Danno 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 could not help but notice the change in ambiance as soon as they started playing. The tempo quickened, the vibe ignited and the sound became fuller and rich. I could not help but marvel at father and son action change the whole atmosphere instantly. I do have my musical interests, but have not in my life witnessed a boy of this age play drums at the level of skill he did. He exuded confidence, calm, control and experience that caught my attention. When they finished playing the father came over for conversation and told me a story I would like to share with you today. I had just witnessed an amazing 13 year old young man named Daniel (Danno) Petersen III go through his normal drum session.

Who is Daniel Petersen III

Daniel or Danno (stage name) is a 13 year old boy who was born into a musical dynasty which he has fully embraced. He is endorsed by Yamaha and Anatolian Cymbals since the age of 4 years of age. This is a major achievement for any artist let alone a boy of his age, coupled with a global stage. This is a plausible achievement for South Africa's young democracy. Danno received a full scholarship to study at the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp from June 27- July 15. Even the president of the Louis Armstrong Satchmo Summer camp is quote to have remarked that ‘This young musician is phenomenal. He would be an asset to the program’. According to his father, Danno is the youngest university student in Africa after going to the University of the Western Cape at age 11 on completion of his grade 5 normal school. He recently completed his grade 8 music qualification through Trinity College UK and will graduate from Trinity College UK with his LTCL - music Licentiate in November 2016. The LTCL compares with the South African Qualification Authority standards and is equal to a NQF LEVEL 6. This will make him the youngest person in Africa with a degree in Music. His Yamaha advertisement was voted under ADFOCUS – Financial Mail by more than a million people in the top 20 most liked ads on TV out of 70 000 commercials. He is also one of the youngest artists to record a demo album at Capital Records Hollywood in January 2015 and he also performed on the Movie Soundtrack Kalushi – Biopic of Solomon Mahlangu. Danno played at Madiba's 90th, 93rd and 95th birthday celebrations and also at a fundraiser for the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital. The Daniel Petersen Foundation was formed through which he helps underprivileged children to obtain musical instruments to reach their own dreams.

Inspiration from Danno

What made me want to write about Danno is his story as told by his father which stands out among other successful artists. Danno was born after several unsuccessful pregnancies and he then struggled with speech only starting to speak at the age of six years of age and yet he is now doing motivational talks around schools speaking to his peers about hope, hard work and not giving up on their dreams. His slogan is "its never too late to start" and he also speaks about discipline to achieve your dreams. When you meet Danno he is a normal 13 year old boy but when he sits on those drums he is no boy but an artist par excellence on a mission to conquer the world. Danno is turning 14 this year and will be doing a home coming and birthday concert celebrating 10 years as an endorsed artist at Winnie's Soul and Jazz Restaurant on the 1st of October 2016. I hope you can make time to attend the show should be around Johannesburg in South Africa during this time. Danno is quite a remarkable young man who is carrying a positive message for young children across the world. Check out the link above for more details on the event and you can also see Danno's brief journey and talent depth in the video attached. Connect with Danno and support his foundation through his Twitter page, Instagram or on his new Website from where you can book tickets for his upcoming show.  

How 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 one gets stuck in a hole another jumps over it, where one cannot get over it another laughs it off and as the image says where someone gets a little mud on the feet someone is fully immersed in mud. That said, your response to the incident depends on who you ask. Where one response will paint a mountain of a problem, another will make it seem like a molehill. It's all up to the one you ask.

How are you increasing your capacity to handle the mud in your life? Is it through engaging in constructive conversation, enlarging your mental capacity through study, being part of groups that support you or creating financial wealth. Whatever it is, you need to create clearance for yourself so that you can scale some mud when the time comes and you will be able to walk to the other side. Because truly in life the mud will come up and you need to cross it.

Lessons 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 several lessons that came out of the Rugby World cup from a layman's point of view.

1. An underdog can cause chaos by being determined to be the best. Japan came out and beat the Springboks (South Africa) in their first match against all odds and against any prediction that could have been made. Believing in oneself is the surest way to achieve great things. There is always a first time and there is always a way to win, one just has to find it.

2. You can choose to be defeated with dignity and a fighting spirit. The American team lost to the Springboks by a wide margin but they never gave up fighting and pushing to score. They fought to the end despite what the score said. You can choose to give up before the end or you can fight till the end. It is a choice you have to make.

