IS THIS A NEW DAY OR IS IT JUST A REPLAY OF YESTERDAY?
DO YOU OFTEN FEEL THAT YOU WANT TO SHOUT, “SAME OLD SHIT”? WE ARE THE CREATORS OF OUR OWN WORLD AND DO ACTUALLY HAVE CONTROL OF MOST OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN IT.
ARE YOU SICK OF THE SAME OLD STUFF? Most people live as if there is some kind of invisible force that captured their will and ability to remain active and productive. They act as if they are helpless victims of life and circumstances. Just look around you and see if you can detect one single person that made a really dramatic and sustained modification (turnaround) to his or her unsatisfactory lifestyle.
People often bitch and moan about their work, relationships, spouses and unruly children and act as if they are the victims of some sinister plot. When you go to social occasions you often discover that most people spend hours trying to top each other’s “victim” stories while they stare at each other through the bottoms of their cocktail glasses. When you finally drive home after these “socials” you often feel drained and incomplete.
Your “social” with your friends might have made you feel slightly better initially because you received confirmation that you are not the only one that are a victim in this cesspool called life. You are exposed to “bad news” messages wherever you go. Whenever you feel enthusiastic and upbeat, buy a newspaper. Before you read two pages you will be back to your normal subdued self.
We might feel that we are living under very testing conditions today and that our situation is unique, but when you investigate the “victim” phenomena worldwide you will find that most people suffer with this form of mental bondage.
We use crime and instability as our crutch to justify our victim behaviour in South Africa. You will discover that an endless range of excuses are used to justify “victim” behaviour globally even when crime is not so visible as in South Africa. The bottom line is that “victim” behaviour is something that comes from the inside, from your own mind.
We tend to “think” ourselves to a standstill and into an early grave. The “look at me, I am a victim” turmoil in the world has reached pandemic proportions. The collective negative mood on planet earth is negative and very destructive. The main reason why people experience these very immobilizing emotions is because of the overall habit of living in the PAST or the FUTURE. We can think up the most amazing disasters in the theatre of our minds. We can die a thousand deaths in our mind with our habit of projecting ourselves into imagined future disasters.
WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE FUTURE YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO ACT IN THE NOW!
We form opinions at a very young age about most things in life. We have “feelings” about almost anything that we can ever be faced with. Any conclusion that we came to during our lifetime will usually remain part of our coping style until the day we die.
Most people fail to understand that “everything will remain the same until a change is made”. If you are allowing fear of something that might never happen to control your thinking you are disqualifying yourself from the reality of the now.
Just think of the key areas in your life such as your work, relationships and general lifestyle and take stock of your “general” behaviour in these areas. You need to study your habitual reaction pattern in any area if it is not working as you hoped it would. Stop waiting for others to modify their behaviour, beg you for forgiveness or that the problem will go away.
Become bold and active and start doing something about whatever you feel is bothering you. Nothing will change until you activate such change. Remember if you are in waiting mode and your dispute is with someone else you are handing control to this person. When you live in the NOW and you act in the present tense you make your life predictable and much more stress free. When you live in the FUTURE and fail to take action in the NOW you are “manufacturing” your own house of pain.
The only way that you can escape this stuck in the future or past zone is to begin to live in the NOW. Give yourself a fair chance to make a success of any given day. You can do this by talking to yourself.
Tell yourself that you are not interested in things that might never happen or that happened in the past. You are talking to yourself all day long, make these “chats” constructive and motivational. Give yourself a break and stop running yourself down. When you find your mind drifting into the “horror” mode tell yourself that you are not going to waste energy on events that may never happen. If you mind drifts into the “feel sorry for me mode”, take control and say, “I create my own circumstances and will not create a torture chamber for myself today.” Wipe the slate clean every morning and attack each day with enthusiasm and commitment. Live for the moment my friend. Today and each and every day is indeed a new day with wonderful opportunities if you are focused on the now.
DO YOU OFTEN FEEL THAT YOU WANT TO SHOUT OUT, “SAME DAY, SAME OLD STUFF”? WE ARE THE CREATORS OF OUR OWN WORLD AND DO ACTUALLY HAVE CONTROL OF MOST OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN IT.
.
ARE YOU SICK OF THE SAME OLD STUFF? Most people live as if there is some kind of invisible force that captured their will and ability to remain active and productive. They act as if they are helpless victims of life and circumstances. Just look around you and see if you can detect one single person that made a really dramatic and sustained modification (turnaround) to his or her unsatisfactory lifestyle.
People often bitch and moan about their work, relationships, spouses and unruly children and act as if they are the victims of some sinister plot. When you go to social occasions you often discover that most people spend hours trying to top each other’s “victim” stories while they stare at each other through the bottoms of their cocktail glasses. When you finally drive home after these “socials” you often feel drained and incomplete.
Your “social” with your friends might have made you feel slightly better initially because you received confirmation that you are not the only one that are a victim in this cesspool called life. You are exposed to “bad news” messages wherever you go. Whenever you feel enthusiastic and upbeat, buy a newspaper. Before you read two pages you will be back to your normal subdued self.
We might feel that we are living under very testing conditions today and that our situation is unique, but when you investigate the “victim” phenomena worldwide you will find that most people suffer with this form of mental bondage.
We use crime and instability as our crutch to justify our victim behaviour in South Africa. You will discover that an endless range of excuses are used to justify “victim” behaviour globally even when crime is not so visible as in South Africa. The bottom line is that “victim” behaviour is something that comes from the inside, from your own mind.
We tend to “think” ourselves to a standstill and into an early grave. The “look at me, I am a victim” turmoil in the world has reached pandemic proportions. The collective negative mood on planet earth is negative and very destructive. The main reason why people experience these very immobilizing emotions is because of the overall habit of living in the PAST or the FUTURE. We can think up the most amazing disasters in the theatre of our minds. We can die a thousand deaths in our mind with our habit of projecting ourselves into imagined future disasters.
WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE FUTURE YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO ACT IN THE NOW!
We form opinions at a very young age about most things in life. We have “feelings” about almost anything that we can ever be faced with. Any conclusion that we came to during our lifetime will usually remain part of our coping style until the day we die.
Most people fail to understand that “everything will remain the same until a change is made”. If you are allowing fear of something that might never happen to control your thinking you are disqualifying yourself from the reality of the now.
Just think of the key areas in your life such as your work, relationships and general lifestyle and take stock of your “general” behaviour in these areas. You need to study your habitual reaction pattern in any area if it is not working as you hoped it would. Stop waiting for others to modify their behaviour, beg you for forgiveness or that the problem will go away.
Become bold and active and start doing something about whatever you feel is bothering you. Nothing will change until you activate such change. Remember if you are in waiting mode and your dispute is with someone else you are handing control to this person. When you live in the NOW and you act in the present tense you make your life predictable and much more stress free. When you live in the FUTURE and fail to take action in the NOW you are “manufacturing” your own house of pain.
