Miller Time: Such a Pity!

Miller Time: Such a Pity!: We all like to moan - me included about the state of things from time to time.  But how many of us are actually in a position to do somethin...

Such a Pity!

We all like to moan - me included about the state of things from time to time.  But how many of us are actually in a position to do something about the state of things around us, whether in business or in our daily lives.  I guess as I sit to write this, that the only way to do something about it is ... to do something in what ever manner we can.  There is no doubt that there is a terrible lack of production in our country, the economy is so depressed at the moment and the ability of small business to impact the market and really shine is becoming severely and negatively influenced by government and social pressures.  At first I wanted to have a pity party for the segment that I too operate in, only to find that it is far more widespread when you begin to talk to others across the nation.  There is little incentive or assistance for small business owners and yet this country is made up of some of the most dynamic entrepreneurs in the world.  Surely this is something to nurture and grow.  But unfortunately, whether it is due to lack of interest or just an apathy that has crept in, we find ourselves floundering under the weight of ridiculous policies like BEE, strikes, corruption, including large blue chip companies, racism and fiscal requirements, which simply only have a negative impact.  I am one for having rules and standards, but they have got to be implemented or sustainable at least.  The tax, labour and social bureaucracy in this country currently is pathetic and the fact that no one is honestly implementing the rules, makes this a minefield which has resulted in many people simply giving up, or slowing down.  Some of the best skilled people have become selfish and have stopped trying to grow the system... and nothing is being done about it.  Government is too busy rectifying corruption with more commissions of enquiry and focusing on expropriation and tearing down mining and resources to bother about the middle class man on the street that really can add value to the country.  Shame on those with such little vision, but long may small business try to make a difference, because without solid and creative middle class people, this country and its terrible culture of lack of service, production and poor implementation will only go backwards further.  Stay Small but Stay Strong!

Miller Time: Dream On!

Miller Time: Dream On!: Have you ever had a dream so real that it feels like it you are living it, only to find that you wake to the fact that it was actually just ...

Dream On!

Have you ever had a dream so real that it feels like it you are living it, only to find that you wake to the fact that it was actually just a part of your imagination. The dream seems to be so perfect and yet in the midst of every perfect dream, there is always a few things which, when recounting the dream, we wonder why the heck that was in the dream.  Little snatches which don't seem to be part of the main story of the dream.  I have always wished I could identify the meaning of those items in the dream, as they fascinate me, as to where they fall in our reality and what they are meant to tell us.  Awake again, I realise that dreams are much like our lives - the goals we want to achieve are still infiltrated with little realities that prevent us from really getting to the end of the dream.  These little realities have the ability to just distract us enough, that we leave the big picture for a short while and sometimes we don't realise that the road has gone steeply left, while we are travelling slightly right to consider a small distraction.  I am not sure if we place our own distractions on our path or whether they are divinely positioned to test our resolve, but the important thing is to identify them as soon as possible and to combat their effect on our lives.  We can only do this if we truly recognise the big goal we are chasing and stay away from the smaller distractions ahead and which may be in our lives at present.  It reminds me of setting a course to a new destination, using a navigation App.  The person telling you the directions also tells you of distractions like a car on the shoulder of the road, changes in speed and alternative routes, but if you really want to get there then the only way is to listen or look at where the final destination is.  We cannot always ignore all the distractions but we can learn to wash them from our system as quickly as possible and get back to the dream we so earnestly desire.  This is why it is so important to set the main goal we pursue so clearly and to hold onto it, because it matters.  The small distractions in life will ultimately just be there to make achieving that goal that much more satisfying.  Live your goals, embrace your distractions and turn your night time dreams in today's reality.

Taking our Muti!

