Eish
It’s not easy being an optimist in these challenging times. The forces of sadness and negativity are finding more and more evidence to justify their unhappy existence. The psychic vampires are conspiring to drain my positive energy.
Also, I am beginning to think we South Africans suffer from a form of collective national erectile dysfunction. Or at least a massive countrywide inferiority complex, with a smidgen of schizophrenia thrown in. It seems to me that many other countries believe in South Africa more than we believe in ourselves!
The Indian Premier League is a prime example. The people of India (who completely idolise their cricket players) were concerned about the IPL players’ safety due to possible unrest during their elections. So they sent them all to SA, in the midst of our elections, to play the IPL tournament here. They believed that their players would be safer here than back home in India. In addition, we were given only a few weeks to prepare for this massive event and, in true SA schtyle, we pulled it off magnificently!
We also seem to believe that we have the monopoly on dodgy politicians. Right now our old imperialist coloniser Grate Britain (yes spelled grate – because of their constant whingeing and complaining) are catching a major wake-up call. Many of their politicians are deeply embroiled in the current expenses scandal. Their justice Minister Shahid Malik recently resigned after being caught red handed. We had travelgate – they now have mastergate.
Many other countries regularly report highly questionable behaviour by their politicians. For example, click here to view a report on the top 5 most corrupt USA politicians of 2008. It may surprise you to learn that as a country, we only rank 46th in terms of corruption. Which means we are less corrupt than Greece, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, China, Egypt and India to name but a few. This statistic by no means justifies or minimises the actions of our businessmen or politicians who succumb to the massive temptations of position and power. It merely puts their behaviour into context.
As John Mayer sings: “We keep waiting, waiting for the world to change” So we keep waiting for the policemen, politicians, councillors, trade unionists and others to effect the change we need in order for us to finally believe. We spread sad stories of inefficiency, corruption, poor leadership and incompetent civil servants. What is the point? It merely serves to perpetuate our lack of self belief. How long are we going to keep waiting for things to change? When are we, to quote Gandhi, going to become the change we want to see in our country?
There is an ongoing debate on whether seeing is believing, or believing is seeing. The USA is a prime example of the latter. They are technically a bankrupt nation, with a national deficit running into trillions of dollars. About half of their population is overweight and 30% of them obese. Nationmaster reported in a survey on crimes per capita that the USA has more crimes per capita than SA. (Unflippingbelievable!) All they seem to have going for them now are a likeable presidential couple, a thriving democracy and tons of self belief.
Having lived in the USA for 12 months, I was amazed to see their collective level of self belief and patriotism. They harness this collective energy and somehow manage to have the strongest economy on the planet, with less than a third of the population of India and a quarter of that of China! Why? Because they fly their flag and sing their anthem and speak one language and believe in themselves and support one another and work together to keep their dream alive! For them, believing is seeing. We really should learn from this.
As a motivational speaker, my strategy is to open my eyes, my mind and my heart and look out for what is going right. Then focus my attention on it, to keep my spirits high. Which is different to getting high on spirits!
So what do I see in SA, in order to help me believe?
- I see massive roadworks, currently causing some major traffic problems. I believe however, that within 12 months they should be finished and we will have a vastly improved transportation infrastructure.
- I see many people struggling financially in these awful economic times. Yet I also believe that we are not as badly affected as many other countries, partly due to the National Credit Act and Exchange Controls which we moaned about for so long.
- I see layoffs and retrenchments and short time. Yet I also see many people restructuring their busy lives, reprioritising what is really important and starting to create more balance between their work, health and family life.
- I see compassion and caring starting to replace greed and consumerism.
- I see reports of many South African expatriates coming home, which I believe could alleviate the acute specialised skills shortage in some of our sectors.
- I see doctors going on strike, demanding higher remuneration. I support them completely – doctors need to be paid well or they will simply seek work in other countries. Once again, other countries welcome our doctors with open arms, believing in them more than we do. We simply cannot afford to let them go. (By the way, have you ever wondered why doctors study for at least 7 years and then spend the rest of their life practising?)
