Love the world and it will smile at you.

(Thoughts at the time of inspiration in brackets)

IPod in ears, glass of white wine in left hand. Cigarettes. Writing about nothing particular and nothing particular at all.

Life – a thing: .pe·cu·liar thing. Strange - particular - odd - special - singular – weird.

Not much to explain actually. But what a beautiful thing.

( As I change the music, not feeling the vibe )

Something special happened this week (as I try to challenge myself not to tell the particular story, but put it into some obscure story which one may feel they can translate into a meaning of their own)

(I just found my new favorite song – I’m not one for organization its called Zumbuca on my iTunes, I bought 4 MP3’s from coolest Thai lady at a random bar in Thailand, sometimes when I write, I listen to music from around the world, travelers, jokers, story tellers. From tourists, sharing each other’s journeys, we need to share more journeys)

This week I have been around people who have felt lost, felt alone, inspired me, believed in me and most of all they have all given me something to smile at the world about)

(As I light a joint – actually a cigarette but that would have been way more entertaining in my roommates flat, by the way this is forbidden)

Any way back to the story. If you smile , the world will smile at you. I could write a thesis but that would piss YOU off, who want to spend 5 minutes out of 24 hours that is meant to be for YOU reading about someone ME?

(Music begins…. what sounds like monkeys and tribal leaders singers in the background – hey I could be in India)

This week someone did something very special with us, a young man not much older than myself (don’t know how to phrase next sentence) did something that was completely selfless… followed his journey and gave willingly, selflessly and helped myself and 2 special individuals grow exponentially. Not in a monetary value but created a sense of (How did I feel?) (GREAT TRACK hi-fi trumpet 4:06 stereo action unlimited cafe del mar - best of chill out & Sunset music from Ibiza vol 11Lo-Fi ) Basically he made us smile.

To give selflessly is a very hard thing, yet so simple. Someone gave us something this week that was so selfless, so beautiful, so kind, so willing (These sound like words you here in a perfect world or maybe in the Bible) and it taught us to carry on pushing on, carry on smiling on and carry on inspiring … If you do the world will smile at you.

Today, so something selfless, do something that makes someone else believe the world is smiling at him or her.

Thank you for making us smile at the world. Love The World and the world will smile at you.

You know who you are.

That’s all…

(Plays Inspiring Track again, ready to share with the world)

Where Are You Running?

Its not often we take the time to read up on why it is that we are making a decision, standing for a cause, committing to paint the town for KONY2012 and help US soldiers capture a man who barely has any power anymore or merely running a race.

We often make the decision because everyone else is doing it , or because some social media campaign, brand or person is inspiring us to.

At the end of the day its as easy as that, we are doing it because we are told to believe that its cool.

I can proudly say that I RAN Jozi, I came 10 kilometers closer to a new obsession, put on my racing shoes and “ took back the streets” in a rock star luminous yellow shirt with ten thousand other proud south Africans.

Whilst people from the “ streets” high fived me as I ran along the streets they lived in, the Shebeen’s they drank in. And the buildings I knew only from a distance because I had never been inside of them but remembered them from a flashing light I saw above them saying “ Coca-Cola” the most recognized brand around the world. Claiming to “ take back the streets”. In our high-tech running gear and expensive running shoes whilst others around us live in poverty, in their streets, the streets they live in - watching us run a race they could never afford to be apart of.

This afternoon I read the front page of the newspaper saying “ runners take back their streets” and I thought, how did I actually take back my streets? What did I do to make a difference? Not much actually, I ran through streets I wouldn’t usually drive through to make a statement? To be cool? Well Actually Lisa – no you ran those streets because you were making a stand for your human rights and for the people who fought for them in the past and past the buildings that have become your heritage, your culture, your South Africa. Sad thing was though, I never really thought about this before I ran the race, I just to be apart of "the cool kids".

I think the campaign over all was a huge success and a Big Up to Nike, you took your brand to the streets and you created huge awareness for your brand. Next race I hope we get to run the streets in our own clothing, or than again why do we need a race to take back the streets? We should be running those streets for the fun of it, for the sake of it because the city belongs to all of us and not just for one night because we want to be cool.

Those buildings we ran past are apart of whom we are, all the time not just on one night. I made a decision tonight after speaking to my inspirational sister that from now on I want to become an active citizen in the city and if we want to ‘ take back the streets’ we should do it by giving something back to the streets and not just running through them.

Don’t ask me what it is that I am going to do to give back just yet, all I know is that tomorrow I may not have an answer but I would have made the decision to become an ‘active citizen’ and slowly the answer will come. Lets start running our streets not just because we have something to take back, but because we all have something to give back. All I have to say is thank you to a brand for making me question something, something I just wanted to do because it was cool.

