work”. According to my understanding remuneration comes after work.

Sometimes the “Honourable member” can behave in a way that makes one doubts if the member still deserves the title. It will be a good day when all our “honourable” parliamentarians understand that they have a responsibility to serve the nation and thereafter enjoy the benefits.

Service delivery protests

2009-10-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Since the National elections in April 2009, we have seen an increasing number of protests where citizens are complaining about slow or lack of delivery of services, as promised by the government in 1999. This clearly shows that the people have run out of patience and are tired of empty promises. It will be better if the government has realised that making empty promises out of desperation for votes does not help the country. Most people do not understand how government works and will expect promises to be fulfilled, no matter what the circumstances are.

Failure of the government to deliver does not, on the other hand, give the protestors a right to destroy community facilities/property as this creates a burden to the same government to replace them, using the funds it would use to build new facilities and infrastructure. These protests are a serious challenge to the Zuma administration and need to be dealt with in a very cautious but urgent manner. If people destroy public property without having to face punishment from the law enforcement agency, this may cause a general disrespect for the law and authority where everyone would do as he pleases and no one will bring him/her to book. Corrupt government officials are the main cause for these protests. Funds are being used for self enrichment while the masses continue to live in abject poverty. If the government is serious about addressing service delivery in this country it should impose severe penulties to those who are found guilty of embezzlement of public funds.

Just let go

2009-10-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

We, sometimes find it very difficult to forget the wrongs done by other people to us, forgetting that holding a grudge can be detrimental to our own lives. Below are the few tips on how to get over it and move on with your life ( These were emailed to me by Elsabe Manning):

1. Decide not to live your life poisoning yourself with dark and negative thoughts and emotions of anger, bitterness and resentment;
2. Learn the lesson so that you can learn from this situation. Then keep the lesson, but discard of the experience;
3. Forgive - the other person... and yourself! Forgiveness is the key to the handcuffs that are binding the two of you together. Let go of the desire to be angry and resentful. Stop being a victim and free yourself from being locked into this other person emotionally. Stop allowing them to control your emotions!
4. Get over it! This includes not discussing it with others. Every time that you do, you affirm your anger and resentment and you will need to go through steps 1, 2 and 3 all over again.

2009-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Challenges we meet in life may sometimes require us to make choices, some of which can change our lives forever, for the better or worse. It becomes difficult when one is faced with a dilemma. What do you do when you are facing a problem? Do you apply conventional ways of solving it or you look for your own way of dealing with the problem. Sometimes people make a mistake of applying general solutions to unique problems.

Following well established, tried and tested ways of doing things is easier and quicker, which is why most of the people will just adopt well researched and established ideas rather than doing their own research. On the other hand there are people who are always in search of new ways of doing things. These people do not believe that there are irreplaceable man-made things in life. What would happen if everyone had a follower’s mentality? Following well established trails suppresses one’s innovative skills. Following means you will never be number one in that trail.

Creating your own trail carries risks and you must be prepared for disappointment if your own way does not work. I can imagine the risk that was taken by the first visitors to the moon, the first person to board an aeroplane, the sailors and many more others whose bravery and inquisitive minds revealed what would not have been known to the world today. Entrepreneurs are the other example of people who create their own trails. Most businesses started as a result of one person’s creative thinking and a desire to come with something new, something that will appeal to consumers while generating income for the business owner. I believe that a person, while following trails in some aspects, should create his/her own trails in other aspects of life.

Banning labour brokerage

2009-10-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Labour brokers (commonly known as agents) are facing hard times as the South African trade unions are calling for the government to abolish them. Some people are calling labour brokerage the “modern-day-slavery”, others are calling it “another form of human trafficking”, while others say they are “parasites.” One of the arguments in favour of labour brokers says they contribute to the country’s GDP and pay income tax to the government. Other people are calling for the government to regulate the labour brokerage industry rather than abolishing it.

In light of all what has transpired in the arguments for or against abolishment of labour brokers, the question that comes to my mind is: What are the labour brokers doing to teach people about their relevance in the labour market? What are they doing to create a good image of themselves to the general public? Very little is known about labour brokers to ordinary people. Other businesses are sponsoring events of local, national or international importance in order to make sure they portray a good image of themselves. The other party that is very likely to lose if labour brokers are abolished are their clients (companies) who could negotiate cheaper labour rates and avoid paying employee benefits and liability in cases of on-duty injuries, thereby saving in costs. Is this the result of the economic recession or something that would happen even if there was no recession?

Is there a way of resolving this without having a loser or a winner? I doubt it. One of the sides must win at the end. No matter who wins at the end, my opinion is that; the country should not lose.

Usefull equations in life.

2009-09-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

I found it very interesting to learn that a number of equations that we tend to believe only apply to Mathematics or Physics, can also be used to describe various life situations, especially in relationships, like marriages, friendships, employment and love relationships. I found a number of equations that can be used to explain life process and phenomena. But let me warn you; If you are a no nonsense mathematician you might not find sense in these equations because most of them are mathematically incorrect. Below are some of the equations that may be useful to shape your love life, marriage life, family life or work life:

2-1 = 1: This means that if you were in a relationship, love, friendship or marriage, then your partner or friend decides to part ways with you, you will remain as complete as you were when he/she met you. This is aiming at telling you that you should take things easy, let go and continue living your life.

2-1 = ½: This one applies to those people who do not see themselves as complete anymore after being left my their friend or lover. This may indicate that you were too dependant on your part and you feel useless and hopeless without him/her. This kind of people would go to the extent of committing suicide after being left.

2-1 = 0: This is the worst case of the above condition. The one who is dumped would not see the reason to live anymore. This situation is found in a relationship where one partner is wholly dependant on the other and is just useless in a relationship.

1+1 = 1: This equation indicates couples who have fully committed themselves to the oneness of married couples. They regard themselves as one. This is a union that is very hard to divide and is a kind of marriages that we are all supposed to have.

1+1 = 3: This mathematical statement is mostly used by business management scholars, to emphasize the importance of cooperative work. It says the result of combined effort is greater than the sum of individual efforts.
The same equation is also used in the teenage pregnancy awareness campaigns to warn teenagers of the danger of falling pregnant if they engage in sex before they get married. Teenagers are discouraged of engaging in sexual activity as it may be a lifetime mistake they will regret for the rest of their whole lives.

Honest leadership

2009-09-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to write on this topic when I learnt, with disappointment, the developments in Athletic South Africa about the way it has handled participation of one of its athletes in the 2009 World Olympics. The question I have in my mind is: “How honest are the people who lead ASA?” I strongly believe that if one is not honest to other people, he is automatically not honest to himself. Then, how do we trust a dishonest person? We need true leaders, who are honest and authentic, leaders we can trust. Do we have such leaders in today’s society? If we do have, what percentage of current leaders is authentic? I doubt if they can make 20% of the total leadership.

Why do we have such high instances of dishonest leadership? One important factor is the environment. I doubt if the environment allows for the development of honest leadership. We are living in an environment where politics interfere with every process you can think of, even selecting players in the playing field. Merit does not count anymore. What counts most is: “With whom are you associated?” Sadly, this bad and unethical behaviour of being dishonest is manifesting itself in our judicial system. Who are we going to look up to for justice to be done? I was, just recently, disappointed by one magistrate in a certain court, instead of passing his judgement on my complaint, he was complaining that I was wasting the court’s time. Don’t I have the right to appeal to the court if I feel that justice has not been done? I don’t have a problem with his judgement, what I have a problem with is telling me that I wasted the court’s time by bringing the matter to the court. Seemingly he had forgotten that by bringing matters before him, we are giving him a job and therefore, bread for his family.

There are positions to which you cannot be appointed on the basis of your competency but on whether your views and actions show sympathy to certain key individuals in the organisations. The King II report on Corporate Governance stresses on good governance, bases on a Code of practice and Conduct for Boards of directors and management. In some meetings wrong decisions are taken, not because everyone agrees, but because those who have different and correct ideas chose to rather not voice them out because they might jeopardise their chances of obtaining better positions in the company or government.

There are truly great and honest leaders in our societies, but they are not in the leadership positions because they are prevented and suppressed by those self proclaimed leaders who will bend every rule to make sure they remain in top positions. What kind of generation shall we be living behind? No value can replace honesty. Fail to teach your children honesty and they will live to regret that they happened to be your children.

Gender

2009-09-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

What prompted me to write this article is the worldwide debate about the gender of the Word’s eight hundred metres champion, Caster Semenya, who is a South African citizen. I want to look very closely at what the word “gender” means. The Wikipedia defines gender as: “A term that refers to the set of characteristics that humans perceive as distinguishing between men and women extending from one's biological sex to one's social role or gender identity. At the biological level, men and women are typically distinguished by the presence of a Y-chromosome in male cells, and its absence in female cells. At the social level, however, there is debate regarding the extent to which the various biological differences necessitate differences in social gender roles and gender identity, which has been defined as "an individual's self-conception as being male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex”

Obviously, the above definition is a non-scientific one, and gives the perspective of ordinary people as to what gender entails. But, seemingly, the IAAF does not define gender that way.
The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) decided to conduct gender test after Cater had won the 800 metres challenge. Was that fair? Why they do not make it their policy to test gender before the athletes participate in their competitions. Taking tests of this kind may have different effects to different people. Some people may develop gender dysphoria, which can make one very uncomfortable with him/herself. In our societies we have people who are called “gender benders”, I think this comes as a result of being uncomfortable of belonging to the gender one was born with.

This makes me wonder if we will ever reach a point where we will achieve gender equality. To me it looks like it will always be a dream to pursue. Besides all the controversy around Caster, South Africans are very proud of her and the other athletes; Khotso Mokoena and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, who flew the South African flag during the 2009 Olympics.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

2009-09-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

The decrease in consumer spending has resulted in businesses reporting a nosedive in their profits, of as high as 35% in a period of twelve months in some big SA businesses. Little improvement in consumer spending has been reported despite the interest rate cuts by the South African Reserve bank, in an attempt to help the consumers who were struggling with debt repayment due to the global economic recession. Credit providers have reported an improvement in debt repayment, thanks to the interest rate cuts.

We were hoping that by now we would be seeing an improvement in the economy, but it seems as if the storm is far from being over. We are yet to endure more severe economic hardship, according to the economic analysts. Liquidations are reported to have increased. The end results of all these developments in the economy is the retrenchment of workers, which will result in an increase in unemployment rate and subsequently, poverty. Poverty is believed to be the main cause of violence, instability and crime. Trade unions say: “A hungry man is an angry man.”
From a layman’s point of view, what does all this mean? It means living conditions will be worse and every household needs to revise its spending pattern. We need to only buy the things we really need, no more unnecessary extras. We need to save, not only money, but anything of value that we may need to buy in the near future. No unnecessary travelling. We should join or form lift clubs to travel between home and work, thereby saving in travelling costs. Even if you have the necessary cash to fund a big project you have planned to undertake, putting it on hold will be a good idea, until you have reasonable assurance that you will still be having cash inflows for the next twelve or more months.

What will happen to the have-nots, those whose survival depended on those who used to have? Really, this economic condition is here to test those who have been generous enough to give to the needy and unable to feed and clothe themselves. Caring for human life is one of the basic human values, give whatever you can, to make sure that the needy too have something to eat and cover their bodies.

Changing life style

2009-08-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have heard about people who are tired of living the life they are living but they do not know to get out of it. They feel like they are trapped. They have a strong desire to change, they sometimes try to change but return to their usual life after a short period of trial. We have seen drug and alcohol addicts returning to drugs/alcohol after they had vowed not to touch them again. Like drugs, some habits are very addictive, though they may not be harmful to anyone. The truth is: changing is very difficult and it takes a lot of effort and discipline to change from the usual way to the new way of doing things.
The fact we can not run away from is that life becomes very uncomfortable after one has realised the need to change but is unable to effect the change he needs. He feels like a very strong invisible powerful hand is holding him from pursuing the change he/she needs. This kind of a situation brings frustration and disorder in a person’s life. It may be a good idea for one to get a life coach to take him through the steps he needs to take. I have heard many people recommending the use of life coaches to change life. Judging from their satisfaction, I am convinced that the idea of using a life coach works. One mistake we sometimes do is trying to change everything at once, failure of which will worsen the condition. Trying to change everything at once does not give a chance to review and evaluate the process before much damage has been done and it leads to gross failure, and can destroy the courage to change. We should adopt a piecemeal approach to change. This discussion will be continued in the next post. Please post your comments.

