tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68877472889998979512024-03-14T07:41:47.485+02:00Lessons I've learntAn inspired life is a passionately lived life. I aim to educate and inspire using practical, empirical and spiritual insights with occasional food for thought.
Twitter: @lessonsilearntLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-52408217754202360772016-11-11T12:55:00.002+02:002016-11-11T13:00:23.231+02:00Remember the parachute packer
I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor. How many hours did he spend on that long wooden table in the bowels of that ship weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of those chutes? I could have cared less…until one day my parachute came along and he packed it for me.
Source: Charlie Plump
Captain
Charlie Plump would never have anticipated that day but it happened as his
storyLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-55097428884720858452016-09-06T13:28:00.000+02:002016-09-08T15:56:40.717+02:00Danno inspires hope!!
When I went out for dinner last week at the popular Winnie's Restaurant where good live jazz meets good company little did I know that it
was going to be an exceptional evening. A live band of soulful krooners played
a couple of old school jazz and after a while, a young man and his dad (this I
didn't know at the time) joined the band with the dad on the piano and the son
on the drums. I Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-61996460190151204862016-04-25T18:32:00.001+02:002016-04-25T18:44:36.212+02:00How deep is your mud?Having been unable to post for a while, I came across something that just triggered a post. The caption speaks volumes and I wanted to share this.
Life is basically the same for everyone but our capacity to deal with life is different. How true is that? Where one gets a little dusty someone else is totally messed up in dirt. Where one gets splashes of water another gets drenched, where oneLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-63039045003276567922016-01-26T15:29:00.002+02:002016-01-26T15:29:45.429+02:00Love, sacrifice and acceptance
Artists are most times regarded as powerful social commentators who silently speak volumes through artwork. I am not aware of the artist who did the artwork herein, but can only say the person did a great job judging by the volume of words that came out to speak about the art work and the emotions it stirred. This picture was on one of the social media platforms and garnered hundreds of Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-4251789460003532992015-12-15T09:53:00.003+02:002015-12-15T09:53:42.277+02:00The clear sky above the clouds
When someone is considered not to be in their normal state of mind and a decision had to be made, it is said that they may have clouded judgment on a matter and so their view may not be taken as an objective one. This could be because someone has deep emotions and feelings towards the issue or they may be intoxicated or there could be other things that make their mind impartial. Anyone who hasLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-12482349824646249442015-11-16T21:44:00.002+02:002015-11-17T14:59:38.470+02:00Quenching a soulful thirst
Every day, as the sun shines down;
I look up and feel the warmth on my crown;
Feeling the reassurance from above;
That today is again going to be filled with an abundance of love.
However, some days, I experience mixed emotions;
But yet, amidst the turmoil, still a sense of devotion;
Deep in thought, wondering about my life, my love;
Always noticing signs from the universe. ..a symbolLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-8610466625308657152015-11-03T12:52:00.003+02:002015-11-03T13:52:08.741+02:00Lessons from RWC 2015
One direction has a song called Drag
me down which runs a chorus that goes "nobody can drag me down". In
rugby, the key to avoiding a try or scoring is largely dragging and pulling
someone down. During the Rugby World Cup, you could see the determination and
refusal to be dragged down when players bulldozed and pulled their way through
the defence of the opponents. As always there were Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-80716942058802265682015-10-26T16:08:00.002+02:002015-10-27T09:53:50.012+02:00Power of tandem
When something is in tandem with another, it follows the other directly ahead of it but from behind. This is where the tandem bicycle concept comes from, where two cyclists are on one bicycle with one behind the other cycling together. Tandem is a form of order which requires synchronization if it is to be maintained, especially when cycling. The important issue about being in tandem is that Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-61442947429856805492015-09-29T16:42:00.001+02:002015-09-30T11:06:10.358+02:00Exploring possibility
Is it possible that the image on the right reads possibility? If there is a word that brings hope to a desperate situation, it is the word possibility. Imagine a terribly sick person on the deathbed being told "there is a possibility of turning around the situation using a new procedure". Or a wrongfully accused person going to jail being told there is a possibility to challenge the Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-72940543551881068962015-09-21T12:12:00.001+02:002015-09-22T10:39:04.164+02:00Describe your future in one word
I came across this image with a request to use one word to describe the image. Words such as courage, brave, dream, hope, belief and others were listed below the image. A lot of very strong positive words came out. I realised how a negative thing can be a catalyst for positives. One can look at a situation and see nothing while another can see a new world of opportunity. When you look at Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-26466605292273578582015-09-08T13:38:00.003+02:002015-09-08T13:41:04.988+02:00Shadows and souls
There are individuals in a team, group, congregation or gathering. There is someone behind a flat empty shadow. Ever thought about the person next to you where ever you could be at any time. In a mall, bus, street, event, supermarket, salon, church or golf course. The person next to you could be dealing with an issue you have no idea about. The lady in your queue could be handling a crisis you Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-28927735588203820462015-08-28T10:13:00.002+02:002015-09-11T15:19:54.143+02:00How is your benchmarking?
Benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry best practices by relating to those of other companies which are excellent and on top of their game in an effort to become like them. Typical areas covered through benchmarking are quality, time and cost. Top firms are identified in a particular industry and a comparison is madeLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-54054737679350116882015-08-05T15:15:00.002+02:002015-08-05T15:29:55.189+02:00PHENOMENAL WOMAN
Quite coincidental that it is women's month in South Africa and I find no better person to help celebrate a woman than the one and only Maya Angelou who is one of my favorite poets and also quoted in my previous post. This one goes out to all the women of the world. Celebrate yourself, because you are phenomenal.
PHENOMENAL WOMAN
MAYA ANGELOU
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-67133930881307097372015-07-20T12:47:00.000+02:002015-07-20T12:48:28.804+02:00Lessons from Maya
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-2639283647138986832015-07-06T22:30:00.000+02:002015-07-08T10:33:07.233+02:00Getting off the bike without falling
One weekend I was teaching my son how to ride a bike. While he had been previously riding the bike without any problems when it had wheels at the back, after I removed them he struggled to balance the bicycle and found himself falling off the bike every time it came to a stop or when he lost control.
I had assumed that since he could cycle with the support wheels, he could also cycle when ILessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-35494124496190791162015-06-21T22:34:00.000+02:002015-06-21T22:41:54.668+02:00Seeing through closed eyes
There are times when I just want to be blank, not think, see, feel wonder or do anything just for a moment. A moment to just forget about all the cares worries and burdens and not have a care for a while. This is a wish that cannot ever be granted as long as I am alive, for my mind sees through closed eyes and never rests. My vision is not only in my eyes but deep in my mind is where my Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-84777813667995088042015-06-14T22:25:00.000+02:002015-06-14T22:40:38.905+02:00Riding the wind
When I was young, I used to make plastic kites and fly them all day, or for several days. It was great fun especially on those windy days. A kite uses an aerodynamic surface to create a lift and overcome gravity to fly in the wind. The lift that sustains the kite in the air is created when air flows above the kite's surface, producing low pressure above and high pressure below the wings. In Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-1618382006212636782015-05-24T22:15:00.002+02:002015-05-24T22:15:51.185+02:00Beauty and value from pain
Image credit
The story of the pearl is quite an interesting one. Pearls are formed from a defense action (adaptive
immune system like function) to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside the shell or an attack that injures the tissue of a shelled mollusk. The mollusk then creates a pearl sac to seal off the irritant and the membrane deposits or secretes layers of calciumLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-7535380303824235352015-05-04T21:37:00.000+02:002015-05-10T20:52:17.450+02:00Contentment: Case of the dripping tap 2
Oprah Winfrey once said "Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough”. After an insatiable episode of human nature, there is contentment that also pervades the way we live. I have met people who have never left their village, town, city or country and have come to understand it as normal. They have always Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-67720239482832914612015-04-20T21:25:00.000+02:002015-04-21T15:22:52.482+02:00Take the anger out of a stranger
Everyone who drives in Africa will know of the people that stand at traffic lights and make many a driver angry and annoyed as they try to sell you something or give you promotional material of some sort? Of course there are also those who try to clean your car before the light turns green (call it instant car wash), whether you like it or not. Well I had a different experience last week as ILessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-80442657059234895292015-04-06T22:10:00.001+02:002015-04-06T22:37:17.121+02:00The power of a dream
Image: Dominic Skelton
Andile "Given" Sibanyoni , received a police officer's burial at his funeral in March 2015. Andile was only 8 years old when he died, but had held on to the dream of becoming a metro police officer so dearly that it was made "reality" for him for a day in 2014 while he was alive and then finally as he was honored with a police officer's burial by the City of Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-26940464421625668272015-03-23T13:27:00.001+02:002015-03-30T10:56:27.092+02:00Dancing up the stairs
Can the words fun, interactive, health, music and climbing stairs ever be used together? Well in Stockholm Sweden it is reality. The stairs leading out of the Odenplan subway in Stockholm were overnight transformed into a giant functioning piano keyboard under the premise that applying pressure on each step would play a musical note. Having filmed the behaviors of commuters previously, it had Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-90918452958221555012015-03-15T21:28:00.002+02:002015-03-17T13:08:18.045+02:00Free body, caged mind?
A story is told of a big grizzly bear that was enclosed in a small cage of 5 square feet for years. A new mayor came to town and visiting the zoo saw this huge bear stuck in the small cage and touched by its plight quickly ordered that a larger enclosure be built for the bear so that it would have more space to walk around, explore and play. Work began on this initiative and after some Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-26756301533062800022015-03-01T22:03:00.001+02:002015-03-03T16:57:19.937+02:00You cannot measure courage
Force is measured in kilograms. Speed is measured in seconds. Courage? You can't measure courage". Derek Anthony Redmond is a retired British athlete who during his career held the British record for the 400 metre sprint, and won gold medals in the 4x400 metres relay at the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games. Derek was blighted by a series of Lessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887747288999897951.post-78807340146442437202015-02-22T23:42:00.002+02:002015-06-21T22:00:05.934+02:00Lessons from the drum
The drum is one of the world's oldest instruments in the world and yet still found in many places, although sometimes in modernized form, even though the basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Drums may be played individually, with a single drum, or in a group with various drum sizes and sounds coming out in harmony. I had the privilege of attending an event whereLessonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749173668480866403noreply@blogger.com0