We are what we do

“We are what we do”, is something that has been drilled into me for as long as I can remember. What kind of person I should be, together with actions and re-actions which could make or break the person I become.

As child I was often conflicted as a result, haunted by my mistakes. As though bad choices had some sort of permanence in life that I could never get rid of. That I would be remembered by the things I did wrong, rather than the things I did right.

As I grew older and my experience and knowledge of the world grew, I grew with it. As my opinions changed, I change with them. As people came in and out of my life I learned from them.

I realized that what we do in life is easily defined by what we want to achieve, but who we are is defined by how we achieve it.

Titles such as Doctor and Teacher are defined by our qualification and education, by what we practice and by what we want to achieve, however our relationships with the people we encounter along the journey ultimately define who we are in the eyes of others.

Self made millionaires can justify excessive spending when there is poverty surrounding them, they can use money to secure themselves in a comfort zone which simply blocks out parts of the world which they don’t like. Their money can protect them from crime, and their ignorance can guard them from having any compassion and understanding for what causes crime, or how all their money could be part of a solution.

Millionaires are millionaires because they worked hard to get where they are, their money defines them and who they are. However the average Joe on the street that has just enough money to fulfill their needs and not a cent more to give is the one with compassion for the poor state of the country. He is the one faced with the sadness and pain of those who have nothing. He is defined by his compassion rather his money. His tears are worth more to mankind than the all millionaire’s money.

How do you step from the top of a 100 foot pole?

In my head there are all these questions which are moving around like a screen saver in bright colors on a black background

How did I get here, Why am I here, who is here with me, When did this happen, where are my clothes? ….

Suddenly I am struck by fear, almost paralyzed. The feeling is one I have had before. The feeling you get when you arrive at school and your wearing no clothes, or the feeling you get when you can see somebody is in your dark room staring at you but you cant move or make a sound, the feeling you get when you are falling off a cliff and cant seem to stop yourself….a feeling so familiar and so real of which I have no control.

As I try taking control of my mind, I lurk there; pondering what on earth my mind is trying to tell me this time. “What is going on?” I say out loud.

“You’re stuck here” I hear, but who is speaking? “It’s the pole”

Me: “how do I get down” I reply ´

The poll:”well how did you get here?”

Me: I don’t know could you help me.

The poll:” I can only help you to help yourself”

Me: “Well that’s not much help otherwise I wouldn’t be here”

The poll: “You are here because you chose to be here”

Me: “That’s ridiculous; I would never choose to be in a situation that I couldn’t get out of.”

The pole: “Well, funny enough you did… there were 3 ways you could go and you chose to climb over the pole rather than go around it.”

Me: “Why would I do that?”

The poll: “Perhaps you never noticed what you were doing until you realized you were stuck…many obstacles in life seem invisible until we stuck so deep in the mud we can’t get out by ourselves.”

Me: “I think I would have noticed if I was climbing up a 100 foot pole!”

The poll: “You think you would have noticed when you were half way into the mistakes u make in your life, but you only seem to notice when you’re stuck.”

Me: “ok, I get what you’re saying but it’s not helping me get down”

The poll: “the only way to get down is to realize how you climbed up”

The thing about being stuck on top of a 100 foot pole and not knowing how to step down, is to understand what the pole represents. Knowing why we are in certain situations doesn’t always help us get out of them but knowing how we got there helps us to be aware of certain obstacles next time we are stuck at cross roads.

We are afraid of the wrong things

Fear is a word often used by philosophers. They refer to fear as an oppressor, something which holds us back from achieving excellence in many area’s of our lives.

We all have things which we know we are afraid of and can jot them down on a list, my list would probably have things like failure, rejection and inferiority on it as well as crime, rape, death of loved ones, HIV aids, etc.

The thing about fear is that it is unique to each and every person and functions differently within us. Recognizing this is essential to us, but in doing so where should we look, the past, the present or perhaps the future?

At which point in our lives did we become afraid of certain things, to the point where they hold us back?

Our experiences make us who we are yet we fear things which we have not yet experienced. Fear like everything else has a purpose, without it we would not be human however the tricky part comes in when we try and define the lengths to which it dictates our actions and thoughts. It may be negative when it manifests itself in ways which prohibit us from achieving certain things, but positive in ways which it protects us from harm.

We are bound by society, money and the rational behavior; I believe these things make us afraid to be different, to think irrationally, and to dream big. The norm makes us afraid to be abnormal. The media makes it hard to look and dress differently, our parents make it hard for us to find ourselves, and money makes it hard for us to do what we love. All these things stir up fears of rejection, failure and disappointment.