The only way that you can escape this stuck in the future or past zone is to begin to live in the NOW. Give yourself a fair chance to make a success of any given day. You can do this by talking to yourself.
Tell yourself that you are not interested in things that might never happen or that happened in the past. You are talking to yourself all day long, make these “chats” constructive and motivational. Give yourself a break and stop running yourself down. When you find your mind drifting into the “horror” mode tell yourself that you are not going to waste energy on events that may never happen. If you mind drifts into the “feel sorry for me mode”, take control and say, “I create my own circumstances and will not create a torture chamber for myself today.” Wipe the slate clean every morning and attack each day with enthusiasm and commitment. Live for the moment my friend. Today and each and every day is indeed a new day with wonderful opportunities if you are focused on the now.
For those interested in South Africa, and its story of apartheid, of what it was, where it led, and where the outcome of a disastrous majority rule seems to be heading, this three minute read is a very good start.
.
South African-born Ilana Mercer is the daughter of a rabbi who was active in the fight against apartheid. Within a year of the establishment of black rule, however, she saw what was coming and decided to move out. Now a columnist based in the US, she writes regularly for World Net Daily, VDare, and her own weblog (barelyablog.com), and has published one previous book, a collection of libertarian essays called Broad Sides: One Woman’s Clash with a Corrupt Culture. She had considerable difficulty getting this new book published because of its unfashionable criticism of majority rule and insufficient praise for leftist icon Nelson Mandela.
The ” Bad old days “
Mrs. Mercer is no apologist for the apartheid system, which she calls “reprehensible” and “contemptible,” but she clears up some misconceptions about it. Apartheid was never based on a theory of racial supremacy; rather, it was a survival strategy for the badly outnumbered Boers. She notes that the Afrikaner nationalist intelligentsia “almost without exception defended apartheid not as an expression of white superiority but on the grounds of its assumed capacity to reduce conflict by curtailing points of interracial contact.” The system was anything but lawless; the Afrikaner government “was characterized by an obsession with imposing restrictions through proper legislation and with due process in executing these laws.”
On the eve of Afrikaner rule in 1946, the black population of South Africa was 8.6 million; by 1991 it had grown to 28.3 million. At the same time, life expectancy soared from 38 to 61 years.
This period saw the economy grow by an average 3.5 percent every year. White industrialists, especially in the mining industry, put constant pressure on the government to allow them to use more black labor, and it was during these years that blacks came to dominate many semi-skilled trades such as construction, sheet metal, furniture, clothing, and baking.
Under apartheid, the white share of total personal income steadily declined as the black share rose. According to the International Monetary Fund, by 1987 South African whites were paying 32 percent of their incomes in taxes but receiving only 9 percent in benefits. The excess was consumed mostly by blacks in the form of welfare, housing, health, and education, amounting to one-and-a-half times what they paid in. South Africa was a Mecca for black immigrants from across the continent. Indeed, were it not for the international boycotts and embargoes, South Africa would probably have continued to experience steady economic growth, producing a sizeable black middle class with an interest in political stability.
Crime was already a problem in the black townships in those days, but a tough and competent white police force kept it within bounds. A Western system of Roman-Dutch law and a relatively independent judiciary dished out prompt and harsh justice, including the death penalty for necklacing, muti-murder (aimed at obtaining body parts for witchcraft) and baby-rape (believed to cure AIDS). However much they resented the race laws, ordinary blacks had no desire to do without the physical protection offered by the white police force.
Much of the apartheid system was gradually scrapped by the white government itself, beginning in the early 1980s. Coloreds and Indians were admitted to Parliament, influx control laws were dismantled, public facilities desegregated, and anti-miscegenation laws repealed. Blacks enjoyed full property rights and were accepted at historically white universities.
For those interested in South Africa, and its story of apartheid, of what it was, where it led, and where the outcome of a disastrous majority rule seems to be heading, this three minute read is a very good start.
.
South African-born Ilana Mercer is the daughter of a rabbi who was active in the fight against apartheid. Within a year of the establishment of black rule, however, she saw what was coming and decided to move out. Now a columnist based in the US, she writes regularly for World Net Daily, VDare, and her own weblog (barelyablog.com), and has published one previous book, a collection of libertarian essays called Broad Sides: One Woman’s Clash with a Corrupt Culture. She had considerable difficulty getting this new book published because of its unfashionable criticism of majority rule and insufficient praise for leftist icon Nelson Mandela.
The ” Bad old days “
Mrs. Mercer is no apologist for the apartheid system, which she calls “reprehensible” and “contemptible,” but she clears up some misconceptions about it. Apartheid was never based on a theory of racial supremacy; rather, it was a survival strategy for the badly outnumbered Boers. She notes that the Afrikaner nationalist intelligentsia “almost without exception defended apartheid not as an expression of white superiority but on the grounds of its assumed capacity to reduce conflict by curtailing points of interracial contact.” The system was anything but lawless; the Afrikaner government “was characterized by an obsession with imposing restrictions through proper legislation and with due process in executing these laws.”
On the eve of Afrikaner rule in 1946, the black population of South Africa was 8.6 million; by 1991 it had grown to 28.3 million. At the same time, life expectancy soared from 38 to 61 years.
This period saw the economy grow by an average 3.5 percent every year. White industrialists, especially in the mining industry, put constant pressure on the government to allow them to use more black labor, and it was during these years that blacks came to dominate many semi-skilled trades such as construction, sheet metal, furniture, clothing, and baking.
Under apartheid, the white share of total personal income steadily declined as the black share rose. According to the International Monetary Fund, by 1987 South African whites were paying 32 percent of their incomes in taxes but receiving only 9 percent in benefits. The excess was consumed mostly by blacks in the form of welfare, housing, health, and education, amounting to one-and-a-half times what they paid in. South Africa was a Mecca for black immigrants from across the continent. Indeed, were it not for the international boycotts and embargoes, South Africa would probably have continued to experience steady economic growth, producing a sizeable black middle class with an interest in political stability.
Crime was already a problem in the black townships in those days, but a tough and competent white police force kept it within bounds. A Western system of Roman-Dutch law and a relatively independent judiciary dished out prompt and harsh justice, including the death penalty for necklacing, muti-murder (aimed at obtaining body parts for witchcraft) and baby-rape (believed to cure AIDS). However much they resented the race laws, ordinary blacks had no desire to do without the physical protection offered by the white police force.
Much of the apartheid system was gradually scrapped by the white government itself, beginning in the early 1980s. Coloreds and Indians were admitted to Parliament, influx control laws were dismantled, public facilities desegregated, and anti-miscegenation laws repealed. Blacks enjoyed full property rights and were accepted at historically white universities.
A Xhosa born to the Thembu royal family, Mandela attended the Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. Living in Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonialpolitics, joining the ANC and becoming a founding member of its Youth League. After the South African National Party came to power in 1948, he rose to prominence in the ANC’s 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organisation’s Transvaal chapter and presided over the 1955 Congress of the People. Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961. Although initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961 in association with the South African Communist Party, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962 he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial.