- I see my white children, schooling and playing and laughing with black and brown and even Asian kids. I believe this is our hope for the future. (I also had China’s in school, but they were from Jo’burg!)
- I see cranes and stadiums and construction and housing projects for the poor and packed convention centres and busy shopping malls and an economy which continues to function, albeit in slow motion.
- I see a photo of Africa, taken from outer space, showing visible evidence of why we are Africa’s largest economy. Africa believes in us – the bulk of the 9.5 million tourists we welcomed to SA last year were visitors from Africa.
- I see a new minister of finance who has a truly remarkable track record, having vastly improved the efficiency and revenue collection of SARS. I believe he is a worthy successor to Clever Trevor.
- I see SA companies like MTN and Shoprite expanding into Africa, making a difference and making a profit. Isn’t that what business is all about?
- I see so much more, but don’t want to become a bore.
What do you see? What do you believe? If we open our eyes, our hearts and our minds, how much more can we achieve?
Henry Ford said: If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right.
I THINK WE CAN!
Tags: Achieve Your Goals, Believe in Yourself, Good News About South Africa, Indian Premier League, Motivational Speaker, Optimism, Recession
Howzit
Eish my Boet – the New Year has barely begun and already the prophets of doom are spreading the negativity lekker dik, like Bovril on a braaibrood. They klap us with deeply disturbing chirps like the global economic meltdown, soaring unemployment, vehicle repossessions, declining property values, stock market collapses, recession, depression, deflation, stagnation & fornication et al. It’s enough to make you naar my bru!
In spite of all this, I find myself feeling positive, upbeat and even (cautiously) optimistic right now. In May 2008 I was gatvol and ready to leave SA. Yet today, January 2009, I am feeling much more at peace and actually looking forward to the year ahead. This is despite having had my office broken into last November and being relieved of my laptop, briefcase, 3 cell phones & various digital cameras!
“Hau” you exclaim, “how is this possible? Has the motivational speaker finally lost his last few remaining marbles?”
Maybe – maybe not. Let me explain. I’m not blind my boet. I know that in many ways, things are pretty KAK for a whole lot of people. F’rinstance you don’t want to be an American Auto Worker right now, or a Brit in Financial Services, or an Aussie Test Cricket Supporter. Talk about zero options and no light out there Boet. It must be terrifying to be retrenched, unemployed and anxious with no income and virtually no prospects for any improvement. And the reality is that some “things” may still get worse my Bru. This cyclical correction has been a long time coming and it won’t just fix itself overnight.
But as you know boet, my nature has always been to consciously focus on the positive “things”, to actively seek out the good stuff going down and then focus my attention on that. And then to go out there and make good things happen, for myself and others.
If you open your eyes (and mind) and really look, there is a lot to be positive about. In fact, quite a few things are looking much better than they were just a few months ago, when the situation really stank. For example:
1. I filled my car last night, cost me R 330. A few months ago it cost over R 500.
2. Festive Season road deaths are down a massive 40%. That’s right, forty percent. Unflippingbelievable! And finally, finally they are fixing the Koeberg interchange, Cape Town’s most congested piece of tarmac.
3. We holidayed in Durban over December. Besides awesome Ushakaland, Glamorous Gateway, Wacky Wavehouse and Radical RJ’s Ribs, the beaches were full of smartly outfitted garbage collectors, friendly tourist guides, hyperactive life guards and sweaty pink pommie tourists. The whole jol ran like clockwork. I was beindruk ek se! Go Durbs!
4. We klapped the Aussies in the Cricket Test Series! In Aussie nogal. Nobody froze or choked. I’m stoked. And Graham Smith went from zero to Hero.
5. Bafana Bafana actually scored a couple of goals in some of their last few matches. Go ouens!
6. COPE gives me HOPE. Too much power is dangerous and our fledgling democracy can only benefit from more opposition for better balance.
7. Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille was voted the world’s best, and she is one smart, honest, Teflon Tannie. (Nothing sticks to her.) And what an example she is to all politicians.
8. We have a new minister of health, who seems sort of switched on. And Trevor is still pulling the purse strings (Thank goodness!)
9. Right now, our SA banks are said to be “safer” than the Swiss, German, British and American banks. And this is partly because of the National credit Act, which gave us so many headaches last year.