3. The limelight can be on someone else other than you. Even when it’s your work that you have done that is being rewarded. When Sonny Bill Williams handed over his medal to a young boy, he overcame his own personal wishes and desires and made someone else's come true. Not easy to do but he proved it can be done.

4. You can come back from a bad start to a decent finish. The springboks started off badly by being beaten by Japan in an unexpected result, but they ended up as third place winners. How you start does not determine how you choose to end. You can fight for a better finish than the way you started.

5. You can be dragged down, but you can fight to put through that try and score. Some sensational tries were scored despite serious and violent opposition against the score. How easily do you give up when you face opposition? When there is a mountain of pressure stopping you from achieving that goal. Will you push through for a try or will you give up and walk away? What is dragging you down today? Can you shake it off and still score?


6. The power of believing in yourself wins above all else. The All Blacks (New Zealand) surely believe they are good at this game and that self-belief carries them through any game they play. The way they do the Haka affirms their belief and then they play to win. You can also carry a certain belief about yourself which will make people see you differently and enable you to win the battles you fight.

Well done to the All Blacks for winning the World Cup and to the Springboks for a third place finish. 

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Power 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 it requires similar effort, balance and energy to work perfectly. Most importantly, there must be unity and a common purpose as well as destination if tandem cycling is to work. Imagine riding a tandem bike with someone who doesn't want to go where you are going and also doesn't want to go at the speed you are going. It becomes counter productive and almost impossible as you cannot cycle anywhere. I saw tandem cyclists the other day, their feet in sync with a common purpose and the back rider trusting the judgement of the lead cyclist. When the lead cyclist stops the other also stops cycling and they continue in harmony. The image above is quite interesting because Retired Staff Sergeant Seam Johnson in white was blind and became the first blind athlete to compete at the Team Army trials in 2014. This was all possible due to the power of tandem where the front rider pedals and steers while the rear rider only pedals. When one has goals in life and they are pursuing those goals, they cannot do that behind people who do not share those goals and they cannot also lead people who do not share their goals because in both instances, there will not be progress or it will be stunted progress. Working with others in any situation is much like tandem cycling and it is critical to always have harmony and oneness to be able to move the bike together. One needs to find tandem with their leaders and followers to see growth and success. Are you aligning yourself in tandem with those that will help you achieve your dreams?

Exploring 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 conviction through an appeal. Possibility changes a situation from one direction to another. One powerful word which many long to hear in dire situations. When you have been denied registration at that dream varsity and you are told there is a possibility to register under a certain category of entry, or when the finances for a surgical procedure are not enough, but there is the possibility to be funded under a special qualifying program. When the doctors mention that there is possibility that an operation will succeed. I love the word possibility as it injects much needed relief in a hopeless situation. It is a word of hope, belief, progression and success. When possibility does not exist, a future may not exist. When there is no possibility there may not even be life. What is your possibility today and into the future? Can you see possibility in your situation going forward? Sometimes you have to create possibility for yourself if it does not exist. Possibility can be planted, nurtured and can grow to fruition and become reality. When possibility becomes reality then that is the ultimate preference. Is it possible that there is more to you than your current reality? Is it possible that you cannot read your possibility correctly as it looks like something else that means nothing to you? So go on and create those possibilities for the future which when  they realize will bring a smile to your face.

Describe 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 your current situation or even your future, what single word would describe it? How positive are you about your life right now and are you giving a fair assessment of the "negatives" or are you not? Can you say anything positive out of the "negatives" or does it seem hopeless? Can you look forward to the future with some form of zeal and anticipation of have you resigned to inability that is not real possibly? Can you salvage that situation and get going again?

I will leave you to answer these questions and also list those words that describe the image of your future...


