The quiet
the quiet I used to have on the the inside of me is just completely gone
I no longer walk around with a a smile on my lips and a boundless song
Is this the effect of what life's hardships does to a person
All we are faced with in the end is a life filled with sadness and desertion
All this misery and gloom is not the pinnacle of our lives
We should want more from ourselves than just a means to survive
We are dynamic and we are bold beyond anyone's measure
When you were born you were your parents little treasure
Its time to take back the peace that was in your heart before you grew up
This is the times that any man can create his very own luck
Toiling and sweating to please another instead of yourself is a fools errand
I will make sure that my life's successes will be inherent
How sweet it will be to slow down and enjoy a life filled with success and peace
To love life and live a life that is what I require at the least
The humdrum approach of working till I am put out to pasture
That's not for me I wanna fill the rest of my days with joyous laughter
Sitting with what little hair I might have left just waiving in the wind
I wanna sit silent and smiling because I lived my life like a king
The quiet I want in me is one that represents a state of contentment
The last thing anyone would want is a life full of resentment
All I want is my quiet and to take my sweet time
For now what I will take is my peace of mind
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Hard Decisions
We all have to admit that we love things convenient and easy at all times and don't really enjoy figuring things out or laboring to get something done. We live in an age of convenience where even things like food have been labeled as fast now.
When I was still a little man grabbing my grandmothers skirt the fastest the food was made, was an hour and you had the best meal of your life because a lot of love has gone into preparing the meal. Now if I go to McDonald's and they take more than 7 minutes I wanna see the manager and lets face it we all have that little tyrant in us. What I fail to recognize however is that this processed food I am eating has no story, no love and no history to it, it's just a way to fill my stomach and not really satisfy me like a home cooked meal would.
So why do we not like to take our time anymore with anything?
We are shown by the mediums of communications that there is just not enough time to to do it all anymore and that everything has to be faster and more effective. Have we forgotten how to take our time and enjoy a beautiful day when we are blessed with one or are we too focused on time to realize what's right in front of us? Stop.Look around.You will be amazed what you see if you just took 5 minutes of your busy day to appreciate the fact that you can see, smell, touch, taste and taste the things surrounding you.
I cant remember the last time I actually stared at a rainbow, it used to fascinate me to no end and I would try to see to the end of it just to check for leprechauns at the end of it. Do we have time for these small things anymore? No, it's not efficient enough to bother us because if it's not fast we are not interested.
So lets take the time to ask someone you see each day at work or at home how they are doing or how was their day, a little can go a long way if we really put a little thought into it. Lets make each day an appreciation day, appreciate the bonds you form, the blessings you have, the impact you make and the people that love and care about us.
Peace and tranquility only happens when we slow down...
When I was still a little man grabbing my grandmothers skirt the fastest the food was made, was an hour and you had the best meal of your life because a lot of love has gone into preparing the meal. Now if I go to McDonald's and they take more than 7 minutes I wanna see the manager and lets face it we all have that little tyrant in us. What I fail to recognize however is that this processed food I am eating has no story, no love and no history to it, it's just a way to fill my stomach and not really satisfy me like a home cooked meal would.
So why do we not like to take our time anymore with anything?
We are shown by the mediums of communications that there is just not enough time to to do it all anymore and that everything has to be faster and more effective. Have we forgotten how to take our time and enjoy a beautiful day when we are blessed with one or are we too focused on time to realize what's right in front of us? Stop.Look around.You will be amazed what you see if you just took 5 minutes of your busy day to appreciate the fact that you can see, smell, touch, taste and taste the things surrounding you.
I cant remember the last time I actually stared at a rainbow, it used to fascinate me to no end and I would try to see to the end of it just to check for leprechauns at the end of it. Do we have time for these small things anymore? No, it's not efficient enough to bother us because if it's not fast we are not interested.
So lets take the time to ask someone you see each day at work or at home how they are doing or how was their day, a little can go a long way if we really put a little thought into it. Lets make each day an appreciation day, appreciate the bonds you form, the blessings you have, the impact you make and the people that love and care about us.
Peace and tranquility only happens when we slow down...
