Oh the Joys of Youth

We celebrate Youth Day on 16 June here in South Africa. And for me, it is wonderful to see how things have changed and grown and integrated over the last 20 years of our democracy. We've, by no means, gotten it all right over these years. But there is much that we have gotten right. And knowing that my son will grow up in this fledgling democracy of ours gives me hope for the future.

It got me thinking about how different my son's world is today, to what mine was at his age. But it also made me think of all the things that have remained the same. No matter the generation, there are still many of the issues that I dealt with as a youth that our youth do today. So this is what I'd like to say to them.

I was 20 when I got married and 22 when we welcomed our son into this world; barely an adult. Don’t misunderstand me. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world … now. But at 22 there were so many things I still wanted to do and see, indulge in and experience.

I can remember at that age, despite already being a wife and mother, how I considered my parents (in their late 40’s then) to be old. It was impossible to image being that old. Now I can only look back and laugh because now I am in my 40’s and suddenly it doesn’t seem so old. But I have to say “Thank You” to our amazing son for all that he has taught me; and that he continues to “keep me young”. Looking back over the past 20-odd years, these are the things I learned along the way.

• Don’t let people tell you that “finding yourself” is a waste of time. It’s not! Take the time to learn all about yourself. Who you are, what you want and how you’re going to go about getting it.
• Don’t be in a hurry to grow up. Don’t wish your life away by thinking “I can’t wait to be an adult”. Savour every moment of being young … it will only happen once!
• Don’t roll your eyes and mutter “whatever” when your folks offer some advice. No, it’s usually not what you want to hear but it is said out of love … we know, we’ve been there and done that … we weren’t born 40! Strange as it may seem to you, we were your age once.
• Mom and Dad might not always know best, but the will always do their best because they love you.
• Share yourself with your parents. It means more to us than you will ever know. My son is now in his 20’s but he still plays “his” music for/with me … and then gives me a pop-quiz about who the artist(s) is. And I've to to say, I’m pretty darn good too! Or we'll crank Nickelback up loud and sing along ... and yes, not only do I know who Nickelback is but I know the words to the songs too! :)
• I get that you have a volatile cocktail of hormones raging rampantly through your blood stream and the opposite sex looks really good to you right now but save it. If you don’t want to wait … like parents always nag you to do … at least be selective about who you’re going to have sex with. There’s a reason why we tell you to wait for someone who cares for you … they’re the one that will be willing to think of your pleasure too and not just their own.
• Take responsibility for what you do and say. We, and only we, are responsible for our actions. And when we come to realise this, we then realise that anything is possible. Our achievements soar when we take responsibility for ourselves.
• YOU ARE AMAZING … JUST AS YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When Mom tells you you’re beautiful she’s not saying it because she likes the sound of her voice. She means it! When Dad says he’s proud of your achievements he’s not saying it because you’re his child. He means it! Please don’t compare yourself to others? You are unique, one of a kind, the Divine’s most amazing creation. Accept it, be proud of it! Own it!!!
• Be mindful … of what you do and say. You don’t like it when people make fun of you or put you down. Don’t do it to others. We all deserve to be here. Live and let live. If you can’t say something nice … don’t say anything at all.
• And yes, there is such a thing as Karma! What you do to others will come back to you. Since you can take that to the bank, why not make sure that what comes around is something good.
• Lastly, be good to yourself … you ARE worth it.

Use it, don’t use it, it’s all up to you but whatever you do; make the most of this life. Treasure this gift of life, make every day count. As the famous quote says, “Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening, and live every day as if it were your last” ~ Unknown.

Go get ‘em Tiger!

With much love,

Dorothy

Inspiranté (guest post)

Inspiranté – Translated from the Latin – Inspiration!  The direct Latin translation is a Divine influence directly & immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.  Call me an incurable romantic but that sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  Exerted immediately upon the mind or the soul – I love it!  It ignites in me great passion for the topic of exertion.  I mean really, couldn’t we all do with a bit (read a lot) of inspiration every now and then?  I know I could!

In this context I particularly love the Latin translation, as opposed to the Spanish - inspiring:  producing a feeling, thought or action.  Now normally I love, love, love the Spanish but this particular explanation lacks … drama (not normally something the Spanish choose to take a back seat on).  The Latin translation puts it out there early … Inspiration is not from us, it is a Divine Influence, fabulous!  With all the gazillion things The Divine is handling right this moment, He immediately exerted upon my mind the menu for tonight’s supper. The ordinary, some might even say the mundane, has now been Divinely decreed – very Herculean.  I love it!