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How 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 made in several areas identified. In this way, they learn how well the benchmark company performs relative to them and more importantly, the business processes that explain why these firms are successful. This then allows the organization to develop plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of improving some aspect of performance. Benchmarking may be a one-off event, but is often treated as a continuous process in which organizations continually seek to improve their practices by aligning with industry top performers. Benchmarking is not only used by companies but by any person as well, in which case it may not be named as benchmarking, but aspiring to a role model or to a milestone. Everyone aspires to be like their celebrity, superstar, hero or maybe mentor. These are the people you may look up to and view them as having proven ways and norms that produce top results showing that they are doing things in a way you also would subscribe to. I have seen preachers who have adopted a style of preaching inspired by their hero preacher, or people who dress like their celebrities, even following their diet and speaking like the people they look up to. There is nothing wrong with having someone to look up to and having heroes and role models around. It is however important to remain your own person, unique with a personal identity of your own. Finger prints are not the same and so behavior cannot be the same in every way. Now back to benchmarking, when a company does proper benchmarking, they make sure that fundamentals are similar so as to compare apples with apples to ensure that they can aspire to something realistic and achievable. There are many role models out there with whom to benchmark yourself with. It is important to choose the right benchmark that will assist you achieve your goals. Some call it role models, frames of reference or influence leaders. Whatever you may call them, it is good to have someone who has been there and can help you improve your life in the ways you desire. It may not even be one person, but many people depending on which area of life. Every time you face a situation, you just use them as a point of departure to solving the problem or to responding to a crisis in your life. Always ask yourself, "what would this person do?". Here is a parting note on benchmarking. Avoid situations like waking up and looking in the mirror only to be disappointed that you do not look as good as your favourite celebrity on his or her best stage. It is important to be realistic and also compare like with like.

Getting 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 I removed them but I was wrong. He did not have the technique required to take off and also to stop without falling off. The major problem was getting the bicycle to stop without falling off and so I ended up giving him a lesson on the proper way to fall, or rather get off the bike, something I had not planned on doing at all. My realization was that if he could fall properly, he could enjoy riding the bike as the way he had been falling was making him feel that the experience was not enjoyable. And so within a few minutes he could bring the bike to a stop and not fall off ,and this changed his whole perspective of learning to cycle and even made him want to continue where he had previously decided that he had had enough of the bike.

So I found myself learning a lesson on getting off the bike or taking a pause while cycling. Every cyclist will stop at a stop sign or traffic light or to ask for directions. When you do not know how to get off the bike you can miss important stops that need to be made or maybe fall and end up not enjoying the ride. When you know how to get off the bike however, you can get up and get going again. Life is after all a series of starting things, stopping and continuing or starting new things again, more like riding a bike getting off and riding again. The key is to stop in a way that prepares you to get going again with a new venture. There are various reasons why when setting out to do something, we do not go straight through to complete it and may need to get off what we are doing and then get back at it. Many times we are not taught about getting off but we are taught about getting going. Many speakers talk about going where we want to go and how to get there, with a few if any talking about those moments when you have to get off your venture or goal for one reason or another, but with a posture of getting up to go again on the same or another venture maybe due to temporary setbacks. When he fell off the bike he left hold of the handles and rolled all over the place bruising himself in the process. I told him to maintain his hands on the handles of the bike when the bike stopped and then get one foot on the ground ready to carry him and avoid falling.

So while he still got off the bike, he did in a way that prepared him to take off again. We start many things that we want to achieve in life but sometimes we may need to temporarily, maybe
permanently even, get off something we are doing for various reasons but still be able to get going. Do we know how to get off while maintaining the passion and zeal to pursue again? It is important to know how to  get off, step back, reflect something and still prepare to get going again as we cycle the bicycle of life. You could be cycling perfectly right now but you need to know how to get off when the next stop (obstacle/hindrance) comes up. Unfortunately it is not as easy as riding a bike as there is no set formula on how to do it, but you will need to know how to get off the bike at some point. It is important to avoid falling which can put you off ever finishing what you set out to do in the first place.

Riding 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 December 2014 while in Durban, I saw a kite surfer, something I had not quite seen before, considering that my only kite experience was the home made kite from my early years. I found it intriguing and the surfer was very good at it and was clearly enjoying himself as he knew well how to do it. There is kite boarding which is a surface water sport combining various aspects such as wake-boarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kite boarder harnesses and uses the power of the wind on a large power kite and is propelled across the water on a kite board similar to a small surfboard, with or without foot straps. Kite surfing is a form of kite boarding which is related to wave riding and uses standard surfboards. There are different styles of kite boarding and in 2012, the number of kite surfers was estimated at 1.5 million people worldwide. A kite surfer ensures an optimal balance between the wind speed and direction and the power of the kite to ensure that the kite surfing experience is enjoyable. He then rides the waves with air jumps and all sorts of tricks and stunts thanks to the wind and surfing skills with reading of correct angles combined. Power kites are very powerful and can, if control is lost, cause injury an optimal balance between the winds speed and direction and the power of the kite to ensure that the kite surfing experience is enjoyable.

