Ag nee .. sies Doktor!

Today I listened on the radio to a piece about the loss of productive hours being experienced in this country due to employees presenting fake doctor's notes and how they use various and devious means to getting the "day off".  The statistics are incredible.  Now unbelievably, doctors are suggesting that they will put vending machines into their rooms, where one can insert your medical card and pay to receive a sick note by choosing a particular ailment, from a list of options.  The doctor felt that this was not only justified, but in the public interest, because this will give more time to the doctors to spend on genuine patients, instead of having their rooms cluttered with people, who are not really ill.  He also mentioned that medical aids will be in favour, as they will then no longer have to expend huge funds, in conducting tests on patients that have no condition, he felt even employees will benefit because they would skip work anyway, so now they can use a "legitimate" means of getting the sick note instead of having to resort to fraud and deception.  This is a truly sad indictment of our country and the moral degradation, that we can even contemplate such behaviour. First and foremost, it is despicable that in a country which is struggling in its economy daily, due to lack of service delivery, major crime and corruption, huge unemployment and risk of chaos, due to maladministration, but yet the people still choose to rob the employers of even their time, so that all in all, more and more pressure can be brought to bear, on a small minority of people, who are willing to work and sacrifice.  These people have to carry a country of dishonest scoundrels and that includes people in high places, so that our country can continue to stumble along in its path, being ruined by a miserable and pathetic majority of oxygen thieves. We have shining lights, like Trevor Noah, who has just been appointed as the host of a top late night show in America, entrepreneurs like the guy looking to combat the dodgy sick notes with an online web based application, to check the official status of the notes and other super performers like AB de Villiers, who truly hoist the flag of the nation.  But why is it that the work is left to couple of dedicated people, while the others float around, or do down right nothing, but still expect to be paid and given what they want, not even what they need and the dedicated hard workers, just have to keep producing.  I am all for the freedom that this country offers, but it is about time to take stock and that traditional hard work is rewarded and that the rot is stopped, before the lights go out (literally and figuratively) on the amazing place, we call home.

Open and Shut!

What if you get to the point where you have been questioning aspects that trouble you daily and you can't seem to rationalize what is best to do in a situation, which may be of considerable consequence. You want a certain result so badly, but it never seems to get closer, or when it does you get distracted and end up back on the meandering road, no closer to the target.   Over thinking it, is the biggest cause of our unhappiness, so keep yourself occupied, keep your mind off things that don't help you and be optimistic.  Imagine if you decide in fact that you will do the very things, that you are expected not to do and what if you are actually positive about the very things which everyone expects you to be negative on.  People may be expecting a particular reaction or attitude from you, because that is what you have always done in the past, they may be expecting you to simply do, act and say as you have always done and they may even expect a bit of raving and ranting and then all will return to normal.  But what if letting go of toxic baggage, can transform your h(w)ealth and you decide to do it once and for all.  Could it be the opening of a new door, to a new future that lies in wait, could it give you the momentum, or desire to truly follow your dreams and might it be the very link, that gives you peace to fulfil your purpose and follow your vision.  Many of these things may seem uncertain but then life in itself is so full of uncertainty.  In fact the moment we become complacent and believe that life is certain and clear and we know where we are headed, then something will definitely come from behind and poke you up the proverbial jumper.  How often we strive for something and keep going over and over expecting a different result, when in fact the best way to get the result is to do something unexpected. One thing about this approach, is that what will become certain is the priorities in your life and the things that matter and your focus will surely shift from things that you thought mattered and what you thought you wanted to the things that you do want and that are actually available to you, it is just that you have been holding yourself from experiencing them or accepting them in your life.  The result may be something that you may have considered, but it did not fall into the scope of your desire, but now having forced yourself to take a different path you are confronted by things and they turn out, not as bad as you first thought.  They may even begin to make sense and in this way goals change and paradigms shift and what is left is a different you, but quite possibly a better version.

A road Map.

