Jan

For the love of new beginnings

Firstly, happy new year everyone! I truly hope that the following year encompasses good health, success, happiness and is filled with many incredibly joyous moments. As I reflect upon the previous year, I remember how tough times became throughout the year, yet in turn, how many new friends were made throughout the process. I remember how inspired and motivated I became, and I wondered why it took so long for me to realise the goals I needed to achieve to be happy. I remember interning, finally completing my honours degree, going to see Linkin Park and enjoying copious amounts of Christmas shopping, good food and great times with friends and family. Finally, I remember thinking to myself, what a dreadful, tough, yet life-changing year filled with some of the most inspiring and amazing moments. I can only hope that 2013 holds more exciting and enticing opportunities to learn and grow from and as I begin my adventure and quest for success within the marketing and advertising industry, I feel positive, motivated and ready for whatever comes my way. This year I will not only challenge convention, but challenge myself.

My fortune cookie revelation

I started this year off by sticking to a goal that I had initially set for myself last year and wasn’t able to accomplish. In a previous post that I had written entitled “For the love of giving back” that was posted in July 2012, I spoke of how majority of us seem to overlook the little things that we have in our lives and often take so much for granted. I was reminded that we forget about the role that we have as individuals to give back to those in need and at the end of 2012, I found myself, yet again complaining about the lack of space I had in my cupboard. I suddenly remembered that I had told myself that for every item of clothing that I bought, I needed to get rid of another item of clothing. Thus, without hesitation, I got stuck into my cupboard and set aside piles of clothing that I needed to give away. This was an utterly exhausting task, but at the end of the day I had hundreds of items to donate and suddenly felt relieved upon looking at the space I now had in my cupboard.

Upon putting my clothing into black bags that I was planning to take to the Salvation Army the next day, I decided to give a portion of the clothing to a family I knew that had two little girls. Hence, the following day I took a trip to the Salvation Army and handed over the one pile of clothing to the person in charge, of which also included an old microwave that was added to the pile. The person who took the donation seemed rather overwhelmed and lost for words, but I know that he was appreciative for what he had received from us. Later that day, my remaining clothing was dropped off at the family’s house, only to find out afterwards that the sole provider of the family had recently been retrenched and that the family was struggling. Apparently the two little girls were ecstatic upon receiving the new clothing and even decided that they would wear certain items of the clothing to church. What are the odds that I decided to give clothing away to a family that needed help more than anyone knew? I couldn’t help but feel amazed at how appreciative people are at times in need and how things have a funny way of working out sometimes. And so, as I conclude this post, I can only hope that this year is filled with experiences like this one that continue to inspire me and challenge the way that I think.

Here’s to hoping that 2013 is anything but ordinary…

At the Salvation Army

Jan

For the love of blogging – A year in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

11 years ago Short URL Comments

blogging/for the love/for the love of blogging/reflection/review

Nov

For the love of reflection

Finally, I can proudly say that I have completed my honours degree! I honestly have no words to describe just how elated I feel, yet in turn, feel somewhat saddened that this whole process has come to an end. With blood, sweat and tears came a year filled with great friendships, experiences and opportunities. Below is a reflection that I wrote which expands upon how I felt about completing this year.

…Surviving Honours 2012…

As I reflect upon how I felt going into this year, I felt a great sense of excitement. I felt like I could take on the world and I was ready to make the most of the year that lay before me. Having been accepted into BA Corporate Communication Honours preceding the completion of my BA Corporate Communication degree, I felt exhilarated and motivated to do my absolute best. However, once classes for the course had begun, it had come to my attention that the year I had anticipated was not on the agenda. This year encompassed the merging of two degrees, namely: BA Corporate Communication and BA Marketing Communication and I was somewhat unfamiliar with the work that followed. This of course left me feeling uneasy and after completing three years of studies it was clear to me that I did not know as much as I thought I did and that preparing myself for the next chapter of my life was going to be a long, hard journey. A harsh realisation.