There is still a huge political, racial and economical battle in this country and as amazing as it is to run past the buildings that are apart of the reason we are where we are in this country, we must not forget that the battle is not yet over and we need to ‘ take back' our streets, we are still fighting for our streets, as a nation – to run along the same road and create new buildings and monuments to show our growth as a country.

10KM’s to a new me, an active citizen who wants to give back, instead of taking.

Carry On Running South Africa, we have a long way to go to the finish line.

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….

A Father - Daughter Date

"Children Learn to smile from their parents" - Shinichi Suzuki

The universe works in strange ways and I for one am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. On the 15^th November 2010 my uncle Marc Lawson Turnbull sadly passed away from a heart attack at 4am.He was one of three brothers from a incredible women with whom I am very close to, my Grandmother who I consider one of my best friends.

One of the other brothers was my father, yes my real dad who I haven’t spoken to or seen for over 10 years for reasons actually unbeknown to myself, as I believed he left me and that he was not my dad.

Anger, resentment is the feelings I felt and thoughts in my head which had been bestowed onto me and which I had created. Like the saying when it rains, its pours to me this was more like hurricane catrina, my world had been blown apart.

I was a mess, not only did my grandmother someone I love so much lose the one person that has taken care of her and loved her, her son Marc Lawson Turnbull, no parent wants to go before their children, someone who could always light up a gloomy day with a whimsical joke, speak his mind and create his own dreams but at the same time my father was being flown in from Down Under to support his mother and family.

To be honest I didn’t know what to feel, I cried about nothing and everything, lived on mild tranquiliser’s for 2 days and didn’t want to be with anyone but my sister as I believed she was the only one who knew what I was going through.

I have always been an incredibly strong individual because of what I have been through, but this is the one thing in my heart I had not dealt with and I had locked it away, we never realise how much our childhood affects us until the universe tells you its time.

I was fine, 22 with an incredible family, a step dad I consider my hero who I always felt that if I ever spoke to my real dad I would be betraying him. Amazing friends, the most incredible sister who has inspired me throughout my life, a strong mother who allowed me to become the women I wanted to be and a boyfriend who loves me for me.

Remember how I said the universe works in strange ways? Get this…

My dads name is Lloyd Lawson Turnbull, I have never met another Lloyd in my life and this year I have been with the most incredible man for 6 months, yes my longest relationship ever who I met on one random Wednesday evening his name. Lloyd, yes you heard me Lloyd, for the first 2 weeks of our relationship I couldn’t even say his name.

So Wednesday the 17^th was the BIG day. I woke up thinking I was fine, but in actual fact, I was a shambles. I didn’t want to be alone for the thought of having a panic attack, now always being someone who is quite stable and not the type to ever feel anxious, I didn’t know what to do with myself, I wanted to run into a cave and hide or better yet got o sleep and never wake up.

Dinner was being held at my cousin’s house, which has always loved the man I once hated. It was going to be the whole family. My gran, her sister, my cousin, my dad’s brother from London and of course my father from Australia.

The afternoon was spent with some of my closest sitting on the veranda in the rain. I am one of the luckiest girls in the world; I have people who surround me with light and love. In dark times you realise how privileged you are to have such people around you, I was inundated with messages and phone calls from people who have known my situation for years. Friends who I hadn’t spoken to for years, who took the time out to phone me and tell me that they loved me and that I must be the women I have become today and be proud of myself.

My friends gave me strength and power to get through this. I arrived home to get dressed for the big date, it was my mother and step dads 7 year anniversary on the same night and they were about to head out on a date, my step dad called me and asked if I could walk somewhere to chat, I walked into the garden not knowing what to expect.

The words he spoke came straight from the heart, he told me that I must be strong and walk in with my head held high and that he loved me and that I was going to be okay, he said I must remember that I have done nothing wrong and that my father is my father and that I must love and forgive him to be at peace with myself because if anything happened to my real dad and I had not been at peace with the situation I would never forgive myself. He said the exact words I needed to hear, especially coming from someone who had become my dad and loved me for me, I burst into tears and my heart smiled, I felt a warmness inside that I had never felt before.

It took me about 20 minutes to decide what to wear, it was like a first date or seeing a friend you haven’t seen for years, but it wasn’t just a date or a friend, it was my father, someone with whom I had cut out of my life and I had let the memories fade.

As I stood staring Blankley into my closet I finally opted for comfy black tights, a body stocking, cowboy boots and a black blazer hair tied in a bun with minimal makeup, stop thinking so much and just be me.

My heart pounded during the 10 minutes car journey, which felt like an hr.

Finally we arrived, everyone was standing on the veranda as they watched us pull into the driveway. Do I shake his hand? Do I hug Him? What’s happens if I burst into tears? I kept talking myself through the moment, when I finally stopped and took a big breath in. I AM I, I am proud and I will let this moment be.

He hadn’t changed much; he still had my same blue eyes, big muscular build, dressed in cargo with his glasses at the end of his nose and the big smiling gap between his teeth.