We are without any doubt sitting on a massive time bomb that could soon lead to anarchy, death and destruction that will make historical uprisings look like feeble rehearsals. We have grinding poverty and large numbers of angry potential workers that are sitting at home or wandering the streets looking for jobs. We have desperate mothers that daily struggle to put food on the table. We also have employed workers that feel that they are slaves and hopelessly underpaid and exploited. We have a school system that is in crisis management mode most of the time. We have run away price increases in water, electricity, fuel and shopping bills etc. I am not going to expand on the picture above because it not only enough to make you depressed for a week, but could fuel the fire of desperation in those that are on the receiving end of our current bleak vision of the future.
Politicians need to take a big proportion of the blame for the stormy social weather that we are facing. The horrific residue of the previous regime is still visible and often used as a hiding place by many that promised their voters that they would lead them into the land of milk and honey. A spirit of entitlement is now hanging over our nation like smog soon after dawn.
A parent/child relationship developed since the birth of our new South Africa. Politicians promised homes, electricity, education, affordable health care, jobs and progress for all. These are wonderful objectives to strive for, but it is also an elusive target to try to pin down. A few responsible politicians made it clear that it will demand patience, time and accountability from all citizens. Others ran around the country and fuelled the fire of impatience with the mindless rhetoric. We are currently looking at a combination of impatience and poor leadership blended into a toxic brew.
Those that suffer because of poor leadership and the broken promises are ready to storm the castle and loot what they can lay their hands on. A socialistic spirit fuelled by many leaders might soon ignite a fire that will not easily be stopped. Those that are currently suffering will rather see everyone equally poor than face another year of pain and despair.
The time has come for strong honest leadership that come clean with the nation. Someone must “tell it like it is” and remove the many false perceptions that is currently driving the angry mobs. Someone must remove the blinkers from the nation’s eyes and explain the law of cause and effect and the law of input and output. The nation must be taught that every action have a reaction. It must be explained that burning down stuff will in the end erode the funds that could have been utilized to alleviate their plight. A leader must expand the current insight of the nation when it comes to how the world works and what drive the economy. It is important to share the painful reality that nations worldwide struggle with daily. Our disadvantaged and jobless must be educated about the reality of the monster that the government is fighting against. I get the distinct feeling that our failed historical regime and apartheid is made the scapegoat that must be brought down. This frame of mind is threatening a very important centre core pillar that is still playing a vital role on many fronts. Killing or getting rid of the perceived scapegoat could bring the house down and cause circumstances that are to shocking to contemplate. The following must be explained to the nation.
1. At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. Source1
2. More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where income differentials are widening. Source2
3. The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income. Source3
4. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.” Source4
5. Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. The two regions that account for the bulk of the deficit are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
If current trends continue, the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the proportion of underweight children will be missed by 30 million children, largely because of slow progress in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Source5
6. Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers. Source6
7. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. Source7
8. Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen. Source8
9. Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the poor across the world. An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004. Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities: Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths and African children account for over 80 percent of malaria victims worldwide. Source 9
Only when everyone understands that it will take a collective effort by everyone will we begin to evolve beyond the current trend clearly visible worldwide. Only when we as a nation begin to focus on solutions and not problems will we begin to work ourselves out of the discomfort and pain that we are going through. Attacking government, looting, killing and fighting will not solve the long-term problems that we face. We now need responsible and honest leadership that not only educate the children, but also educate the nation on the massive task that we are faced with. We must now weave a strong spirit of realistic hope. The nation will be much more tolerant when they understand that what we are going through is also experienced by billions all over the world.
Rene
I suggest that you read the following at the link below. Look at the global picture before you for an opinion about our own current situation.
Bacteria have flourished on earth for over three billion years. They were here first, long before any of those adorable reptiles.
Go forth and multiply:
They’re prolific, too. Here’s a population count that’s beyond our comprehension: bacteria and their relatives, number at least five billion trillion trillion. If you could stop time long enough to line them all up nose to tail in a straight line, they’d stretch from here to the edge of the known universe (about ten billion light-years away). No other life-form on earth comes even close in second place.
In theory a single organism could produce about one billion little clones between lunch and dinnertime. The beauty of bacteria (and the part that scares us, too) is that they are always mutating and evolving into new and wondrous forms.
There is a mindset in many countries including South Africa that their governments can continue to provide a high standard of living to each citizen notwithstanding the indisputable fact that its population endlessly multiply. Governments attempt to address needs like housing, services, safety, schools, hospitals and job opportunities etc. to the best of their abilities, but often fail miserably. The reason why we have serious problems globally, specifically in South Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the fact that it became impossible to service the needs of their citizens with the financial resources available.
Governments work on the same inflow and outflow principle that drives businesses or any entity that rely on financial resources to remain viable. You cannot extract more water from a dam than the current content available. The same holds true when it comes to our individual needs. We cannot extract more funds from our bank account than the current balance indicated by our bank. We are forced to obtain additional funds from our bank if we want to continue to use this resource. Governments are forced to do the same. They must also either tax their citizens more in an attempt to get more water (money) in the bank and/or loan money from other sources. The problem that we are faced with is that a huge percentage of our populations cannot contribute much towards the current financial requirements needed to keep our citizens (also voters) happy. Our high unemployment statistics and the massive needs of the poor became almost unbearable to government.
I opened this article with the example of the multiplication of bacteria. We became a safe haven for millions of asylum seekers from Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. Our financial problems have multiplied many times because of this indisputable fact. Our already scarce financial resources have been stretched to a breaking point. The domino effect caused by our own population growth and the influx of endless millions over our borders, plus the inequalities caused by the previous regime pushed us onto the edge of a bottomless precipice. The government cannot make the current inflow – outflow financial system work, even if they have the best intentions in the world. The government cannot endlessly build houses, hospitals, schools, roads etc. without some indication when those that are on the receiving end will be able to pay for these services and accommodation.
My Predictions for South Africa for the next fifteen years
I see more and more desperate and sometimes opportunistic people streaming to South Africa to escape the political and social problems that will continue to escalate throughout Africa and many other countries worldwide. I see the current financial instability escalating to alarming proportion. There will be brief moments of reprieve, but the general decline experienced will gradually reach crisis proportions. The current expectations of those that are jobless and in dire straits will soon force enormous modifications on all South Africans. The pressure exerted by those that are suffering, instigated by opportunistic politicians will force the current government to make decisions that will have huge implications for all especially white South Africans.
Job reservation for those that the government deem disadvantaged will cause more and more whites to get sidelined by managements that are forced to execute even more stringent employment requirements. Graduates (black and especially white) that completed their studies will just not find employment. A general feeling of hopelessness will come over school children long before they are ready to go to university. The percentage of whites in South Africa will initially sustain its current level and then rapidly decrease because more and more whites that feel unwelcome and underutilized will be forced to look for opportunities elsewhere.