Each and every week involved the completion of numerous assignments, preparation for tutorials which I had to conduct on a weekly basis and purely involved ‘surviving’. Weekends were there to catch up on the work that was unable to be completed in the week and in the midst of such chaotic times; relaxation was greatly appreciated owing to its scarcity. However, as the year went on, it came to my attention that every student in this honours class had one thing in common – we were all just trying to ‘survive’ this year and the challenges that it brought upon, thus bringing us all closer together. There is nothing quite as satisfying as being able to work hand in hand with some of the most competitive individuals that I have ever met. The fact that people can put aside their personal goals of being the best and instead help one another to overcome any obstacles is something quite remarkable.

This year taught me that being the ‘best in the class’ just isn’t something worth striving for, but rather to strive to be your own personal best. In doing so, remaining passionate and helpful to others is vital. This year, as demanding as it was, reminded me of the importance of remembering to breathe and take a look at the bigger picture sometimes. It reminded me that growth is inevitable and not only encompasses growing as an academic, but rather just as an individual as a whole. Getting through this year has certainly changed my perspective of life. As the middle of the year approached, this changed perspective became significant with regards to the way I completed my work. For instance, the honours class was briefed by Ogilvy SA about the requirement of creating our own blogs with regards to their Ogilvy Graduate Programme. To my horror, I now had to voice my opinion to the world and come up with an amazing idea to get myself known. After days of frustration, it became clear to me that if I was to successfully accomplish the task at hand, I needed to step out of my comfort zone and I needed to write as honestly and passionately as possible. The name of the blog that I created? For The Love. This concept revolves around the importance that the small things in life play within our lives and the impact that they have in shaping us into who we become – obviously inspired by my new changed perspective of life that honours has contributed towards.

In the long run, after three months of blogging about the troubles of honours, as well as realising how trivial they actually were; I felt as if I had become a new person. I felt as if I had grown into a passionate individual, ready to approach new obstacles head-on. Although this year has been nothing short of draining and relentless, the never-ending tasks that the year entailed essentially taught me so much about myself and taught me that nothing is impossible with a little bit of determination and hard work. Praise did not come easily, however in moments of success, humility and appreciation was essential. Secondly, my fellow students that I was initially competing with were the people that left the biggest impact on me this year. The fact that we had in common to desire to be successful, meant that we all motivated each other towards becoming better individuals. Thirdly, the amount of knowledge and experience that I have gained this year is something I will forever be appreciative for. The lecturers that have constantly given their time to the honours students of this year have moulded us into the best people that we could be and although harsh at times, have contributed towards making us stronger and more driven for perfection. Myself especially.

As the year 2013 approaches, (well, hopefully it does) I feel confident and prepared to start the next chapter of my life. Looking back at who I was as I completed my undergraduate degree in 2011, the amount of growth that has taken place since then is quite unbelievable. I cannot express how difficult this year was, but in turn how undoubtedly important it was. I am grateful for everything that I gained from this year and with no regrets say that I am glad that it did not turn out to be what I had initially anticipated. In essence, blood, sweat and tears were very much a part of getting through this year, but the friendships, knowledge and growth that comes with the completion of it is truly something quite extraordinary.

Bring on 2013. I’m ready.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The passage below concisely sums up how I intend to move forward and take on the next chapter of my life…

“Dare to Be”…

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the best you can –

At all times, Dare to be!”

– Steve Maraboli

11 years ago Short URL Comments

community/determination/friends/honours/leadership/life/life experiences/opportunities/passion/quotes/quotes about being the best you can be/reflection/surviving

Sep

For the love of all the small things

Thus far, this year has encompassed copious amounts of stress and deadlines of which lead to me becoming so consumed with myself and what I needed to accomplish that I had started to forget about every other important thing in my life. I realised that I had started to overlook everything that once made me so happy. However, as I look back over the past three months and the journey that blogging has taken me on, I realise just how much my perspectives of life have now changed, and how grateful I have become for everything that I have in my life and everything that I experience. Blogging has essentially lead towards me realising the importance of appreciating the small, seemingly unimportant things in life because it is them that keep us going.