10. We have had some good rainfall and THEY SAY that this should lead to lower FOOD PRICES? (Front page of the Sunday Crimes a few weeks ago) I’ll believe it when I see it, but at least some of the headlines are becoming more positive!
11. Like it or not, 2010 is coming. And my feeling is we will pull it off, in typical SA style. There will probably be some hiccups and maybe even some big stuffups but overall it is going to be a moerse jol. Buy your tickets soon; they apparently start at only R 120 a pop. (But that probably buys you a seat in the toilet for the game between Outer Mongolia and Biafra)
12. Barack Obama – what more can I say. A bruin ou who can GO!
“Yes Mark,” I hear you saying, “this may all be true, BUT what about the terrifying realities of Crime, Corruption, Falling standards of Education, Global Warming, The Financial Crunch, Zimbabwe, Gaza and Minibus Taxis?”
My suggestion is this boet:
GET OFF YOUR BUT’S. Move on. Let it go. Get a life. Or make a big sign and go picket against whatever is pissing you off. Just don’t waste your precious energy agonising over stuff you can do nothing about. And if you can do something, then do it. Get involved. Play the game. Stop sniping from the sidelines. It serves no purpose, other than to increase your blood pressure, stress levels and the sales of alcohol and antidepressants. Read my lips as I say it again my boet: GET OFF YOUR BUT’S. Erase the word BUT from your daily dialogue and watch how your outlook on life will change. Dramatically.
Then, if you are feeling adventurous, the next step is to consider occupying your tortured mind with something alternative, creative and uplifting, such as:
1. Reading the book “A New Earth” by Eckart Tolle. Or if you prefer you could do like I did, buy the 8 CD set and listen to the book whilst driving your car. The traffic becomes so much more bearable my bru. Even the Taxi’s seem less evil. That Eckart oke is one smart dude. Just ask Oprah.
2. If you have not yet read “The best of 2008 newsletter” then click this link to read a wonderfully written summary of the positive aspects of last year from a SA perspective. It is extremely well written and very uplifting.
3. If you have broadband, and an even broader mind, Google “Zeitgeist – The Movie” and watch it. Especially part 3, where you will see an interesting take on the reason for the current global economic meltdown. If you don’t have broadband, visit someone who does boet. Make a plan. To view the movie, click here.
4. Help someone less fortunate than you. Give away a little money, or some of your time, or even some of the old useless shit cluttering your home and life right no. Get verlig my bru – it feels kwaai!
5. Eat a little less red meat – cow farts screw up the atmosphere and you will feel lighter and may have less chance of getting colon cancer later. If you need more motivation, read the bestselling book “Fast Food Nation” by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser. It’s scary but true.
6. Adopt a stray pet. It will love you unconditionally, something we should all learn to do.
7. Read the book “Fifty facts that should change the World.” by Jessica Williams. But be warned – it’s quite mind blowing. Truth can be stranger than fiction.
8. If you are white, consider visiting a non white township and go see for yourself how the majority of our country lives. It is truly an awesome, eye opening and uplifting experience. Check out the Sangomas, Shebeens and Street Life. Seriously now. Most of our township residents visit the white areas regularly. So why should we not reciprocate and visit them – at least once? Who knows, you may even find my laptop there.
9. Go to Google images, type in “Solar System” and check out the actual size of our sun relative to the earth. It really puts things into perspective. Or even easier, just click this link.
10. Also at Google images, type in Hubble Telescope and look at some pictures of the 100 billion or so other galaxies out there, beyond our Milky Way / solar system. Try to see your / the world’s problems in the bigger context of the huge universe. Or click this link for an amazing slideshow of the Hubble pictures.
11. Find someone to hug. Your partner, kids, family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, dogs, cats or rats. Hug them often my bru, tightly and appreciatively. It is the greatest gift that you can ever give and receive.
12. Start each day by thinking about or writing down all the things that you are grateful for. Then try to accept life’s curved balls without judgement. Gratitude and acceptance are hugely powerful transformational tools.