Have you ever had a nagging cough - at the back of your throat - just enough to bother you but not enough to make you really ill.  It is a bit like your conscience when dealing with matters that are affecting your life and which bother your peace.  They are not enough to really get you down fully, but they are constantly there to keep attracting your attention.  They are the little poisons and the very things that we need to get rid of as soon as possible.  It is liberating to have no little cough and to just focus on the opportunities and blessing that life provides every day - you may need some vitamins to get you through like a positive word, an exciting opportunity, encouragement and affection and most of all some respect and appreciation for the way you deal with daily situations.  Just that little bit of encouragement goes a long way and gives you the hope for more to come.  One by one we need to rid ourselves of these nagging irritations and to do so effectively requires an attitude to success.  Being direct, honest and spontaneous is food for the soul. No one promised an easy life and no one escapes the nagging niggles, but we do have a choice to respond in our own way.  Not the way we feel expected to, or the way society tells us, but in the manner that counteracts the nagging cough - regularly and consistently being positive about our circumstances.  It does not matter how you get there but the fact that you are willing to be yourself daily and never give up on your faith, your dreams and those that love you - this is the cure to the common cold.  Very soon that nagging cough will die down and be replaced by deep breaths and long exhales - just remember though to never stop breathing - it is worth it!

Miller Time: "Great Expectations"

Miller Time: "Great Expectations": Perhaps like me you are a little nauseous and tired of the expectations that people have when it comes to their own selfish demands an...

"Great Expectations"

Perhaps like me you are a little nauseous and tired of the expectations that people have when it comes to their own selfish demands and desires - being a genuine victim is one thing, but having expectations to meet your own selfish agenda is frankly rather despicable.  An expectation is nothing more than an assumption or conjecture, or to some people an expected value!!  Shakespeare said that Expectation is the root of all heartache! I suppose I am now from the older generation, but I am aghast at the manner in which people of today think, that because they come from favoured backgrounds or frankly wealthier homes, they can expect or feel that they deserve to continue the process of wanting and receiving, as though it is some sort of right.  These are challenging times and the divide between the haves and have "nots" is increasing by the day, due to amongst other things, this habit which has crept in that people of today can use and manipulate others into getting what they believe is their dues.  Some demand from the perspective that they have been hurt and deserve justice for themselves, some think that because they were given everything to begin with that they are simply entitled to have this continue unabated in their lives without doing their share of the work and others live with the belief that the world and the society owes them because they were disenfranchised, uneducated or part of quotas and  poor societal regimes (you know the A word??) the reality is however that this world offers nothing except that which we put in.  We need to work hard and remain steadfast in our faith, but we are not owed a good and easy life.  There is too much sensitivity and not enough honest effort.  There are such double standards, but no champions of truth and justice.  There is so much wealth (whether honestly acquired or through corruption and deceit) but also so much poverty.  You don't have the right to be privileged or blessed, it is to be appreciated and shared with good heart and intent, but when you live with expectation and greed then there is a chance that the world may spit you out and remove your rights and show you, that you are merely a servant and not of nobility - long live the workers and men and women that are willing to put an honest days work in!

Life is Life

How do we deal with failure or the feeling of it in our lives.  I watched my old school today take on one of its older rivals at rugby and our boys got thrashed. It was a pitiful performance and I could only imagine the disappointment and feeling of failure which must have filled the boys, the coaches and the supporters. We all fail at times and we can chastise ourselves for all the things we have failed to achieve or accomplish.  If only we had taken a stand instead of taking a seat, or been bold instead of being quiet.  Maybe like the boys today it is not the first time that you have been hammered and it feels like  you really should not be  even in the game.  Maybe you even feel like this in your personal life, beaten and trodden and just a total loser because you cant seem to achieve what you really want to in life. Your eyes may see your faults but your faith needs to see your saviour and the ones in your life that really care.  Your eyes see your guilt but your faith can see your redemption and a chance to still make good on your life.  There is little point in feeling downcast, unless you are willing to go the extra mile and keep trying.  You can know that this is a season of learning and enduring.  You may want to turn your back on this ever pressing life and walk away or quit because you keep losing or feel that the things that make you truly happy just dont seem to come even though they may be right in front of you.  But here is the thing, find peace in the depths of your pain.  We dont want to try to change because it is hard and we are not sure what we have to gain, so we figure it best to rather give up. But the reality is that we sometimes have to stand behind each other, have empathy for what each other are going through but not accept failure as a possibility. If success and happiness are truly what you want then you are going to have to find a way to make it happen.  Always remember why you started something and if it matters that much,then have the courage to try to make it worth the pain, the suffering and the stress.  