I look back now and remember how intimidated I was about stepping into the unknown and stepping out of my comfort zone, but I now realise the importance of taking risks and the opportunities and excitement that they bring. I’ve realised how much I actually take for granted just by witnessing the happiness exuded from homeless individuals and the joy that receiving a full black bag of clothing can bring, the happiness that frolicking in the snow can bring, the realisation that a little bit of determination can go a long way and the inspiration and drive that I felt after watching the Paralympic Games. I guess what I’m trying to say is, sometimes it’s all the little things that seem to shape us into who we become, and have such a big impact on our typical, everyday lives. The point of this blog was to help serve as a reminder of this, and remind people to appreciate all the small things in life, and in turn, I gained the humility, sincerity, understanding and passion that I was lacking.

I’ve come to understand that remaining true to who you are is equally important as achieving goals, as well as the fact that remaining humble in the process can truly go a long way. Although this year lead to me becoming more goal-orientated rather than sincere, humble and appreciative of the small things in life, the challenges that this year presented have lead to the changes that needed to be made in my life, and the understanding of how to go about making them. Funny how life works sometimes…

Nonetheless, I hope that my journey of highlighting the small things in life has left an impact on you and helped towards the realisation of the impact that they have in moulding us to become who we are.

Take what you need from this journey.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

appreciation/experiences/for the love of the small things/giving back/goals/grateful/humility/journey/life/mother teresa/opportunity/passion/sincerity/small things in life

Sep

For the love of the journey

In times of doubt, I believe that there is nothing quite as satisfying as looking back over the past few months or years and realising just how far you’ve come in your journey. We often fail to realise just how far we have come from where we initially started and it really is important to look back into the past in order to remind ourselves that the journeys we embark will eventually make sense and prove that our efforts were not in vain. For me, this year has been nothing short of draining and exhausting, however, I feel that this year has contributed towards the realisation of the path I want to follow in life. If I look back at the person I was one year ago, I realise just how much I have accomplished, as well as much I have grown as a person and how knowledgeable I have become. It is this that has kept me motivated and kept me pushing through the tough times because in the end I know that this will all make sense and all be worth it.

Never forget the end goal.

Words of motivation and encouragement…

– Christian Larson –

12 years ago Short URL Comments

distance/faith/life/life quotes/spirituality/take pride/the journey

Sep

For the love of determination

Impossible is nothing – Adidas

The Paralympians of 2012 have certainly proven this quote correct. I have found myself watching athletes with missing limbs break world records, athletes swimming and running but unable to see at all, athletes lifting weights that weigh more than themselves, athletes leaving me in complete awe. The Paralympic Games of 2012 have been nothing short of inspirational and amazing and the individuals who have participated in them have certainly proven that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

12 years ago Short URL 4 Comments

Adidas/archery/athletes/determination/disabled/impossible is nothing/inspiration/paralympians/paralympics 2012/swimming

Aug

For the love of summer vibes

As we’re approaching the end of winter I’ve found myself becoming giddy and rather excited about the months ahead of us…

The summer storms, beach vibes, blue skies, fresh fruit, swimming, braais, friends, smoothies, dresses, warm evenings, long & lazy afternoons, holidays, t-shirts, frozen yoghurt, bikinis, ice-cream, sun, humidity, laid back atmosphere, tousled hair, sand castles…well, you get the point.

Bring on summer!!

Aug

What do I mean by people? Well, to be more specific…The people who do us wrong, but essentially teach us how to be strong. The people who unconditionally love us. The people who motivate us and consistently push us to do better and improve ourselves. The people who are there to back us up in times of need. The people whom we are financially dependent on. The people whom we call family. The people who have seen us through our best and worst times. The people whom we thought we could depend on. The people who inspire us. The people whom we share our lives with and show our vulnerabilities to. The people who help us grow, develop and get through life.