13. Get out of your rut. Adopt a practise to help you find more peace of mind. Actively investigate ways to connect to the still space within you. Find ways to change your inner world, and you will notice how the outer world immediately changes for the better.
In conclusion, I will leave you with a few beautiful lines written by Alberto Villoldo PH.D, from his book “The Four Insights:”
“To be a sage means that when you look around you, you see only beauty. You will come to understand how everything you experience is a projection of your inner landscape or dream. This means that nothing ever happens to you, since you’re the creator of each event and incident in your life. So you never need to fix anything in the outer world – if you want to transform some circumstance that appears to be outside of yourself, you just need to own it and change it within!”
Look after yourself my boet. Till next time – totsiens!
Stay close to the centre of the cyclone. It’s always calm in there.
With Love
Mark
Tags: Good news for 2009, Motivational Speaker, Optimism, Reasons to be positive
Howzit
Wow! I am absolutely astounded by the sheer volume of responses to my “gatvol” email two weeks ago. Now I know what they mean when they say “word gets around” I’m blown away boet! Gobsmacked, to say the least!
A big thanks to all of you who took the time to reply. You can view your replies at the end of this article.
Ironically, just after my letter, we are klapped with Xenophobia. Things now appear to be moving from bad to wors. (Personally, I smaak my wors medium rare – how about you?) Anyway back to the punt. One in five citizens now plans to quit SA, according to the Cape Times front page on Thurs 22 May. This is not surprising, considering that the Cape Times front page of 19 May displayed a shockingly disgusting and disturbing full colour picture of a burning man set alight by insane thugs. In my last letter I wrote: “I accept that bad news sells, but soon there will be nobody left here to buy it!” Wake up Mr. Cape Times Editor – I tjooned you my bru!
So what to do? Stay or waai? Eish, this is an agonising question my boet. Are things really better in other “first world” countries? I suppose it depends upon what you mean by better. If you talk safety, security, infrastructure, law, order and good governance, probably. If you talk lifestyle, climate, sense of humour, natural beauty, cultural diversity, depth of character, creativity, zest for life, biltong, braaivleis and boerewors, maybe not?
It would also appear that Xenophobia is on the rise in many other countries around the world. To quote Justine Gerardy, in the Weekend Argus of May 24. “Xenophobic attacks and immigration challenges are not new. They are not even particularly South African. For example in Russia, since the beginning of 2008, there have been 211 reported victims of hate crimes – with 53 murders. In Italy, just last week, police arrested hundreds of people in a (Xenophobia) crackdown. And even Britain, an island nation with no porous land borders or neighbouring dictatorships, is facing a historical immigration high.”
Even in the good old USA boet, this stuff is happening: I read the following report online at huffingtonpost: “At a fundraiser in Florida last Thursday night, (American Presidential Hopeful) Barack Obama accused anti-immigrant crusaders Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh of “ginning things up” to such an extent that there was a rise in hate crimes against Hispanics last year. Obama said. “A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There’s a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year”
So that still leaves us with good old Australia, who themselves have some baggage regarding their Aboriginal population. Aussie does seem like a safe bet though, which is interesting considering that as a country it started off as a sort of floating prison. I was amused by the following anecdote from a South African who moved to Australia, could not adjust and came back home. He said: “Emigrating to Australia is like being invited to the biggest jol of the year, and then spending the whole night dancing with your mother!”
No offence to the Aussies mind you. I am not an Aussie basher. I really think they are an awesome nation with many great qualities and much to be proud of. (Rugby not being one of them!) Good on ya mates!
But getting back to our situation, those of us who do choose to stay here in ZAR have to keep asking ourselves “What can I DO to make things better?” Cause if we are not going to be part of the solution we will remain part of the problem. And please, if any of you feel that some of the ideas I am suggesting below will not work, don’t bother writing to me unless you have another suggestion that will. I’m really tired of people telling me that this and that won’t work and yet are unable to offer any alternative suggestions of their own. Its defeatist thinking and it achieves nothing! Verstaan jy? Kwaai my bru.
So here are some more suggestions to consider:
Join the million man march against crime (in JHB) on 10 June 2008. It should be a huge event.