In the end you tried and cared and let it be enough.

An eventful April 1 to say the least and the biggest joke of the day clearly went to the leadership of this country and in particular the man running our country (into the ground). The lack of integrity and honesty  amazed me to new levels and made me realise that it is becoming more and more important to stand up, stand out and live fully because the sands of time are truly flowing at speed.  We can hope that South Africans will make their voices heard at the poles in a few months time, but i am very cynical about what to expect from the voters becuase history seems to show that this Government gets away with more murder, poor standards and pathetic leadership every time.  They lie and steal on a continual basis and men and women of integrity are so few and far between.  My gut tells me that in these times we need to be brave, if we are not happy with circumstances or situations, then we need to do something about it.  We need to say yes to the challenges we face, we need to be entirely dissatisfied with lowered standards, half- baked relationships and apathy towards situations we think we cannot change. We still have choices and we need to stop apologising for the fact that we want more and we want to be positive.  A government is meant to provide example and direction, but when it does not, then it is up to the individuals that care to take on the mantle of leadership and be that which the derelicts of their duty are not doing.  We can hold onto and accept the things that are busy tearing us and the country apart, or we can begin a journey of following the things that hold us together.  It is time to stop the bull$#% being dished up daily to us as citizens and which we accept in our lives from various sources and start having the difficult discussions that will enable change.  But once we have had enough of talking, then unlike this idiot of a president and his troop of followers, we need to start  actioning our decisions and letting them be known and visible through deeds instead of empty promises.  I have learnt that sometimes we speak so much that we end up doing a full 360 degree on what we started out saying (Mr Zuma is an expert in this field) in the first place and we can rather learn to smile, say less, shut up and do what we say.  Don't let the state of play in our nation stop us from our goals and dreams, don't let the negativity cause us to shrink away from greatness and success and don't make unworthy people important in your life.  Living boldly does not imply arrogance, living proudly does not imply egotistical behavior, pursuing  love and psssion and adventure does not imply selfishness, it just means that those things to which we are willing to say yes, will and should permeate our lives and steer us to our real truth.  It is time to stop looking back because that is not the direction we are going.  I am not implying the view of kyk noord en f$#% voort, but rather grab hold of what matters, who matters and what you want to achieve and then kyk noord, stap voort en sien hoe die son skyn.

Yes it is time to have a Happy Easter

This is clearly a new season and the truth is always better than fumbling around or being indecisive about how you want your future to unwind.  This may very well be the time when changes happen and choices are made whether we like it or not.  This is the time to saying yes to things which you have considered for long enough and to begin to action the important goals you have set so that you can open the next chapter of your life because the previous one is lingering far too long.  This is a perfect weekend symbolised by the death of our saviour and the ressurection, bringing new life, to embark on a new adventure, whatever it may be.  There may be sadness in this time because the story of Easter is not without immense pain and suffering and includes hurt and beytrayal and rejection, but what is important in the story is the fact that what emerged from the resurrection was new life, opportunity and new beginnings.  Perhaps like me the time of moping, fretting and inaction is over and you can look forward to a new journey in which you can begin to say yes to the right things and a definitive no to those things and people that have little purpose in gettiing you to your destination.  After all they have their own lives to consider.  Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely and we are left with only the choice of what to do next.  We can chose to be afriad of it, to stand there trembling and not moving, assuming the worst that can happen, or we can step forward into the unknown and assume it will be brilliant.  In the end you need to try at least and to say yes where otherwise you may have said no.  It will take courage but it will be better to say yes to the truth, to say yes to the opportunities you have, to say yes to what makes you happiest and to say yes to the the things that terrify you, but which you have peace, will keep you moving forward.  You may have success or so it would seem but this may only be judged in financial terms, but if you are doing what you are passionate about, this provides far more motivation to get up and pursue your goals than the rands and cents.  This is also not the time to follow the crowd, but rather to walk alone if need be, so that you find yourself in places you have never been before, so that you can conquer adventures you have not thought are possible.  Maybe it is better to stop trying to change others and their minds and rather to focus on your own game so that you can in fact get in the game and importantly you have to realise that sometimes you cant win and you were never going to win, so the best thing to do, is stop fighting that situation, which you cant change and rather pour your energy into that which can produce happines.  Why use your energy to put up a wall around yourself with all the stones that have been thrown at you and when in fact the same energy can be used to build a road or path to a greater future of success.  You will never force anything that is not truly meant to be, so start being smart and take the decisions in your life which you have the passion and faith to pursue and let not your insecurities and fears result in you being alone.  You dont need to be alone or unhappy, you can make diffrent choices and watch how when you say yes to the right things, the task at hand gets ever easier.  Dont wait to start taking backpossession  of your life and use the sybolism of this weekend to set the record straight. 