He then rides the waves thanks to the wind and surfing skills. Power kites are very powerful and can, if control is lost, cause injury to the surfer. The surfer needs to maintain control of the kite to be able to manage maneuvers as well as dictate what he wants from the kite. Strong winds or unexpected gusts can lead to bad impact which can cause harm. Like a kite surfer, life is about ensuring that you are always in charge of that kite board and anticipating strong winds that can destabilize you. One needs to always be in control of their present, anticipate the future and be mindful of the past. Losing control of  your environment can mean falling off the board into the water or worse, hitting objects and getting hurt. Not all winds are good for surfing and surfers know that

cross-shore and cross- onshore winds are the best for kite boarding. Offshore winds pose the danger that one can be blown away from the shore in the event of equipment failure or loss of control while direct onshore winds carry the risk of being thrown onto land and possibly falling into buildings or dangerous objects. Always ensure that you can handle the winds you are surfing and choose your winds carefully as some winds are ruthless and not worth taking out to surfing. Do you know the winds you are dealing with? You can ride the wind, or lose your balance to it and fall. Enjoy the ride.

Beauty and value from pain

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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 calcium carbonate over the irritant. This process is repeated many times until a pearl is produced and this happens over a couple of years. Perfectly round pearls are rare to find and so are fine quality natural pearls, which are deemed rare jewels whose values are determined in the same way as precious gems subject to size, colour, shape, quality, surface, orient and luster. What is the point to the story of the pearl? Life is not much different from the story of a pearl. Not every high flying successful person has had it easy sailing to be where they are. Most have grown through life by creating counter measures, defense mechanisms and immune systems to irritating situations, some even painful and

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threatening. Every difficulty and challenge is an irritant that needs to be covered in a pearl sac with secretions of positive words and encouragement until it is totally covered up and a pearl comes out after a while. There are business empires founded on difficulty and irritant issues on someone's personal life or on society in general. It is how we look at things that determines our destiny. If an irritant is something we cannot get over, it can pull us down, but if we can get over it and cover it with our zeal and passion for life and overcome it, we will rise and create something of more value. How do you overcome irritants, get the right input into your difficult situation, especially the positive kind. Get the right speech on your tongue and you will rise above it. Remain confident that you will overcome and believe in yourself and you will become a highly prized pearl after you have engulfed that irritant. When people see the result of your private fight against odds, adversity, difficulty and battles you face in life, they will only admire the value they see without knowing the struggles you have been through and the time it has taken for that value creation process. Nothing of sustainable value happens overnight, black gold (oil) develops over years, diamonds are a result of rock, carbon extreme heat and pressure and the pearl is a result of years of fighting an irritant. Keep calm and create value for yourself.

Dancing 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 been noted that people preferred to use the adjacent escalator next to the stairs rather then the stairs. In an attempt to bring fun into getting healthy and exercising, Volkswagen sponsored this initiative and the next morning, the results were unassailable. More people opted for the black and white stairs to make music while climbing up previously strenuous and snubbed stairs. Commuters found the concept intriguing, fun, exciting, different and worth their effort and hence took the challenge of the stairs rather than the escalators. In total 66% more people than normal chose the musical stairs over the escalator.

This initiative caught my attention both from a innovation and mental behavior perspective. What the mind views as pain will be avoided while that which is viewed as fun will be sought out. This is undeniably true if one looks at what people do repetitively. We try to minimize strain in such actions that everything becomes automated in our lives. When there is an element of mystery, fun and intrigue in anything, this becomes enough motivation for someone to do it with some level of enthusiasm. Removing monotony is one way of innovating fun into what we do daily and trying to keep an interest in otherwise actions that would seem like hard work. Good lesson on how easy something that feels heavy, difficult and hard can become easy when your mind sees it differently. Everyday e face potentially difficult situations and people, but if we change how we view them in our mind, we can climb those obstacles with ease and create a melody while we do.

