Saved by the Rain

Can we really be saved by circumstances, or by a moment of complete change.  A torrential downpour will probably keep us from going out to run, but will  a soft drizzle have the same effect.   I guess it may depend on whether you waken to a hot day with rays of hope, or whether the day starts murky and cold.  Does the change need to be so radical that it keeps us away or sparks a significant change, or prevents a certain mistake, or can it be that even a slow drizzle can have the effect that on a given day it leads to a decision to change.  We need to aware that not all change comes with a bolt of lightening and gust of wind.  It can also start slowly and peacefully and like a dripping tap, or a nagging generator, it just keeps going, until it has the desired effect.  Sometimes in life we need to make split decisions and there is little or no time to think about the consequences,  but you just know that you have to act and be present when the decision is made.  A certain boldness takes over you and as the hour approaches you realise that you are needed to be strong and consequential in your decisions.  I have also found though that many decisions get made almost as an ante climax, they merely pass from one situation into another and there is little spark or flame, but it is still of utmost importance that you are present for the moment, because the ramifications and results are just as key.  It is great to be part of a sudden happening and there is all the excitement and energy and passion, but we need to not lose sight of the subtle moments, for they too can be savoured - they allow us to linger a little longer and to savour the process and how we got to the decision in the first place and they instill a time of reflection and learning which is often lost when the big bang hits and sparks fly.  I suppose the difference may lie in maturity and perhaps even in the ability to find perfection, bit by bit and not as an act of youthful exuberance.  Be patient in the quest for the right decision and don't be disappointed if the rain sets in for a while and you have to sit it out until the sun breaks through.

Having the right Philosophy

Having passed into spring a few days ago and the euphoria of a new season beginning, we need to be careful about the last cold front of the year coming in and causing havoc in the camp.  It can sometimes have the effect of ruining a lot of expectation and promise of a new season and leave us questioning whether we are ready for the next chapter to begin, or whether we still need to stay back a little longer to learn lessons from the previous chapter in our lives.  Sometimes we think that we have navigated ourselves to a place where we are ready to take on a new adventure and we are confident that we can achieve success in our endeavours, because we have dealt with the various uncertainties and challenges and we have the support and experience to be able to go boldly forward, but then fear or an unexpected turn of events comes and we find that we are back to a place where we are not entirely confident of our ability, or that the goal or dream is in fact that which we are meant to endure.  Life has many ways of bringing us back to reality, like being fit and ready for an event and having done all the hard work and training and then being faced with an illness or condition that leaves us barely able to get up and we wonder, if all the hard work and effort will be undone.  It takes us a few days to realise that we should never think that we are in control of life completely, but actually we are at the mercy of the plans and purposes of our maker and we are best to be humble and grateful for every opportunity we have to enjoy life and that we are not above, or better than those we interact with and serve.  But we also realise that in this humility, we need to still be willing to draw strength from the time we have spent sharpening our sword and learning the skills that we need to be able to complete each task we have been given and that a minor setback or a stumbling block close to the finish line should not distract us from the prize, especially one which is so worth it, that it makes any minor setback or curve ball seem minuscule compared to the fruit and result which lies in waiting at the finish line.  Make sure to persist through these times, because many have given up barely metres before the finish and have lost out in accomplishing the destiny that they are meant to have.  Be aware of the challenges, but not afraid of them, have your eyes open to the risks, but only close your eyes to pray, look straight at the task ahead and take in all the surrounding and peripheral aspects, so that when you can see the finish through the many obstacles, you will have the resolve to press on to finish well.

Let your world SPRING to life!

Spring has Sprung!  It is the start of a new season and the message is to make this a time of change and to begin a new chapter, notwithstanding the challenges we face on a daily basis.  We need to re-adjust our thinking and begin to fly like a kite, soaring above the challenges we have to endure.  It is time to jump in and through puddles, not hiding from difficulty, but rather embracing it and getting our feet a little wet both literally and figuratively.  New opportunities are close and those that are willing to put a foot into the pond, will find themselves ahead of the game.  Make a wish on dandelions and do not be afraid to be bold in your endeavours.  This is a time for bravery and not to lie down amidst corruption and strife and violence.  We need to strip away all the comforts of what might have been and get back to basics, like running barefoot, so as to experience the true feeling of freedom and passion and drive towards a new goal for this spring season.  We owe it to ourselves to reach for the stars for they will not come to us.  We will need to reach out to that which is holding us from a marvelous future and pass through it on the way to a new success.  It is time to imagine once again that there is and can be a future and with creative thinking and loads of tenacity, the goals we set can begin to be achieved.  While it remains a time to be responsible and to tread gently among the thorns of society and uncertainties and detractors, who cannot believe that that you will have the courage to go forward, into new adventures, it is also the right time to sleep soundly and make sure that the distractions of daily life are contained and  only serve to teach us lessons and give us the indication and confidence, that we can and will succeed in the future.  So the bottom line this spring is to dream big, to forgo your negative thoughts and to partner with the right people and the right team this spring.  Look for a team and especially personal relationships which are built on understanding the needs of clients and friends, and a growing love for the chance to be free to explore, expand and deliver the best service, results and success you have yet experienced.  