There will a strong brain drain of highly specialized personal. The drain will not only include individuals in the medical professions, but also include huge numbers in many other specialized fields. Retrenchments because of employment policies and crime will speed up this process rapidly in the near future. The shocking truth of the matter is that the race and party driven policies, the perceived historical inequalities, the lack of qualified workers and managers and the inability to let go of the past will ultimately destroy a once vibrant country that boasted with unlimited potential.
The insistence of appointing unqualified, often unmotivated and lazy individuals with limited or no management skills will continue. More and more state departments and municipalities will deteriorate and falter in the near future. The social problems and the demand that politicians keep their election promises will force those in government to take high risk poorly contemplated decisions in an attempt to subdue the riots in the streets. I see fractures in the ANC that will cause an endless stream of new parties to rise that will leave no stone unturned to grab the power positions with its lucrative financial rewards left behind by the previous elite. The horrific fact of the matter is that those that yearn for power do not have the ability, experience and know-how to address even the minor current issues that the current government is facing. It is not about helping those in need, it is about the power and the privilege to masquerade as leaders and politicians.
The doorway to power is the votes of enough individuals that support the opportunists’ brand of liberation. The word financial liberation will continuously slide off the lips of those that yearn for power and position. Liberation songs will eco throughout the land while these opportunists lead our nation to destruction. I see disorder and burning buildings. I see a spirit of entitlement that will cloud the judgment of these opportunists. I see a country in ruin and streams of people leaving our borders to see if they can find safety in bordering states. The fleeing millions will leave behind a country stripped of all its wealth. It will look as if a swarm of locusts moved through the cities, suburbs and farms.
The amazing thing about predictions is that you can fend off the dark picture that I painted. The choices you make daily create your fate and future. We can avoid the misery predicted by making high quality choices. Sanity must prevail and wisdom must dawn on those that really care about this amazing country. We must stop living in the past. We must stop looking at race. We must plan for the future, while we develop a spirit of unity and integrity. The something for nothing mode of thinking must go. We must move forward with leaders that are qualified for the task at hand irrespective of their color or creed. The idea that you can rob Peter to pay Paul must be removed from our thinking process. Politicians must stop making promises that simply cannot be kept. The nation must be told the truth about our current status. Education must become a top priority, not only in schools, but in all sectors of life. We have little time to repel the adversity that our future holds for us. I am unfortunately not very optimistic that any of the recommendations mentioned above will be followed. The bacterial example I used when I started this article might overwhelm South Africa and reduce it to rubble before it will one day rise out of its ashes of ignorance.
Rene
Above : Joel Street, Berea.
Above: Apartments, Olivia Street, Berea.
Above: Apartments, cnr Lily Ave and Olivia Street, Berea.
Above: the destroyed building on the corner of Claim and Pretoria Streets, Hillbrow. Peter Rose used to publish the Hillbrow Herald from this building…I wonder what happened to him?
Above: A closeup of the corner of Claim andPretoria Streets. There used to be a dance studio and a fancy fashion outfitters there… I recall it was too expensive for me (mid 1980s).
Above: Anyone remember buying records at the Hillbrow Record Centre, Pretoria Street, Hillbrow? Well you can’t anymore. It’s boarded and barred up, like many shops in the area.
Above: Anyone remember the Milky Lane milkshake shop above Hillbrow Record Centre? Well, it’s also gone, long time….
Above: Street scene, Pretoria Road. Formerly one of the main shopping roads in Hillbrow. The mattresses and blankets are from locals who sleep in the streets.
Follow this link for more pictures and additional information.
Bacteria have flourished on earth for over three billion years. They were here first, long before any of those adorable reptiles.
Go forth and multiply:
They’re prolific, too. Here’s a population count that’s beyond our comprehension: bacteria and their relatives, number at least five billion trillion trillion. If you could stop time long enough to line them all up nose to tail in a straight line, they’d stretch from here to the edge of the known universe (about ten billion light-years away). No other life-form on earth comes even close in second place.
In theory a single organism could produce about one billion little clones between lunch and dinnertime. The beauty of bacteria (and the part that scares us, too) is that they are always mutating and evolving into new and wondrous forms.
There is a mindset in many countries including South Africa that their governments can continue to provide a high standard of living to each citizen notwithstanding the indisputable fact that its population endlessly multiply. Governments attempt to address needs like housing, services, safety, schools, hospitals and job opportunities etc. to the best of their abilities, but often fail miserably. The reason why we have serious problems globally, specifically in South Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the fact that it became impossible to service the needs of their citizens with the financial resources available.
Governments work on the same inflow and outflow principle that drives businesses or any entity that rely on financial resources to remain viable. You cannot extract more water from a dam than the current content available. The same holds true when it comes to our individual needs. We cannot extract more funds from our bank account than the current balance indicated by our bank. We are forced to obtain additional funds from our bank if we want to continue to use this resource. Governments are forced to do the same. They must also either tax their citizens more in an attempt to get more water (money) in the bank and/or loan money from other sources. The problem that we are faced with is that a huge percentage of our populations cannot contribute much towards the current financial requirements needed to keep our citizens (also voters) happy. Our high unemployment statistics and the massive needs of the poor became almost unbearable to government.
I opened this article with the example of the multiplication of bacteria. We became a safe haven for millions of asylum seekers from Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. Our financial problems have multiplied many times because of this indisputable fact. Our already scarce financial resources have been stretched to a breaking point. The domino effect caused by our own population growth and the influx of endless millions over our borders, plus the inequalities caused by the previous regime pushed us onto the edge of a bottomless precipice. The government cannot make the current inflow – outflow financial system work, even if they have the best intentions in the world. The government cannot endlessly build houses, hospitals, schools, roads etc. without some indication when those that are on the receiving end will be able to pay for these services and accommodation.
My Predictions for South Africa for the next fifteen/twenty years
I see more and more desperate and sometimes opportunistic people streaming to South Africa to escape the political and social problems that will continue to escalate throughout Africa and many other countries worldwide. I see the current financial instability escalating to alarming proportion. There will be brief moments of reprieve, but the general decline experienced will gradually reach crisis proportions. The current expectations of those that are jobless and in dire straits will soon force enormous modifications on all South Africans. The pressure exerted by those that are suffering, instigated by opportunistic politicians will force the current government to make decisions that will have huge implications for all especially white South Africans.
Job reservation for those that the government deem disadvantaged will cause more and more whites to get sidelined by managements that are forced to execute even more stringent employment requirements. Graduates (black and especially white) that completed their studies will just not find employment. A general feeling of hopelessness will come over school children long before they are ready to go to university. The percentage of whites in South Africa will initially sustain its current level and then rapidly decrease because more and more whites that feel unwelcome and underutilized will be forced to look for opportunities elsewhere.
There will a strong brain drain of highly specialized personal. The drain will not only include individuals in the medical professions, but also include huge numbers in many other specialized fields. Retrenchments because of employment policies and crime will speed up this process rapidly in the near future. The shocking truth of the matter is that the race and party driven policies, the perceived historical inequalities, the lack of qualified workers and managers and the inability to let go of the past will ultimately destroy a once vibrant country that boasted with unlimited potential.