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Differences
The one thing you can always rely on is that everybody is different, that everybody knows but not all of us are willing to accept
As a young boy growing up in an ever-changing world where everything was changing faster than I could sometimes keep up with. Things such as religion, race, class and stature were the types of things which as a child I was made painfully aware of because these are not the kinds of things that your parents would sit you down and have a talk about like the birds and bees.Although these things change you and also shape you ultimately into the self sufficient person you will become one day, we are not made aware of how to deal with it as a child.
I am not saying that my parents never raised me right I am saying that knowledge is power folks. In countries such as China children first learn about what their heritage is, where they belong and function in society also where their people come from. Although they are a third of the world's population they are also a very exclusive group that stick to their traditions and values as a people which is quite admirable. I think these are the kinds of things we need to teach our kids and not depend on the schooling curriculum because let's face it a schooling system cannot teach your child it's heritage if they have 70 different races and backgrounds.
Lets go ahead and be proud of our lineage and embrace what our great great grandparents did so that we could sit comfortably and read this bit of info right here. The more you can equip your child the less you will have to face an identity crises when your child wants to be the last of the "mohicans".
Be proud of us being different and remember somewhere down the line you will be someone's great grandparent and wouldn't it be great if they said that it's because you weren't afraid to teach your child where they came from that they are proud to call you their ancestor.
As a young boy growing up in an ever-changing world where everything was changing faster than I could sometimes keep up with. Things such as religion, race, class and stature were the types of things which as a child I was made painfully aware of because these are not the kinds of things that your parents would sit you down and have a talk about like the birds and bees.Although these things change you and also shape you ultimately into the self sufficient person you will become one day, we are not made aware of how to deal with it as a child.
I am not saying that my parents never raised me right I am saying that knowledge is power folks. In countries such as China children first learn about what their heritage is, where they belong and function in society also where their people come from. Although they are a third of the world's population they are also a very exclusive group that stick to their traditions and values as a people which is quite admirable. I think these are the kinds of things we need to teach our kids and not depend on the schooling curriculum because let's face it a schooling system cannot teach your child it's heritage if they have 70 different races and backgrounds.
Lets go ahead and be proud of our lineage and embrace what our great great grandparents did so that we could sit comfortably and read this bit of info right here. The more you can equip your child the less you will have to face an identity crises when your child wants to be the last of the "mohicans".
Be proud of us being different and remember somewhere down the line you will be someone's great grandparent and wouldn't it be great if they said that it's because you weren't afraid to teach your child where they came from that they are proud to call you their ancestor.
Friday 26 August 2011
Acceptable
The word "acceptable" is such a broad spectrum that you cannot really define it to a particular meaning as it has so much different relevance to everybody out there. Each of us have been raised and influenced by various factors to have a set amount of beliefs and values and with that we have a certain level of acceptability when it comes to situations.
To a high powered businessman it is acceptable to think of people as assets and not really have any connection to specific people because his values dictate that people are merely assets and if they do not bring value they can be replaced. Now for instance if you take a social worker they have to deal with peoples emotions and all emotional aspects of a situation that could determine someones immediate future. So no matter what we feel is appropriate we cannot really tell anyone how we feel about a situation they are dealing with because our values might not coincide with the proper way to deal with things.
We are by nature very emotional creatures as human beings and when you actually take that out of the equation you are faced with a whole different aspect and avenue that can be followed in most different scenarios we are faced with. Yet we cling so much to who we are as people that it affects each everything we are faced with to a point that we want to sometimes save the whole world all on our own knowing that we cannot even save ourselves in the process either.
I am guilty of trying to sometimes enforce my values and the things that are acceptable to me down on others simply because I feel that everybody would be better off feeling and thinking the same at all times. That in my mind would probably bring about world peace, but I tend to forget that people with the same personalities hate each other more than anything else and we would be worse off than when we started.
I say its a good thing that we are different and that we have our own views because opposites do attract and differences are like colors they jut make the world a beautiful and bright place and at times that's just what we need.
So do what's acceptable and be yourself no matter what......