Read the book “A Country at war with itself” by Antony Altbeker. It really puts our crime wave into perspective and, most importantly, suggests practical steps which can be taken to significantly reduce the crime wave. Three of the many interesting and well researched statistics from the book are:
“Since its peak in the mid 1990’s, the number of murders recorded in SA every year has fallen by 30% from nearly 27 000 to 19 000.”
“Only a small proportion of murders in SA are committed in the course of a robbery. Most are the result of what analysts have taken to calling “interpersonal violence,” a category of crime that covers everything from domestic violence to road rage, from a barroom brawl to a violent dispute between an employee and his boss.”
And finally: “…the number of cash-in-transit robberies recorded by the SA police in 2006/7, at fewer than 500, is actually quite small…In the United Kingdom, over 700 of raids of this sort are recorded each year. This is in embarrassing contrast with Germany, which had fewer than 20 incidents. In that country though, the largest security company in the field collapsed when its managers were tried for skimming cash off their payloads” Read a book review for this excellent book.
You could take some kind of action to help the victims of Xenophobia. For a list of suggestions on how you could help, visit SARocks.
Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers, whenever you feel that they are over sensationalizing crime and violence or perpetuating negativity. Get your friends to do the same. And don’t hold back – they certainly don’t!
Start a campaign to ban negative newspaper headlines from being displayed on lamp posts. (Thanks for this idea Kareen) We don’t need their version of life shoved down our throats every day.
Visit the blog SARocks and post your comments. Or send your own article to the editor of SARocks, Nic Haramboulis at the following email: editor@sarocks.co.za
Lobby your local MP’s to speak out against crime. This is one of our biggest frustrations in this whole situation. If our president, cabinet ministers and others in positions of power would just take a firm stand, speak up and declare a serious intention to fight crime, violence and lawlessness, things should improve significantly. (That is, if they follow up their words with sustained action)
Also if you have any more practical, positive ideas on what you believe we can do to make things better, please send me your suggestions. I deeply appreciate them.
And don’t forget to keep smiling and of course styling, wherever possible.
Until next time, I remain your passionately pissed off brother from another mother.
Cheers
Mark Berger
email: mark@markberger.co.za
web: www.markberger.co.za
Tags: Gatvol, Good News About South Africa, Million Man March Against Crime, Motivational Speaker, Optimism, Passionately Pissed Off
Howzit
I don’t know about you but jislaaik I’m now getting really gatvol of all the bad news. South Africa once again seems to be falling through its own poephol. I think I’m going to puke if I hear any more s#*t about Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe, Crime, Eskom, the Oil Price, Inflation, Soaring Food Costs, Bafana Bafana or even friggin Paris Hilton. I’ve absolutely had it with all this negativity, doom and gloom! I’m really SAT of it ALL ek se!!! How about you?
I mean it’s not like I want to gooi the ostrich vibe and bury my head in the sand. This shit is real and it’s serious and it’s happening all over…but not to me….YET!!! Nevertheless I can’t help but read it, hear about it it, see the headlines, hear the rumours…EVERYWHERE. It’s like they are brainwashing me boet. And the worst part of it is that I feel totally and completely HELPLESS. Useless. Disempowered. Castrated (almost.) Frustrated (completely.) I keep getting this heavy ball of anxious dread filling my guts and it feels really KAK! And the worst part of it all is that I am a motivational speaker who needs to stay positive and optimistic.
To top it all off, winter is coming so I can’t even feel good about the lekker weather any more!
Peter de Villiers, our new Springbok Rugby Coach, was quoted in a Sunday Times interview published on 4th May as saying: “The local media thrive on negativity. They have nothing good to say about their country. If there is something bad about this country the local media will break a leg to be the first to write about it. They’re a bunch of negative people who live in a world of their own, and are merely there to earn a living and not make SA a better place.”
I agree completely with the ou. I’m think that most of our journalists, reporters and editors are uninspired, negative, disaster focused, sensation seeking, sad sorry scumbags. They find fault in everything and never propose any workable solutions. Many of the ordinary people of South Africa are busy doing wonderful little things every day, but none of it is newsworthy. Here’s the truth: There are roughly 6.6 billion people on planet earth. And according to the World Health Organization, some 56 million deaths occur per year, at the current global average. That works out to about 153 400 per day. That’s right – 153 400 deaths every 24 hours! So it’s not really hard work to find disasters, accidents, catastrophes, murders, muggings and general mayhem to fill the headlines. It’s actually pretty easy.