Dealing with H1N1 influenza or Swine flu

2009-08-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

The pandemic, H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu is posing a very serious health challenge to the world population. It looks like the disease is spreading wider and faster than anticipated. Medical experts say the world should watch out for the second attack which is expected to be more severe than the preceding attack. That is bad news. What is very bad with this flu is that its symptoms are similar to those of ordinary flu which makes it difficult to be diagnosed timeously. Laboratory tests are also reported to be very expensive, to the extent that only those people that show strong symptoms of this disease are subjected to tests. The very unfortunate part of this is that it seems as if the primary interest for testing the suspected victims is only for statistical purposes, not to protect human life. The present situation calls for everybody to guard him/herself against catching this disease.

What you should do to limit your chances of catching H1N1
· Wash your hands regularly with soapy water, more especially after coughing or sneezing and before touching food.
· Use a clean tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you are coughing or sneezing. The tissue should be thrown away immediately after use.
· Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose because you might have just touched an infected surface.
· Do not come into very close contact with people who are showing symptoms of flu.
· If you have signs of sickness, avoid coming into close proximity with other people, thereby protecting them from getting infected.
· If there is no need to go to places where there are a lot of people, just stay away from crowded places.
· When going for shopping use paper towels that are provided by some supermarkets to wipe your hands, the trolley and the basket handles.
Click Here! to get a book that will give you detailed information about swine flu.

Will your relationship weather the economic meltdown?

2009-08-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

The global economic downturn is here to put relationships to the test. Quarrels over finances are the order of the day in some families. I have many a time read stories about women who file for divorce because their husbands have gone bankrupt. This is disappointing; imagine the kind of pain one can be put through, by losing a job/income and losing a wife. This makes me to wonder what had motivated the lady to get into the marriage in the first place. Have we lost basic human values or what? Can love be measured in monetary units? I doubt it.

It has also been reported that; out of fear of being dumped after retrenchment, some men choose to leave their partners to start a new life out there, in the middle of nowhere. That is also not correct. It shows that one did not build the relationship on a solid foundation but chose to use his financial power to lure the woman he thought he deserved. It’s true that when money is easily available, it creates a good environment for the relationship because life becomes too busy to worry over not so serious problems. For an example; If one partner returns home later than usual with a bag full of goods, the other partner just understands that he/she has been delayed by shopping. In tough times, financial stress takes control and other problems become difficult to ignore.
We should be careful of letting our marriages/relationships rely heavily on our financial success. We should rather build them on good human values; love, trust, respect and transparency. We will be proud of ourselves when we look back at the hurdles we have passed through after decades of being in the relationship

"You strike the woman....."

2009-08-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

August 09 is the day when the people of South Africa commemorate the bold actions that were demonstrated by women in 1956 in fighting for freedom and equality of all races and genders in this land. It was a dream that most of the people who were holding the reins of the then government thought would never come to reality. Those women were in the high state of sanity as opposed to their masters who viewed them as insane people who were pursuing the impossible dream.
Today, women are still carrying on with the struggle, but in a different environment and form. Women have managed to break the gender stereotypes and demonstrated their ability to fit well in positions that were formerly known as only suitable for males. They moved from being domestic workers to being CEO’s of large companies and successful business women. We must also be mindful that domestic work is not just a job, it is a job that requires a person with love, caring, warmth and tenderness. It needs a person who can comfort and console, a person everyone in the family can always look up to. I have always wondered why this job is not given the dignity it deserves.
In 2009, celebrating this day aims at paying tribute to the women who made selfless sacrifices in the struggle for the liberation of oppressed races, and acknowledging the role women of today play in building a democratic society, where everyone is judged by the content of his/her character, not his/her colour or sex. Celebrating this day also aims at educating the women about what is expected of them by the nation. It also aims at encouraging those women who are feeling down and demoralised that they can be successful one day. We must be proud of women; they are the mothers of nations. “You strike woman you strike the rock.”

A "Thank you' and a smile.

2009-08-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we tend to forget, or underestimate the effect of showing appreciation of what other people do for us. What prompted me to write this post is a story I heard from my colleagues, last week: A young girl prepared breakfast for her dad, as a surprise. It was her first time to do that and she was very excited about it. What made her more excited was that at last her mother had agreed to her plea for letting her make breakfast for her dad.

When she had finished making breakfast she asked her father to come and have his breakfast in the kitchen. Unfortunately the girl had spilt milk on the floor and forgot to wipe it before her father came. Her father was very strict with food wastage. The first thing her father saw when entering the kitchen door was the spilt milk and things turned sour. The father complained about the spilt milk and shouted at her. Nonetheless, he settled at the table and had his breakfast. He didn’t say a word about the breakfast and the person who had prepared it. The young girl was disappointed.

The next day at school, the teacher instructed the learners to write their journals, as usual. The girl wrote the breakfast story in her journal and expressed the disappointment she had in her dad’s lack of appreciation.Seeing this, the teacher decided to request a meeting with her dad and talked about his daughter’s disappointment. Fortunately, the father understood and sincerely apologised to her daughter. This story teaches us that it is very important to appreciate the effort, even if the result is not good as we would like it to be. A “thank you” and a smile would have made the little girl’s day.

Gripped by the jaws of Poverty

2009-07-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

The global economic recession has resulted in a loss of thousands of jobs. The situation affects almost everyone who is living at the current age. The number of people who live in abject poverty is increasing day by day. Poor families have become poorer. Businesses have closed down, those who are still operating have drastically reduced production, something which resulted in retrenchment of workers.

What is appalling is that everyone is looking for someone to blame, government being the first target. Sitting down and complaining about someone who does not create job opportunities for you will not help but will worsen the condition. Ramana has a very interesting article about how people waste time by whining instead of taking suitable action. I suggest you read that article.

There is a kind of people who embrace poverty, it looks like they take interest in complaining about their plight. Their aim is to gain sympathy and the world’s attention. It is true that most of the people have not put themselves in the situation they are in, but they tend to forget that it is their responsibility to make an effort that will take them out of the situation they found themselves in. Steve Davis once said: “It may not be your fault for being down, but it is your fault for not getting up.” Do not wait and pray that poverty may kick you out one day, take an initiative, make a wide stride and jump out of poverty. The mistake that one makes is thinking that poverty lives in him when he is the one who lives in poverty. This means that poverty will not move out, you, the tenant of poverty needs to move out, and leave poverty in peace.

Challenges are only overcome by those who are not afraid of them. Every problem has a solution, and that solution lies somewhere, waiting to be uncovered. It will, mostly, only be uncovered by those who do not easily give up. Those are the ones with the right attitude and courage to face every situation they come across.

67 Minutes in honor of Nelson Mandela

2009-07-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Nelson Mandela foundation has made a call to people of the world to honour the first Nelson Mandela day by devoting 67 minutes of their time in doing charity work. It looks like a very big number of people and organisation have heeded the call. The press has contributed immensely by publishing the call and the activities of the day. It is said this World Nelson Mandela Day will be celebrated annually, therefore if you did not get a chance to make any contribution, you still have a chance to plan for the next day.

I think it is very important to honour this day because it is aiming to inculcate the sense of caring for those who can not care for themselves. It is also encouraging people to always make valuable contributions to the development of the society, a society that cares, a society that has respect for human dignity, a society that has love, a society of responsible men and women and a society that appreciates what is good.

The celebration of the Nelson Mandela day is an acknowledgement and appreciation of Nelson Mandela’s selfless contributions to the struggle for a fair, just and non-discriminatory society, where all the citizens are treated equally and with respect for human dignity. Long live! Madiba! We love you.

One Lovely Blog Award

2009-07-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

I received this award from Rummuser ( my appreciation) about a month ago. He requested that I should also pass it to fifteen other blogs. I am about to finish my long list of the blogs and a shortlisting process will begin very soon. All interested bloggers are invited to submit their blogs for listing. Leave your blog address in the comment section. I will be closing this opportunity very soon. Thank you.

Obama visits Africa

2009-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated and waited visit of the world’s popular leader, US President, Barack Obama, had finally happened. The US president descended in Accra, Ghana, to a warm welcome by the Ganaians. T-shirts bearing the face of President Obama clearly spelt out the feelings the Ghana nationals had about his visit. Does the Ghana president enjoy the same admiration and support from the Ghanaians? I will leave that question unanswered for now because I do not want to distract from the focus of this article.
“Africa’s future is up to Africans”, said the US president, just a few hours after the G8 countries had agreed to increase the aid to African countries from $15 billion to $20 billion. A move some of the African countries appeared to be paranoid about. I took Obama’s statement as an indirect response to those people who make much noise about the world’s richest countries’ lack of commitment to their promises. Obama still identifies with Africa, this was clear in his statement about his father herding goats and his grandfather being a cook for the British in Kenya. It then makes sense for the Africans to be so proud of him. A question comes to my mind: Will he be the solution to Africa’s problems? The answer lies in the statement I quoted above; “Africa’s future is up to Africans.”
President Obama put more emphasis on good governance; something which I think is a serious challenge for African countries. Corruption and conflict are the order of the day in Africa, and he put it clearly that the Western countries can not be blamed for that. “Africa does not need strong men; it needs strong institutions.” He uttered those words in praise of the institutions left behind by the former Ghana presidents, Jerry Rawlings and john Kufuor. I believe president John AttaMills felt very honoured to be the first host for the world renowned leader, Barack Obama, in Africa.
I hope the message from Obama will help to change Africa, for the better. And there will be a time when no African country would be perpetually relying on foreign aid. This will be a reality when all Africans realise that “Africa’s future is up to Africans”.

United States of Africa

2009-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

As the African heads of state gathered in Lybia, for the African Union summit, on the first of July 2009, one of the topics that were discussed (or rather proposed) was the possibility of forming the United States of Africa. It has been reported that some members rejected the proposal giving reason that it was too early to think about forming a body of that kind and stating that the issue had not been part of the agenda for that summit.

The argument concerning the formation of the United States of Africa made me to begin to look carefully at the structures that the African countries have formed until today. To me, it looks like the African leaders should first evaluate the functionality of the present African structures/ bodies. There is the African union, the Pan African Parliament (which I think very few citizens can tell about its purpose and its role in Africa) and the commissions, to mention but a few.
There is a programme that is called African Peer Review Mechanisms that does not seem to be functioning well. The reasons for the non-functioning of the programme, I think, is lack of objectivity amongst the leaders involved, non-existence of the will to accept criticism and a fear of spoiling the relations between fellow leaders who supported each other during the struggle.

Most African leaders have a tendency of failing to condemn, in strongest possible terms, wrongs done by their counterparts. I prefer to call this “Blind loyalty”. As an African, I also feel that it is too early to call for the formation of the United States of Africa.Africa is being ravaged by ethnic hatred and wars. The first thing we would fight over when such a structure is formed is ‘From which tribe would the president come?’ And we will find that some tribes would not be prepared to be presided over by the person from another tribe and that would cause more chaos. I believe this can only be a success if all African countries can adhere to good governance, respect of law, respect of the will of the people and adoption of unconditional democracy. I say unconditional democracy because I have realised that there are people who think that democracy means that their party should lead the government, if another party wins they do not take that as democracy. Lastly, Africa should stop parroting the Western countries because this makes them look like they are incapable of initiating their own good and effective programmes.

When old heroes fall new heroes rise

2009-06-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

The entertainment industry is mourning the death of the pop legend, Michael Jackson, who had a very big number of supporters. I believe that he has been the pop singer with the most number of supporters in th world. Though I have not been his fan, I have been admiring his talent, dancing skills and the ability to attract lage numbers of people in his concert. We are hoping that the world will give us other pop stars to replace the fallen hero. If you would like to post a message about Michael, click this

2010 UNDER THREAT

2009-06-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

A count down to the 2010 Soccer World Cup is approaching the end. This World Cup has long been awaited by soccer fans, especially those who come from South Africa. It is now a matter of months before the referee blows his whistle to start the soccer battle. “We can’t wait, let’s go 2010.” That is the slogan of one of the 2010 Soccer World Cup sponsors; MTN. This slogan clearly articulates the feeling among those who are looking forward to the big event.