We are afraid of the wrong things, is the topic of this piece. I find it hard to draw any conclusion on this as I am not quiet convinced there is truth in the statement. We need to be aware of what our fears are and the extent to which they control our actions, we need to try and understand why and how they do this.

Whether our fears can be justified as right or wrong I don’t know. I guess it depends on the measure of choice (both conscious and subconscious) which controls the things which we are afraid of, and the way we choose to live our lives.

What is the color of the wind?

The wind is the messenger of the earth. When it blows it becomes the voice of the universe, the sky the earth and the ocean. It does not have a color, but its purpose has great meaning.

Far more fluorescent than the brightest colors with which we are familiar, they are tailored to each and every one of our individual destinies and travel to each corner of the earth spreading the very essence of life.

The colors of the wind are ever changing, like its direction. It is unpredictable and insignificant to many of us; but to others it is vital. They are constructed in the very core of the earth and rise up to very highest highs reflecting all the colors known and unknown to us off the ocean, the sky and the sun.

Next time you listen carefully into a shell from the ocean, hear the reflection of the wind and call its color ocean blue. Next time you don’t put on sunscreen on an overcast day, feel the reflection of the wind from the sun and call its color red.

Next time the wind is blowing so hectically that the vehicle you are in feels like it has actually lifted off the road, see the reflection of the wind and call it grey. Next time the wind blows off the branches of a tree, see this and call its color green. Or next time the wind blows off your favorite hat on a day which you are experiencing great sadness, name the color of the wind navy blue.

You see, the wind has not been assigned a color like the sky or the ocean or even the earth. We can name its direction, its intensity and its pressure but realizing the purpose of each of these things is defining something greater than the colors it reflects when it blows. It is impossible for us to give our emotions colors, to give our purpose a color, or even to color in a picture of our souls.

These things exist within us just as the wind exists and moves within our universe. Each time the wind blows its color is reflected differently on us, there is a change that takes place within us. Perhaps the very realization of such change is far more important than the colors we see in it’s the reflection of the sun, the sky, the ocean and the earth.

If I were the boss

If I was the boss Id steal from the rich to give to the poor,
If I was the boss Id have roast butternut and potatoes for every meal
If I was the boss Id save the world by saving the cheerleader
If I was the boss things would be different.
Kids in schools would have their intelligence tested and developed for every kind of intelligence.
If I were the boss, I’d find the cure for aids, and solve the cholera problem; if I were the boss I’d do so many things.

But at the moment I’m not the boss, I’m just me. Best I could aim for is a secretary at most. But at least I’m aiming for something. If I were the secretary I would implement strategies that would empower poor people, I’d start educating the masses, I’d find the solution all the worlds problems, if I were the secretary.

If I were just me at most, hopefully in my lifetime Id contribute to world peace. I would like that, more than being the boss or the secretary. But If I were the boss, Id do so many things.

If I were the boss

If I was the boss Id steal from the rich to give to the poor,
If I was the boss Id have roast butternut and potatoes for every meal
If I was the boss Id save the world by saving the cheerleader
If I was the boss things would be different.
Kids in schools would have their intelligence tested and developed for every kind of intelligence.
If I were the boss, I’d find the cure for aids, and solve the cholera problem; if I were the boss I’d do so many things.

But at the moment I’m not the boss, I’m just me. Best I could aim for is a secretary at most. But at least I’m aiming for something. If I were the secretary I would implement strategies that would empower poor people, I’d start educating the masses, I’d find the solution all the worlds problems, if I were the secretary.

If I were just me at most, hopefully in my lifetime Id contribute to world peace. I would like that, more than being the boss or the secretary. But If I were the boss, Id do so many things.

South African Bands Suck?

South African musicians who are biting the bullet of third world constraints, and making music out of the sheer passion to do so represent a culture of artists whom by action are refusing to let circumstance stop them from doing what they love.

 The result of this is an outbreak of talent, fresh new creative sound booming out of every genre from Rock Music to hip-hip, electro to psychedelic trance. The fact that all of this is being produced and supported primary by a South African audience is evident of the various subcultures of music existing and co-existing under the radar.

 The underground music scene in Cape Town alone is producing a combination of newborn music inspired and re-created in a sound, which is symbolic of the present state in which we are living. Outdoor festivals such as Rocking The Daisies, Ramfest. Earthdance, Origin Festival and various other outdoor events are our very own, and no other time in the past or the future will these happen again as they are happening now. Their line-ups will chop and change and artists will come and go as the years go, each one is symbolic of its year in South Africa.   

Perhaps it is time for more South Africans to start realizing what the local music industry has to offer them, and not by tuning into to the radio, or watching idols. Multimedia provides a golden platter filled with the fruits of our very own artist’s labor, and to taste them is as simple as stretching out an arm and picking a few which appeal to you.