Looking too Deeply can be a Blurr

Sometimes what you are looking for, comes when you are not looking at all.  And how often do we look deeply for something and yet it always seems a finger tip away.  This is so often true and in so many ways.  We tend to try to make sure that we control circumstances and sometimes we are so desperate for a particular outcome, that we place too much emphasis on it, or push so hard that the outcome simply becomes less possible, than we could ever imagine.  How many times do we try to make a result from a particular set of circumstances believing with great and good intentions that this outcome is right for ourselves and very often for someone else dear to us.  We become completely unbending in our pursuit of a particular result and we make judgement calls and presumptions to suit the result, that we so dearly want.  But in my experience this tends to result in the worst possible result because any thing that does not fall into the thinking we have constructed and decided, will seem like a complete failure.  This usually leads to major frustration and feeling that you have tried so hard and yet you deserve a better result.  But by trying to project your own desires and needs onto someone else or onto a set of results that you wish to happen, you will encounter resistance from the person and life itself because it means that it is not their will, but yours which is being forced onto them.  They (life) will resist and hold back and question your motives and you give them the opportunity to rethink their next move and what lies in their future.  It is for this reason that one should not easily make a decision based on what you believe to be the best result, but rather focus more on the situation you are facing and make a decision based on the facts of the given situation.  In other words, focus on what you are working towards and what you are seeking to achieve and let the rest of the surrounding circumstances fall into your ambit rather than reaching for them and hanging onto them to the detriment of yourself and others.  Depending on the type of person that you are, you may be severely tested to get through times like this, when your whole heart and mind and being "knows" what the best result is, but it is almost a guarantee that in that situation, if you try to enforce the decision, it will be withheld from you for longer than you can imagine or backfire for good.  You will need to stay true to the basics and maintain a positive attitude throughout and maybe (but not likely) one day you will see the result that you wanted almost as surely when you least expect it.

The worry Gene.

Why are compelled to open our mouths, when we know that keeping quiet, offers the path of least resistance.  Why do feel the urge to try to maker things better, when really they cannot be fixed.  It seems to be human nature that dictates to us to make comments and statements when we are better suited, to hold our tongue and enjoy life as it may be at the time.  I for one am one of those people that cannot stop trying to make things better and without a doubt I end up the majority of times making matters worse.  It stems from our own inadequacy issues, when we think that we are not saying or doing the right things and we tend to interpret every comment that comes our way, in a personal light.  The consequence is very little or no sleep and worrying about things which in any event we can't control or can't accomplish.  We tend to justify why we are so persistent or why it so important to tackle a potential problem but at the end of the day, the problem will still come if it is meant to be and whether we try to run out and meet the problem head first, or wait for it to enter at the correct time;  the fact is that the problem will still makes its way to the point of intersection with your life.  Only a choice to handle something differently, or in another way, can prevent the problem from having the same influence on our lives whether we want it or not. Some would say that the inevitable should remain that way and no amount of ranting and raving will produce a different result.  It takes a change of attitude to really get this aspect right and we need to be willing to exercise qualities of patience and control and more patience.  If you are like me, then patience is a very rare thing to have and those that exercise very little of it, will always tend to feel under pressure or worried, or negative.  The patience to accept what you cannot change is a precious commodity and some can easily make the required adjustments while others will have another sleepless night, wondering what is next and which problem should be tackled next or what will come from today's actions.

Tour de Life Finale

It is impossible for me not to reflect on those people and have a belief that I can accomplish a purpose of substance, no matter what the obstacles are.  I can become the man I feel that I should be and have the relationships and friendships that add value to my life.  You can close your eyes to the things you don’t want to see, but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel.  You have to do what is right for you, because no one else is walking in your shoes.  There needs to come a point in every great leaders life, when he stops gathering information and learning from others, when he stops relying on his ability to copy others or hang in the shadows of other leaders, a time when he will rise up and be more than a follower, but a conqueror, a man of strength and power and when the decisions he makes are bold and definitive, but designed to go forward and upward to a higher goal.  It is not age or looks or charm that can get us there, it is attitude, gratitude and a whole lot of belief.  Taking a trip like this is like getting a diagnosis from a doctor that you are healthy after waiting for some time on the diagnosis expectantly.  It means that you can flourish and put your life into perspective and no longer need to wait to see if the outcome will come on its own, you can actually take steps to advance and take off layers of resistance, uncertainty, fear, caution and replace them with meaningful attributes like love, and confidence and fortitude.  I am truly grateful for the chance to disconnect from the day to day habits we face and plug into a new season of positive lifestyle, so that the coming months can yield fruit as never before.

Tour de Life 5

The next thing that truly fascinated me was the equipment as we traversed areas, which I did not think possible on a bicycle, we went up rocks and through Mopani thickets, we put the equipment under enormous pressure, but yet very few bikes broke.  This reminded me that in business as in life we can endure many challenges and come out from them having been tested, but never defeated.  It may take a day, it may take hours or years, but what is meant to be, will always find its way.  The outcome is as important as the journey and we are best not to spend too much time worrying about either.  We should celebrate the journey enjoying its challenges and setbacks, we can be grateful for tough times to provide a comparison and reference for when it goes much better, we owe it to ourselves to run headlong into battle, to secure our future and our dreams and we need to share the moments with the right people, even if they are neither popular, or perfect.  Along a route like the Tour de Tuli you can many times stray off line and find yourself needing to make your own path not directly following the person in front of you.  You will definitely have places where you don’t stay upright and you fall down, because of the terrain, the decision to follow someone else, or simply because the track may be too difficult.  But the secret lies in the following:  what defines us is how well we rise after falling.  What do we do when we have gone down the wrong path – accept defeat or try again?  We learn from the fall and make sure that the next time we pick another gear, or a different path.  This is the same in life.  We need to be able to rise and be better than before, we need memories to remind us and pain from a fall to help us focus on the next time we are faced with a similar challenge.  I met men and woman of real character and I was humbled by the fact that all riders endured the challenge.  I sat with men of adventure that have traversed the globe in various forms and against many odds have achieved their dreams.