Yes, South Africa should be glad that it will be welcoming thousands of people from the world, most of which will be coming to witness this big event. But we should not be oblivious of the disadvantages brought by the coming of large numbers of people at the same time, from different countries of the world. It is disturbing that South Africa will be hosting this event at a very challenging time. This is the time when the outbreak of H1N1 flu is being reported, the event will increase the chances of the disease being imported to the country. This is an era when the country and the world are battling to control the spread of HIV. This is also a period when people have very little cash to spend on entertainment. People are losing their jobs, day in day out, with a reported total of 208000 job losses in the first quarter. All these will impact negatively to the success of the event.

The fear of catching the H1N1 flu will drastically reduce the number of people who will be willing to leave their couches and join the masses in the stadiums. Crime cannot be left out as it is one of the inhibiting factors, as far as the free movement of people is concerned. I am glad that our government and security forces have declared that they will be alert for any situation that may threaten the welfare of our visitors. In light of this assurance we can hope that everyone will feel safe in our country.Challenges will always be there, but they do not mean we should stop our plans. We are going 2010.

The World at my door step

2009-06-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

“Knock! Knock!” “Who’s there?” “It’s me, World, I’ve come to visit you.” That is the feeling most of the South Africans have as the world comes to South Africa. It has been the World Economic Forum, staged in Cape Town, closely followed by the FIFA Confederations Cup which will be running for the next few weeks. We surely have to show the world that we are a caring nation and we deserve a space in the tourist’s diary. The efficiency of the hospitality industry will be of great significance if the stay of the world’s visitors will be the most enjoyable and memorable one. A good customer service is what it takes to retain existing customers and attract new ones. The dream of job creation will be realised as a number of hospitality jobs will be available, thereby lowering the unemployment rate.

Among the burning issue in the WEF was the global economic crisis, as the theme read thus: “Implications of the global economic crisis in Africa.” It comes as no surprise that this theme has been chosen as everyone is very worried about the current economic downturn.Soccer, also known as football, happens to be the most loved sport in South Africa, with a very large number of fans. South Africans will get an opportunity to watch the world soccer stars in their home ground, something which is very likely to remain in the young South African soccer lover’s minds for the years to come. It’s amazing to see how young soccer players would give themselves names of the renowned soccer stars like; Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Pele.

It will soon be 2010 and we expect to hold a successful FIFA WORLD CUP soccer tournament. Among the things we hope to achieve by hosting the 2010 world cup is the development of soccer in our youth, the development of the economy and to improve the image of our country to the global population. We must be really grateful that the world has given us this wonderful opportunity.

Fact or opinion

2009-06-06T04:46:00.000-07:00

In our world everyone has more than once had a situation where he/she needed some advice from colleagues, friends, family or relative. What usually happens is that the advice you get is an opinion. What you need to do is to weigh the advice against your circumstances because it may happen that the person who gave you the advice was not aware of some of the conditions in your life.
It is very sad that sometimes people just adopt opinions as facts and implement them as policy or impose them to other people’s lives. Below is an article called “fifteen pieces of advice”. This, I think, can help to facilitate thinking and debate about how different sexes behave and develop skills for handling certain things in life. I received this from my female friend who usually sends me tips and jokes. Some of the points are just jokes and need not be treated as such. But my other female friend advised that most of the points are correct. What do you say?

Fifteen pieces of advice
1. Don't imagine you can change a man - unless he's in nappies.
2. What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.
3. If they put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all up there.
4. Never let your man's mind wander - it's too little to be out alone.
5. Go for the younger man.. You might as well, they never mature anyway.
6. Men are all the same - they just have different faces, so that you can tell them apart.
7. Definition of a bachelor: a man who has missed the opportunity to make some woman miserable.
8. Women don't make fools of men - most of them are the do-it-yourself types.
9. Best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.
10. Love is blind,but marriage is a real eye-opener.
11. If you want a committed man,look in a mental hospital.
12. The children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Even in Biblical times, men wouldn't ask for directions.
13. If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him cheque books.
14. Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means that you laugh at his.
15. Sadly, all men are created equal.

Salary increases in economic recession

2009-05-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

The current economic situation has brought uncertainty about the future, to individuals and mostly, the working class. With the majority of workers demanding salary increases despite the economic condition that is prevailing at the present moment, it demands that everybody should give a careful thought to the matter before expressing opinion about the wage increases that are demanded by workers.
Salary negotiations have been going on for quite some time, and seemingly, there is no consensus about the increase rate. Taking into account the inflation rate, anybody who is asking for a wage increase is quite correct, under normal and usual conditions. But I think the current economic situation needs somebody to consider making sacrifices. There is a saying that reads: “Half a loaf is better than no bread”. To workers it looks like this saying applies the other way round: “No bread is better than half a loaf.”
Businesses, who are employers, are closing down completely or some of their operations. Those who have not closed are battling for their survival. As a means of trying to survive some businesses have revised their strategies, resulting in retrenchment of workers, which in turn resulted in increased unemployment rate. Managers are now more concerned with cost cutting. The most expensive production factor is reported to be labour. Therefore, it makes sense for anyone who is trying to minimise costs to consider reducing labour costs. Reducing raw material costs would not help if labour is still the same because these work together. You need labour to turn the raw materials into products. Therefore a reduction in one calls for a reduction in the other.
One of the ways of saving in the labour costs is reducing labour rate, something that workers are not prepared to accept. The question that I ask myself and unfortunately, cannot answer is: Why do worker chose to increase their chances of being retrenched rather than accepting lower salaries? I believe that if workers force businesses (employers) to increase the wage rate beyond affordability, which will result in losses, inadequate cash flow and ultimately, liquidation.
Consumer spending has declined. At the same time the cost of living is becoming higher by day. Food and fuel prices are increasing, putting more strain to households’ disposable incomes. Grocery lists are becoming shorter and shorter. According to my view the present economic recession requires everyone to adopt a sense of compromise, put aside personal ambitions and deal with the reality of a declining economy. As a worker, I’d rather stay at the same salary level until the storm is over.

Words of wisdom

2009-05-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

The most effective way of closing the gap between what you know and what you do not know is learning. Everybody would like to wiser than what he or she is. Here are the words of wisdom:

“Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from”. By Al Franken.

How good is your Technology vocabulary?

2009-05-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Technology is as old as human kind, or even older, it can even date back to the beginning. The bible says that in the beginning God created heaven and earth, so we can say that Heaven and Earth are God’s invention. We know that invention is one of the highly important skills in the field of technology.
Technology is impacting on every aspect of human life and life on earth in general. Almost every human activity that takes place is somehow influenced by technology. Management, especially business management, has been made easy or more effective by the use of technology, in the form of information technology. The use of computers has made decision making easier and quicker for business managers. The use of cellular phones, ATM’s, ipods, digital cameras and the internet, to mention but a few, has become so popular so much that it has become hard to imagine how life was before these products were brought to use.

The above statements make it very important for everyone living at this age to acquaint him or herself with the technological terms that are used with the technology products. How many of the following terms, acronyms and abbreviations do you understand well?Broadband, router, cookie, firewall, virus, zoom, gadget, java, http, www, cpu, hard drive, software, hardware, ATM, LAN, desktop, adsl, 3G, 4G, PTT, digital, optic fibre, WAP, GSM, nano, blue tooth, plasma, signal, network, apple and modem. These are just a tip of an iceberg. Everyone needs to keep abreast of technological developments or will find himself submerged beneath the mountain of technological development.

Wedding

2009-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

It all starts by a relationship (in most cases), and as trust develops amongst the two individuals, the relationship grows into something serious which prompts one of the parties to find it difficult to imagine life without his/her partner. It is at this moment where the most treasured question is asked; “Will you marry me?” I don’t want to say who asks the question because we are now living in a society of gender equality where anyone can pose the question or can propose marriage.
Once the proposal has been accepted, preparations for the great day start. Some people say the wedding day is the most important day in a person’s life. That is why it should be thoroughly planned and prepared. Wedding expenses vary according to the value placed on that day by the people involved. Sometimes the financial conditions may not allow one to have the wedding of his or her dreams. Some of the things that are regarded as the most important during the preparations are:
· The venue: The location of the venue is one of the factors that are considered when choosing the venue. It can be the hall, church, garden, beachfront, etc. Colourful decorations are the common features in a wedding venue. Mostly the colours of the day are chosen by the bride. The importance that is placed by the society on wedding decorations has caused a dramatic increase in a number of companies that offer this service.
· The attire: The colour of the wedding gown is usually white and suits often have to match the colour of the day. These are usually hired specially for the day.
· The transport: Usually people do not want to use their cars during their wedding, they hire expensive cars, and I think they do that because they want to feel the importance of the day. They want to be special on that day. Regrettably, some do that to impress certain individuals and to prove that they are of a better standard than the rest of the recently wedded couples.
· Refreshments: People come to the wedding ceremony expecting that at the end they will get some refreshments. The couple has to make sure that there are enough of these for their invitees. The most common in wedding ceremonies are; the wedding cake, the drinks, the champagne, snacks, and a meal for each of the guests. Most of he people would hire a caterer to take care of this item.
· The wedding rings: This depends on the religion and beliefs of those who are getting wedded. Christians place a high value in the rings, without rings a Christian wedding cannot be complete. Rings are the sign of commitment to one another, they form the basis of the vows taken by the couple. Some people believe that the more expensive the ring is, the more the value placed by one partner to the other. So when you decide to buy a wedding ring, be careful it might carry a certain message to your partner. You better hide the price if it is a cheaper ring.

Having done all the above preparations, people make a mistake of not preparing themselves for the marriage life. They enter into the marriage with expectations that may be different from the reality of marriage life. They ignore the importance of visiting marriage counsellors and lose an opportunity of learning what will be expected of them and how to handle the problems that may crop up in the marriage. To those who plan to get wedded; I advise them not to undermine the role of marriage counsellors in preparing couples for life in marriage.

SA's new cabinet

2009-05-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

After the inauguration of South Africa’s new president, Jacob Zuma, and ending speculations on who will make it to the new cabinet, the new president finally announced his team of men and women entrusted with the responsibility of performing on the electorate mandate, that is; improving the lives of South Africans.

It is very interesting to note the change the ruling African National Congress has undergone. The party has managed to recycle itself, we have witnessed this in its election campaigns which managed to draw large numbers of supporters, something that was last seen during the tenure of former president Nelson Mandela. We have noticed how the interest to vote, among the citizens, has been revived and we hope this interest will be sustained to the next elections and beyond.
The new impression the ANC is trying to make is also evident in the changes in the cabinet as announced today. New Departments have been established and some of the old ones have been renamed. The new departments are:
· Tourism: led by Martinus van Schalkwyk
· Women, youth, children and people with disabilities : Noluthando Sibiya
· Economic Development: Ibrahim Patel
· Rural development and land reform: Gugile Kwinti

New names for the renamed departments:
· Cooperative and traditional affairs: Sicelo Shiceka
· Water and environmental affair: Buyelwa Sonjica
· Agriculture, fisheries and forestry: Tina Peterson
· Human Settlement: Tokyo Sexwale
· International relations and cooperation: Mayite Mashabane

The Education department has been divided into: Higher Education, under Blade Nzimande and Basic Education, under Angie Motshega. Trevor Manuel, the most liked minister, has been replaced by Pravin Gordhan and moved to the Presidency, to lead the National Planning Commission. It is believed that his experience and competence will be of benefit to the establishment of this commission. The above list is not exhaustive; it is a highlight of the changes that have occurred in the South African government.
President Zuma, when asked what he thinks the reaction of the markets would be to the replacement of Finance minister, answered: “I can’t predict the markets...., they react on the number of issues.... Markets will react positively, normally, who can predict the markets?” Which president would say the markets will react negatively? That response alone would be enough to trigger a negative reaction by the markets. I wonder what makes the markets to be so sensitive.
As South Africans we hope and pray that the changes will contribute positively to the development of our country and promoting its image in the African continent and the world.

Mother's love

2009-05-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mother - that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries. ~T. DeWitt Talmage
Mothers have never failed to show their children the love they have for them. Even when all people of the world could be against me, I know my mother would be on my side. No matter how cold it could be outside, I knew I would come home to the warmth of my mother. My mother’s heart was always open to me, her child.