To a high powered businessman it is acceptable to think of people as assets and not really have any connection to specific people because his values dictate that people are merely assets and if they do not bring value they can be replaced. Now for instance if you take a social worker they have to deal with peoples emotions and all emotional aspects of a situation that could determine someones immediate future. So no matter what we feel is appropriate we cannot really tell anyone how we feel about a situation they are dealing with because our values might not coincide with the proper way to deal with things.
We are by nature very emotional creatures as human beings and when you actually take that out of the equation you are faced with a whole different aspect and avenue that can be followed in most different scenarios we are faced with. Yet we cling so much to who we are as people that it affects each everything we are faced with to a point that we want to sometimes save the whole world all on our own knowing that we cannot even save ourselves in the process either.
I am guilty of trying to sometimes enforce my values and the things that are acceptable to me down on others simply because I feel that everybody would be better off feeling and thinking the same at all times. That in my mind would probably bring about world peace, but I tend to forget that people with the same personalities hate each other more than anything else and we would be worse off than when we started.
I say its a good thing that we are different and that we have our own views because opposites do attract and differences are like colors they jut make the world a beautiful and bright place and at times that's just what we need.
So do what's acceptable and be yourself no matter what......
Thursday 25 August 2011
Healthy Eyesight......
What a beautiful morning I am having today. Weather wise I suppose everybody in Cape Town can just about say the same thing but I think in terms of a hectic morning mine has just been made by a woman in a silver Toyota Avanza.
As usual each morning me and the wifey are driving down the N1 just minding our business when someone with a clear deficiency in carrots and eyesight just decides to cut right in front of us when there is no space in between us and the car directly in front of us. When accidents like these happen then they are always the ones that have no idea how any of it happened at all and want to cry the most about the situation. I say put down the cleenex and pick up a carrot dammit because I know that in that head of yours common sense is just a vague thought and not something prevalent in your mind. If you cannot improve your thinking at least improve your eyesight dammit because even idiots drive Avanza's these days.
But enough about my morning I realize this is a forum for people that wanna just talk all about themselves whole day and I can't indulge my ego just yet. On to the real topic of eyesight and how important is is to each and every one of us and how much we rely on it daily.
Typical routine for anyone is to open their eyes and make sure they are still on the same place they went to sleep (not always the case after a night of drunken debauchery). Next thing you go wash your face to check that your still pretty (in your mind of course) and can still face the world. Every resulting action after that we rely heavily on what we see and that is merely because it is the one sense we can count on the most or so we are told.
Because of this mitigating factor that we all need to take good care of our eyesight and there are also 5 main factors that influence this decline in eyesight and believe it or not I know all 5 and I know that you will find it funny as I did when I read the first 3. http://www.raybanglassesshop.com/?p=23
That list basically says that studying is bad for your eyesight before 25 and if I knew that I would have never gone to school because it is bad for my eyesight. That's always why they said that knowledge is power and if I had that kind of knowledge back then I would have talked my way out of any situations much faster and with much more confidence. So lets arm ourselves with knowledge and go get our eyes tested because lets face it gents you can't possibly blame beer goggles if you are sober.
Wednesday 24 August 2011
A "Brand" new day
This morning as I was driving to work I actually had a good look around me at all the people and their cars and the unnecessary things that was stacked up as accessories to their overly-expensive cars and SUV's.
These days its not about buying quality anymore, its all about keeping up with the Jones' and keeping up appearances. At the end of the day we have to ask ourselves is it really worth all the stress from the banks just to look like you can afford a BMW and on top of that just because you now look like you can afford one you actually go and buy one! Its a vicious cycle which I don't know if we are too stupid or just too naive to realize we are in and will be stuck in as long as we follow blindly the trends and the images being forced onto us by the media and huge marketing firms. I am not saying I have a problem with marketing because without it how would we know what our dentist (allegedly) or doctor (some actor they paid) recommends.
Now we are forced to look at our spending as a result of the recession that attacked us like a malnourished wildlife park lion. I for one cannot say that I am now debt free as a result of this because lets face it no bank will even help you if you do not have some kinda debt on your name. The concept is that they will not give you debt if you do not have any debt (Comedians probably invented that policy).