The Truth is still Free

It is said that the truth will set you free, but before it does it could p$*# you off.  We are surrounded by countless examples of what represents the truth and what is good and bad and we have to choose what to believe and what not.  So many choices but which is right. It is sometimes very difficult to deal with the truth and we are in control of only a few things in this world.  I was reading about Job, a man truly tested by God who was put through the fire in so many ways.  His troubles make my simple ramblings seem pathetic, but God was dealing with him systematically and revealing truths to him in his pain and testing.  Once God had dealt with him and explained things to him which were deep and meaningful, he restored him double fold in all that was taken from him. By way of example we can control very little in the economy, unless we are Pravin Gordhan, we have little influence over the leadesthip in the country, as it would seem for example that we cannot get rid of the insanely useless leadership currently dictating the destiny of the country.  Our sphere of influence may not extend to such areas.  We can't control how others will react to us or what they may do.  But we certainly can control a few things in order to put us on the path to a more fulfilled life.  We have the ability to choose our own happiness and effect a positive change in our life by taking clear and unequivocal decisions to do something.  Life will continue to teach us lessons, but having a passion for what we are commited to, in life, relationships and work will help us to cross from a place of being affected by the world and its challenges to where we have earned significance in our lives through decisions which are borne in the very difficult times we may find ourselves in.  Job must have had so many questions like we all do, as to why certain things happen in our lives,  but the truth that God revealed to him was probably not what he wanted to hear.  But it was the truth that God was in control throughout and that when the correct timing is given we have a duty to react and go forward irrespective of our selfish needs.  Once people and circumstances become too involved in the determination of our own truth then truth may very well hide amongst the opinions and assumptions.  But it does lie quietly only for a time or season on its own, waiting for the right time to be revealed.  And i believe that it always finds its way to surface whether we like its timing or not.  The quicker it is cleared, the faster and more positively we can react to it.  Otherwise we end up seeking the "wise counsel of the Guptas" or allow a country (or a life) to drift towards "junk status" as determined by people, policies and circumstances beyond our control.  I think that it is still better to try to seek and proclaim the truth even if my ememies and detractors think that they can use it against me and no mattter how it hurts i would rather face it than become embroiled in an elaborate  puzzle of inconsistent pieces cut into, and going in different directions.  This is a time for the truth to be pursued despite our faults, to accept ourselves including any failures and to give this time a shot and dare to let it set us free.

An exercise in Happiness

Happiness seems to be defined as a positive state of mind.  It does not seem to lie necessarily in the work we do, or in relationships or in people per se; it requires an attitude adjustment towards acquiring a state of mind which combines certain elements and leaves you feeling fulfilled and a more complete person. We cannot always be or feel happy because our lives are affected by circumstances, like hurt, pain and regrets.  However, decisions made are more likely to produce happiness than indecisiveness. And yet it is very easy to get into the mentality that we cannot make decisions because they will cause more hurt or destroy our peace.  But happiness lies carefully hidden, but still attainable, in the place where peace exists and the things that steal our peace, are the same things that steal our happiness. We tend to blame things in our lives for our unhappiness or believe that we are responsible for making others happy as if it is our duty or responsibility but in reality happiness is often a subjective and personal experience.  Even so we need to take certain things with us in the pursuit of happiness, like a positive attitude, the right team, the correct belief system, a single minded purpose and an idea of what lies in store. We need clear goals and a belief that we can achieve a happy state here and now and not just some obscure concept which is only to be found in a dazed, confused and uncertain state of mind somewhere in an uncertain future.  There is also little point in striving to get to a place of happiness, only to want something else to make us happy when we get there.  We need to be satisfied with the choices we make and the results we achieve and be extremely grateful for the journey that got us to that place in the first place.  Some of us need to drop our standards a little or be less critical and not to overanalyze every circumstance until it all but frustrates us, but rather enjoy the ride once in a while, no matter what the worldly outcome may be.  Lets face it "Grumpy" has never been happy.  We are of little value if we are frustrated, bitter or downright miserable.  Our decisions may not always be popular, understandable or what would seem to be the main stream thing to do, but these are defining times and we better believe that what we do now is going to have an impact in a few years from now. If we really want this thing called happiness then we owe it to ourselves to make an effort to achieve it.  This is no time to sit on our butts and think that it will come to us and we better accept that the way we think things are going to turn out will probably look very different when eventually the day comes that we truly feel happy.  So grab hold of the one or two or three things that make you happy and be relentless to pursue their conclusion.