When I was in pain, my mother would feel more pain than I did. When I was in tears, she would use her hand to wipe them off. She shared most of my sorrows than joys because I would remember her most when I was in trouble. When I went astray she showed me the way. She was always kind but firm. She taught me to distinguish between the good and the bad. She taught me respect, honesty and love. She encouraged me when I was doing good things and punished me when I did wrong.

She understood that giving was more important than receiving. She made sure she was always there when I needed her. She would not wait for me to ask for help because she would know I needed help before I did. One thing I never doubted: She loved me.This is a tribute to my late mom, Medrina.

The horror of swine flu

2009-05-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

The swine flu or influenza, which had been known to be common in pigs, hence the name pigfluenza, has come to haunt the human race once again. This kind of flu is reported to have similar symptoms with flu or influenza that is associated with colds. Scientists have claimed that there is no evidence that traces the current outbreak to pigs. The cause of the outbreak remains a subject of research. If you have been thinking of refraining from eating pork, relax, pork is still safe to eat. To those who love pets, there is nothing that associates the current outbreak with pets. I think buying pets and pet food is still safe, at least for now, unless new evidence comes out. Can the impact of this H1N1 flu be likened to that of bird flu? Bird flu had been affecting most of the pets and other animals. Some sources say it (H1N1) is likely to be more severe than that of Avian influenza (H5N1).

While the world is still trying to grapple with the problem of HIV and AIDS that is threatening to wipe out humans, now a new challenge emerges. We hope that vaccines will be able to curb this H1N1 epidemic.

Mexico has been reported to be the hardest hit, with the death toll of 101, though there has been reports that say this diseases has claimed around 474 lives in that country. It makes sense to expect that this outbreak is making a negative impact on the economy, as some shops have been closed. Movement of people has been restricted, by choice or as per instruction by authorities. People with vacation packages have put their vacations on hold, this impacting negatively on the cash flow and profits of vacation businesses like vacation rentals, vacation hotels and travelling services. As people of the world, we need a united effort to fight and stop the spread of the H1N1 flu.
Please post your views about this epidemic.

The ballot has spoken

2009-05-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

The long awaited day had eventually come; men and women from different corners of South Africa came to cast their votes, voting for the party they like. Being a Presiding Officer in one of the voting stations of Ladysmith gave me an opportunity of watching very closely, democracy in action. Excitement, anxiety and panic were among the signs I could read from the faces of those people who pitched up to cast the ballot.
It is wonderful that most of South Africans show a good understanding of the voting process, with a very little minority who still need assistance with casting their vote, which results in their vote not being a secret. Then there are those who, seemingly, choose not to obey the rules of the election process, like those who would come and want to canvass and display their political party material within the voting station boundary. Yes, the 2009 Elections were a success, as the IEC has declared.
When the voting process ends, the counting process starts. This is the moment when the situation changes completely, the party agents start to panic, the whole atmosphere becomes different from what it was during the day. It becomes tense. The presence of the police becomes more significant as they are always ready to intervene whenever the Counting Officer asks them to do so. I could see disappointment on the faces of those party agents whose parties did not win and excitement to those who won. The election results have been announced and we now have one party that emerged victorious from the 2009 elections, and it is important that the voice of the majority be respected. That is Democracy. The opportunity to vote is one of the opportunities that should not be missed and I always encourage everyone to participate in the election process. The vote is a voice that can not be ignored. It is the only moment where the citizens are truly equal.

Let the ballot speak

2009-04-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

With only two days left before the South Africans cast their votes, political parties are winding up their election campaigns with massive rallies held in major South African cities. After the Election Day parties will be able to measure the success of their campaigns by the election results. Is there a relationship between the extent of campaigns and the election results? Analysts have said that good campaigns lead to good results. We will see if this is also true for South Africa, as it was (according to some analysts) in United States.

Messages, aiming at wooing voters, have been conveyed in different forms and media, e.g. Billboards, posters, television, radios, newspapers and the internet. Some of the messages are very interesting and appealing while others are just those words we often hear when we are approaching elections. Below are just a few of the messages found in party adverts:
· Be part a of the solution
· Let’s fix it together
· Now is the time
· A better life for all
· Hope for the nation
· Working together we can do more
· Stop Zuma

I wonder if these words have any impact in the way the voters choose their favourite parties. Some political parties use posters with smiling faces while others are just faces. I have also noticed a trend of parties using old photographs, taken when their leaders were younger. I wonder what motivates them to do that. I doubt if anyone would post a frowning face, or a crying one. There are people who believe that all these campaigns are just a waste of resources, as people often vote according to their loyalty with their parties and leaders. On the contrary, other people say there is quite a big number of voters whose choices are largely influenced by the election campaigns run by the political parties. The reality is that we have both types of voters as mentioned above, therefore, it makes sense to see political parties embarking on different ways attracting voters. We are hoping that South Africa will hold peaceful, free and fair elections that will take our democracy to the next level.

The 80/20 rule from a different perspective

2009-04-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

The 80/20 rule, also known as Pareto Law or rule, dates back from as early as 1906, but was later modified by Dr. Joseph Juran between 1930 and 1940. Initially, the founder, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto used it as a mathematical formula to illustrate the unequal distribution of wealth in his country. The rule is widely used by business and project managers.
What the rule says is that: In everything you do, 80% of the output come from 20% of the input. This implies that, in most cases, the larger part (80) of input is not very productive as one would like it to be. Many people who believe in this theory claim to have applied it and saw the results. To me, blindly accepting and applying this theory can be detrimental to one’s chances of success. I am saying this because some people use it to condone their being lazy.

In the first place, I believe that this theory does not apply to all cases. Even if you can try to apply it in all cases you will not be sure which 20% will bear the required results. Most of the people who use this theory believe that they should do only 20% of the work they are supposed to do and get 80% of the results, which is not correct. In fact 20% is a fraction of what you have done, not a fraction of what you were supposed to do. If you do one fifth of the work, 80% of the results of that one fifth (not the whole) will come from 20% of that one fifth.

Let me use crop production to illustrate my argument. How do you think the farmer would react to a suggestion that 80% of his crop comes from 20% of the land he cultivates? He would call it “crazy”. By this I am trying to emphasise the point that this theory should not be blindly accepted and applied. What is also worrying is that there are students who believe that applying this theory can help them in their studies. I am here to tell them they will be missing the point and heading for a big disappointment, resulting from failure. It is correct that, in the case of exams, the content of the question paper may be 20% or less of the content of the module, but you may find that the paper covers the whole module. Therefore trying to predict which 20% of the module will be covered may not bring good results.

Some people who run businesses from their home offices claim to have used this rule with great success. If you have a good ability to identify those parts of your home business that are capable of bringing more income you can use this rule to your advantage. To end, I would like to pose a question: Do you think 80% of the success of Barack Obama was the result of 20% of his election campaign before the elections?

The name change and its possible consequences

2009-04-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone has, once or more times in his her life, changed his/her address. Most of the people do not do it very often, but we can not ignore the fact that changing an address brings a certain degree of inconvenience to the one who has changed and those who are using that address to communicate with him/her. Imagine how annoying it is to rush to a certain shop, to which you last visited two months, only to find that the shop is no longer there. You then have to go around and ask if anyone knows where the shop has moved. Things become even worse if the business changed an address and the name at the same time. People have different beliefs about the names, whether it’s personal or corporate names. It is natural that some names determine what kind of image the public will have about the holder of the name. Changing the name may result in changed public perceptions of your business or yourself. It will be good if the change in perception is a positive one. Unfortunately a negative change is also a possibility.

I think notifying all the people you have communication with about the change of contact details is a good and decent thing to do. You can do that by telephone, written message or a poster at the door of your old address. If you have visited this site before and you have now visited through the link, you have noticed that the name and the address have changed. There are, definitely, some reasons for effecting these two changes in this site. I, therefore, would like to apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused. I hold in highest regard anyone who visits this blog. Thank you for the visit, your comment will be appreciated.

The day we shall all evaporate

2009-04-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

As a Scientific term, evaporation is the changing of matter from the liquid state to the gaseous state. When matter has evaporated, it can no longer be easily seen. We can simple say it has disappeared. Before evaporation takes place the particles get energised and begin to move faster and faster until the bonds are weak enough to let the particles move freely.
Nowadays, it looks like nothing is incapable of evaporating. We have seen different kinds of evaporation, namely; the evaporation of good morals, the evaporation of good values, the evaporation of respect of human dignity and the rule of law, the evaporation of love and the most talked about, the evaporation of the economy. Can we be sure that humans will never evaporate?

What is good about the scientific version of evaporation is that; as the energised particles move into cooler space or touch colder surfaces, they lose energy, forces of attraction between them become stronger again, they come together and become bigger and heavier. They eventually fall back in the form of liquid. The process of returning to the liquid phase is called precipitation.

The question that comes to mind is that: Will the process of precipitation take place with the evaporated economy? We have seen world leaders who converged at the G20 Summit trying to induce cold air, in the form of US $3 trillion, to the highly energised economic particles. Will the surface be cold enough to bring about precipitation to the economic evaporation? We hope so.
I believe, if churches were businesses they would have long gone into liquidation. I am saying that because they have very little or no return in terms of what they stand for. Churches are there to teach good morals and good behaviour. Do they succeed? What is the rate of their success? The number of churches is increasing but their influence looks like is taking a dive. What has gone wrong? Do they preach what is correct or they preach what they think people want to listen to? Let’s look forward to the day when things will be back to normal.

No time to waste

2009-03-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Time is a very important and limited resource. Each and every second that goes by will never come back, it is gone forever. Other things can be recovered but time cannot. I have heard people talking about recovery programs to compensate for the wasted time, when in fact they are using time that could be used to do something new for things they failed to do during their time. What one should bear in mind is that; if you defer something that needs to be done now, you are delaying the accomplishment of your goals, and the opportunity that passes by now may never come back. Delays are an inconvenience to life and its processes. A five minutes delay to arrive at a bus terminal or airport may mean an hour or more delay to your destination. This may result in being late at work or missing a very important appointment, resulting in penalties and frustration. Investors know very well that not taking an appropriate action at a right time can mean a loss of billions of dollars. Time, as a topic can be very wide, expect a follow-up post on this one very soon.

Words from the wise

2009-03-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

There is a French saying that reads: “Young people tell what they are doing, old people what they have done and fools what they wish to do.” What lesson is in this quotation? This saying teaches us the importance of pursuing your dreams. Having dreams is good for ones prosperity, but dreams alone cannot do anything for you. You need to take steps to make your dreams a reality, otherwise you will be living in a dream land. If you believe that your dream can be a reality you are very likely to succeed in making it come true. Do not allow problems to divert you from your focus. If you fail, for whatever reason, revise your plans and move forward to your target. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Swich off the lights

2009-03-21T01:13:00.001-07:00

The World Wide Fund for Nature is leading a campaign called Earth Hour, which is aiming at raising earth citizens’ conscience about their contributions to climate change and persuading the powers that be to pass legislation on climate change.

The organisation is asking everyone to support the campaign by signing up (free of charge) and participating in the Earth Hour by switching off the lights on Saturday, 28 March 2009, at 20:30. I am hoping this is not a very difficult thing to do, you need to just make a one hour inconvenience sacrifice to spread the message to save the earth. If we do not take steps to save our planet, who will? Yes, there will be disadvantages and accompanying risks but they can be mitigated because this will be a pre-planned inconvenience, unlike the black outs that use to catch us unaware. And black outs may even last longer than four hours.

This looks like a good move towards sustaining the environment for the generations to come and triggering inventive instincts to our Scientists to invent and discover eco-friendly means of satisfying human needs and wants. Though this campaign may not have clear short-term benefits there is no doubt that it will have beneficial effects in the long run. Let us make their target of one billion names a reality, let us sign up.

Job Security Threat

2009-03-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Nothing can be more satisfying than going to bed knowing that there will be enough food to put to the table the following day. The current global economic free fall has brought doubt to many employed people who solely depend on salaries for their income. Some jobs which were perceived as being more secure are gradually become less secure day by day. In South Africa, about 36 500 jobs have been lost in the motor industry alone since July 2008. The lower income groups are the most affected.
Government in some countries have advised their citizens to buy locally manufactured goods. This is seen as the attempt to counter the effects of the global economic downturn. Some economists have warned against this advice, labelling it as being “Protectionist”, and saying that it would harm the country’s economy as the country will not be investing in other countries.