Coming back to the point of how a brand really "improves" your lifestyle by having it. If you really think about it, how is a air infused micro chip embedded pair of trainers going to help improve you taking your child to the park? How will a SUV with hill assist 4X4 going to help you drop off your kids at the school which is less than 5km's away from your house?
Do we really need all the things that the adverts claim we have to have or do we just want it because the neighbor across from me hasn't found the dealership yet, regardless if I really cant afford it. Stop overdrawing your checque accounts and overcharging your credit cards and start thinking about what happens when you cant pay these things anymore.
Lets face it we have a cupboard full of things we don't need and we hang on to them simply because it cost us a fortune and we wanted it first. Its a hollow victory because your wallet is hollow now because of your stupidity.
These days its not about buying quality anymore, its all about keeping up with the Jones' and keeping up appearances. At the end of the day we have to ask ourselves is it really worth all the stress from the banks just to look like you can afford a BMW and on top of that just because you now look like you can afford one you actually go and buy one! Its a vicious cycle which I don't know if we are too stupid or just too naive to realize we are in and will be stuck in as long as we follow blindly the trends and the images being forced onto us by the media and huge marketing firms. I am not saying I have a problem with marketing because without it how would we know what our dentist (allegedly) or doctor (some actor they paid) recommends.
Now we are forced to look at our spending as a result of the recession that attacked us like a malnourished wildlife park lion. I for one cannot say that I am now debt free as a result of this because lets face it no bank will even help you if you do not have some kinda debt on your name. The concept is that they will not give you debt if you do not have any debt (Comedians probably invented that policy).
Coming back to the point of how a brand really "improves" your lifestyle by having it. If you really think about it, how is a air infused micro chip embedded pair of trainers going to help improve you taking your child to the park? How will a SUV with hill assist 4X4 going to help you drop off your kids at the school which is less than 5km's away from your house?
Do we really need all the things that the adverts claim we have to have or do we just want it because the neighbor across from me hasn't found the dealership yet, regardless if I really cant afford it. Stop overdrawing your checque accounts and overcharging your credit cards and start thinking about what happens when you cant pay these things anymore.
Lets face it we have a cupboard full of things we don't need and we hang on to them simply because it cost us a fortune and we wanted it first. Its a hollow victory because your wallet is hollow now because of your stupidity.
Tuesday 23 August 2011
Unanswered Questions . . .
Conversation is a simple exchange of information that has put us apart from all other species that have been put on this green earth. However I see that some of us still lack the neccessary skills it takes to progress in such a simple exchange.
Take for instance a situation I was faced with yesterday with our rail service METRORAIL. I normally take a train that is scheduled for departure at a set time each morning. For some or other reason this particular reason this train was cancelled (maybe the wheels were flattened). The train preceeding this particular one came steadily towards my stop and I boarded it, also just letting my boss know of the situation at hand and that I will be late as a direct result of this. I was then instructed just to get a piece of paper to just confirm this situation that I have been put in as a result of my train being cancelled. Before sed situation I was not even aware that you could get a piece of paper regarding this.
So when I finally reached my destination I moved along to their information center where I was greeted to casual conversation and 3 information agents just ignoring me like they were paid to chit chat and not help customers. I kindly asked for their assistance where I was asked if i knew which train was cancelled and I told them to which I was asked do they have to smell the train number? At this point I had to calm myself down and not let that counter turn into a scene out of the WWE where smack down's were being handed out like free lunches.
10 minutes later I came victorious from that counter with a generic page that any pre-schooler could be proud of and I was off to my job. I now know just how mr Mandela felt when he mentioned that we must be free'd from our opresser's as I was liberated from MetroRails customer centre.
I have to say I felt like a champion for actually getting what I was looking for from Metrorail as there are a lot of people out there that will never be able to say the same.
Here is to brilliant service and a battle well fought
Take for instance a situation I was faced with yesterday with our rail service METRORAIL. I normally take a train that is scheduled for departure at a set time each morning. For some or other reason this particular reason this train was cancelled (maybe the wheels were flattened). The train preceeding this particular one came steadily towards my stop and I boarded it, also just letting my boss know of the situation at hand and that I will be late as a direct result of this. I was then instructed just to get a piece of paper to just confirm this situation that I have been put in as a result of my train being cancelled. Before sed situation I was not even aware that you could get a piece of paper regarding this.