A Season to Journey

Lets face it we live in defining times and motivation and comfort are hardly visible on a daily basis at the moment so we pretty much have to gain perspective in every area of our lives. We are surrounded by threats to our existence, many of which are no longer directly within our control.  We would want to be positive and be ready for challenges in the norms of business, our childrens education and in personal relationships, but our expectation is that we will have a measure of control which will give us the opportunity to succeed when we need to meet the road, as it rises towards us.  But what if you start returning questions with answers that no longer fit into the mould of tradtional, or convenient or even comfortable, thus making you vulnerable and unsure of where you are menat to be and how you can get there.  Well this may very well be such a time in the lives of many people.  Looking for an easy way out of the things which were previously fairly simple to answer are now a more complicated solution and no matter how we look at it, the faith that we possess is about to be tested.  It may feel like you are the recipient of unnecessary stones being hurled at you from all sides, but perhaps it is the time to gather those very stones and build a wall to protect yourself. Maybe you have been fighting for so long and you have to accept that as much as you want a different outcome you have to let it go. We need to fight as hard as possible to not be controlled by people, money or past experiences despite the attacks we face and learning the art of responding to the challenge instead of reacting to the situation becomes a major key to thinking straight and finding a way to gain a different outlook.  Whether you are a quiet peson or one that has no option but to share your feelings it nevertheless remains a time of choosing to stay in control.   I believe that we should not live in guilt or be bound by so called "mistakes" that we have made. Find peace in what you are doing at the moment. Divide your time appropriately and try to give a 100% to a few important things rather than 20% towards everything.  In other words focus. Separate the things you can control (and there are more than you think) from those beyond your control. Make time to get fresh air and clear your mind especially during times of great trials because it is easy to sit and stew and worry about everything you face.  What about working on our relationships, especially the ones that matter - this would be a good time to focus on the important ones and not to let go of them at a time when close relationships are really hard to come by. We all need a little time of solitude to really give us perspective of what can and should occupy our time, focus and efforts.  Avoid bitterness even though it is very hard to do in practice.  When things are not going according to plan the easiest thing is to avert the blame and grow jealous and angry towards others that appear to be doing so well.  But remember they too may be going through a tough time so sharing with others and listening to their story may be encouraging to them and uplifiting to your own soul. Make some pancakes and do the symbolic flipping of negative thoughts into positive ones. Don't stop doing the positive things in your life that were good and fun and exciting, simply because it would seem that the mood has changed and that you should abandon those things, to "truly experience" the bad time you are going through.  Because remember every small moment of joy is a brush stroke on the canvas of life and the whole painting is always better than a few loose lines.  Together the hardest times can become the first chapter in the rest of your life.  As said by Mary Oliver "one day you finally knew what you had to do and began".