The insistence of appointing unqualified, often unmotivated and lazy individuals with limited or no management skills will continue. More and more state departments and municipalities will deteriorate and falter in the near future. The social problems and the demand that politicians keep their election promises will force those in government to take high risk poorly contemplated decisions in an attempt to subdue the riots in the streets. I see fractures in the ANC that will cause an endless stream of new parties to rise that will leave no stone unturned to grab the power positions with its lucrative financial rewards left behind by the previous elite. The horrific fact of the matter is that those that yearn for power do not have the ability, experience and know-how to address even the minor current issues that the current government is facing. It is not about helping those in need, it is about the power and the privilege to masquerade as leaders and politicians.
The doorway to power is the votes of enough individuals that support the opportunists’ brand of liberation. The word financial liberation will continuously slide off the lips of those that yearn for power and position. Liberation songs will eco throughout the land while these opportunists lead our nation to destruction. I see disorder and burning buildings. I see a spirit of entitlement that will cloud the judgment of these opportunists. I see a country in ruin and streams of people leaving our borders to see if they can find safety in bordering states. The fleeing millions will leave behind a country stripped of all its wealth. It will look as if a swarm of locusts moved through the cities, suburbs and farms.
The amazing thing about predictions is that you can fend off the dark picture that I painted. The choices you make daily create your fate and future. We can avoid the misery predicted by making high quality choices. Sanity must prevail and wisdom must dawn on those that really care about this amazing country. We must stop living in the past. We must stop looking at race. We must plan for the future, while we develop a spirit of unity and integrity. The something for nothing mode of thinking must go. We must move forward with leaders that are qualified for the task at hand irrespective of their color or creed. The idea that you can rob Peter to pay Paul must be removed from our thinking process. Politicians must stop making promises that simply cannot be kept. The nation must be told the truth about our current status. Education must become a top priority, not only in schools, but in all sectors of life. We have little time to repel the adversity that our future holds for us. I am unfortunately not very optimistic that any of the recommendations mentioned above will be followed. The bacterial example I used when I started this article might overwhelm South Africa and reduce it to rubble before it will one day rise out of its ashes of ignorance.
Between 1948 and 1993 South Africa’s National Party government pursued a system of legal racial segregation known worldwide as Apartheid. Under this system the country’s inhabitants were classified as black, white, coloured or Indian and segregated – often by forced removals – along racial lines. It was an ill-thought policy which also saw a clear distinction between the level of public sector service and infrastructure provided to white people and that offered to their black counterparts. The African National Congress (ANC) – assisted by global sanctions and a growing realization from within the old guard that things would have to change– chipped away at the National Party stranglehold. They scored numerous victories including the un-banning of the organisation (1990), the release of Nelson Mandela (subsequently South Africa’s first truly democratically elected President) and the country’s first “free and fair” democratic election in 1994.
Today – in the dark chambers of an office somewhere in Luthuli House (ANC headquarter) – the new chosen race is busy carving out every manner of race division they wish. They call it “righting the wrongs” of the past – but in reality it’s a social engineering project as insulting as the very policy they rallied so hard against. Before I continue this tirade would you please place a “tick” in the appropriate box? Are you Black, Coloured, Indian, Chinese, Other Asian, White English or White Afrikaans?
Your “value” still hinges on your colour
In their attempt to redress the wrongs of the past the ANC (now the governing party of South Africa) has descended into the murky world of race politics. Their legislation is littered with race-based measures and outcomes – often in stark contradiction to the country’s impressive constitution. To date the people have accepted these laws. They understood the requirement for Affirmative Action and Employment Equity in the work place. They even understood the need for these policies to be rush-implemented, often ignoring the safety nets built in to protect the new minority.
Nobody blinked when the private sector sat with government and set about creating race-based redress through Broad Economic Empowerment and so-called sector charters. And we sat by as these policies shifted massive wealth from the private sector into the hands of a select few… Corporate South Africa has largely ignored the long-term negative impact of race-based policies in favour of keeping the peace. Who knows how much growth has been sacrificed due to inexperienced board appointments, premature promotions and the appointment of correct-race cadres to state run institutions. In recent times, instead of apologising for damage these policies are causing, government ministers are calling for an acceleration of race transformation.
Group Areas II – send a couple more coloureds this way please!
Government’s latest plan is the most insensitive yet. Trade union Solidarity and the opposition Democratic Alliance have expressed dismay at proposed amendments to the Employment Equity Act, which would require a massive racial realignment of employment in provinces. By simply changing a few words in the Act politicians would require Employment Equity plans to mirror the national demographics of the economically active population rather than the economically active population of a region, as currently required. Solidarity’s deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann claimed on Sunday the amendments amounted to “a massive and unfeasible social engineering programme”.
If successful the legislation would require a massive race-based redistribution of citizens. The economically active distribution in the Western Cape, for example, is approximately 54.8% coloured, 29.1% black, 15.6 percent white and 0.5% Indian. Solidarity says firms in the province would have to radically increase their black and Indian headcount, while reducing white and coloured representation by 80% and 22% respectively to reflect the national race spread. Solidarity says for the legislation to “work” employees in Limpopo Province would have to attract at least 10 000 economically active coloured persons, while around 268 600 economically active black persons would have to move from the province.”
“The proposals also invalidate the concept of ‘black’ as defined in the Employment Equity Act. In reality, coloured and Indian South Africans are thus, as it were, written out of the designated group,” says Henneman.
A definite step backwards!
The news wires were full of reader comment lambasting the proposal. Although the arguments offered by Solidarity and the official opposition probably inflate the impact of the proposed amendment, government has done little to prove it has the interest of all races at heart. If the policy is implemented it will result to higher (than the national average) rates of unemployment among coloured and white residents in the Western Cape. Likewise it will result in higher (than the national average) rate of employment for blacks and Indians in the same province.
And heaven forbid we even see a return to the days of slave trade. Imagine one of the major financial services companies in the Western Cape getting on the line to his race quota advisor in Durban… He might say: “Send us two more busloads of Indian customer services workers – and make it quick – we’re contravening the Employment Equity Act!” What? They don’t want to move to Cape Town? Smash their houses and rough them up a bit – they’ll get the message – it’s what’s best for the country…
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Bacteria have flourished on earth for over three billion years. They were here first, long before any of those adorable reptiles.
Go forth and multiply:
They’re prolific, too. Here’s a population count that’s beyond our comprehension: bacteria and their relatives, number at least five billion trillion trillion. If you could stop time long enough to line them all up nose to tail in a straight line, they’d stretch from here to the edge of the known universe (about ten billion light-years away). No other life-form on earth comes even close in second place.
In theory a single organism could produce about one billion little clones between lunch and dinnertime. The beauty of bacteria (and the part that scares us, too) is that they are always mutating and evolving into new and wondrous forms.
