Looking up on life

I always get nervous before I write, especially when someone, it may not be many but someone is going to read it and I worry if they will enjoy it, but you know what the truth is? We write for ourselves and share it with others, at the end of the day no one has to like it. It is your story.

3 weeks ago I went to H20, whilst dancing in the sunlight I saw a bunch of Indian guys smoking a hubbly; naturally I had to join the party. If there is one culture I love to party with, it’s the Indians because they are there for “ The Love Of Music “ nothing more, nothing less.

As I danced with them and having a phat chat I suggested we took a photo and asked my newest friend to stand up for the photo, I was disappointed to have him decline, but for reasons not obvious to me he could not stand for a photo. Its so amazing how when we get to know people before seeing what some say are disabilities, we don’t judge them and it doesn’t matter to you and from that instant you have made a new friend. He sat in a crowd of thousands and danced the day away to incredible music with his friends all around him.

Ever since that day I have felt so inspired to write a blog, about a story and how it just makes me smile every time I think of it and will remember that moment forever.

However, I never wrote the blog or told the story. Last night I was going to write it and I just “ didn’t get to it”. Today, out of the blue I got a random message from a perfect stranger…Not knowing who is was, I replied unenthusiastically, until I looked at his pictures and there was a picture of him and I, my arms hugging him tightly sitting on the ground" I SMILED, it was my friend from H20 who had shared a story that I will remember forever, it was the universe's crazy way of giving me a crazy to sign, to say " ey, you: tell a story"

Thank you Friend, you know who you are.

2011 has been a particularly challenging year, the year of change and new beginnings. Not the funniest at times and I have had a lot to learn. I left varsity and decided to take a seed I planted 5 years ago (a marketing, branding and promotional business) and start to water it. I took on an incredible Partner, a scary, challenging year but we have kept pushing and to grow and even though there have been times we thought about giving up, we haven’t.

Decided to climb a mountain for Charity, to stand on the highest point in Africa with incredible like minded people and trained to summit this mountain and push my limits physically, mentally and spiritually and the www.kilo2kili.co.za team will conquering one of the 7 highest summits in the world and if we don’t get to the top, at least we know we tried our best and challenged ourselves and I grew as a person.

This year has gone so quickly and even though I may not have achieved all my goals for 2011, the one thing I do know is that I took chances, lived, embraced those around me and challenged myself.

Decided to buy 700 kg's of raw olives with my boyfriend and created a brand to make money to travel the world. At times nearly caused us to nearly break up, but everyday I eat our amazing olives and I am reminded about our incredible friends who came and sat for hours cutting olives who help us make our dream come true.

So in end to all this I want to say, Climb a mountain because you CAN and you have the body to get you up there. Make a decision because you find the courage and DO IT. Challenge yourself; even if everyday you wake up going “ what the fuck am I doing?” Takes chances, dance to the music and most of all LIVE…for you.

Look up on life, cause life is worth looking up on.

DANCE until you are 84, with the people that you love

So I went to a wedding this past weekend. It made me remember how important marriage is and how the world is changing constantly everyday and so are peoples morals. Its so easy now days to give up on marriage, the divorce rate amongst the 25-30 year age group is extremely high, divorce is the easy way out. 

To see a couple dedicate themselves to one another on their wedding day is a beautiful thing there is so much love and happiness, on the day it seems as though it is going to be forever which it should be but now days forever in many instances turns to a short memory of the past.

It took you long enough to fight for someone’s love and their hearts and you should fight forever to keep it. I don’t know about marriage yet, but what I do know is I believe marriage is for life and no matter what; you should fight for the person you decided to spend the rest of your life with.

I felt inspired to write this blogg as at the wedding I met an inspirational women at the age of 84 who was the queen of the party, dressed in a baby blue frock dancing up a storm in the middle of the dance floor, not only did she have incredible rhythm but she kicked up her leg as though she was doing a can-can show and in an instant won me over in a heart beat.

She drank, she smoked filter cigarettes and had a smile on her that could light up a room and she was still wearing her wedding ring. Her husband died a few years ago and it made me think how hard it must be to lose your life partner but she was still so dedicated to him. A wedding ring is round because it stands for ETERNITY. We should love the people we decide to spend the rest of our lives with until eternity and if they leave this place before you, continue to love life. Surround yourself with people you love, dance to music that makes you feel happy and kick your leg higher than you have ever kicked it before even if you are 84.