Rock Bottom can become the foundation on which to rebuild your Life

Nobody likes the feeling of defeat or misery. No one experiencing challenging times wants judgement, or selfish advice. How many great men and woman have not stood on the precipice of disaster only for "their ship to come in". We certainly live in unpredictable times, in very uncertain times and people are either busy consolidating or taking major risks on change and new horizons.  My parents generation were those that lived in times where generally work was available and loyalty was rewarded by companies to the extent that employees stayed, worked their time and received a healthy pension at the end.  I have no problem with how this was achieved, or begrudge those that went onto pension on this basis.  After all, thanks to such times, my grandfather was able to be on pension for 30 years and my own dad able to retire comfortably at 60.  I may even be a little envious of their circumstances when I look around me at the moment.  There is so much uncertainty, whether globally, or in our country and between recession (although restaurants seem to be packed everywhere) unemployment, sugar tax and major unrest at universities, the prospects do not seem very upbeat for goal implementation and dreams to be fulfilled.  We should be focused on improving the constitution we fought hard to achieve, instead of finding every petty excuse to bring about unrest, distraction and down right vandalism.  Tertiary institutions are places of learning and should not be political platforms for idiotic motives and the same boring and frankly purposeless notions of racism and language choices.  This country can so ill afford further negativity and we need education to be improved in whatever way, instead of fighting whether English or Afrikaans is to be the primary language of education.  Those people causing this anarchy are the same who should be getting on with their own self improvemnt and education. It is shameful to say the least.  But this is what worries me at the moment about our country, is that we all end up being affected by these minor factions and we start to doubt the worthy ideas and creative opportunities we may have, because we are affected by the neverending attacks on our liberties and reasonable chances to make a difference.  If last year I had thought that consolidation was a buzz word, then I would hate to know the "intensiewe vorm" (and if you dont know the Afrikaans then figure it out, because this is South Africa and Afrikaans is just as much part of the history of this country so get with it people!!) of the word consolidation this year, especially after the budget and the prospects of a better 2016. There is even less to smile about and everyone will eventually be affected.  It just means that we will need to be that much more determined to succeed and work that much smarter to make a difference in our professions.  If you drop a rock into a bowl it will sink to the bottom and lie there, unless you put in more water mix the water enough, or so much that the rock begins to move.  It may stay towards the bottom of the bowl because that is the reality of the situation, but it can move and still affect the area and circumstances of the pool of water that it is in.  It can and should be our challenge to be the difference.

Whatever you do refuse to sink!

We all hide aspects of our life whether through pride, or uncertainty, or fear.  Take Namaan a character in the old Testament, who hid his leprosy despite being the commander of the army and a powerful man. He was a public hero with fame and fortune and a massive ego, but he was also a private Leper (literally and figuratively). Our perspective of the world we live in, the challenges we face and what will be our attitude to the future and our pursuit of our dreams and goals, will be determined by our pespective.  In the case of Namman he preferred to hide his affliction and carry on with the business of running an army, but all the while he was dying inside.  It took a slave girl, who recognised the affliction, to help him to a place where he could face the fear he had that he would no longer be in control, and seek the wisdom of the prophet to help him be healed. Even still he expected the prophet to come to him, as we so often do, when we expect the dreams we have to come to us, but we do little to make them a reality.  We hold back and talk a lot about what we can achieve and we want the fruits of our dreams so much, but yet we don't run towrds them, but rather see every obstacle as to why they probably wont work. It would be a lot easier if the dream would just come to us, because we want it anyway.  We place too much value on ourselves as the deserving recipient instead of the fearless warrior and we end up in seasons of captivity, where we blame circumstances, economies, global restraints and others opinions and yet we wonder why our goals remain unfulfilled.  We pray many times for things on the basis that we have decided what should be given to us, becuase we have compared ourselves to others and we think we are worthy of receiving our request.  Instead, we should change our perspective entirely and spring into action with a positive and commited attitude and then watch what can happen. We should never be too proud of taking a chance and even if it means starting again and accepting that the way we have been doing it should not be continued. If we remember that the result is already in the hands of the creator who has placed us in this time and place in the first place, then it will surely help to stop worrying about all the negatives and uncertainties and rather plough as much effort into the outcome and leave enough time (because the length of it is not in our hands) in our lives to enjoy the outcome which lies in store starting today.

Be a Character!