There is a mindset in many countries including South Africa that their governments can continue to provide a high standard of living to each citizen notwithstanding the indisputable fact that its population endlessly multiply. Governments attempt to address needs like housing, services, safety, schools, hospitals and job opportunities etc. to the best of their abilities, but often fail miserably. The reason why we have serious problems globally, specifically in South Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the fact that it became impossible to service the needs of their citizens with the financial resources available.
Governments work on the same inflow and outflow principle that drives businesses or any entity that rely on financial resources to remain viable. You cannot extract more water from a dam than the current content available. The same holds true when it comes to our individual needs. We cannot extract more funds from our bank account than the current balance indicated by our bank. We are forced to obtain additional funds from our bank if we want to continue to use this resource. Governments are forced to do the same. They must also either tax their citizens more in an attempt to get more water (money) in the bank and/or loan money from other sources. The problem that we are faced with is that a huge percentage of our populations cannot contribute much towards the current financial requirements needed to keep our citizens (also voters) happy. Our high unemployment statistics and the massive needs of the poor became almost unbearable to government.
I opened this article with the example of the multiplication of bacteria. We became a safe haven for millions of asylum seekers from Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. Our financial problems have multiplied many times because of this indisputable fact. Our already scarce financial resources have been stretched to a breaking point. The domino effect caused by our own population growth and the influx of endless millions over our borders, plus the inequalities caused by the previous regime pushed us onto the edge of a bottomless precipice. The government cannot make the current inflow – outflow financial system work, even if they have the best intentions in the world. The government cannot endlessly build houses, hospitals, schools, roads etc. without some indication when those that are on the receiving end will be able to pay for these services and accommodation.
My Predictions for South Africa for the next fifteen years
I see more and more desperate and sometimes opportunistic people streaming to South Africa to escape the political and social problems that will continue to escalate throughout Africa and many other countries worldwide. I see the current financial instability escalating to alarming proportion. There will be brief moments of reprieve, but the general decline experienced will gradually reach crisis proportions. The current expectations of those that are jobless and in dire straits will soon force enormous modifications on all South Africans. The pressure exerted by those that are suffering, instigated by opportunistic politicians will force the current government to make decisions that will have huge implications for all especially white South Africans.
Job reservation for those that the government deem disadvantaged will cause more and more whites to get sidelined by managements that are forced to execute even more stringent employment requirements. Graduates (black and especially white) that completed their studies will just not find employment. A general feeling of hopelessness will come over school children long before they are ready to go to university. The percentage of whites in South Africa will initially sustain its current level and then rapidly decrease because more and more whites that feel unwelcome and underutilized will be forced to look for opportunities elsewhere.
There will a strong brain drain of highly specialized personal. The drain will not only include individuals in the medical professions, but also include huge numbers in many other specialized fields. Retrenchments because of employment policies and crime will speed up this process rapidly in the near future. The shocking truth of the matter is that the race and party driven policies, the perceived historical inequalities, the lack of qualified workers and managers and the inability to let go of the past will ultimately destroy a once vibrant country that boasted with unlimited potential.
The insistence of appointing unqualified, often unmotivated and lazy individuals with limited or no management skills will continue. More and more state departments and municipalities will deteriorate and falter in the near future. The social problems and the demand that politicians keep their election promises will force those in government to take high risk poorly contemplated decisions in an attempt to subdue the riots in the streets. I see fractures in the ANC that will cause an endless stream of new parties to rise that will leave no stone unturned to grab the power positions with its lucrative financial rewards left behind by the previous elite. The horrific fact of the matter is that those that yearn for power do not have the ability, experience and know-how to address even the minor current issues that the current government is facing. It is not about helping those in need, it is about the power and the privilege to masquerade as leaders and politicians.
The doorway to power is the votes of enough individuals that support the opportunists’ brand of liberation. The word financial liberation will continuously slide off the lips of those that yearn for power and position. Liberation songs will eco throughout the land while these opportunists lead our nation to destruction. I see disorder and burning buildings. I see a spirit of entitlement that will cloud the judgment of these opportunists. I see a country in ruin and streams of people leaving our borders to see if they can find safety in bordering states. The fleeing millions will leave behind a country stripped of all its wealth. It will look as if a swarm of locusts moved through the cities, suburbs and farms.
The amazing thing about predictions is that you can fend off the dark picture that I painted. The choices you make daily create your fate and future. We can avoid the misery predicted by making high quality choices. Sanity must prevail and wisdom must dawn on those that really care about this amazing country. We must stop living in the past. We must stop looking at race. We must plan for the future, while we develop a spirit of unity and integrity. The something for nothing mode of thinking must go. We must move forward with leaders that are qualified for the task at hand irrespective of their color or creed. The idea that you can rob Peter to pay Paul must be removed from our thinking process. Politicians must stop making promises that simply cannot be kept. The nation must be told the truth about our current status. Education must become a top priority, not only in schools, but in all sectors of life. We have little time to repel the adversity that our future holds for us. I am unfortunately not very optimistic that any of the recommendations mentioned above will be followed. The bacterial example I used when I started this article might overwhelm South Africa and reduce it to rubble before it will one day rise out of its ashes of ignorance.
I studied my manager for a few moments. I could not make up my mind if this man was some kind of idiot or if he was just extremely ignorant and naive. He just finished venting his utter frustration with the employment policy of the corporation. I knew that he carefully blamed the corporation in an attempt not to offend me. I was after all the one that stopped his attempt to appointment an under qualified applicant for a vacant district manager post for his region. I questioned the fancy monthly salary, yearly bonuses and other benefits that he anticipated offering this applicant. I waited for a few moments to allow him to regain his composure and for the colour to return to his red-flushed face before I spoke.
“I will tell you what I will do for you,” I said in a tone of voice that created the impression that he wore me down. “I will approve this application on one condition,” “You can appoint this man on your terms if you are prepared to pay in the shortfall if he fails to achieve the expected output that we expect from this position.” He almost swallowed his tongue. He jumped up and started waving his hands like a traffic officer doing duty at an accident scene. I for a moment thought that he was busy having a stroke or heart attack. “How can you expect me to pay if this man fails in his attempt to achieve the objectives set for this position?” I am not going to extend this example (that actually took place) any further. I am sure you by now can see where I am going with this article.
We had a policy at the giant corporation that I worked for that included the following formula when it came to the appointment of staff. We expected staff members to be “worth” at least 4.2 times the salary and benefits that we paid him or her. We could calculate the value of the “output” of any staff member in any position by calculating the actual value that any employee added to our collective objectives. We had a monthly report back system that we circulated throughout the company that showed the performance level of each individual compared to the (4.2) formula mentioned above. This system worked exceedingly well. Every staff member in the company knew the productivity equation of every other staff member. This report also displayed the overall performance levels of each team as well as the company as a whole. Sustained underperformance was not tolerated from any individual, department or region.