How often do you call upon inspiration?  Do you work in a creative space?  Do you dream up great advertising campaigns that need clever hooks and linger lines? Or do you design cars for a living, in one of those prestigious car companies?  Or do you write great dramatic symphonies that require masterful composition – no?  Neither do I.  I’m a relatively normal mom, a writer, a secretary, a Manager of my Universe … so when then would I need inspiration?  I snort dismayed and ask you, when do I not need inspiration exerted upon my soul?

I believe it was Einstein who said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”  If Einstein doesn’t mind me a little bit of poetic lee-way, I would go so far as to say inspiration too, doesn’t imagination spark from inspiration?

There isn’t a day that goes by in the red-taped corporate world that doesn’t require inspiration and I don’t mean of the creative accounting kind.  From planning a seminar, to presenting to the Board, to a collaborative think tank around a new concept.  Like I said, I know I need inspiration to plan tonight’s dinner for 2 fussy little eaters.  I mean how many different ways can I serve up chicken strips and salad?

Nope every minute of every single day, we need Inspiranté, inspiration to keep the soul thirsting for new ideas, better ways of doing things and clever solutions to budget-tight challenges.

So who & what inspires you?  Personally I find beauty and relationships inspire me.  Improving relationships;  being a better mother, person, writer, daughter, human being and friend.  A breath taking snow-capped mountain inspires me strangely enough to cook and write (not necessarily in that order).  Sunsets inspire romance and great love.  Sunrises inspire new beginnings and a health trip to the gym (has anyone else noticed that?)

Inspiration, Inspiranté … if we put those spectacles on, we can see it all around us, all the time … spurring us on to be better, to strive higher, to reach new heights of personal success.

So we could all do with a spot of Inspiration, every second of every minute of every day …

Live Inspirationally …

Love you all madly …     
Warm regards …              
Collette in Cape Town

http://zenith-thinking.blogspot.com

A Helping Hand

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to help others. I’ve always tried to ensure that they have all they need, aren’t alone, aren’t sad or lonely. That they have someone they can lean on, depend on, turn to in times of crisis. As a youngster it wasn’t always easy because I simply wasn’t equipped to deal with adult problems but I would try, none-the-less, to do what small service I could to make up for my lack of life experience.

I still remember the old man that lived a short distance from our home, Mr Brophy. His wife passed away and our family went over to his house to give their condolences. To my 8 year old mind he was so sad and I couldn’t bear it. So, I went home and made him fudge ... I thought it would cheer him up ... with his wife no longer there to spoil him. Off I went back to the house to give him the fudge I had so painstaking made for him so imagine my horror when he began to cry! Somehow, I thought, I had made it worse. I didn’t realise, or understand, at the time that he was just overwhelmed by the kind gesture of an 8 year old.

And so it is in life. Now I am much older and have learnt many a lesson along my path through life. And I now understand the reason for his tears. But it goes a long way to proving the point I want to make. Too often people will look the other way, they’ll put you down or they’ll write you off as not worth the time. And that’s too sad for words.

Imagine if Nick Vujicic’s parents has done that to him? The world would be a much poorer place if we didn’t have people like him in it. Born with no arms and no legs, he is one of the most inspirational people around today. He has achieved so much in his lifetime thus far. And he continues to give back to society. He travels the world giving his motivational talks. Taking his message all around the world ... and his message is simple ... you are perfect as you are ... you ARE worth it!

If you’ve never heard of him, have a look at this YouTube clip of his, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbX6mDnMwM. If he doesn’t inspire you in this lifetime, nothing else will.

Be a helping hand if you can. Be kind to others. But, more importantly, be kind to yourself ... you ARE worth it.

Yours in inspiration,

Dorothy

Learn, Love ... Inspire

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent. ~ John Donne So true!

Recently I came across a YouTube video clip on my Facebook page of Jonathan and Charlotte ... two British teenagers who took their courage in their hands and entered “Britain’s got Talent”. If you haven’t seen the audition clip you have to watch it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsNlcr4frs4).

This is a case in point, Jonathan is an overweight 17 year old who has little to no self-confidence and self-worth but his 16 year old friend Charlotte believes in him wholeheartedly. And because of that support and belief he ventured out of his shell far enough to audition for the show. Without her love and support, Jonathan would never have done it on his own. It took just one person to believe, for him to take that all important step.

My mom has always told me, “You’re never to old to learn, my girl. Learn all you can while you can.” And that is what I bring to you here ... watch the clip, observe this dynamic in action all around you and learn from it because it is love and inspiration at it’s best!