He embraced me, took me into his arms and told me that he loved me and began to cry. My spirit was released, my hatred turned to love and not only did I forgive him; I forgave myself for the hatred and pain I had caused myself.

He hasn’t changed one bit, the memories began to come streaming back from when I was a little girl, the good memories, the ones I had let myself forget.

The things he said made more sense think and I its because as you get older you are open to new experiences and start to see the world in a different light.

He snuck around the corner for a cigarette and I decided to join him, people come into our lives to teach us things and even though he hasn’t been there for me and I hated him for it, he made me a better, stronger person and I saw that last night.

I finally understood his language, the words he spoke to me made more sense now than ever before. He told me to be the trawler of my own boat, watch out for the tides, the waves and sail my ship. He told me he had no regrets and the I shouldn’t either. I realised I had my father back, but he had always been there, I had let him go.

It was one of the best nights of my life and I had to share it with all my friends who had been there for me, I wouldn’t have got through it without them.

And for those who I wasn’t able to share the moment with, it went a little something like this.

“ So I had to share this moment with all my beautiful friends who have got me through these tough couple of days, just had a cigarette with my real dad who I haven’t seen for over 10 years…he gave me advice told me to take no shit and be my own master. I’m smiling now and I wanted to tell you all, I feel free and at peace. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and for all your support, you are my solid ground, my soil. Thank you for making me the women I am today.”

Last night made me realise its okay to forgive and its okay to have two fathers.

I love them both for different reasons and my father is my blood, after 22 years I am finally at peace and today it has made me a better person for it. Tomorrow I will know that I have given my love and done what I needed to do as a daughter.

He leaves in just over a week and I never thought I would say this, but I am going to miss him and take every opportunity to make up for lost years, I will listen, I will love, I will talk and I will be free.

Thank you to everyone, my mother, my step dad, my friends, and my big sister who told me its okay to love and forgive. My incredible boyfriend Lloyd for giving me the time and space to let me allow him into my life and finally accept a man and allow him to love me and of course my friends…

From the friends I haven’t spoken to in years, to the friends that love me everyday and to the new friends, thank you all.

Hayley Illing, Stephanie Leonsins, Megan Eloff, Romey Aspden, Sam Dalais, Leeroy Duke, Garreth Van Niekerk, Andrew Mons, Courtenay Carey, Jennifer Wilson, Nkuli Nhleko, Charlie Friedman, Toyah Morris, Bianca Davies,Morgan Evans, Shani Sayag, Adele Milana and Bailey Shneider.

You have no idea how much your love and support means to me.

I leave you with this.

We were made with the ability to love, to hate, to forgive and to hold onto judgment and hatred.

Life is simple.

LOVE AND FORGIVE.

Thanks for teaching me to smile Dad.

Photograph

Since the day I left school I thought I wanted to be a journalist.I wanted to tell a story. However sometimes life gets carried away with you and you forget some of the most simplest, most beautiful times of your life. 

I started this blog because I wanted to share a piece of my life as so far it has been so fascinating, I wanted to share it with the world, after posting 2 blogs and neglecting it for more than 2 weeks craving and wanting to write again, to tell my story, life ran away with me and I forgot about the simple most beautiful moments in life that at the start of it all inspired me to start this blog.

Why is it that the most life changing thoughts happen after a couple of drinks or after a big fat joint....its times like this when you sit looking, thinking and wondering about the world, believing that you cant change it, that the most powerful thoughts come into your mind.

Sitting listening to PLUSH I began to write again, music plays a huge influence on our lives.I have always admired singers, song writers and artists who believe they can change the world...have you ever thought about the POWER words have on us?! The reason I love music so much is because words make a person feel real, words make you laugh, make you cry, make you want to love, hate and most of all experience the world and what it has to offer.

Such as a simple photograph... My room is filled with photographs of beautiful people, some I see everyday, some people who I have only ever met once and some people who have had the biggest impact on my life, I see these photographs everyday yet I often forget how every person in that photograph has made an impact in my life. Its sad to think that due to technology we have lost that sense of treasury, a simple memory captured in a frame can evoke the most precious memories, stories and moments that we tend to forget.A picture is forever.

I know this may seem a lot to ask, but do me a favour....let's stop the world turning for one second, do the things you love, write more , sing songs you love even if you cant, dance your heart out even if you have no rhythm, tell someone you what you honestly think, tell someone you are falling in love with them, wake up and realise how amazing life is... even if you don't feel it or believe it...just enjoy it!!Go out and print those pictures from a holiday years ago, get them framed and look at them, treasure them and most of all REMEMBER that moment, you captured it for a reason, cherish it!!

The smallest incidents in life make you feel inspired, we don't always feel it every day. However the days you feel inspired, don't just sit back and watch it happen, show the world you feel inspired, it might just change someone's life or inspire them to inspire others, it's as simple as that...