There is a tremendous amount of negativity at the moment which I suppose is undesrandable if one looks at the economy, unemployment, politics and education in this country.  Elsewhere Eorope is suffering from the effects of migrants and terrorism and in America the big squeeze is on for growth and development.  Even china is hardly showing signs of growth.  The reality is that the world is upside down and it is very easy to fall straight into negativity and to think that our circumstances are far worse than we can handle or deal with.  But it is my feeling that this is not a time to dwell on the things that have held us back from succces and growth, nor to be bent on predicting the future in advance, but rather to remain hopeful in our present.  We cannot even predict what the future will look like, so why would we with good conscience not stop fretting and try to be positive and seek growth and happiness.  Why would we not take one day at a time and make the most of it rather than getting to the end of another week and not being sure what we have achieved other than a few more wrinkles.  We cannot be happy every day of our lives true, because we are influenced by the world and by others but we can make a choice that the happiness we long for when we are really honest with others and ourselves is something we are going to pursue with every fibre of our being.  How much time do we spend wondering about the future and if we can make our lives as we dream and how much time do we waste on frivilous thoughts about others, their views on us and what is happening in their lives.  The hours spent on assumptions and trying to predict how our circumdstances will be takes so much time away from our current opportunity for success and happines that when we finally take a moment to pervey the surroundings, we will realise that we had opportunities and we let let slip away becuase of trying to make others happy, fighting to have others stop trying to change our characters  and worrying about fitting into others mould for our lives instead of just getting on with the real life that God had promised or laid out for us.  It may seem crazy to think that we can achieve our goals becuase we may just not think we are good enough or we could not possibly have a happiness waiting for us and then suddenly when the reality hits home, that we can actually be happy, it is far too late to action it and the frustration has got the better of us.  At least we owe it to ourselves to err on the side, not of caution, but bravery to not compromise on our character, but rather to be true to ourselves and the people we were born to be. Never force things, give it your best shot,  if it is meant to be then it will be.

Shoot to score!

Lerarning to cope with an ever changing world is vital to achieve any sort of goal.  We need to start learning about ourselves and whether our weak points are shaping our lives, or if our strengths are starting to dictate the direction in which our life is travelling.  It is very difficult to choose a course these days due to the surrounding circumstances like economy, lifestyle, job opportunities, stress and many more.  There seems to be an enormous price to pay in order to achieve happiness partly also due to the fact that there are so mnay options and therefore we dont quite know what it is that we are meant to be doing.  But there are a few thjings that dont change when seeking our path in life and that is a fact. That hard work will be necessary, sacrificres will need to be made and you will have to go through the challenges rather than around them are inevitable. We are into the second month of the year already and how many of our well thought out plans for the year, are in process or have been commenced or completed.  Waiting for a better year in my opinion may leave you very frustrated and unfulfilled, becuase the realistic chance exists that this year will not be spectacular it may even get harder with interest rates, food inflation, racism and so if you leave circumstances to dictate your year you will be guaranteed a more testing year than before.  There will always be curve balls and unexpected costs to whatever perfect life we are trying to create.  Our faith, relationships and businesses will be tested and unless we earnestly try to know what it is that we are destined to become, we will surely, in the sea of life which has turbulance and random events which alter our thinking, simply end up believing that our lives are basically irrelevant, instead of knowing that once we put ourselves on the path to success, we can have a better future than anything we could have imagined. We need to accept the cost and have an attitude towards results that make us better. Bad things are hard, but that is why our relationships need to be strong. Forget it enough to get over it, remember it enough, so it doesnt happen again. Our lives will not get better by chance, they will get better by change. The earlier we identify the path this year and stick to it the quicker we can tackle the tough times and things which lie ahead and yet still come out the other side of this year more equipped overall and a lot closer to the dreams that we have set. Choose to forget what cannot be achieved and rather mark off every goal which is celebrating the fact that you have taken one more step in lifes journey to your end goal. 