But during that same 24 hours, about 350 000 babies are born. That’s right, every 24 hours, around 350 000 beautiful, miraculous, perfect, pure, happy, untainted, precious little beings begin their journey on this planet. And what do journalists write about this? F%*k all that’s what! Unless of course a six month old baby is stabbed to death – then we never stop hearing about it!
Every day about 48 million of us get up, take a s*#t, clean our teeth (hopefully) and get on with our life. And many of us perform little acts of respect, compassion, kindness, service, giving, helping and creating. As Cath Jenkin wrote recently in her blog: “There is noise and joy and emotional honesty in the way we live. When we as a nation are happy, we celebrate. When we are sad, we are sad together. Does anything else really matter? At least we are together in the queue for petrol and/or torches.”
But for our media this is not newsworthy. It’s just life.
So I gave it all a lot of thought. Then I did some more real deep thinking. And guess what – buggerall happened! So I stopped thinking for a while, by learning to meditate. Then I stopped reading most of the newspapers. Then I stopped watching the news on TV and listening to the news in my car. And I stopped listening to people with negative chirps and bad energy. And I stopped focusing on what was going wrong in my life.
Then I started to meditate every morning, after doing some simple yoga stretches and synchronized breathing exercises. And I replaced my morning cup of coffee and cigarette with some herbal tea and a dagga joint. (OK – joking about the joint!) And I re- read the Power of Now and Conversations with God and a Short History of Nearly Everything. And I began to visit an awesome positive website called sagoodnews.co.za. And MAN did I start to feel better. MUCH BETTER. Then I started to watch every sunset possible, ride my bicycle, watch funny video’s on Youtube, work in my garden, walk on the beach – I fu&%#ng started living again BRU! From the inside out! And it finally hit me between the eyes, an epiphany:
You can’t change your thinking in order to improve your behaviour. You need to change your behaviour in order to improve your thinking. It’s taken me many years of searching and many many books, self development courses and personal growth experiences to come to this simple truth.
So if you, like me, are feeling anxious, concerned, depressed or gatvol, why not try changing your behaviour and DOING something differently, from today.
For example:
Greet every SAP policeman you meet with a friendly smile or handshake and thank them for protecting you and your loved ones. Boy do they need some motivation!
Visit www.sagoodnews.co.za. Often.
Read an inspiring book.
Write a poem.
Get into nature (or walk barefoot on your lawn!)
Write down everything you have to be grateful for. Every morning.
Play inspirational music, especially when the news comes on your radio.
Find some way to exercise your body a little more. (Endorphins are lekker!)
Try out one of the 100 available techniques of mediation or relaxation.
Watch the sunrise and/or sunset.
Create a morning ritual to make your day beautiful.
Find out and speak about the good news.
Choose to be happy.
And don’t allow the media to f%&k with your mind.
Most importantly, seek out and speak your own truth and live a whole life.
You deserve it.
And in doing so, you will change your life and make a massive difference to this special place we call home.
PS: To all the media people out there – I’m all for a free press. Really. I’m just sick and tired of your continued obsessive focus with everything negative. When are you going to realize that you are not merely reporting on what is happening – you are CAUSING some of it by your actions. Yes – YOU! You are helping to perpetuate a dangerous cycle of violence and destruction. I accept that bad news sells, but soon there will be nobody left here to buy it! Please cheer up and get a life or piss off and go find another job. Serious. I’ve had it with your sensationalism and scandal. Enough already. Start doing your job and working a little bit harder to creatively seek out and give some headline space to the good stuff going down in SA. Trust me, it’s there!
(Pheeew it feels good to have got that off my chest!!!)
I wish you an awesome day. Choose to make it that way!
Mark Berger.
Tags: Change your life, Gatvol, Good News About South Africa, Make South Africa Better, Meditation, Motivational Speaker
