Category Archives: Life

About anything and everything that’s close to my heart

To be alone powerfully

To be alone powerfully is something I’m learning

It’s been four months since my siblings went off in different provinces which sort of makes me an only child again (I sort of feel bad that this is as close to an empty nest that my parents will ever get) but I’m making the best of my alone time I read 6 books and I’ve spent a lot of time at Breath of Life and enjoyed my other pursuits. Being alone powerfully will take time and practice and I’m here for it.

I Feel Blah

However I feel is ok – that’s what I’m learning

This year has been somewhat difficult so far (a mix of highs and heartbreak) thankfully physically i’m pain-free but there’s nothing quite like being a first born and the last child still left in the house I love my parents and i’m grateful they house me (I can’t move out because i need too much physical help and even if i was to move out and live with an aide the aides here are not professional they show up they feel like it and that wouldn’t work with my life) so I stay with my dependable parents…everybody else is married with kids and I’m happy for them but I always feel like I’m watching a moving I’ll never be a part of I hope there are enough good people in the world who will include me in their adventures of their own accord…I feel blah and that’s ok (for now)

[Book review] The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

“I think it is easy to imagine there are easier paths,’ she said, realizing something for the first time. ‘But maybe there are no easy paths. There are just paths. In one life, I might be married. In another, I might be working in a shop. I might have said yes to this cute guy who asked me out for a coffee. In another I might be researching glaciers in the Arctic Circle. In another, I might be an Olympic swimming champion. Who knows? Every second of every day we are entering a new universe. And we spend so much time wishing our lives were different, comparing ourselves to other people and to other versions of ourselves, when really most lives contain degrees of good and degrees of bad.”

― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

Yesterday I finished reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig the book centers around Nora Seed who after attempting to kill herself finds herself in a library full of books, books which contain all the other lives she could have lived and all the other versions of herself she could have been…the book is a journey like no other filled with so much wisdom and a poignant reminder to make the best of the lives we have. If I had to rate the book I would give it a 10/10  (yes, it is that good)  

Embracing New Chapters

Life is change – that’s what I keep reminding myself

January has been full of change my siblings have moved the house is so quite I can hear a pin drop it’s really strange but I’ll be more than ok I will fill my life with reading, writing, time in nature and volunteering it’s going to be great… I don’t want to hold anyone back everybody must go and live their own lives. The meaning of love is not to possess.

Life’s Purposes and 2022 Goals

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca

Today is New Year’s Day and with that comes new hopes, new opportunities and new goals. Check out my life’s purpose and 2022 Goals below:

My Life’s Purposes

  1. Fill the world with kindness and love
  2. Make a difference – level the playing field for people who were born with the cards stacked against them
  3. Change perceptions about differently-abled people

2022 Goals

  1. Continue to be kind, honest, generous, grateful, loyal and filled with wonderment
  2. Every day be the best SuperSidekick to Superhero Catherine Constantinides (she’s the best, most hardworking real-life Superhero I’ve ever met she totally deserves me forever  and no matter what else I’m doing in life I will always be here for her)
  3. Raise at least R31 000 for Breath of Life   (Breath of Life is a place of safety for vulnerable babies here in my city I JUST LOVE THEIR WORK)
  4. Eat healthily and Exercise – reduce sugar by a lot and exercise back muscles
  5. Sleep better
  6. Spend more time outside
  7. Practice Patience
  8. Make a steady income
  9. Teach kids and adults worldwide that Different Is COOL
  10. Continue to raise awareness about the Western Sahara conflict – the Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975 due to the fact that it’s rich in natural and though the UN promised a referendum in 1991 it has yet to come to pass meanwhile half of the Saharawi People have been living in the refugee camps in Algeria since 1975
  11. Choose people who choose me
  12. Read 12+ books
  13. Plant 1-5 trees
  14. Do 31+ good deeds

(Note: Goals are subject to change with time and that’s ok because I will change with time)

My 2021 Life Purposes and Goals in Review

“Make measurable progress in reasonable time.” – Jim Rohn

As we near the end of 2021 it is again time to review the goals I set at the beginning of the year

My 2020 Life Purposes and Goals in Review

My Life’s Purposes

  1. Fill the world with kindness and love [did my best]
  2. Make a difference – level the playing field for people who were born with the cards stacked against them [did my best]
  3. Change perceptions about differently-abled people [did my best]

2021 Goals

  1. Continue to be kind, honest, generous, grateful, loyal and filled with wonderment [did my best – give myself an A]
  2. Every day be the best SuperSidekick to Superhero Catherine Constantinides (she’s the best, most hardworking real-life Superhero I’ve ever met she totally deserves me forever  and no matter what else I’m doing in life I will always be here for her) [did my best – give myself an A++]
  3. Raise R300 000 for the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme in honour of my 30th year of life – The work they do truly has an impact on people and planet I TRULY LOVE IT [not achieved because other things came up]
  4. Continue to do more for Breath of Life [raised R16 680+ it’s not as much as I would have liked but better than nothing]
  5. Eat healthily [failed]
  6. Practice Patience [failed]
  7. Sleep better [failed]
  8. Spend more time outside on sunny days [did on some days]
  9. Make a steady income [failed]
  10. Teach kids and adults worldwide that Different Is COOL [tried]
  11. Continue to raise awareness about the Western Sahara conflict – the Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975 due to the fact that it’s rich in natural and though the UN promised a referendum in 1991 it has yet to come to pass meanwhile half of the Saharawi People have been living in the refugee camps in Algeria since 1975 [did my best]
  12. Choose people who choose me [I don’t know how to measure this]
  13. Read 12+ books [failed – not even one book read so disappointed in myself ]
  14. Plant or have 30 trees planted – 1 for every year of my life [failed]
  15. Do 30+ good deeds – for every year of my life [I did not keep count but I’m sure I did at least 30 good deeds]