Free 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 months, a big ceremony was organised with the Mayor coming to give a speech before the release of the bear from the cage to the enclosure. After all the formalities of the day, the mayor cut the ribbon to the enclosure to large cheers and celebration with the door to the cage being opened to the new habitat. As everyone held their breath with quiet anticipation, excitement and anxiety, the bear took the steps to enter the new home, albeit hesitant and with some motivation from the zoo staff. It walked out into the enclosure and stood for a while, then walked 5 feet to the right, another 5 to the right again and another till it returned to its first spot. I am sure there was an anticlimax of sorts for those who could read the poor bear's mind.

The sad story is that this bear represents a lot of people in out world today. They have been freed from many a situation in various ways but have remained stuck in that cage in their minds and can only take the 5 square foot walk in their lives without seeing the opportunities around them. Whether it be safety in comfort or being oblivious to what is possible, the story of a caged mind is a sad one and before we believe we are free to be anything we can be, we need to free our minds to the possibilities, that is when we can truly take advantage of them and rise to succeed in various spheres of life. As TD Jakes spoke on the CD album Woman Thou Art Loosed, the mind is the battleground. He says you can sleep tired and still wake up tired, not because you were working all night, but because you fought a large battle in the mind while you slept. If it cannot be done in your mind, it cannot be done anywhere else. Any battle you win in your mind is already won when you take action. If the shackles have been taken off your feet, let them come off your mind as well and you will achieve greatness. What ever is happening in your mind will be seen in what you do outside. All the best in freeing your mind.

Here are some great mind quotes.

Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Abraham Lincoln

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

George Bernard Shaw

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!

Bob Marley

What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.

Wayne Dyer

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

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You 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 injuries and during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona he tore his hamstring in the 400 metres semi-final but continued the race limping and, with assistance from his father, managed to complete a full lap of the track with a standing ovation from the crowd. This has become a well-remembered moment in Olympic history and the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee's 'Celebrate Humanity' videos as well as used in advertisements as an illustration of the Olympic spirit. Redmond had started well, but in the back straight about 250 metres from the finish, his hamstring snapped making him hobble to a halt and he fell to the ground in pain. Redmond decided he wanted to finish the race anyway and hobbled along the track where he was joined by his father, Jim Redmond, who broke past security to get to his son. Jim and Derek completed the last lap together, with Derek leaning on his father's shoulder for support. As they crossed the finish line, the crowd of 65,000 spectators rose to give Derek a standing ovation. Derek was officially disqualified from the race because his father helped him finish and Olympic records state that he "Did Not Finish" the race. When I heard the story of Derek I was not  much focused in him not winning the race as anticipated, but on the fact that for him, finishing the race mattered more than winning and he ended up being the greatest winner from the perspective of being courageous. Considering the way many people start what they do not finish in today's world this is a great lesson on completion from Derek. What I like is the statement made by the Olympic Committee about courage on measurement. Since it cannot be measured, it can be very short or infinite and so where one can give up after one attempt, another will keep pursuit until a desired outcome is achieved. Quite challenging for me as well right now, but need I say more?

Lessons 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 where a drumming group called Drum Cafe led the opening of the session with some versatile drumming skills. I have been in this drumming session twice before but I still enjoyed this event as if it was the first time. The way they facilitate the whole experience and the way they use the drum to show how it can bring together people to achieve one goal and make a unified sound is intriguing. We were all given the Djembe drum and we would take instructions and play in a way that would make us one. With more than a hundred people in the room, a disjointed effort would be chaotic with no result achieved, but with Drum cafe in the lead, this was an experience which would be both unifying, refreshing and memorable. The drum is a very simple instrument which only requires one's two hands to beat in varying styles to make a sound to which people can dance. When there is one drum, it is easy for the drummer to play whichever way and possibly create musical art, however when there are more than a hundred people, there has to be some format to drumming or else it ends up being messy and noisy. And so we were led into making some beautiful rhythmic sounds where we ended up nodding our heads, smiling and even laughing with feet stamping and hips swaying as well. This is much the same as with anything in life. When one sets -out to achieve something on their own, they are almost certain to achieve whatever they want to as long as they are aware of it themselves, but when that same effort is a group effort then there has to be leadership and vision to achieve a desired result. Someone has to call the shots and say what happens now and next and how it happens. This gets things going in a way that achieves results. What part are you playing in the drumming session of life? Lead the greatest harmony of drumbeat or follow as the best team drummer and enjoy the results. Now beat your drum!