Last week Tuesday, I found myself frolicking in the snow with my some of my fellow honours class mates… Class mates who are competitive, always working hard and who have been extremely stressed and anxious about present assignments [myself included]. Yet, this one joyous occasion upon which snow fell in the country, managed to bring together a very diverse class. It was on this day that everyone just put aside the fact that we all are swamped with work, put aside the seriousness and anxiety that the current month has brought upon and managed to come together and really enjoy one another’s company. It really brought upon feelings of contentment for me and made me realise that it is these class mates that have helped me in becoming the person that I need to be, it is these class mates that have seen me through some of my best and worst moments this year and it is these class mates that I will never forget as part of my university experience and memories.

* * *

Not only have my present class mates been important in the discovery of finding myself and figuring out life at the moment, but I have certainly witnessed who the people are that I can depend on and who the people are that are supporting me and truly have my best interests at heart. You all know who you are and I thank you for being there. Additionally, given this past weeks Women’s Day celebrations, it has made me thankful for all of the special ladies in my life, as well as my family who have shown and provided unconditional love and support throughout some of the toughest times.

The point of this post? To recognise the fact that every person whom we come to meet in our lives, whether significant or not and regardless of the role that they have played, has some sort of impact on us. To serve as a reminder that it is both obstacles, as well as victorious moments in our lives that help towards shaping us to become the people that we presently are. So, I thank the people that have been a part of my life, whether you have made a positive or negative impact on me, you made me into a stronger person and you helped in shaping me into the person that I have become today. #forthelove

12 years ago Short URL 4 Comments

class mates/contentment/joyous occasion/life/people/snow/snow day/university experience/University of Johannesburg

Jul

We’ve all experienced moments in our lives which have left us feeling extremely lucky or appreciative. However, majority of us actually have so much to be grateful for every single day. At times we seem to overlook the little things that we have in our lives and often take so much for granted.

Just the other day, whilst I was traveling my usual route to university, I found myself waiting in traffic at intersections and staring into space, as per usual. Of course, at certain intersections there were the usual beggars and vagrants asking for donations and desperately trying to make a quick buck. Of which a homeless couple even had a little dog that would roam around with them. I was certain that they had even started to recognise who I was by the amount of times I had driven past them.

Nonetheless, just a few days ago, whilst waiting in traffic, a little boy jumped out of the car in front of me, ran and opened the boot of the car and gave two very large, full black bags to the beggars and homeless couple. In that moment, I have never seen such happiness exuded from people in a very, very long time. The fact that a full black bag, filled with goodies that they were completely unaware of could make someone so happy and appreciative really put things into perspective for me. Seeing this act of kindness really put a smile on my face and made me realise just how much I take for granted. This past week I’ve found myself complaining about how little space I have in my cupboard, as my clothing seems to be pouring out of it. And the more I think about how big the smiles were on the couples faces when they received that black bag, the guiltier I feel about thinking that a ‘small’, jam-packed cupboard is a problem, or being so self absorbed and selfish at times. Not only have I complained about having too little space for clothing, but I have complained about my laptop being too heavy to carry, my internet giving problems and have heard numerous complaints from people about their cell phones being outdated or having missed shows on television.

At times, life is so full of superficiality that we forget about all the little things in life, as well as the small, yet important roles that we have to play…the role that we have as individuals to give back to those in need or those less fortunate. We fail to realise how happy we could make someone and just how much we can enrich their lives. I have given back to the community before, and have experienced the feeling of fulfillment and gratitude that comes with it. A feeling that provides more satisfaction and fulfillment then any amount of money will ever provide. A feeling that is truly priceless. I’ll admit that I have become so caught up in my own life and everything happening in it, that I have failed to give back on a regular basis. But I have decided that I need to make time to help those in need. The first place I will start at… is my cupboard. I have made it my goal to give more of my time to helping those in need and will donate a lot of my clothing that does not fit me or will not be worn, therefore solving my problem of having an overflowing cupboard. For every item of clothing that I buy, one item needs to be given away to someone less fortunate. It’s not much, but it’s surely a start. A gradual start of regularly giving back and helping me to appreciate all that I have in my life.