Introducing Miss Earth South Africa 2021 in Proud Partnership with the Thaba Eco Hotel

Miss Earth South Africa 2021 Nompumelelo Maduna (Photo credit: BlowfishProductions)

Our New Green Queen

As spring begins to blossom and the sun begins to shine, the Miss Earth South Africa prepares for the green journey to the international event in December. The organization has always advocated for the development of young women in South Africa as Environmental Warriors who promote the use of our Earth’s resources in a responsible manner. We all need to do our bit in the pursuit of preserving and conserving every day.

This announcement of a new ambassador to take the reins and lead this green revolution is none other than Soweto born Miss Nompumelelo Maduna. A marketing graduate who is currently doing her honours at the University of Johannesburg and is inspired and excited for the year ahead.

This young woman will represent South Africa at the international Miss Earth on the 12th December, in the Philippines.
This is an opportunity for the Miss Earth South Africa, to showcase the climate issues and challenges from an African perspective and discuss the impacts they are having on our continent. Being Heritage month, it is important for us to highlight the positive and natural beauty of South Africa. We need to be aware of the problems but also celebrate the triumphs and the opportunity to celebrate our natural heritage

Joining these celebrations is Thaba Eco Hotel who is the venue and getaway partner for Nompumelelo and the organization, hosting the announcement in their picturesque and very appropriate nature setting. This is a sponsor that understands the drive and determination to work towards conserving Mother Earth. This is a perfect partnership where Thaba Eco and Miss Earth are not just walking the green walk but talking the green talk. Thaba Eco Hotel boast their own solar farm, recycling system from the restaurant, hotel rooms and magnificent Thaba Eco Trails, a responsible waste collection facility and function on an environmental ethos level that stands them above the rest. It is thus fitting for the Miss Earth South Africa to be announced at Thaba Eco Hotel.

Nompumelelo Maduna at the Thaba Eco Hotel’s Thaba Eco Park (Photo credit: BlowfishProductions)

Ella Bella Leite, Director of the programme said; “Our new Miss Earth demonstrate clear leadership qualities, creative thinking, strength of the mind and a bubbly personality and we are thrilled to be announcing our new ambassador. Over a period of two decades, we can confidently say that we have added value, purpose and a knowledge base to a large group of our South African women that has helped move our environmental agenda forward. We are proud of this footprint”

With lockdowns and the corona virus, social distancing and a withdrawal from communal society; we are faced with a different world, severe poverty and hunger in many communities; with environmental issues having fallen to the bottom of the pile once again. It is a critical time for climate change and we believe that our young ambassadors have to be at the forefront of this fight both from a community perspective and from an environmental perspective.

In the words of @ChangeAgentSA Catherine Constantinides, an international climate activist and human rights defender “Heroes don’t live in story books they live amongst us and we as the Miss Earth Leadership Programme have to ensure we empower and inspire these young women to be active citizens and be those heroes we need in our everchanging society. Their time is now!”

[END]
For interviews contact Georgina on 082 505 0664 or email safusion@mweb.co.za Follow Miss Earth South Africa on Twitter and Instagram (@missearth_sa)

My thoughts on Seaspriacy on #WorldOceansDay

“You will love the ocean. It makes you feel small, but not in a bad way. Small because you realize you’re part of something bigger.” -Lauren Myracle

Today being World Oceans Day it’s the perfect day to watch Seaspiracy – a documentary by Ali Tabrizi about the dirty business of fishing. i watched it a few days ago and I was heartbroken that humanity has hurt marine life so and that every time I ordered Fish & Chips I was a part of the problem. I don’t think I will ever ever visit a marine park or eat fish again. Will I miss it? Will I slip on occasion? Of course I will miss it and I will probably slip on occasion I’m only human but the taste of fish is never worth my humanity so I’m going to try really hard to eat no fish.

I live by one rule in life: First do no harm and knowing what i know now if I continue to eat fish I would do so in violation of my own life rule.

Earth Day 2021

If you wouldn’t trash a hotel room that you are staying in temporarily I ask that you extend the same courtesy to the Earth because for all intensive purposes the Earth is the hotel room we are staying in temporarily.

Today being Earth Day it’s a perfect time to pause and reflect on our impact on the planet the Earth is such a beautiful place it’s our job to keep it that way for generations yet to come.

– Plant a tree (or many trees)

– Don’t litter

– Eat less red meat

Do one thing to change the fate of Earth

There’s no PLANET B please act accordingly

My Silence Explained

“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

I know and I haven’t been blogging a lot lately and it’s only because I don’t have anything interesting to share right now but a lot has been going on in my personal life which I won’t share out of respect for the privacy of my loved ones (I don’t live in a vacuum and what I share on this blog and other platforms does affect those I love and their futures so now I’m more reserved about what I choose to share and I will not apologize for that because it’s for the sake of my family).

I hope everyone who has been reading my blog will continue to do so even though the content will be less personal than it originally was. Thank you all eternally for your continued love and amazing support.