I am not sure that life does not follow the same scientific principle of,  "for every action, there is a complete and opposite reaction" - we can seldom make a decision in life, without a reaction occurring which changes our thinking and the way we live on a daily basis.  Perhaps the key is not to try so hard to map our life and to let it meander naturally, in the order and path that is destined.  There has to be a reason why you are in the place in your life that you find yourself now.  Life seems to comprise of times of meandering roads like a mountain pass going up and down and sometimes back tracking on itself and yet all the time slowly creeping to the top of the pass.  It has sharp turns and slow long turns  and we have to accelerate out of the turns sometimes and other times, really apply the brakes hard.  But this is not the only type of road that we meet in life.  Many times there is also a "t-junction" waiting for us and we need to go, one way or the other.  Which is more fun to traverse?  No one really knows the answer, except to say that perhaps the long winding road takes more out of us and keeps us locked in for a longer time, on a path that may not even be the right one, whereas the t-junction certainly gets us to the next decision and on to the path again quicker, even if it is perceived or viewed as wrong; sometimes it invariably results in us getting to another t-junction or windy road.  The T in the road is exciting and definitive and it has beginning and end whereas the windy road has more compromises and opportunity to contemplate.  Neither seems to be wrong it just depends at the time when you reach them.  The key is that both represent life and both represent a journey, so it is best to take them with the right things in your luggage and be well equipped.  

It is not our right to receive .. is it?

If there is anything that irritates me and gets up my nose, then it would people who have this expectation that others will sort out their mess and come to the party to help them or assist them as if they are unable to do it. My dad always used to say, you get those people that fumble, while the other person pays and to his credit he was never like this in his life.  But I have come across people who plead poverty and seem to complain about how little they have, or how tough things might be, but when one drills down to the truth, then it is merely that they are not prepared to put in the same effort and sacrifice, but their expectation remains of the same result.  There seems to be an altogether unhealthy mentality creeping around that people have expectations to receive something in this country and the perception is that certain people can help, because they "have the means", but what of the years of work and tireless sacrifice to get to the point, where they are able to consider themselves financially stable or sound and why should they be the ones then, that end up helping because others have made poor choices or been lazy enough to sit around and not take sufficient care of their finances - not all in life are meant to be wealthy and I accept that some are born, or get themselves into situations and that they are at a distinct disadvantage,  but I would say it is more dignified to be grateful and humble and do the work that has been given to you with an attitude of appreciation and not treat it as something which is owing to you.  Also mere association with a person, who has done well, does not entitle you to sponge from them, or abuse the fact that they may have been generous in the past.  It is every person's responsibility to plan and manage their finances and opportunities and not to wait for others to make the effort on your behalf.  We are not taught to show pride, as it is not the best quality, but there is also room for commitment and a competitive spirit, to try to do better.  I am tired personally of hand outs and begging at robots and intersections - I have little patience for this in a time when many households are struggling to maintain the same lifestyle, as they once had.  It may be that very often we adjust our lifestyle too high, too quick, but every parent and spouse will know that you will always try to do the best to support yourself and family.  It is not sufficient to say that there is no hope and no opportunities - in this country, due to the shocking manner in which government conducts itself, there will always be a need for people to work hard and take opportunities that are there, and I do not believe that this cannot be done.  There are people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, that are showing the attitude and commitment to advancing themselves and their careers and there are those that always have the guts to try and improve their lives no matter that they have to work longer and harder to get there.  But the lazy and "helpless" just irritate me and I hope that somewhere they will either see the light and be grateful for what they have, or start to try to do something worthwhile, or at the very least not to expect to get others to do the work for them.  The more people that contribute to our economy and work force and that show basic commitment, dedication and willingness to do an honest days work, without exploiting others and gaining from situations, where they have no place to receive, the better it will go for them and those that continue to struggle and hurt for them.

Shall we dance!