When and where were you last alive

Garmin Southern Africa launched a campaign titled Where were you when you last felt alive  in 2014 and I found it interesting as it triggered questions for my pondering mind. So one can be alive without feeling alive, as in breathe but not be alive? You know when last you were alive and where you were? You can be moving around but you do not feel alive? Being alive is both related to time and place? There are places where you feel more alive than others? Am I really alife? I realized that this is very true for there are 365 days in a year but we only remember a few of them as having truly lived them. The rest we are on auto pilot without even thinking about what we are doing. I previously wrote a post entitled I am alive and it narrated some of the things I do which show I am alive. I think we all know of times when we were more alive than we are now. When we were more zealous and energetic than we are now. The question is, what made us so alive at those moments? Without reference to age, I believe we can be alive in many ways. I have in fact heard people speak of past experiences and say things like "I have never felt so alive". And some of these are very short bursts of liveliness and quickly back to the normal dearth. If I was to ask you this similar question, where were you when you were last alive, would you speak in the now, or in the very distant past? I have also thought about what can make a person feel alive and will break it down below.

• Engage in activities that are outside your normal way of life. The bold ones go for extreme sports like skydiving, bungee jumping, large music concerts also arouse life.

• Move away from what you have done for too long and do something new to resuscitate life within you.

• Create new networks that speak differently to your life and make your mind tick in a different way.

• Determine to find life in many of the things you do.

May you be alive as you go through 2015 and not merely exist in this world. there is a vast difference.

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What makes you go on?

Something Inside So Strong is a 1987 single written and recorded by Labi Siffre inspired by a documentary on Apartheid South Africa in which he saw white soldiers filmed shooting at black civilians in the street. More than 10 cover versions of the song have been done to date with the song popular carrying a political and sociological thread as does much of Siffre’s lyrics and poetry. It won an Award for best song musically and lyrically, and has been used in Amnesty International campaigns, television advertisements as well as Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation. What magnifies the message in the song is the fact that Labi shot the music video from the exact prison cell where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years behind bars giving it a stronger and deeper meaning and perspective. As one listens to each word in this song and places themselves in that prison cell and imagines the clock ticking in seconds, minutes and hours, as days turn to months and years to decades, one cannot resist to stop, reflect and imagine that there could be no better way to justify why Mandela managed to survive behind bars for so long. There was indeed something inside him stronger which the prison cell could not enclose, crush or break, and it was bubbling under even though the outer man was slowly ageing and dying. Being in a prison cell is not always physically being behind bars. Sometimes it is a mental state in which one is seemingly free but instead bound and constrained by their view of what they can achieve in life. We all have something inside us so strong and it is this that drives us to wake up everyday and do the things we do, even though we may feel like not getting up sometimes. That which is inside us pushing us to still aspire, dream, hope and push on. To still try again after failing and hope for a better day and different result. What barriers have been built in your path and what prison cell are you sitting in today? Do not despair if you do not yet see light at the end of that tunnel. Just remember that you have something inside you so strong which will sustain you until you see that light someday. As a new year dawns in just over a week, let that which is inside you drive you to do more in the coming year. Here is wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year. Sing along to Labi's song below and know that you are going to do it anyway.

The higher you build your barriers the taller I become
The farther you take my rights away the faster I will run
You can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away
No matter 'cause there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh, no, something inside so strong
there's something inside so strong

The more you refuse to hear my voice the louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho, your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time, you squander wealth that's mine
My light will shine so brightly, it will blind you

Brothers and sisters

When they insist we're just good not enough
When we know better
Just look 'em in the eyes and say