Let that knowledge you’ve learnt allow you to love yourself, love others and love your life ... warts and all. Life isn’t always easy, I admit, but to me life is always worth it. I am truly blessed to have a terrific husband, an incredible son and wonderful family and friends, who inspire me daily to be a better person. And for that I am truly thankful. Remember when you can be truly thankful for everything that happens in your life ... good, bad or indifferent ... that is when the magic happens. That’s when all manner of opportunities will open up on your path through life.

So, what have you learnt?

Yours in inspiration,

Dorothy

"Muse"-ic

So as a young adult I find myself becoming more and more fascinated with life and all things in it. One of the many topics that I often ponder while I sit alone in my room, listening to music, is how can I inspire the world and it’s very diverse population with my passion in music? As of yet I do not have the answer but it did help me answer a question which has been on my mind for a while now.

How can I relate music and inspiration to one another in my own mind?

And I think I have a way to do so. Musicality is a noun that means sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music and is differentiated by either musical receptivity or musical creativity. The people who are sensitive to, have the knowledge of (even if there are only a few people in the world who don’t), and have a talent for music utilise music regularly. I, for example, cannot go a day without music for if I do I will surely go insane (well that’s my rationalisation for it). Those with musical receptivity are open to music and will listen to it (I know, I know. I’m stating the obvious here. Bear with me if you please.). Those with musical creativity will find a way for their music to reach out and touch others.

Inspiration is the same. Those who are sensitive to it, have the knowledge to use it, and have a talent for using it will ensure that they use it, even if only a little. The ones who have receptivity towards it will become inspired; they will listen to what they are being told and use what they have gleaned. Those who have inspirational creativity will always find ways to inspire people, whether it is for a day, a week, a month or for the rest of their lives. They will not let their light be dimmed. On the contrary, they will help illuminate the path of others.

Music inspires people as much as people inspire one another. Music and inspiration go hand-in-hand as much as cars and engines do.

So I challenge you dear reader. Go out in your day-to-day life and find your inspiracality (Excuse the use of the poetic licence.). Find the music for your soul; whether it is opera, classical music, rap, dubstep, heavy metal, it doesn’t matter. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Live an inspired life. And always remember: Inspired people, living inspired lives, inspire the world ~ Grant Ewels.

Keep feeling the beat.

‘Til next time.

Grant

Surrender and Release

2012 Was a HUGE learning year for me. I started a blog, finished my personal coaching course and qualified with honours, I started a company, I learnt how to set up a website from scratch and so the list continues. Looking back now, I was destined to achieve ... it was, after all, my word for 2012. Part of my learning, as I continue my personal journey to find my inner Goddess, was having a tarot reading for the first time ever. I had always been curious about Tarot and my "sister-of-the-heart" treated me to one in the last quarter of 2012. I took away a number of valuable lessons and thoughts.

The one, however, that stood out the most for me was ... "Surrender and Release". After telling me how I have a tendency to bottle everything up inside and causing myself unnecessary extra stress, I needed to find a way to surrender my worries, fears, anxieties and troubled thoughts and release them to the Divine. "Wow!", I thought, "I've never thought of it that way. Maybe I could give it a try and see how it goes." At this point, I should tell you that I suffer from insomnia when I bottle things up ... doesn't take a genius to figure out why. So I went home, and that night as I was ending my prayers, I tacked on to the end "Please take these worries, fears, anxieties and troubled thoughts from me as I surrender and release them into your safekeeping." It was said with meaning and intent, and let me tell you it worked!

In recent weeks, I have been introspective. I've looked back on 2012 to reflect on all that has been, come and gone. What I have learned; and how I can use these lessons going forward. That's when it hit me! What if I took time to work through the issues I have that keep me trapped in this overweight body and "surrender and release" them to my Divine? This is an issue I have grappled with for many years and high on my priority list of issues to deal with. Surely it would begin to heal the wounds and scars that remain after 38 years of battling with my weight issues? I know I didn't create them, but I have moments where I aid them. What if I just "surrender and release" these issue that I tend to bottle up ... ? I realise that there are probably many people out there who have already come to this conclusion but it has taken me this long to get here. So I encourage you, now, to do the same. Whatever religion you are devoted to; whomever you deem to be your Divine. Surrender and release what no longer serves you but takes up unnecessary space in your head to them. Ask for their help and guidance. I intent to because I know I am worth it. But you know what else I know? I know that you, too, are worth it.

So, with our sight firmly focused on the awesomeness of the new year ahead (for it will, indeed, be an awesome year) give yourself permission to let go of what no longer serves you but continues to weigh you down, both literally and figuratively . After all, change starts with you.

May you be blessed with abundance in this new year ahead ... of love, health, happiness, wealth and wisdom.

Yours in inspiration,

Dorothy