The G-20, following its last week’s meeting is intending to tighten market regulations in an attempt to revive economic growth and bring the deepening recession under control. The key role players in global economic are said to be divided on the ways that should be taken to remedy the situation, which then gives an indication that, at the moment there is no one single strategy there can be perceived as the most appropriate to tackle the current economic situation. This is a challenge to everyone to look for ways of surviving this economic storm. We hope that it will be over and it will be business as usual.

Looked down upon

2009-03-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Having a feeling of being looked down upon may be a sign of a psychological deficiency. In many cases where one party feels that it is looked down upon, there are more than one parties involved. This means that everyone involved in that situation has to take his/her fair share of the blame. I believe that it is impossible to look down at a person who is clearly above you, which means that if you feel that you are being looked down upon you are really lower than the person who is looking down upon you otherwise he/she would not be able to do that.

The reason for saying that this is more of a psychological problem than a real problem is that I think those who are complaining have a problem of not being able to accept their position. Everyone needs to accept his/her position. Banks and other financial institutions, for example, design their services according to the economic standard of their clients. Would you say you are being looked down upon if you are declined certain services because of your income level? Other people would complain that they are being belittled whereas, in fact, they are doing nothing to make the other people aware about their strengths and capabilities. This has all to do with self-marketing. Sometimes people would complain about something that does not exist at all, that only exists in their minds. So, next time you feel you are being looked down upon, do a thorough introspection before you put the blame on other people. Let us learn to accept our positions and strive to improve if we feel we have more capabilities to achieve more than what we have done so far. On the same note, it is not a good thing to look down upon other people, that does not show good human values. We must learn to appreciate diversity.

What makes you so special

2009-03-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

The bible says that in the beginning God created the heavens and earth. He then created all the living organisms. When He was satisfied that everything was going well with all that He had created, he created man. He did not give man any image as He had done with other creatures but made man in his image and conferred to him supremacy over every creature that is moving on earth. Is that not great? That is why we are so special; we were created in the image of God. We should be grateful to Him and praise him everyday of our lives.

A terrifying appointment

2009-03-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

We, probably, all have experienced a feeling that is brought by having to look forward to an appointment in our lives. Some appointments bring anxiety whereas others don’t. There are appointments that we may choose to honour or dishonour, depending on the consequences that we anticipate. Some appointments may change our lives forever whereas others may have less significance to our lives.
Today, I want to talk about a different kind of appointment, an appointment you are obliged to honour, the appointment time, date and venue of which are not known. That is an appointment with death. When we were born, we made an appointment with Death. We know that everyone who lives will die one day but we don’t know the time, date and venue. We need to stay prepared for this day because we do not have an option of dishonouring this appointment.

Climate change

2009-03-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

What will you be leaving behind for your descendants when you die? A depleted world? Concerns, all over the world, are growing that human activity is, day by day, causing damage to the environment, making it less safer for the living organisms. This concern is confirmed by the number of summits that are held by various concerned parties from around the world. Climate has dramatically changed and the weather is becoming more and more unpredictable.

There has been an increase in a number of natural disasters, claiming thousand of lives. Shall we sit and do nothing? No, we have to take step to prevent further damage to our environment. We should engage in activities that are environment friendly. We need to reduce those activities that harm our environment. We need to employ production methods that have less or no emissions of gases that are environmentally unfriendly. We have to try and reduce or eliminate all forms of pollution. We have to take action now or we will live to regret it later.

Work place bahaviour

2009-03-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Workers, in a work place, have different kinds of behaviour; some of these behaviours contribute positively to the development of the company while others have detrimental effects. Managing workers’ behaviour can be a challenging task to the management, especially in a big company. Rather than letting the management be watchdogs over the workers the company can make a good investment by teaching the workers the expected behaviour in the work place. This is often referred to as the company’s code of conduct.
The challenge I am putting to all those who are workers today is to reflect on their level of adherence to their company’s code of conduct and professional ethics of their professions. How much is your knowledge of the code of conduct of both your company and your profession. What score, out of ten, would you give yourself for adherence to the above? Read the habits that follow and see if you think they are good practice for workers in a work place. Note that some employees claim that some of these behaviours keep them motivated and more productive:
• Reading a book during working time.
• Sleeping, if you feel exhausted, during working time.
• Taking frequent short breaks.
• Chat to other employees to refresh.
• Ignore interrupting telephone calls.
• Ignoring emails
• Surfing the net
• Postponing dead lines when you realise that you will not be able to meet.
• Playing computer games.
Please post your comments

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Food Security

2009-03-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Access to quality food is the most fundamental right the citizens of any country should enjoy. It is no surprise that a very high percentage of income in the lower income families goes to purchasing food.
On the other hand this is an indication of the importance of ensuring that there will be enough food in future. The decline in production of food is something that everyone should be concerned about.
A large portion of the arable land in South Africa has been turned into residential or grazing land.
The South African government has taken a major step in improving conditions around the availability of food. Minister, Trevor Manuel, announced in his budget speech that government has allocated more funds for the development of agricultural programmes. That shows that the SA government is concerned about the availability of food for its citizen. As a major move, a food bank has been established in Cape Town, which is said to be the largest in Africa. This is seen as following a global trend in securing food for the people. Most of the world countries have food banks and make sure that these banks serve their purpose.
Hunger is one of the factors that threaten the existence of peace, locally and globally. A hungry person is an angry person. Without enough food, the world can not be a safe place.
More on this subject is coming in the next post.

Who should take the blame for the Global Economic Crisis?

2009-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

The economic crisis that is facing the world today is an indication of a need to revisit the way the world economy is designed. A variety of reasons for the current economic conditions has been given, from different point of views. What is interesting is that the US Stock Market is a common factor in these reasons. Lack of economic forecast and proper credit control are among the factors that are said to have brought the global economy to its knees.
It is very common for humans to always find someone to blame when things do not go well. The question I have in my mind is: Will I be fair enough to myself if I decide to make my future to be dependant on someone else? The countries that are today making very big noise about the economic meltdown should review their positions and ask themselves if they have been fair enough to their citizens by letting their economy depend on another countries economic strength.

Are we opportunity seekers or opportunity makers? I suppose most of the world population belong to the group of opportunity seekers. It is time we undergo self transformation. We need to look at the world from a different angle. To me it looks like the majority of us are looking at the world economy from the consumer perspective, waiting for someone to produce so that we can consume. Our consumption may even exceed the producers’ capacity to produce. It has been reported that we consume at a very high rate to the extent that we are now 30% above the natural capacity.

We know that our needs are unlimited but the natural resources are limited. We therefore need to use them with extra care. I always wonder what the world will be looking like by the year 3000. Will the world still be habitable to the next generation? Read what Professor Natarajan says in Out of the Box Thinking.

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Your life is your Business

2009-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

“Please mind your own business.” This phrase is mostly used by people when they are trying to tell someone that he is interfering with their affairs. The unfortunate part is that even people who struggle to mind their own businesses use this phrase. Life has become so fast so much that we tend to forget to reflect on the impact of the choices we make to our lives and health.

There is a number of choices we make every day, for example: the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the places to go, the products we use and the mode of transport we use. We tend to ignore the impacts of these decisions to our lives. We sometimes realise when it is too late to correct the wrongs that came about as a result of the choices we made earlier. A Dermatologist once warned that the damage caused by the sun to our skins today may only be visible ten or more years later, when it will be very difficult to control.
Let us now talk about life as real business

A well established business has different functions or departments. If all the departments function properly the business has more chances of being successful. As your business, life needs to have these well functioning departments to be successful:
• The management: You are the manager; you give direction to your life. Your brain plays a significant role in this function.
• The human resource department: What are you doing to make sure that your life attains total development. Are you getting any skills? Are you attending to your needs well?
• The marketing department: This is about how you present yourself to the public. Are you making a good image of yourself? Are people willing to associate with you?
• The purchasing department: This is about the living cost you incur. Do all your expenses add value to your life? You should always be mindful that a useful expenditure is the one that adds value to your life. There are people who, because they do not know what is good for them, spend their money buying things that will devalue their lives, thereby losing both money and value of their lives.
The number departments in a business depend on the size of the business. Study yourself carefully and see what you need. Lastly, please mind your business well: Your Life.

Taking a holiday

2009-02-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

We are approaching that time again, the time when we take the long awaited Spring break. All preparations have been done. And, hopefully, the budget allows because we plan our things ahead. Which holiday destination are we taking this time? Some of us know exactly where we are going and have already booked hotels and Lodges, with others it is something that still needs to be decided. That is not surprising as the economic conditions may have brought a need for adjustment to our holiday spending.

That means we have to begin to search for the most affordable destinations and book there. There are hundreds of accommodation and holiday resorts that can be booked with the click of the mouse or a telephone ring. So, begin the search before it is too late. Are you prepared to accept any affordable vacation or you have your specific choice, which you are not willing to give up. We sometimes have to learn to adapt to new situations and learn to accept that we have to downgrade our lifestyles. It may happen that a few months ago, you never considered price as a decisive factor in choosing a Getaway destination, but now you find yourself having to plan within the constraint of affordability. You now have to put more time and effort in comparing prices as opposed to quality. Just take this as a chance of learning to live on the other side of life. When the conditions are back to their normal position you will have learnt something from the recession experience.

You have made your final choice and are ready to go, but before you set off, take note of the following tips:
• First, Are you taking the holiday to entertain yourself or someone else? If it is someone else you need to make sure he/she will enjoy the visit or it will be a waste of time and money. If you are aiming at entertaining yourself make sure that you take the person you are very likely to miss with you because you will not be able to have total enjoyment in his/her absence.
• Before you leave make sure that everything is in good order. It is a bad experience to return from the holiday and find out that something has been messed up. An example is when you forget to close the window and only to find that the rain drops have been coming in through the window and the bed and floor are wet.
• Be sure of the security of the property you leave behind; otherwise you will have to pay large sums of money buying the equipment that was stolen during your absence.
• You don’t need calls from the police and anti-animal cruelty agencies while you are on holiday, therefore make sure what you leave behind is well taken care of.
• Have you planned your travelling around in the area you are visiting? It is always helpful to arrange transport beforehand.
• Lastly, make sure that the time between your return time and the time you are required to resume duty is enough for readjusting and getting ready for work.
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You are welcome to add your views to this topic. Please post a comment.

Skills Management

2009-02-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Most of the people have more than one thing they are capable of doing and make a living out of it. Your skills repertoire can come in handy during the current economic storm. What bars you from making the most of your skills is your mind set. It may happen that you are not aware of the potential you have. My advice to everyone is to take a skills audit, assess your capabilities, your talents and your skills. Identify those skills that can be converted to income. Some may generate quick income while others will need further development before they can generate cash.
Take a pen and paper, think of your interest and your abandoned goals. Aren’t there any that can be revived? Revisit what were your interests during your high school and your tertiary education days. You may find that due to opportunities that presented themselves earlier you abandoned an ambition that would be more fruitful than the one you decided to pursue.
Your additional skills can help you a lot should the company you work for decide to retrench you as a result of an implementation of a new strategy, may be because of the economic conditions. I always advise people to be always prepared for any situation that may arise. So if you are equipped with a variety of skills you are very likely to remain afloat when the rest sink. Do not forget that “It is never too late to mend”. This is a very old saying which still holds it’s meaning even today. You can learn new skills that will serve as a backup when things do not go right.
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Financial Advisor or Sales Person?

2009-02-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

It has been a very common occurrence that I am approached by people who pose as Approved Financial Advisors and only to find later that they are only paving their way to convincing me to buy the insurance or investment policies they sell. This is really appalling and is creating a bad name for those honest Financial Advisors who respect their profession and are in the market because they want to help the people handle their finances in a most efficient way in order to ensure that they get the best out of it.
These self-proclaimed financial advisors, in their financial analysis, will make sure they collect every piece of information that will convince you that you are inadequately ensured and you need to buy new policies to add to those you already have. Some will even go as far as advising you to cancel other policies and take those they recommend. I do not have a problem with advisors advising their clients to take or cancel policies but I would like it done with honesty and only when there is a need. In other words I am saying the motive should be to help the client other than selling the policies for a commission.

