The Air in My Lungs

Recently, I have been having quite a few flash backs to my bike accident and my time in hospital. There is rarely a day that passes without me thinking about that time but usually they are in fleeting snapshots that appear and are gone. The recent images have turned into mini-movies with much more detail, probably because I had entered and have completed a road race after a number of years of abstinence. I am not writing this message to gain more sympathy for the accident as that event has long passed and I have, without a doubt, been miraculously healed. What is pertinent about having these re-runs is a reminder of the promise I made to myself to make this life count. With that accident, I had been given a serious jolt to give my all to this life.

There is a verse in a song that goes like this:
Every day we live, We get one more chance
To use the air in our lungs To make something that counts
And now we wanna be the ones To build something that lasts. - "Bright Eyes" by Ever Stays Red

So reminding myself, that every day is another chance to forget yesterday's mistakes and get on and make a difference in this world today. Not aiming to build a mansion adorned with objects that will fade and rust to nothing, but to focus on building "something that lasts".  For me that is my faith in God and the promise of an eternity with Him. In addition to that, it's what I do with and for my family. Sure I can work 24/7 to enable the buying of 'things' for them but one day when I am gone what will remain? What will their attitude be? Will they miss the "things" or the person? Hopefully the latter, if I am doing what I set my mind to while lying in that hospital bed. Further afield, I have been given the privilege of sharing these thoughts and messages with a greater audience and even people I may never meet. The feedback I get is always encouraging for me so I am motivated to persevere with my 'ramblings'.

This week, take a moment to consider what you are grateful for. Even it is just the air in your lungs, you have an incredible opportunity to use, to make a difference, or at least try...

Look around yourself. We are all so inward focused that often, we don't see (and at times choose not to see), those that need some lifting up. I've said it before, it could be the simple act of just listening to or acknowledging someone who is going through something difficult, because we all have our challenges to overcome. But be that person who breaks the mould and offers a hand up.

Use that air in your lungs and start building the things that last.

Viruses of the Mind

Having spent a few nights in Jo'burg this week, I can happily report that I love my own home and I miss my family that makes it home. How people do this on a regular basis for even longer periods is beyond my comprehension. Surely one gets married and has a family to be a part of it not apart from it?

I can also report that I enjoy my own company. As much as I missed my family, I really do enjoy quiet spaces and just kickin' back with me and my thoughts. Most people will probably understand that certain people are like this, even if they can't relate because they crave the company of others. For an an introvert, I think it is imperative to be comfortable with yourself, otherwise there may be a risk of a feeling that there is absolutely no-one you are truly comfortable with. It can also be an extremely lonely experience if you can't enjoy being with yourself.
I say this is important for introverts as I know from personal experience, but I also believe we should all have enough self-worth to appreciate periods of quiet time without becoming derogative towards yourself. There are people who constantly criticise themselves and are overly critical of everything they do. I used to be there and I can tell you it is a very unhappy place to be. Slowly I started to realise that there are certain things I can do fairly well, I have certain (positive) characteristics that make me distinct and actually I can be a "pretty nice guy". This transformation did not happen over-night, but was a slow shift of recognising the negative thoughts and stopping them before they tainted my mind completely. Consciously switching to something that I could remember doing well or a goal I was working towards and the progress made thus far. It is not easy and takes discipline and constant monitoring of your thoughts. I guess it's a bit like a computers anti-virus for your mind!

We all have those dark and dreadful incidents we are better off forgetting, that keep dropping into our minds. Don't let them pull you down from where you have advanced to. Take that incident and see how you have survived and over-come it. It was terrible and nothing can change that now, but don't let that rule over you and keep you in that dark space forever. You are worth far more than that. You are stronger than that. You deserve far greater than that.

Activate that anti-virus and clean out those negative-thought-viruses that are hampering your system and get yourself back to optimum performance.

Remember Priority #1

We are mid-way through October, Christmas decorations are hitting the stores and people are already planning office end-of-year parties. Although I have just had a fantastic break, I have a general feeling that people are in survival mode, just hanging in for the final push till year-end. I thought this advice may help those who are feeling a little stretched...

If you are just living to get to work, pay your bills and get back to work then you are not really living at all. You have to find time to do the things that you really love. At some point you need to make these things priority number 1.

Leave the washing up, leave that the tap that needs a new washer, the car that needs cleaning can wait a bit longer too. Leave all those important and necessary things and go and do something you love to do. Whatever it may be, go and do it. Don't do it with a guilty conscience reminding you of all that you still need to do. Remember you have made this priority number 1 so it has to be done now above everything else, so the to-do's can wait their turn!