We cannot carry on pacifying angered voters by continuously expanding the size of government in an attempt to create the impression of job creation. We cannot have huge numbers of individuals in management positions that are incompetent, lazy and unproductive. We need a lean and highly motivated government that fully understand the task at hand. Accountability must become a key factor in all departments. Entitlement must be wiped out of the minds of those that are appointed to serve the citizens of this country. Every worker must grasp that it is a privilege to serve the nation. The perception displayed by many politicians that the people are peasants serving a king must go. The penny must drop that every individual in government is actually there to service the nation. I noticed on my visits to China that every worker fully understood that there are millions waiting in line for their job if they failed to perform as expected. The same spirit must become our guideline if we want to address the massive imbalances and joblessness issues that we wrestle with. The biggest killer of productivity is that it is virtually impossible to fire a person once appointed. Many applicants run until they catch the “I now have a job” bus and then bask behind the “I am now untouchable” barrier of “employee rights”.
The final element that I want to mention is the unrealistic salaries and bonuses that are paid to individuals. Many in leadership positions are paid unrealistic salaries, bonuses and other benefits. Very few of these disproportionately paid leaders and for that matter their staff members would pass the mentioned (4.2) formula mentioned above.
I don’t want to sound like a profit of doom, but just I cannot see that the issues mentioned above will be addressed before the avalanche of angry multitude hit us like a ton of bricks. There are instigators waiting in the shadows that are creating the impression that they have all the answers to problems that we are faced with. They are currently fuelling the fire of anarchy.
It is time for us to wake up to the reality of a world that is busy falling apart on many fronts. Look at Europe, the Middle East and many countries in Africa. We will soon have anarchy in South Africa that will make some of the other current upheavals worldwide look like a Sunday school picnic. The politicians must immediately start an educations program that will inform all citizens where we are and what we need to do to achieve stability and a better life for everyone. It serves no purpose continually apportioning blame on the previous regime and the whites. We must come to terms with the reality of the moment. The old primitive way of burning things down just does not work in today’s political and financial climate. We must accept “WHAT IS” and under strong leadership work toward where we want to be. We need a true hero that will lead this nation into the future. This leader must spell out the disaster zone we find ourselves in today. This leader and his team must then come up with solid plans that will show all citizens what we collectively need to do if we want to grow and prosper. This leader must put in place an public accountability method that will daily measure the progress made.
Bacteria have flourished on earth for over three billion years. They were here first, long before any of those adorable reptiles.
Go forth and multiply:
They’re prolific, too. Here’s a population count that’s beyond our comprehension: bacteria and their relatives, number at least five billion trillion trillion. If you could stop time long enough to line them all up nose to tail in a straight line, they’d stretch from here to the edge of the known universe (about ten billion light-years away). No other life-form on earth comes even close in second place.
In theory a single organism could produce about one billion little clones between lunch and dinnertime. The beauty of bacteria (and the part that scares us, too) is that they are always mutating and evolving into new and wondrous forms.
There is a mindset in many countries including South Africa that their governments can continue to provide a high standard of living to each citizen notwithstanding the indisputable fact that its population endlessly multiply. Governments attempt to address needs like housing, services, safety, schools, hospitals and job opportunities etc. to the best of their abilities, but often fail miserably. The reason why we have serious problems globally, specifically in South Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the fact that it became impossible to service the needs of their citizens with the financial resources available.
Governments work on the same inflow and outflow principle that drives businesses or any entity that rely on financial resources to remain viable. You cannot extract more water from a dam than the current content available. The same holds true when it comes to our individual needs. We cannot extract more funds from our bank account than the current balance indicated by our bank. We are forced to obtain additional funds from our bank if we want to continue to use this resource. Governments are forced to do the same. They must also either tax their citizens more in an attempt to get more water (money) in the bank and/or loan money from other sources. The problem that we are faced with is that a huge percentage of our populations cannot contribute much towards the current financial requirements needed to keep our citizens (also voters) happy. Our high unemployment statistics and the massive needs of the poor became almost unbearable to government.
I opened this article with the example of the multiplication of bacteria. We became a safe haven for millions of asylum seekers from Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. Our financial problems have multiplied many times because of this indisputable fact. Our already scarce financial resources have been stretched to a breaking point. The domino effect caused by our own population growth and the influx of endless millions over our borders, plus the inequalities caused by the previous regime pushed us onto the edge of a bottomless precipice. The government cannot make the current inflow – outflow financial system work, even if they have the best intentions in the world. The government cannot endlessly build houses, hospitals, schools, roads etc. without some indication when those that are on the receiving end will be able to pay for these services and accommodation.
My Predictions for South Africa for the next fifteen years
I see more and more desperate and sometimes opportunistic people streaming to South Africa to escape the political and social problems that will continue to escalate throughout Africa and many other countries worldwide. I see the current financial instability escalating to alarming proportion. There will be brief moments of reprieve, but the general decline experienced will gradually reach crisis proportions. The current expectations of those that are jobless and in dire straits will soon force enormous modifications on all South Africans. The pressure exerted by those that are suffering, instigated by opportunistic politicians will force the current government to make decisions that will have huge implications for all especially white South Africans.
Job reservation for those that the government deem disadvantaged will cause more and more whites to get sidelined by managements that are forced to execute even more stringent employment requirements. Graduates (black and especially white) that completed their studies will just not find employment. A general feeling of hopelessness will come over school children long before they are ready to go to university. The percentage of whites in South Africa will initially sustain its current level and then rapidly decrease because more and more whites that feel unwelcome and underutilized will be forced to look for opportunities elsewhere.
There will a strong brain drain of highly specialized personal. The drain will not only include individuals in the medical professions, but also include huge numbers in many other specialized fields. Retrenchments because of employment policies and crime will speed up this process rapidly in the near future. The shocking truth of the matter is that the race and party driven policies, the perceived historical inequalities, the lack of qualified workers and managers and the inability to let go of the past will ultimately destroy a once vibrant country that boasted with unlimited potential.
The insistence of appointing unqualified, often unmotivated and lazy individuals with limited or no management skills will continue. More and more state departments and municipalities will deteriorate and falter in the near future. The social problems and the demand that politicians keep their election promises will force those in government to take high risk poorly contemplated decisions in an attempt to subdue the riots in the streets. I see fractures in the ANC that will cause an endless stream of new parties to rise that will leave no stone unturned to grab the power positions with its lucrative financial rewards left behind by the previous elite. The horrific fact of the matter is that those that yearn for power do not have the ability, experience and know-how to address even the minor current issues that the current government is facing. It is not about helping those in need, it is about the power and the privilege to masquerade as leaders and politicians.
The doorway to power is the votes of enough individuals that support the opportunists’ brand of liberation. The word financial liberation will continuously slide off the lips of those that yearn for power and position. Liberation songs will eco throughout the land while these opportunists lead our nation to destruction. I see disorder and burning buildings. I see a spirit of entitlement that will cloud the judgment of these opportunists. I see a country in ruin and streams of people leaving our borders to see if they can find safety in bordering states. The fleeing millions will leave behind a country stripped of all its wealth. It will look as if a swarm of locusts moved through the cities, suburbs and farms.