I wonder if there is anyone that has been found to be over-insured by these people. The worst thing is that some would recommend that you buy retirement policies even if they see that your current level of income will not allow you to have the retirement income they recommend. I think it would be better if there were legislations that force these people to carry certificates that show their financial situations to show to clients before giving any advice. I am saying this because I have been sceptical that some of these advisors are in a desperate need of cash, resulting from an improperly managed cash flow. This would also help us to get rid of sales people who pose as financial advisors.

Nonetheless, the current legislation clearly articulate that the client cannot be forced to enter in any insurance or investment policy contract but will do so at his/her own free will.

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Credit versus Debt

2009-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Did you know that debt can change your life for the better or worse. The goodness of debt is that it enables one to buy goods and services which he could not afford to have paid cash for. It allows one to own today something for which he could have taken a number of years to raise enough cash. How long would take a person who has an income of R10 000 a month to save for a R400 000 house? Probably 30-40 years. So, with the credit at our disposal, we can manage to buy the things we could not have afforded with our monthly incomes. The credit also allows access to cash during times of emergency, when we are desperately in need of it.
Credit is good but debt is bad. How can a good parent give birth to a bad child? You feel good when one tells you that you have credit, because everyone likes credit. The bad part of it is that; once you have used your credit you become indebted. Does this mean I will be right if I call credit a “trap”? A good one, that will set you free first and thereafter put you into a prison of debtors.
Being a debtor is not a very bad thing, what is bad is having a lack of skills to manage debt and cash flow. You just need to work out your ability to repay before you commit yourself. You should use your credit to buy only those things you desperately need, not the nice-to-have. Learn to budget and once you have budgeted, learn to stick to your budget as rigidly as possible.
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Prayer

2009-02-19T12:19:00.001-08:00

Prayer is a wonderful way of communicating with God. It is a common thing to hear people who are known for their anti-prayer attitude praying during difficult times. This is an indication of how powerful the prayer is. The feeling of sincere praying is a spontaneous thing, it cannot be controlled. The human mind knows when it needs a divine intervention. Most of the time if you pray very sincerely, putting all your hopes to the Almighty, you are very likely to receive what you are praying for.

Even people who usually mock prayer do experience moments where they see the need for a serious prayer, though some happen to realise very late in their lives. Prayer can change everything. So dedicate some time for prayer in your day-to-day busy schedule. May God bless you.

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Wedding vows

2009-02-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

The day of exchanging wedding vows marks a historic moment to many individuals. This is a day that will always be remembered, a day that has a special mark in the diary and the calendar. The latest technology now makes it possible to capture the live moments of the wedding ceremony, making sure that it is saved for generations to come. Watching the video of your grand parent’s wedding is a great and inspiring experience, more especially if they are still alive and together in marriage.

Good as it is, marriage comes with its own challenges, that when not handled correctly will destroy the marriage in a very short space of time. I think the only thing marriage should be based on is love, though love seems to be conditional. I do not believe in the notion of unconditional love. I have, for many times heard people who would pronounce their love as truly unconditional, but the truth is love has its own concealed conditions, which may even be unknown to the one who proclaims to bear the unconditional love. If love was truly unconditional you would not have that special person you love. What makes him/her looks special is that he/she meets the conditions of your love.

Some people will enter in a marriage with the person they clearly know that she has something they are not happy with, hoping that (if it is behaviour) they will be able to influence their partners to change, only to find that the behaviour becomes stronger than what it was before they got married. So be careful to marry someone who has something you are not happy with because it will haunt you all your marriage life, making your marriage a very unhappy one.
If you are already married, learn not to sweep issues under the carpet, hoping they will rot as time goes by. If you happen to be in disagreement with something, discuss it openly, solve it and put it to rest. If you leave it unresolved it will backfire very badly one day and will be difficult to handle.
If you are planning to get married, make sure that the reason you decide to marry the person is love, only love and nothing but love.
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The right to vote

2009-02-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Why it is important that we should vote? Voting is a way of making your voice heard, a way of telling whom you want to govern the country. It is the way of showing patriotism. When you do not want to vote you are giving a green light to warlords to take over the reigns of government. I believe there are two ways of taking over the government, namely; By polls and by force or war.

If the citizens do not vote for the government, they are indirectly saying: We are not prepared to accept defeat in the polls; therefore we prefer to go to war. We do not need wars, we need peace and harmony, that is why we should vote. When we vote we should always be aware of a possibility to lose and be prepared to accept defeat. It is not possible to have a case where everyone is happy with the results of a contest. This should tell us that; as long as we have contests we are going to have disgruntled contestants. That does not mean we must fight, it requires us to understand “Democracy.” If you love your country, make sure you vote.
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Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air this Valentines eve; lovers are getting ready for the great day of love. It is the time when people want to show their loved ones how much the love and value them. Five Star accommodations have been booked, with hotels next to the sea fully booked. The cities and towns will be painted red and white, in memory of St Valentines and celebration of love.
Isn’t love a wonderful thing to have? Yes, love is a wonderful sacred gift anyone can give. No matter how poor you are, the fact is that you are capable of giving the gift of love. If you give more love you are very likely to receive more. Love does not get finished because you are giving it away, the more you dish out love the more it grows.
The sad thing is that some people have developed a tendency of measuring love by the amount of material things one is able to give. That is very unfair, to the one who is expected to give and to a greater degree, the one who expect to be given material things as a symbol of love. I believe that it is not good to measure somebody’s love for you by the amount of gifts he offers you because if you are doing that you are making yourself vulnerable to the rich and heartless who will not hesitate to dump you when they feel they have had enough of you as a return for their investment. This kind of people is always in search of new people, for newer and fresher relationships. So be careful, love is a difficult thing to measure, but can be measured best by actions not the monetary value of gifts.
Go on, show that special person that he/she occupies a special spot in your heart. Do what you can comfortably afford, if he/she cannot be satisfied by what you can afford, she/he is not yours, you will be very free without him/her next to you. But most importantly, give love, show them you love them. Love can change somebody’s life, for the better.

Budget Speech

2009-02-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

SA Finance minister, Trevor Manuel, tabled his 2009 Budget Speech today, which has been believed to be the most challenging budget he has made in all the years he has been the minister of finance. What made it to be different is, among others: The current political situation in South Africa, which makes South Africans and those people who have interest in SA, very anxious about the political and economic future of the country, the current global economic downturn, which has caused a certain degree of panic among the world population, and the upcoming National General Elections.

What is in Trevor Manuel’s budget speech?
Minister Manuel pointed out that the budget has a deficit of 3.8% of GDP. This makes me wonder what the deficit will be in next year’s budget, given the current economic conditions. He also brought to the citizens’ attention that he has managed to reduce the public debt to 23% of GDP. Will he manage to improve this in his next budget? Manuel, though he was happy that the number of registered tax payers has increased, he was concerned that he could not reach the projected revenue. His budget was R14.2 billion short of what he had projected. What factors led to the shortfall when the number of registered tax payers increased? Of course there are a number of factors that could have led that.

The budget seems to be emphasising more on rural development where he spoke of strengthening the agriculture sector. I hope this will bring a smile to the emerging farmers. Attention has also been given to Small Enterprise Development, which he says will be in an attempt to vibrantly grow the economy. Other areas that received the minister attention are: remuneration of health workers, national health insurance system, crime fighting and extending capacity of the DBSA to enable it to support local government.
What he also mentioned was the allocation fo R1.6 billion to South African Airways to support its turnaround strategy. The audience seemed to be in disagreement with allocation to SAA, probable, they felt like it is a waste of public funds.

Minister Trevor Manuel strongly recommended an expenditure review to be done by the new State president. He warned that the ineffective government programmes will be phased out. He emphasized on the importance of parliament being able to play a leading role in making the accounting officers accountable. He said thorough assessment of all government programmes should be conducted. If this can be a reality done in fairness, we will see an improvement in government programmes and a reduction in fraud.
This was just to highlight some aspects of today’s budget speech. More will be coming. Watch this space.
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Water bankrupcy

2009-02-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

It looks like water will soon overtake oil as the main driver of inflation. It is reported that the demand of water is growing at a very fast rate, higher than the population growth rate. What is bad is that the supply seems not to be coping with the demand. With the demand for water used for production at 39% for US and 31% for EU of all water used in these countries, it is obvious that industries use more water than households. As this water is used to produce energy, the shortage of supply will increase prices of goods, as the production of goods mostly depend on energy.

The high demand of water used for energy production poses a threat to the availability of water for agricultural purposes, which is subsequently a threat to food security. The World Economic Forum has voiced some serious concern about the water scarcity problem, as there are strong indications that the water sources are gradually being squeezed to the limits. The WEF reports that most glaciers in Himalayas and Tibet, which are responsible for the supply of water to two billion people, are melting at a very fast rate and are likely to be complete by 2100. It is also reported that about 70 major rivers of the world will soon dry out, adding to the problem of shortage of water for irrigation purposes.
This is an indication that some drastic steps have to be taken to save this precious resource (water). The governments and NGO’s of different countries have to embark on programmes aiming at educating people about the usage and the need to use water with extreme care. Schools have to play a leading role in educating the nations about the importance of responsible use of water. It cannot be over-emphasized that it is every citizen’s responsibility to make sure that water is not wasted. I am extending an invitation to everyone; to please join the campaign for saving water for the benefit of us all.
What are you doing to save water? Please post a comment.

Recession

2009-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

A popular youth leader once said, when asked about his understanding of economy; “Economy is about putting bread on the table”. Whether this was a correct definition or not is not very important, what is important is that this definition reflects the meaning of the word ‘economy’ from an ordinary man’s perspective who measures the economic growth by the amount of bread he puts on the table for his family. It takes an extreme optimist to hope for an economic growth at this time, when the world is facing an economic recession. This is not aiming at erasing hopes that you might have but is only to raise awareness about the global economic situation.
What is a recession?
A recession can be defined as a decline in the country’s GDP, a negative economic growth for two or more consecutive quarters. Recession is accompanied by an increase in unemployment, a decrease in trade and less consumer spending.

What causes recession?
The most prominent cause of a recession is inflation. The rise in inflation means consumers have to pay more to get the same quantity of goods and services they would get before the rise in inflation. This results in people cutting their expenditure on goods which are regarded as luxuries, or the nice to have type of goods. If the inflation continues to rise people would downgrade to inferior goods in their attempts to get enough of goods, especially food. This impacts badly on producer as they have to remain with large piles of stock for a longer period, thereby losing value in terms of ‘time value for money’ and the involved opportunity costs. The companies who operate on borrowed funds are the most affected and the lenders also have to suffer their share of loss in dab debt.

How to survive the economic meltdown?
During the sailors’ time, sailors knew that they could not control the direction of the wind, so they had to learn to adjust their sales in order to get to their destinations. This also applies to this situation the world is facing today. One needs to guard against careless spending. Buy only what is necessary cut the duration of your holiday or cancel any holiday plans you have. If you are planning to leave your job to pursue interest somewhere, put your plan on hold for the next six or more months. Cut on monthly expenses by controlling the use of electricity, water and telephone. Try to create other sources of income to counter the effect of recession. Though the recession is not good at all for any country and the world, there are some advantages that can be noted.
Add your views, comments are welcomed.

President Obama's Bailout plan

2009-02-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Bailout Plan
President Barack Obama announced a bail out plan of $700 billion in an attempt to rescue financial institutions that have been hard hit by the Global economic downturn. What is interesting is that some economists remain sceptical about this plan. Others would like to know why the president decided to use taxpayers’ money to counter the effects of recession to these institutions. Whether the decision was good or bad, the fact is; something needed to be done, sitting and complaining would not help anyone but would worsen the situation. It is also true that there were other strategies he could have used instead of using the taxpayers money. They may be right, but would those strategies bring better results than the current bail out plan? For now, any answer would be speculation. Let us wait and see.