There is something rejuvenating about following your passion. It recharges your internal spring and gives you back what surviving daily life takes out. After taking care of priority number 1, you'll feel infinitely more motivated and ready to take on the rest of your challenges. You may even feel inspired to tackle them in a completely different way!

As I have mentioned before, I love to exercise, so getting out into the bush on my bike or getting my running shoes moving down the road is what I do as my priority number 1. Maybe reading a book could be yours or perhaps it is sitting on a quiet beach, early in the morning watching the sun come up over the waves. Whatever it is, make sure it is a 'living event'; something that has an element of inspiration and upliftment for yourself. Sleeping for instance, although it may be a high priority for a new mother, it isn't really what I am promoting for the majority here. Do something that will benefit your mind, body and soul. If your priority number 1 activity ticks those boxes then it is a worthy priority. Being unique individuals, we all have different definitions or interpretations of mind, body and soul activities so be unique and fill your boxes in your own way. Remember to review your to-do's regularly and ensure you get priority number 1 spot every now and again.

Don't Lose Your Fire

I have spent most of the last week whining and complaining because of circumstances around me and especially issues related to work and the workplace. I had to stop myself, rewind all that negative footage and focus on what is still good and where I can be an influencer.
 In our office we have some really excellent, top quality people who all they really want to do is to put in an honest day's work and be suitably rewarded. Some stick their neck out for a cause that could benefit everyone and summarily get it chopped off before all the facts are considered. My message today is to not be discouraged. Keep on doing what it is you feel compelled to do. Do not let your circumstances change your passion and even your character. Do not let your fire be extinguished. This is rather the time to fan that glowing ember back into a roaring fire as there are so many others whose flames have died out and become lumps of cold coal. All they may need is a bit of fire from your flame to re-ignite their passion again. Imagine if we all let our passion die out? What a dull grey existence we would have to carry out. But imagine if all our flames joined together. What an intense energy there would be! This sounds rather like an incitement to rebel. In contrary it is an encouragement to not lose the passion of working together despite circumstances. Rules and procedures have their place but people are what matter more. Extinguish the fire in the people and there will be no life. Fan those fires in the right way and an unstoppable force will be raised.

It is October 2015 already. It may not be the same out there, but for most of the 'workers' in my office, it has been a tough year (and not because of their own doing). Circumstances out of their control have resulted in really difficult working conditions. As always the team pulls together to get the job done. I put challenge out there now to get your fires stoked, fan them up and finish the year strong. Forget working for that bonus, Forget working for that recognition from your boss, rather work for the benefit of your colleagues and most importantly, work for the benefit of yourself.  Let these last few months of the year be filled with fun. Remember when you enjoyed what you were doing. Bring those times back. Brush off those things that have been annoying you. Let your fire burn them up. Let that fire brighten your colleagues workspace so he can perform better and brighten another's workspace. Soon the heat will be un-containable...

25 minute Workout

Every time I see one of those adverts or emails promising six-pack abs in an “easy 25 minute workout” or “master the guitar with this simple system”, I dive right in to see what it is all about. Why? Because I have this eternal optimism that one of them will reveal to me a simple way to achieve great results. Sadly, the truth is that hard work is the only guaranteed method to achieve great results. Hoping and waiting for a quick-fix is a complete gamble and the only guarantee is that you are delaying achieving your goals. Start your workout today. Even if it is only an 8 minute one, it is 8 minutes more than you did yesterday. Find a system that works for you and the current threshold you can withstand. It will be painful and require some sweat and effort from your part, but that’s the definition of hard work. If you haven’t exercised in years, diving straight into a marathon will put you off any further exercise for the rest of your life. Start small but with the mind-set of building blocks. Use the slow or seemingly insignificant start as the warm-up to build some basic movement in your body. Allow your muscles to become accustomed to this new regime. Don’t do too much but just enough to feel your heart-racing and a sweat develop. From there, build your strength to enable you to go a bit further or work a bit longer. Get advice on what you should be doing in your routines from people in the know who have travelled done similar roads before you. Lear from their experiences and adapt what will be useful for your journey. Soon you will be smashing your own 25 minute workout and be well on your way. It won’t be easy but nothing worthwhile is.

This is of course not only true for physical exercise and goals, but for most goals you want to achieve. The first step may be as simple as requesting the registration forms for that study course you have been putting off for a while now. Once the ball is rolling, it will be easier to gather momentum. The greatest effort is to just get it rolling. Don’t even spend a further moment contemplating that first step. Take it now!