Anything but Ordinary

There can be no doubt that the world is complicated, between economic uncertainty and rising interest rates, together with food inflation, changing weather patterns and global warming, cultural and political upheavel on so many levels and massive risk of violence and corruption to the highest levels in government and this makes for a very interesting time to be living on our planet.  It is easy to be a cynic in these times, easy to be critical and opinionated, but if we stop for a second to pervay the surroundings we will soon note that there is still a fair amount of magic to be found and a whole lot of living to be accomplished.  No one says that change is easy and taking risks in times like these tends to draw major detraction, because it would appear to be the best to simply lie low and allow the storm to pass.  But in South Africa we tend to quickly adjust our normal and simply accept the new and often far more unacceptable norm, to become our reality.  We moaned excessively when the rand went to to $10 but now we are happy to accept that becuase times are tough, the currency is ok at $15.  So therefore we can afford to be entirely dissatisfied with ordinary standards and start tackling principles that have been neglected and rising to meet issues head on in this country.  A media celebrity this week managed to win a case regarding rasism and prejudice and even leaders of the ruling party in the Western Cape have had to endure attacks, all as a result of an unwillingness to bring about real change.  We tend to stay stuck in our circumstances indefinitely, even when we know that a different outcome and an altogetner happier ending could be possible if we take the right risks and have the courage to face the possibility that all we have now, need not be all that is best in our future.  It is possible to try to control everything in your life and end up having nothing like happiness, but we need to embrace the struggle and face the sacrifices that need to be made in order to truly declutter the loves that we are meant to have.  We need to stop doing the things that we do not truly care about because they deliver stress to our lives and start working hard on the things we love because they result in passion.  There is no embarressmemt in being emotional about the tough struggles, but we need to make sure that they really are the struggles that will produce fruit in our lives and will steer our course for a better outcome.  Whether you have to endure the struggles on your own, or in a relationship, the time has come to really work hard and handle the set backs and actually follow through on promises and conversations we have had.  There is nothing wrong in making mistakes but we cannnot afford to make the same mistakes on a regular basis.  I would rather be amongst those that work hard at success, whertner in business, or in life in general for that mattter, than being complacent and hoping that that a lucky break will enable us to fulfill our greatest desires and goals. May action speak louder than our words and may we find that life is not about avoiding the bruises, but rather about collecting the scars to prove that we showed up for it.

Painful Peace makes us Happy

We have all asked the question what do we want. Especially at the beginning of a New Year we are attuned to what may or may not happen in the coming Year.  We struggle to understand this concept because we are surrounded by conflict, pain and a whole lot of misunderstanding.  The reality is that most of the world is in a Topsy Turvy state and finding peace is challenging to say the least.  The markets are so unpredictable and soaring food prices and continued disruption at tertiary institutions are making for fears of unrest and instability.  Negative sentiment of strife and we are only in January. So can things come right?   Well yes if we truly determine what we want and slowly and in a dedicated manner, put our shoulder to the wheel and  continue to make things happen.  Perhaps we spend too much time at the moment seeking happiness instead of using our time to find quiet.  Happiness still takes a lot of work, and we continue to chase around to attain it, whether it is in planning trips or just finishing a project, as soon as possible to be able to get enough money to do the next thing and the next thing and so on. Realities also mix in with our happiness and while we are seeking happiness these realities are influencing us and actually drawing us further from peace, which is what we think happiness will provide and yet we end up so involved in the pursuit, that we will miss the end goal.  The pain we endure is perhaps the very secret place where we can experience a real chance at happiness. Because in the pain lies the things that we really are willing to endure and persist in. And where we show determination to actually take a step to eventual victory over the surrounding negativity. The things that we want for a happy life take enormous sacrifice, they require consistent pain, because they are not easy, but they can lead to change and growth.  Our country is desperately in need of men and woman, the colour is so irrelevant and frankly such a waste of time, who are willing to find a way to make small differences each day in the place where they are relevant and to work diligently in their given vocations, not for the chance to move jobs for an extra R500, not so that they can get immediate promotion and certainly not to achieve a position because of entitlement, but to work damn hard to just ensure that the job they currently are blessed with, is done wit excellence.  We need to be and should be extremely dissatisfied with the way things are working in the country, but perhaps we need to see it in the context that where there is enough pain and suffering the closeness of happiness and success may be a lot closer than we think. I am not advocating negative sentiment for negative purpose but rather dissatisfaction for growth.  We can all learn to embrace this painful time and reach the other side of this year, having actually achieved some previously unattained goals.

Miller Time: The Fresh smell of Rain.

Miller Time: The Fresh smell of Rain.: I wakened finally this morning, to the coolness after the rain and some respite from the stifling heat that we have experienced in the last...