I want to share this with you as a gentle thought on how you live your lives. Take care of your body; exercise so you can dance at your grandchildren’s wedding one day. Have a tequila because it makes you laugh and so you can cheers to the people who have made the decision to dedicate their lives to one another.

Be happy in the space that you are in and if you are unhappy, CHANGE not for anyone else but for YOURSELF. Get rid of the negative people, meet new ones who are going to follow your dreams, make NEW friends.

I know it has been said that life is SHORT, but everyday try to be inspired, try to inspire others.

Be Positive and your life will be filled with Love, Light and Dancing. So here’s to all the married couples who work at their marriages everyday to make it work. Fight for it; listen to music that makes you kick your legs in the air no matter how old you are.

 

 

Your Journey...smile

Be who YOU want to be, do what makes you smile.

The best person to know yourself is YOU. The world is getting more and more competitive and sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut, a whirlwind that just seems to be taking us further and further away from who you want to be.

The only person who can change that it is YOU. This is just a post to say…it’s about time you get out there, Spread your wings and FLY. Sometimes you look at an individual and ask yourself how is it that they do what they do, people you aspire to.

I know so many people who have so many talents; they could be Hero’s, Millionaires, people who change the world, people who are smiling because they are doing what they love.

I had two options when I finished my degree, go work for a corporate and just become a number or take it upon myself to become ME and remember it’s a journey, so enjoy it.

Even though I may have just less than R200 in my bank account at the moment, I don’t look at it as a bad thing, it has brought me back to reality and made me become more aware, you cannot measure yourself and your capabilities by the amount of money you make.

So, I am on my own journey and want to inspire people to start theirs.

A few things I have learnt along my journey NEVER turn down an invitation to anything, even if you don’t feel up to it, make the effort, get dressed up and get involved. The best connections I have made are at parties I didn’t want to attend. That random in the corner could be your next business partner, you could meet someone who gives you an IDEA, an idea or a thought could be the beginning of your journey.

Networking is so important and people don’t realise the value it could add to your life. My advice, Make friends, not enemies. Make connections; exchange business cards (when you do this, take note of the persons card, some of the most successful business men and women do this by taking the card in both hands, read the card, feel the card, let the person you have just met know you take them seriously) The smallest gestures towards people make a huge difference.

Make REAL friends, yes we all have friends on face book- a place where we can portray any image of ourselves that we want. I was friends with Roxy Burger (SURVIVOR SA Contest) on face book, last week Wednesday I saw her at an event and even though I was unsure weather to go up and say hello, I did it and expanded my contacts by just a simple hello, she is one of the most down to earth individuals who I believe is only to climb higher and achieve everything she wants to.

I salute the individuals who have turned themselves into successful brands, you must all remember that the future is social networking and those individuals who get it right are only going forward.

And never be a hater, stop criticising others, be the person who supports others, one day you may need their support. Be the positive person your world needs.

There are also people you will meet who can be rude, arrogant and obnoxious my advice to you regarding these people, you do not need them in your life nor do you need their negative energy, so if they don’t have time for you, don’t make time for them

I know some may say it’s easier said than done, but to me it is all a state of mind. Create the image you want of yourself in your mind and make it become a reality.

I was 10 KG’s over weight and I made a decision that I was going to lose the weight and become the person I wanted to be, it took me a year of dedication and long hard work, but I did it and I work at it everyday to maintain it.

Today’s the day I urge you to start your journey, if you are stuck in a job that you hate and doesn’t make you smile, start looking for something else. If you are an entrepreneur at heart, take the jump and put everything you own into it, heart and mind you may not be successful but that doesn’t mean you didn’t try, its important to try and never look at it as failing, learn from it. I have made many mistakes in business, but it only makes me a better businesswomen.

Be your own inspiration, become someone else’s. Inspire yourself, wake up tomorrow and pack your gym bag. Pick up the phone and phone that person you were meant to call 3 weeks ago to make contact. Book that dance class, go to that audition. GET YOURSELF OUT THERE, smile at the world.

Even when you feel like you try so hard and nothing is going your way, NEVER give up, and keep trying. When the time is right the universe will smile upon you.

So for today…JUST SMILE and begin your journey and remember you are where you are for a reason and when you are meant to get to where you are going, it will happen. IT IS A JOURNEY.

Begin yours….