So when I finally reached my destination I moved along to their information center where I was greeted to casual conversation and 3 information agents just ignoring me like they were paid to chit chat and not help customers. I kindly asked for their assistance where I was asked if i knew which train was cancelled and I told them to which I was asked do they have to smell the train number? At this point I had to calm myself down and not let that counter turn into a scene out of the WWE where smack down's were being handed out like free lunches.
10 minutes later I came victorious from that counter with a generic page that any pre-schooler could be proud of and I was off to my job. I now know just how mr Mandela felt when he mentioned that we must be free'd from our opresser's as I was liberated from MetroRails customer centre.
I have to say I felt like a champion for actually getting what I was looking for from Metrorail as there are a lot of people out there that will never be able to say the same.
Here is to brilliant service and a battle well fought
Riots = Results?
You know in a world obsessed with service delivery we have to fight for the things we want. I question how destroying property and affecting others lively hoods in the process is going to affect this change?
Demonstrating in the past used to be all about our freedom of speech and voicing our dissatisfaction with how we are being treated and what we are all about. Now all we are left with are major unions trying to force down their will on industries and using their own members as pawns in their grand scheme of collecting more power.Where are the Mandela's and the Bhiko's that are the crusaders for the people more than they are for the cause, instead we have "leaders" who care more about their wallets than the man on the ground battling to keep his family going.
The protesters have a right to voice their anger at being valued less than their counterparts in other parts of the world and in some cases also in other industries. So I salute the men and women who take a stand for their freedom in a way that many can only admire and carry disdain for those who believe results can be achieved with violence.
The leaders of today need to realize that it is not "power to the people" but that rather they have power because of the people.
Demonstrating in the past used to be all about our freedom of speech and voicing our dissatisfaction with how we are being treated and what we are all about. Now all we are left with are major unions trying to force down their will on industries and using their own members as pawns in their grand scheme of collecting more power.Where are the Mandela's and the Bhiko's that are the crusaders for the people more than they are for the cause, instead we have "leaders" who care more about their wallets than the man on the ground battling to keep his family going.
The protesters have a right to voice their anger at being valued less than their counterparts in other parts of the world and in some cases also in other industries. So I salute the men and women who take a stand for their freedom in a way that many can only admire and carry disdain for those who believe results can be achieved with violence.
The leaders of today need to realize that it is not "power to the people" but that rather they have power because of the people.
Hi all
In the customer care industry which I am a passionate advocate for I wish we the people had a stronger say in how we get treated in SA
Over a career spanning a meager 6 Years I have experienced the rare occasion of actually being blown out of the water by someone claiming to be a "customer service agent". Has it merely just become a a job specification or has the passion completely died down and we have become nothing but phone answering zombies just doing the bare minimum to get by?
I say to hell with what others do and if you really believe in what you said in your interview (let's face it we all say we are passionate about helping people). Was that just a ploy to get some employment or did you really believe that in your heart?
I for one know that when I said those words I meant every single bit of it and as long as I can I will be an advocate for good service and have each client saying "wow, that was good service"
My motto is "I aim to please and my aim is to please" so lets get cracking and make a customer feel like a king once again.
In the customer care industry which I am a passionate advocate for I wish we the people had a stronger say in how we get treated in SA
Over a career spanning a meager 6 Years I have experienced the rare occasion of actually being blown out of the water by someone claiming to be a "customer service agent". Has it merely just become a a job specification or has the passion completely died down and we have become nothing but phone answering zombies just doing the bare minimum to get by?
I say to hell with what others do and if you really believe in what you said in your interview (let's face it we all say we are passionate about helping people). Was that just a ploy to get some employment or did you really believe that in your heart?
I for one know that when I said those words I meant every single bit of it and as long as I can I will be an advocate for good service and have each client saying "wow, that was good service"
My motto is "I aim to please and my aim is to please" so lets get cracking and make a customer feel like a king once again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)