I also learnt that among the conditions that go with this plan is a salary cap of $500 000 for top executives. Interesting! Isn’t? I see this as an attempt to control the use of the injected funds. Top executives have become so possessed by the will to earn very high salaries even when the company’s performance does not warranty such high salaries. It is also reported that some shareholders have become very discontent with the bonuses some top executives get. The question that I have for these executives is: How do you give yourselves performance bonuses when the shareholder’s value decreases? I believe that a decline in share price can indicate bad performance on the part of executives and, therefore, no bonus. I am fully aware that the share price is not entirely dependent on executives’ decisions, but I also believe that management is there to ensure that the company’s value is increasing. If it happens to decline, they have to take responsibility.
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The power of your beliefs

2009-02-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

“Do you believe?” is the question often asked by religious leaders, followed by a resounding “Yes!” from the congregation. The most unfortunate part of it is that, to some, this “YES” only lasts for the duration of the sermon, thereafter the person is back to what he/she was when he came into the sermon. The question we need to ask is “Why does this happen?”
To answer this question I would like to explore the concept of believing. Other people have inherited and espoused deep rooted beliefs that are too strong to let go. In fact their beliefs have become part of them, to such an extent that you would hear a person say: “I’d rather die than letting that happen.” I regard this as a very dangerous statement and an indication of how self-destructive a human being can be sometimes. Let us look at beliefs in terms of what we do in our everyday. Beliefs control many things in a person’s life, for an example: Attire, speech, marriage, love affairs, leadership, behaviour and many others.

Someone’s beliefs can be his source of pleasure and can also be his source of frustration. For an example; the belief you have about failure will determine the level of frustration you will have if you fail. Your beliefs can be your strength and inspire you to pursue, with success, every goal you have in your life. On the same note, your beliefs can be a hindrance to the attainment of your goals and your development and will blindfold you from seeing new opportunities. In other words, your beliefs set a limit for your success. I like to call this a self-imposed limit.

What is good about beliefs is that they can be changed. In order to change, one needs to open himself to new situations and knowledge, to listen with open mind, to explore and view things from different perspectives. One needs to break open the cage of beliefs he has put himself in and allow fresh ideas to come to his mind. We should always be aware that changing beliefs cannot be a quick process, it may need continuous exposure to new kind of thought and new circumstances.

Creating your image

2009-02-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

I always strive to find a perfect image of myself from other persons’ view. I doubt if the mirror gives me the right perspective as that of the people who are watching me in my everyday life. And I believe some people do not bother about looking at how people view them and will see this as being crazy. But I believe if one is to create a good public image of himself he has to be aware of how the people view him now and then work on improving that image.
What constitute the person’s image?
There are a number of factors that determine how people view you as a member of the society. Some of these are:

Personality
Your personality plays a very important role in creating the image people have about you. Are you conventional, artistic, social, realistic, investigative or enterprising? Knowing yourself will help you to improve your image. Your behaviour is part of your personality. How do you react to provoking situations, how do you respond to criticism, how do you manage anger and the places you are most found at.

Your appearance
The way you dress make a statement about you. If you dress like a gangster people would think you are a gangster and treat you as such, even if you only like their style without being one. The way you look creates an image that lasts in people’s minds. The impression you make through your dress style should be the one you want people to have about you. The way you dress can also be part of your identity. The saying: “First impressions last” is very likely to be evident in impressions made by the appearance of an individual, whereby a permanent mental image remains in the mind of a person who was seeing him for the first time.

Your Talk
Have you encountered a situation where one person’s talk is totally different from the image you initially had about her? This happens to people who are not very much good looking but have kind hearts. After hearing good words from a person you had assumed to be wicked you automatically adjust your feelings about him/her and subsequently, the image you have of her. The vice versa is also true.
Your friends and the people you associate with
The people you always appear with do have an influence on how people view you. It would be wise to avoid hanging around with people you wouldn’t like to be viewed as being part of and try to be close a possible to those who have the image you would like to carry.
Your level of education
We cannot deny the fact that the level of education one has goes a long way in determining his/her image in the community.

The socio-economic status
Wealth has inevitably become an important factor on how people view you. The wealthier you are the more positive image people will have about you.

The job you do
A good looking respectable guy would immediately lose the image status people had afforded him as soon as he tells that he is doing a job that is looked down upon by the society. That is why it very important to choose the job you like because you will also be liking the status that goes with that job and knowing very well how the society will view you.
If you have some good ideas about the above topic please place them as your comment.

Lying under oath

2009-01-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

I wonder why people would go all the way to take an oath before the commissioner when they clearly know that they are going to lie. Is it because they do not understand what taking an oath means? Some will stand before the magistrate and boldly swear that they will speak “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. May be thy mistake the oath with the promise whereas it is something more than a mere promise. I consider these people as having no regard for the sacredness of the oath. I did not believe that there are people who lie under oath to such an extent that when I had the statement for the first time I thought the person was saying: “Lying under oak”.

It would be good if people could learn that the oath has God as a witness and stop taking oaths when they know they are going to tell “the lies, the whole lies, and nothing but lies”. I sometimes wonder if the politicians are aware of the importance of the oaths they make when they take public office. It would be better if the political parties can set aside some time and resources to teach their representatives to honour the oaths they make.

Why some people make more nemies than friends?

2009-01-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

Showing more hatred to your enemies may deepen your enmity and limit the chances of reconciliation. It is also true that as you make more enemies on this earth you are drawing closer the limits of your Joy. I usually assume that if someone is not my enemy, he is my friend. Therefore, as my enemies increase, my friends decrease because I believe that the person who has become my enemy has defected from the faction of my friends. It is for this reason that I try by all means to keep friends I have and affirm those I am not sure of.

Martin Luther King Jr. Once said “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” Some people are very quick to declare enmity with whoever happens to hold the view that is different to theirs. We must learn to accept that we are different and we are very likely to see things from different perspectives. Seeing things differently should not make us enemies.

How boring would the world be if everyone was agreeing on everything? There would be no debates, no contests and no new ideas. You will remember the theory of the earth and the sun. It was an accepted theory that the earth was flat and the sun was going around the earth until some Scientists challenged that notion and came with a different theory. Would you call the scientists who discover new theories the enemies of those who discovered the first theories? Today I am challenging everyone out there to make peace with their enemies. Remember the words of Moshe Dayan: “If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies”.

Love and Romance

2009-01-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been caught in a blaze of love that makes you feel like the world is turning upside down, but to your surprise the strong love current suddenly ceases as if a very powerful fire extinguisher has blown it off? Surely, this is a very sad experience and is an indication of a serious relationship problem. You know, there are people out there who find it very difficult to sustain the love relationship. They definitely need help. This has more to do with their personality than that of the other party.

With the Valentines day being upon us, anxiety about the impressions we are going to make as we embark on attempts to entertain our loved ones is gaining ground. It becomes more challenging to those who have just started a new relationship as they will be trying to outperform their new lovers’ ex-partners. This will be a real test for their capability to make their loved ones feel special and erase any remaining memories of their past relationships.

If you are really smart you will have known your new partners likes and dislikes even before she/he gave a nod to your proposal. It is very important to always visit shops or service providers and read relevant magazines and other publications to keep abreast of developments and innovations in those areas to which your partner may be interested. If you know your partner likes jewellery, getting the latest design jewellery will make his/her day and increase your chances of remaining the best thing to happen to his/her life. Understanding your partner is a gateway to his/her heart.

Do not be too possessive to your lover; other people would feel very uncomfortable when they are treated as someone’s possession. Trying to strengthen your relationship by being possessive may bring opposite results. To those who are still searching for their Soul mates : Good luck guys, keep searching, the sure thing is that there is someone for everyone out there.

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The Achievers' Open Secret

2009-01-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

It is not uncommon to find people trapped in a situation in which they no longer want to be. I use the word “trapped” because that is how they feel about their situation. These people find themselves going around the circles, as they try to take themselves out of the undesirable situation. It is common that at the beginning of the year you will find people having very brilliant resolutions for the year only to find that when the year ends those resolutions have not been pursued at all.
The biggest challenge is taking the first step. Some people would view the first step as very small and not worth taking, they put high expectations for themselves. They choose rather not to pursue small things but would wait for big opportunities, forgetting that small achievement add up to big success.

The winners know, and often tell, that the power to succeed in whatever you do lies within yourself. You must free yourself from the chains of your absurd imagination. To succeed, you need to imagine success, believe in yourself and never be discouraged or diverted from your goal path. It is very important to always revise and adjust your beliefs, about yourself and other people that may have an influence towards the attainment of your goals. To make an example: Many people believe that to started a successful business you need to have a lot of money, whereas it is a good business idea that leads to a successful business. A successful entrepreneur understands very well the importance of researching the business idea before committing funds because he knows that putting lots of money to a business idea that has not been well researched and has a high probability of failure will lead to a loss.

The above statement is trying to stress the importance of thoroughly researching your goal before you embark on action. This will increase your prospects of success. Another factor that would lead to a person to find himself going around the circles is not having a clear direction. If you don’t know where you are going you might find yourself landing back to where you started. Secondly before moving out of any situation you must be sure of the new situation you want, if not you might be terrified by the conditions outside and decide to retreat. If the Israelites did not know the kind of a place they were looking for they would not have reached the Promised Land. Their knowledge and imagination gave them the courage and strength to go on despite the challenges they had to meet on their long journey.

Relationships that last long

2009-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone will agree that it a satisfying experience to know that there people to relate to in one’s life. Can you imagine the world where you would be the only one living? That would be a horrible experience. It is for this reason that one should value and nurture the good relationships that one has with different people. One can have different relationships with a variety of people, e.g: Friends, husband, wife, parents, colleagues, teammates, siblings, employer, employee, client, customer, etc. I hope we will I agree that all the above forms of relationships are very important and have a role to play in our lives. We therefore need to make sure that we make the most out of them.

A good relationship is the one that is based on strong value. Some of the values that make a good and strong relationship are: Trust, forgiveness, honesty, helpfulness, compromise, respect, tolerance, truthfulness, to mention but a few. The relationships that are based on strong values will be stronger and lasting, and will also endure the test of times. The success of a relationship is also based on one’s personality type.

Starting a relationship
It is good that we can choose some of the relationships we have. We all know that it is very heartbreaking to lose a relationship which you have put so much into and not willing to give up. Therefore it is important that one should know the ways for sustaining a relationship and make sure that it remains afloat during hard times. Good romantic relationships can be very difficult to get and very easy to lose, if not handled carefully. Knowing the right strategies for starting and sustaining a relationship will help one to start a strong and lasting relationship.

For more, read the Christian book on how to start and sustain a good relationship, based on prayer and good values.

Depression

2009-01-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

It is amazing that some people take too long to realise that they are suffering from depression. Others would go as far as denying that they are suffering from depression. The saying “Knowledge is power” may be very old, but it is still relevant to modern life. So, having the right information about anything that may affect your life one day is very important. It is very sad that some of the people have been victims of preventable illnesses due to lack of the right facts about their exposure to risk of contracting such illness. You may be wondering where does depression come from?.

Look at the signs, below, of a person who may be suffering from depression. Should it happen that you suspect that you may be suffering from depression please do not hesitate to consult your doctor:
• constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension
• decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities or hobbies
• loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity
• a change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain
• a change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
• restlessness or feeling slowed down
• decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
• feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
• thoughts of suicide or death

Fortunately there are natural ways for healing depression. As I said before, it will be always advisable to consult your doctor for proper diagnosis. For further reference and self diagnosis, check this questionnaire.

Stress management

2009-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Learn how to manage stress

Stress, as defined by the Wikipedia, is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined
Stress can lead to serious illnesses or death, if not well managed. Having the best stress management methods at hand will help one improve his/her life. Fortunately Scientists have learnt the ways of applying technological ways of fighting stress, like the Total Tranquil that helps to relieve stress. When stressed, the body power is reduced, resulting from the weakened immune system, thereby increasing the body’s vulnerability to diseases. Another method of fighting stress is Meditation, it can help to relieve stress and restore your body’s power and reduce the impact of stress to the performance of your duties.

Stress is not always bad. In small doses it can help you to perform better and achieve good results. It is dangerous when it starts to interfere with your good performance. You need to be able to recognise when stress overwhelms you and take action. You can make use of the 300 strategies for stress free life to reduce your chances of being affected by stress.

Some of the stress causes are:
Overworking yourself, worrying about something, inability to handle failure, high expectations about your performance, facing challenging situations, etc. It is vital that everybody should know the effective ways of managing stress.
Do you want to improve your brain power? Click Here!

Anxiety Attack

2009-01-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

What is anxiety?

The Wikipedia defines anxiety as a psychological and physiological state characterised by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioural components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, apprehension, or worry.

