Why have I never come to S.Africa before? – What a truly stunning
country it is! We’ve spent the past 3 weeks marvelling at the jaw-dropping
beauty that every vista affords. A
country of scorching diversity: in the landscape and in the rainbow-people
groups that weave a complex and often disturbing tapestry around each other.
 |
| The prison yard on Robben Island |
Apartheid, like an unsightly scar is still easily visible – inequality reigns,
segregated townships abound, dulled eyed coloured and black workers toil in
fields and in menial jobs where no white person is every spotted earning a
crust.
I see and feel the often subtle oppression, that continues to rob people of their dignity
and teaches them to expect so little of themselves.
 |
| The cell that was Mandela’s home for 18 year. |
On our getaway journey north from Cape Town yesterday, while
listening to Mike & the Mechanics singing ‘In the Living Years’, (YOUTUBE it), I soberly started a conversation with myself
about what I’d want to teach the coming generations to help them to live an, ‘eyes wide open’, ballsy life. What nuggets have I mined from my life’s-journey
that I’d want to pass on to my grandchildren? What has life taught me, either
the hard way or with just with the passing of many tides?
And this is the imperfect list that Trevor and I came up
with over a coffee in a hippy-café on the road to the stunning Paternoster
coastline
1. Open your eyes & ears to what’s in front of
you – Life is an adventure, it’s a play being acted out and you’re in the drama
of it all. So stay awake through every scene.
2.
Don’t be afraid to let life get to you. Let life
prompt you to ACTION
3.
Stay connected to the people that matter to you
and don’t let anything get in the way of those relationships
4.
Learn to spot your Ego and then laugh at it –
don’t take yourself too seriously, because life isn’t about you, ‘You' are about
Life
5. Stay curious about everything. Get addicted to
asking questions. Don’t get fixed in your thinking. Stay flexible in your
living.
6.
Practice STILLNESS at least once a day, so that
you can connect to the divine within you
7.
Make peace with your shadow side – you don’t
have to be best friends, just foster a healthy respect
8.
Learn that suffering is a necessary part of your
inner growth – it has the potential to make you a bigger person, if you let it
do its work in you
9.
Don’t look for comfort constantly; look for
being in places that stretch you. Seeking ‘comfort' as a goal will make you
weaker & duller as a person
10. It
absolutely matters who you travel with in life, so take your time and choose
wisely
11. Make
joy the compass of your life – when you lose your sense of joy be sure
something is not right
12. Invest
in LOVE and PURPOSE as the 2 pillars of your life – keep them in equal balance
and keep them strong.
-
I dedicate this imperfect offering of Life Lessons to my 2 grandsons Max & Digby
JB
 |
| The Strandloper Beach Cafe on the Paternoster peninsular |