I'm gonna do it anyway

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Songwriters
SIFFRE, LABI

MetroLyrics

Iron, fire and masterpieces

My paternal grandfather was a woodworker and blacksmith and made farm implements for many people in the community. Most holidays, I went to the farm and would be amazed at how he took iron and shaped it into a plough, hoe or axe, or took a piece of wood and shaped it into a yoke or a mortar and pestle. I realize nowadays that we never took pictures of all this artwork that he worked on at the farm as this was decades ago before taking a picture did not mean taking out your phone and now all that remains are memories. On many days he got up very early in the morning and left for the farm forest with an axe only to return with a block of wood. He would have already seen the final product as he chose the tree to cut. He also knew the type of wood that would produce a masterpiece and he knew how to work on it to get his product. In Africa, the art of wood, stone and metal is quite popular and has been commercialized with overseas markets being quite fond of the handmade artwork from Africa. What pains me in hindsight, is the amount of art that is buried in the graves of Africa because it was not handed down nor immortalized as is done with artworks in developed nations. As a note, the picture below that says "Home" shows a piece made from iron which I crafted while doing metal work in my teen years. I guess I had a bit of my grandpa in me though the quality may not be as good and I never got to pursue the trade. It has become one of the most priceless items I possess given the work I put into it. The issue of succession planning is not an inbuilt concept in many

communities and most times, good businesses go to the grave with the founder and inventions are not taken seriously as they fade with the inventor. However, going back to my grandpa, he used a specialized heating device which created a mini furnace to soften the iron so that it would be easy to bend and shape to anything he wanted. It came out of the "furnace" red hot and he would then hammer it until it conformed to his desired shape. While I was watching, I had no idea what he had in mind sometimes, but he knew exactly what the outcome would be. Sometimes life is like a block of wood or iron and you are the one to work on it. It is within your mind and hands to determine what it is you want to create out of your life. People may not get it initially while you go out into the world to find raw material for use to create your own masterpiece. Not everyone knows what you are doing, planning to do or where you are going, but you know exactly what you have in mind. Sometimes for you to get that exact shape and end result you want, there has to be a lot of heat and heavy pounding. Only after a lot of hard work, shaping, heating and sweating do people start marveling and seeing what it is you were trying to achieve. Some may even start suggesting creative ways to complete the work. So continue toiling with passion and purpose. Pound that iron until you get the desired masterpiece at the end. Iron never gives in easily without heat, and so make sure you have got enough fire power to shape your world.

Your own hidden record

On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went bird shooting in County Wexford, Ireland and got into an argument regarding the fastest game bird in Europe, but could not confirm between the golden plover or the red grouse. With the reality of many other such unconfirmed debates surfacing, he came up with the idea that led to the first Guinness Book of Records being commissioned in August 1954, listing world records, both human achievements and extremes of the natural world. Since the launch of the book, people have gone all out to discover what they can do, which no one else can and each event or year is a chance to raise the bar and break a prior record. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book of all time and is one of the most frequently stolen books from public libraries in the United States.

Snapshot of 2015 records
So what are some of the highlights of the new world records released in 2014?

A Danish trick-golf artist secured his place in the Guinness World Records 2015 book for creating the world’s longest usable golf club. It measures 4.37m in length and has been used to drive a ball a distance of 165.46m. Do not even ask me about my handicap because I am in fact handicapped in that area.

Circus artist Nancy, made it into the Guinness World Records 2015 book for the farthest arrow shot with the feet. She is able to shoot an arrow 6.09m onto a target measuring just 13.97cm. Compared to her, my body is as rigid as a piece of dry wood. Don't bend me.

Nick from California has an entry in the Guinness World Records 2015 book for having the longest tongue, measuring 10.1cm from its tip to the middle of the closed top lip. I saw him eat ice cream on the news and I will say no more. You can see the photos of the above highlights here.

You as a record holder
Life is competitive from the day one is born and 'man' is always trying to be the best in his/her sphere of influence. Numeracy dictates that number 1 is better than number 10, unless it is a bank balance of course. With the Guinness Book now leaning away from fascinating statistics and more towards bizarre stunts, you probably know weird stunts only you or someone you know personally can do, but maybe some are best performed without an audience? There are many 'unorthodox unsung world record holders/breakers' out there. If you just had the slightest smile or even laugh, you know what I am talking about. It could be on the best or worst side, but it is still a record right? Would you say you have something you do better than anyone else around you, forget the world for now. I bet you have something you are so passionate about, it has become second nature, effortless with excellence in execution. Those subliminal, subjective things which cannot be clearly defined by a world ranking. This is usually echoed by those you interact with as shown by real life examples you may identify with below;

"Ashi you are the best when it comes to cracking me up.............".