The amazing thing about predictions is that you can fend off the dark picture that I painted. The choices you make daily create your fate and future. We can avoid the misery predicted by making high quality choices. Sanity must prevail and wisdom must dawn on those that really care about this amazing country. We must stop living in the past. We must stop looking at race. We must plan for the future, while we develop a spirit of unity and integrity. The something for nothing mode of thinking must go. We must move forward with leaders that are qualified for the task at hand irrespective of their color or creed. The idea that you can rob Peter to pay Paul must be removed from our thinking process. Politicians must stop making promises that simply cannot be kept. The nation must be told the truth about our current status. Education must become a top priority, not only in schools, but in all sectors of life. We have little time to repel the adversity that our future holds for us. I am unfortunately not very optimistic that any of the recommendations mentioned above will be followed. The bacterial example I used when I started this article might overwhelm South Africa and reduce it to rubble before it will one day rise out of its ashes of ignorance.
Everyday you make a thousand choices. You choose what to wear, where to go, who to meet, what to eat and what to do. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, YOU decide WHAT TO THINK. One thing is sure and that is that your day will not be better than your thoughts. ...................
Just close your eyes for a moment and see if you can visualise this open toolbox and if you can see the hundreds of tools that are neatly placed in this toolbox. Now look if you can see the maker’s name on these tools. The creator of these tools (thoughts and perceptions) is you. You created thousands of thoughts and perceptions (tools) about everything since your childhood. ..................
When confronted with any situation or problem you reach into this toolbox and take out what you think the most appropriate tool would be and then attempt to fix the problem. It is estimated that your mind thinks at least 2,500 thoughts an hour. Every thought that you think is a tool (perception) that you have that you imagine would work best under specific circumstances. This thought process continues day and night and will do so for the rest of your life. .....................................
I am convinced that we think ourselves to a standstill. We never stop playing with these tools in our toolbox and can hardly ever really relax for a while. If we are not faced with a problem or task that needs completion we still continue to take out these tools and mentally rehears and contemplate how we will use them should something that we fear become a reality. ............................
We are forever thinking and scheming and never become still and tranquil inside. Our bodies might seem relaxed, but deep inside our heads this thought process continues churning around. What I am most worried about is that most of the tools that you have in your toolbox are very old and outdated. .......................
Many of the opportunities, problems and obstructions that you face daily cannot be repaired while you are using old and outdated tools. If you take a modern mechanic’s toolbox and you place the toolbox of a mechanic of fifty years ago next to it you will find that there are major discrepancies. When you are confronted with something that needs repair and you do not have the right tool for the task at hand it can be very frustrating. We usually improvise and try using some other tools and hope that it will also get the job done. ........................
When you are faced with a problem you need to select the right tool for the task at hand. If you do not have the tool in your toolbox it can complicate your life. What most people seem to ignore is that it is sometimes better not to reach for your toolbox when faced with a problem. Sometimes you need time to pass or need to leave the problem with its rightful owner. How well you use your tools is usually reflected in the world you see around you. What would you do if you were faced with any or all of the following? .........................
You get a flat tire on your way to an important customer or meeting. You can fall apart, develop a migraine and think that life is against you or you can take out the right tools (patience and reality) and take care of the problem in a relaxed manner. ........................
You have been working on the computer for hours and suddenly lose all your work. You can drop dead with a heart attack; think that God hates you or you can take out the right tool (sanity and reality) and begin over and this time remember to make a backup of your work. ....................
A lover or wife possibly cheated on you. You can go crazy and get an assassin to take out the potential threat to your relationship, think that you are a failure or you can take out the right tool (no fear of loss) and get on with your life. .......................
When you have the right tools in your toolbox it makes life a lot easier. The choices we make are vital in our lives. The more quality choices we make during any given day the higher the probability of success and peace of mind. ................
I suggest that you equip your toolbox with the best tools you can lay your hands on. It is important to upgrade if you discover that one of your tools are outdated or that a more modern version is available. How would you react if your TV packed up and a technician that obviously knows very little about electronics arrived at your house with only a sledgehammer and a few other primitive tools in his toolbox? I am sure that you will send him away and find someone better qualified and equipped for the task. .....................
You might sometimes be like this incompetent and poorly equipped technician indicated above if you do not often update your tools (thoughts) in your toolbox. You can also have all the right tools in your toolbox and never use them because you are afraid that you might make a mistake. ..................
You must remember that happiness and success is always just one thought (tool) away. You should remember when you find it difficult to cope with something that one new tool (thought) could change your life. One fresh thought and one new idea can change your life from pain and suffering to success and peace of mind. ........................
You are today what you were programmed with yesterday. The choices that you make on a moment-to-moment basis decide your fate and future. You can never feel or perform better than the ongoing thoughts and feelings that you allow to occupy your mind! .......................
The mistake we make is that most of us live our lives on a reactive basis. We start and complete our day in a reactive state of being. Something comes to our attention via our five senses or via a thought in our mind. We automatically slip into the “role” that we created for ourselves many moons ago. We act, react and experience the same feelings and emotions that we embedded with our scrip at its inception. We do exactly the same when new stimuli push the previous “drama” off the stage in our minds. We sustain this reactive mode of thinking until we finally go to bed at night. Most of our days are made up of a tapestry of “roles” that we played in our own colorful way. It is important to understand that nothing is going to change until we do something different. We cannot repeat the same old recipes and expect a different outcome. ....................
You can use the “Portable Life Skills Wisdom” book to develop a range of appropriate scripts that you can use when you are faced with a problem or project that need your attention. You will if you apply the scripts in this book find that you no longer run your life on a reactive basis. The new scripts will help you to live your life in the moment. You will become more realistic. You will treat each event on its own merit. How do you do this? ......................
The Process ....................
Read the first message in your book. Write it down if at all possible. It will assist you to absorb the data provided. Now sit back and close your eyes and visualize how you will apply the specific message in the various areas of your life. See yourself on the screen of your mind using the message in all your day-to-day activities. It is important to attempt to feel and experience the benefits that this new mode of thinking will bring into your life. Do this for ten minutes. Then open your eyes and begin to apply the wisdom on all occasions where appropriate in your activities on that given day. ...........................
Proceed to do the same with second message etc. in your book tomorrow. You will upload almost a thousand powerful recipes if you sustain the process indicated above. You can in less than three years upload a powerful “tool” system that will serve you for the rest of your life. This can be a life changing experience if you apply it daily. You will discover that the ten minutes you invest daily will upload countless new strategies into your subconscious computer. Build a successful and happy life. The key however is action. You can have the best tools available to man and still fail if you don’t use them daily. Wishing you the very best with this endeavor. .............................
Daily Support System (This Blog) ................
You not only have the massive key ideas in the book that you can use when appropriate you also receive daily posts on a wide range of subjects that will expand this system to a level never offered before. Visit this blog daily for fresh new ideas with a sprinkle of historical wisdom that stood the test of time. ..........................
Rene
PORTABLE LIFE SKILLS DAILY WISDOM GUIDE 