Life may not be the party we had hoped for but while we are here we may as well dance. How true this is.  At the beginning of any adventure, be it a new job, a new relationship, a new sport or hobby we are so excited about the prospects and what this venture has in store for us and we pretty much go in fearlessly feeling like not much could stop us, like a break dancer just randomly executing moves in a public place in  front of others.  It is probably a bit of naivety and youthful ambition that gives the confidence to break out and dance without worrying too much about the repercussions, this may be an exiting time in life but also has dangers. We can get caught up in the hype and ambitious lust only for life to set us down on the seat of our pants very hard.  We realise that life is a leveller and that we should be more precise with our dealings with her.  As we go we accumulate things like lifestyle, spouse, kids and assets and during this time in life we dance to a different tune, that of wealth and prosperity.  We glide around in an effortless waltz gaining confidence and experience.  We start to realise what is important in life and we often live our lives for the good of others building up families and careers and other peoples careers.  But again life does not become easy and like a tango only the very best survive without making a mistake or two.   We are open to hurt and pain from others that use our hearts and skills to benefit themselves, they manipulate and change views and perceptions and they begin to tear at the notion of good and use us to get what they want from our success and hard work.  We experience failure and see that things just don't work like we thought and that our principles and integrity become highlighted as we are exposed to the opposite in people, including friends, colleagues and even partners. We long to continue to dance but the world around as starts to beat like a hard rock concert where the only thing to do is shake our heads up and down or from side to side.  Yet in total life still offers balance there are many lighter moments and parties that remind us why we are here and countless songs to inspire us, captivate us and motivate us.  Eventually we become like couples you see at a wedding that dance effortlessly weaving there way through the other couples, not afraid of bumping into others and fearless about what song is playing and how many people are in front of them.  They are mature and comfortable in what life has dished out to them and yet still they dance. We realise that life has not defeated them and that hard as it may be it is worth living and experiencing because it is the one we have been blessed with and it is ours to embrace and celebrate.

Take a deep breath of goodness.

Every negative  circumstance also contains an opposite, meaning that there will always be some good buried in every seemingly bad situation.  It is up to us to seek positive aspects in every situation and to try to deal with the bad, knowing that if we search enough, we will find the positive aspect or silver lining.  We are confronted daily with a variety of feelings, as a result of experiences we have and depending on how busy we are, very little time exists to stop and contemplate things that affect us on a daily basis.  We go at full speed to get through the traffic and the work load and the cooking and shopping and all to get to bed, so that we can rise again tomorrow to do it all again.  How little time we actually get to spend on the impact of those choices and decisions we make daily and which go a long way, to determining our future.  We know and feel so much more than we think on a daily basis and we just sometimes need to find a quiet place, to give an opportunity for our heart to talk, so that our mind can listen.  We need important people in our lives that can help us to de-clutter in a positive and expedient manner.  Instead of needing many friends a few with less bullsh$# can go a long way to a happy life.  Even though you may not know it, you could be a part of a puzzle in someones life and their life (even though you cant see it) may never be complete, if you are not in it. Some of my own regrets come not from the past per se, but rather the time I wasted with the wrong people.  How much more value a life has, when we exercise good judgement, manage the negative things circulating in our lives and cherish the special and good things we are sure to find in any day. As we head into a weekend where we are sure to be surrounded with things to do and decisions to be made, spend the time wisely and don't be afraid to vent to those that make a difference in our lives.  Don't underestimate the value of a few moments of quiet and reflection and make enough time to absorb good advice, special moments and a whole lot of quality breaths.

Passport Shame!

This morning with my psyche already down from the loss by the Proteas, I had to endure the Department of Home Affairs, in the renewal of my passport.  It was unfortunately an embarrassment of epic proportions in the manner in which the system worked, from when you walked in the door, to the very last stop at the cashier.  The entire building had some chairs in the middle, queues all over and extreme lack of assistance and skill .  There was no numbering system and people were standing around and generally unsure of when they would be helped, or even if they would be helped.  Extreme patience needs to be exercised in dealing with the officials, but sometimes you cannot but shake your head at the process being followed and their incompetence in running, what should be a very easy task.  It was interesting to note the level of impatience, being experienced from all nationalities and this was not a case of typical RSA racism, but rather all South Africans expressing disapproval, at the state of national departments and the fact that, no service was being provided.  Yesterday too our idiotic president told a group of disgruntled people, that if he were a dictator, he would teach them a lesson, not to expect things like basic services and to start working towards building their own houses, as he would only give them the materials and then they should build their own.  But he mentions nothing about his responsibilities and one wonders, how the man on the street can learn from the examples of leaders like him.  I pray that I will get my updated passport, in the next few weeks and be grateful, that I would not have to apply again in 10 years.  I imagined what it would be like to have a system that worked and how much we could achieve if we just had certainty that daily infrastructure works and that we could rely on systems being implemented all over the country which would result in stability and confidence would grow in South Africa among it's people and how much more they could achieve in the knowledge that at least services and infrastructure were taken care of.