"No one in the world can encourage and get the most out of  people like Max............"

"Bill you are so full of wisdom for any situation and you just know what to say............"

"When I need a good laugh, I know to call on you Jacqui......."

You do not need to be in a book of records to make a difference to those around you as best at something. They know you are the best because they see and feel the impact and reach of what you do, the world does not. You could be the best mom, wife, dad, friend, cook, writer, counselor, comforter, listener, story teller, whatever it is. Have you noticed that some jokes are best told by someone specific within your circles, who does it best with the gestures, expressions, voice effects, the works, and you will laugh all over again? Another person can try, but could mix up and forget lines with the laughing being directed at how bad the joke has been told. You don't need world recognition or payment to be the best, but there are more subtle benefits. Your loved ones reminisce about you with nostalgia and a deep sense of longing and adoration. You are remembered and missed when you are not there. Sometimes it is these priceless, inconspicuous, subtle parts of our interactions that matter more than money and world recognition. 

Seeing is being

If I see it I can become it for my sight drives my ambition

I cannot desire what I have not seen within or outside of myself

That is why I rise up everyday to a new day and a new world

The dreams I dream matter to me and the visions I see awaken me

Whether my eyes be open or not is no hindrance to my sight

For I can still connect, share, inspire, belong, pursue and become

The people around me, their journey and success inspires me

They are building blocks of a creation process towards greatness

They give rise to energy that propels me to step towards my destiny

My destiny is firmly rooted within me to create and overcome fate

I will soar over, above and beyond, like an eagle scanning a veld 

I will dream dreams, travel places, see what I have not seen before

I will get up, lift my eyes, take a step to explore and inquire

I possess the door to my destiny, for what I see stimulates me

Let me see the creative triggers which will ignite the passion within

Come they as man-made, natural, accidental or galactic occurrences

And I will have renewed excitement, ambition, passion and drive

To be more, do more and live more. If I can see it, I can be, I can do.

For whom the bell TORs

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls,

        It tolls for thee.         

  

                 

Extract from Meditation XVII by John Donne




A tor linguistically is a hill or rocky peak but for this post I coined a different meaning to it as you will see as you read on. The world has lost a lot of TORs to date and hence we are more diminished than before according to John. What is a TOR? Well below are a few.

AdvocaTOR - someone who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. Lord Slynn - peace and justice, Lauren Bacall - optimism and positivity and Maya Angelou - tolerance, equality and peace.

AncesTOR - everyone has ancestors from whom one descended, the forebearers. We are the mark they left behind, albeit a diluted version of them.

InvenTOR - a person who invents a process or device. The list of inventors is endless with many sadly being late. I was not aware that paper was invented by a Chinese person Cai Lun, (50–121 AD). Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inventors for a listing of invenTORs.

CommunicaTOR - someone skilled at conveying information, ideas, or public policy and probably the TOR that inspires us bloggers and writers the most. William Shakespeare is highly regarded as one of the greatest communicaTORs in the world with his influence still lingering on more than 400 years later. It is agreed that he could entertain, enrage or impart vast wisdom with a few words.

 

InnovaTOR - a person who introduces new methods, ideas, or products. Steve Jobs, the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple was a charismatic and design-driven pioneer of the personal computer revolution and his innovative approach to the technology sector will live on for generations to come. 

MenTOR - an experienced and trusted adviser who works alongside someone usually younger. Dr. Benjamin Mays, a distinguished African American minister and scholar, mentored Martin Luther King Jr. to become the icon he was.

OraTOR - a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Here names such as Winston Churchill and again Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind, as these were both great orators. Winston Churchill is known to have been a master of restraining emotion, while emphasizing argument and content.

I was not the least amused that Author is a THOR, but THOR still does good for mankind, does he not? There are all the TORs in our lives and I will add there are the good, the bad and the ugly, but I chose the good ones above. Those that form the frame of reference within us and make us who we are. The ones who have gone before or are walking alongside us in our journey. The ones we look up to or aspire to be like, or those that simple make the world a better place whether we know them or not. As John Donne said, whenever one of these die, we are all diminished in one way or another. Who are the TORs in your life, or are you being a TOR yourself? The question however that begs an answer is, are we birthing more TORs today than we are losing or have lost, or do we rely more on past TORs through their influence on us?

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