If you can be honest with yourself you will be able to remember the feeling you have in the following cases:
• When you are about to enter an interviews room
• When you are about to tell someone the news that you think may trigger a burst in tears or anger.
• When you are late for a very important appointment.
• A few seconds before the results of a competition or examinations are announced.
• While awaiting someone you have long been willing to meet.
• When you have to make a presentation infront of a big audience.
It is not abnormal to have the feeling of anxiety or panic. Almost every person is expected to have had an experience of panic in his or her life. The most important thing is how one deals with panic or anxiety attack.

How will you know if you are under anxiety attack?

The following are the body sensations that can be an indication of an anxiety attack:
• Dizzy spells leading to panic
• Tightness in throat and chest- shortness of breath
• Racing heart with tingle sensations
• Hot flushes followed by waves of anxiety
• Obsessive worries and unwanted thoughts
• Not feeling connected to what is going on around you
• Overwhelming fear that the anxiety will push you over the edge?

For ways of handling panic attack try The Lindell Method or The EasyCalm video.

How can Panic attack affect one’s life?
There is no doubt that the panic attack can have detrimental effects to one’s life if it is not properly handled. That is why it is very important that one should seek help if he realises that he is being attacked by panic he cannot cope with. The two ways referred to above will go a long way in improving the way you handle anxiety, thereby bringing improvement to your whole life.

Emotional Intelligence

2009-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Emotional Intelligence is defined as an ability, capacity, skill, a self perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups. The level of your emotional intelligence is shown by the way you behave through different situations. Some people find it very difficult to cope under difficult and trying conditions. Those people are said to have low emotional intelligence. There are people who will always try their best to remain afloat even if the conditions are very hard. These people can bear with difficult circumstances and are always determined to overcome every challenging situation.

How resilient are you? It is an agreed and well known fact that people with high emotional intelligence also have high resilience. Fortunately, emotional intelligence can be developed and improved. So you do not have to sit down and cry when someone tells you that you have low emotional intelligence. You have to find ways of improving it. The golden gate to improving anything about yourself is “First accepting that you need to improve” because you are not going to improve if you do not acknowledge the need.

Which of these traits belong to you?
Emotional out bursts, temper tantrums, inappropriate dependence, jealousy, indecisiveness, unforgiving, too sensitive, over-reactive, disloyal, demanding, attention seeking, selfish, impulsive, too sensitive to criticism, low self-esteem and fear of change. Knowing yourself is good for your development. The above list is not exhaustive of the traits that can show the level of your emotional development. To have more information on how to turn bad emotions to good Click Here!

Networking: Building your social network and social skills

2009-01-12T01:31:00.000-08:00

Networking is a very important component of human development. Being in the right network is essential for life, career and social skills development. Networking can provide you with a platform to market your skills, your product, your business or your views. You will be in a better position to influence people who are in your network than people who are outside.
There are important factors that should determine the choice of your network. Some of them are:
Common interests, the influence they have in your industry, availability (You may love to network with certain individuals but find that they are not interested in you), share common respect, are knowledgeable, mentorship, level of education, good traits and support.

There are internal and external networks. It is important that one should be involved in both because each of them has its advantages. Things to bear in mind when deciding the network you will belong to:

Internal network:
Remember, if you do not have good reasons to shun some people away, do not, because some people might have something you are not aware of and above that you don’t know what the future carries for you or them. You need to have objectives for your network. Objectives do not necessarily need to be quantitative, they can also be qualitative. You need to establish multi-lateral networks i.e. upwards, downwards and side-ways. Try to build strong relationships that are built on trust. It is important to portray a good image of yourself so that people can find value in networking with you.

Try to find good topics to discuss during meetings, most especially when you are the one who initiated the meeting, otherwise people might find it a waste of time to attend your gathering. Never allow gossip to be part of your discussions. A network that is based on gossip is a bad network and will be devastating to your development and social status. Besides that, you might find that the people with whom you have been gossiping may find promotion before you and that will limit your chances of getting a promotion while they are still in charge.

External networks

External networks are as important as the internal ones. Try to make contacts with people outside your company. If you are not in business, this will increase your good references thereby increasing your chances of being offered better positions by other companies. If you are in business this may be a reminder because you are the one who can testify better about the importance of making yourself and your business known to the outside world. Find out if there are existing clubs in your local area, your country and the world, depending on the scope of your business interest. You might, as well, establish your own club and invite people to join.

Before joining an existing club or association make sure that you understand what they stand for, familiarise yourself with their terms and conditions for membership. Avoid creating a bad image of yourself by joining a club that you will find yourself unable to cope with its demands and being forced to cancel membership within few months of signing up. If you do that people will view you as being indecisive, lacking direction and planning skills and they will start to question your leadership skills. Learn more on networking, Click Here!

Frienship: Be a good friend

2009-01-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the need for friends is in the third level, which is an indication of the importance of friendship. It is natural that a human being, in his/her life, will feel the need to be associated to someone. Your choice of friends is, to a large extent, determined by your personality, hence the saying: “Birds of the same further flock together.”
What is good about friendship is that you can choose who you want to be friends with. What do you look at when you choose friends, their social status, wealth, career, achievements, business success, talents, sport or possessions? Whatever aspect you look at when choosing your friend, the fact is you need the person with whom you will be very comfortable to have closer to you. You need to always remember that friendship is a mutual relationship. I have seen people who would do anything to keep their friends, even if it means having to incur unnecessary expenses. Being friends means we both enjoy each other’s company, we are useful to each other and we share a common commitment.
I think it is for this reason that some people, as I said above, would do something unthinkable to retain their friends. I think they do that out of fear that they might not be contributing value of equal magnitude to that being contributed by the other friend. Unfortunately, I view that as being a slave of a friend, which then turns into slave-master relationship.
We cannot deny that; in real life, there are people who are forced to stay in friendship. Some are forced by their conscience resulting from their past evil deeds they do not want to be uncovered by ex-friends and others stay because they chose wrong friends right from the beginning, who are not prepared to part with them and intimidate them.
It is also true that other people go into friendship because of other motives, which can also be called opportunism. The challenge is: How do you know that someone is being driven by opportunistic motives? If you know the qualities of a good friend you will not have a problem of discerning bad from good friends.

Success

2009-01-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

Do you want to be successful?
I believe that in life, everyone has, somehow, tasted success. What distinguishes those so called “Successful” people from the rest is the degree of their being successful. Your success is largely dependant on your self-esteem and determination. You are very likely not to succeed of you think you are not capable of succeeding. How many achievements have you made up to date? What factors do you attribute to your achievements?
Another important success ingredient is planning your way to the top. Imagine the mountain standing infront of you and you want to get to its top. What options do you have? Walk your way up or fly? You are very likely to walk. Before you walk you need to look at the mountain, plan your path and follow it. Be careful; The mountain looks very high when you are closer to it. What does that mean? It means once you are about to start working on your goal, you will start to feel that the challenge is too big for you to handle. Do not be discouraged by that feeling, it is natural. If you have a good plan and the necessary determination you are very likely to succeed. Zig Ziglar once said “It’s your aptitude, not just your attitude that determines your ultimate altitude.” You will be surprised to see how low the mountain will look when you are at the top.
In light of the above, it is very obvious that you need to equip yourself with right skills that are necessary to achieve your goals. Do not expect an overnight success. Success comes at a price: It can be hard work, intelligence or perseverance. If you know someone who took almost half of the time you have taken so far, and have not yet achieved your goal, do not despair and condemn yourself. You must know that there is a number of factors that might have caused the difference time.
It surprising that you will find people who will always complain about time to justify their non-achievement, but when you look at the people who achieve the most you will find that they are the ones who should be complaining about time, but they are not. You should always bear in mind that we all have twenty-four hours a day. So, time is not an excuse. Be patient, great things are not achieved by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.
In real life, it is natural that you will find obstacles on your way towards the accomplishment of your goals. They are there to test your strength. You need to either remove the obstacle or go around it, choose whichever is easier. Remember always stay focused.

Goal setting

2009-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

It is the time of that year again, where new plans are being made. Before you make any new plans for this fear, it is necessary that you look back and take stock of last year’s plans. In January 2008, you, possibly, had resolutions which would guide you through to achieving the goals you set for yourself. Now look at the progress you made, are there any outstanding objectives that need further action? Do you still need to pursue those goals? If yes, it means they should form the basis of your new plans. If no, why? Have they become worthless or obsolete? Look at failures and successes and try to find reasons for both. If you succeeded, What made you to succeed? Reasons for your success should be part of your strengths. If you failed, what made you to fail? These can be part of your weaknesses. Being aware of what lead to your failure will help you not to repeat the same mistakes, thereby increasing your chances of success. Albert Einstein once defined insanity as: Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result.
You must be able to separate between dreams, wishes and goals. Of course, your goals are inspired by your dreams and wishes. Some people invite year-end frustrations by setting unrealistic goals. You can not plan to buy a posh house by the end of this year only because you have hope that you will win the lottery. Set realistic goals, goals that are within your potential. Break your goals into manageable chunks, called objectives. Sometimes you may need to attain a number of objectives before your goal can be achieved. It is very important to thoroughly compile your action plan towards achieving your goal. Your project management skills will always come in handy during your planning stage.
Do not sit back and relax after planning, implement your action plan, timeously. Monitor and amend your action plan when necessary. You should be able to detect failure before it hits. This will help minimise its effect, emotionally and otherwise. It is said; “Fore warned is fore armed.” Always be careful of detractions. Be careful not to have goals achievement of which entirely depends on other people, e.g. a plan based on getting a promotion. What if you do not get any promotion because someone thinks you are not fit for it? Get more Click Here! to get Andrew Matthews’s book on Strategies for success.

Speech: Words Change Lives

2008-12-26T02:29:00.000-08:00

Words are an important part of human life. Have you ever attended a seminar or gathering where one of the speakers delivered a powerful speech, with the capability to sway the audience towards a certain direction whereas, initially, the general feeling was that the majority of the audience supports an opposite view? Have you ever changed your decision at the last moment, resulting from the speech you have just listened to or someone just popped up and told you something that left you in a totally different mood from what you were before you heard what he/she said.
The truth is: Words can make or break someone’s life. The purpose of writing this article is to urge you (the reader) to consider the influence that will be made by the words you speak to the people around you, written or spoken, before you utter those/publish those words. So please make sure that you speak good (encouraging) words to at least one person per day. One should always keep in mind that someone, somewhere, is feeling down and in need of hearing good words that will shake up his life.
Many wars around the world are the result of words being carelessly uttered. Careless speech can set the whole world in flames. If all the world leaders can always be mindful of the influence of their words to the stability of the world we can all have a better and most secure place to live in.

Smile and improve your life.

2008-12-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

By smiling, you will not only be helping other people, you are the one who will benefit more. Smiling can dramatically improve your health and your well being. The body has hormones that have a very important role in the development of your body. When you smile your body is relieved, which reduces tension in the arteries, reducing blood pressure, thereby giving your immune system more strength to guard against illnesses like flu, cold and pain. This will again make your body more responsive to the medication you take.
Have you noticed how attractive a smiling person is? Smiling will attract the right person to you. This means you are very likely to attract the people who are more similar to you, in respect of behaviour, likes and dislikes. Having the right people close to you will boost your self-esteem, a very important trait of successful people. Smiling can also be an ageing inhibitor. A person who always frowns is very likely to look older than her/his age group. This can affect her relationship with other people. Very few people would be comfortable with having a friend who looks older than them. So, lets agree, smiling will reduce your medical bill; improve your relationships and your chances of success. I hope you have been smiling all the way down this page. If not, please read again and make sure you pause and smile after each and every sentence you read. Smile as you click.

The power of a smile

2008-12-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hi, Wecome to the space for real life issues.

Did you know how powerful a smile can be? How many people have you made to smile today? When last did you smile, to someone or to yourself? Doris Rodriguez once said; "The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed". She was definately correct. You know, a smile is a non-verbal communication of ones feeling, what is inside. Have you noticed the "contageous" nature of a real smile. This shows the magic a smile has. The smile can heal and can turn around someones life. When one is worried and stressed, one needs someone to make him/her smile and releive that tension. There are illnesses that are related to stress and worries, which can be chronic and sometimes fatal. There is also an increasing number of suicides, which could be the results of a feeling of helplessness. What I have said about a smile means that; everyone has the power to save a life. So, please let us use our God given power to heal. Make the person next to you smile and he should make the next person smile and that one make another one smile. Let us make the chain of smiles and heal our world. Till next time.