Tag Archives: disability

Day 2039: No Me Without My Country, South Africa

I wouldn’t be me without my country – that’s what I’ve realized.

It’s 12 : 35 PM on day 2039 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 16, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Sheep belong to the genus Ovis and have 54 chromosomes, while goats belong to the genus Capra and have 60 chromosomes. The offspring of a sheep-goat pairing is generally stillborn. Despite widespread shared pasturing of goats and sheep, hybrids are very rare, indicating the genetic distance between the two species.– hang out outside – it’s such a beautiful day outside I thought it would be a shame to waste it 🙂 – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –raised $5 456 only $794 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today I realized that I wouldn’t be me without my country if I lived somewhere else I probably could still do everything that I’m doing but I doubt I would believe so strongly that I can be and do anything I want to be and do there’s something about living in a country where a boy who herded sheep grows up to be president that makes you believe that you can be anything you want to be.

Day 2038: Celtone’s Celebrate & Donate Campaign

Leave a reply

“It’s easier to take than to give. It’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day. The thrill of giving lasts a lifetime.” ― Joan F. Marques

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 2038 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 15, have breakfast, learn one new thing – The cobra is deaf to the snake charmer’s pipe, but follows the visual cue of the moving pipe and it can sense the ground vibrations from the snake charmer’s tapping. Sometimes, for the sake of safety, all the venom in cobra’s teeth is removed. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –raised $5 456 only $794 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Yesterday on The Good Stuff I heard about Celtone’s Celebrate & Donate Campaign – Celtone, a skincare brand here in South Africa, challenges/invites us to set aside 10% from what we plan to spend on any sort of celebration and pass that on to those less fortunate than ourselves (Note: Celtone makes no profit from this campaign) – I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea I’ve been doing it for years even before I heard about this campaign (this year I got about R600 in cash for my birthday I used some of it to buy groceries for UThixo Ulungile Ministries and I donated the rest to my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train) nothing I could buy for myself gives me as much joy as making a difference does so whatever I get I will always give away (my dad always jokingly says he will never bequeath me our house because he’s sure I would turn it into a homeless shelter (which is not a half-bad idea [I’m kidding dad, I think])) our lives are defined by what we contribute to the world not by what we acquire and consume. If you plan to Celebrate & Donate tweet about it using #celebrateanddonate.

Day 2037: Life and What We Attract

3 Replies

You attract into your life what you are – that’s what I realized yesterday.

It’s 12 : 01 PM on day 2037 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 14, have breakfast, listen to The Good Stuff – a radio show that brings us good news stories from around the globe (i loved today’s episode) – learn one new thing – dolphins and other sea-dwelling mammals can obtain water from their food and by producing it internally from the metabolic breakdown of food. Although some marine mammals are known to drink seawater at least on occasion, it is not well established that they routinely do so. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Anonymous donated $100 (thanks SO MUCH Anonymous ) which brings the total raised to $5 456 only $794 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I realized you attract into your life what you are so if you seem to be surrounded by negativity look within and examine what kind of person you are.

Day 2036: Give Peace

4 Replies

“Let us have peace.” – Ulysses S. Grant

It’s 12 : 20 PM on day 2036 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 13, learn one new thing – On land the mammal with the most teeth is the Giant Armadillo, which can as many 100 teeth in its jaws. In the oceans the Spinner Dolphin can have as many as 252 teeth in its long thin jaws. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –raised $5 356 only $894 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday we – my family and I – attended a church service conducted by an Indian priest and much like in the Catholic church towards the end of the service we gave each other peace I wonder what would happen if we had inner-peace and gave it to those who didn’t in our daily lives (maybe not by going to each person and offering them peace as you would in a church but by simply being peaceful) I think the world would be a more peaceful place. Give peace to others by simply being peaceful.

Day 2035: 25 Smiles Campaign Three Months Later

2 Replies

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

It’s 8 : 15 AM on day 2035 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 12 , learn one new thing – Australia is smallest, youngest continent, with the lowest population density. It is often said that Australia lies at the edge of the world, divided from other continents by long distances. Australia is located south-east of Asia. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –raised $5 356 only $894 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today marks the three month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far sixty people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $5 356 I am beyond humbled by everyone’s support. Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna, My Paper Parties, Happy Odd Girl, Adam Butler, Deepuchachen, Tinuchachechi and Jerynchachen, Duane, My Paper Parities 2, Joyce Childers, Jacqui Mackway -Wilson of Go Social SA, Kevin B (on behalf of Lesley), Meg Guegan, Susanchechi, Reshma Jacob, uncle Abraham Matthew, Debbie McMannis, Anish Krishnankutty, Ellyn Harris, Zak Ebrahim, author of The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice, Joseph John, Reshma Ravi, Wayne Mansfield, Jinuchachen, Samuel Kochukanayathil, Laura, Tim Fargo, author of Alphabet Success – Keeping it Simple. My Secrets to Success and founder of TweetJukebox (soon-to-be Social Jukebox), Shari Mason and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you Jacqui Cooks, Caryn Gootkin, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Britt Michaelian, Joubert Botha, Sue-Ann Allen, Lillian Chang, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Thara, Anjali, Sherin, Pamela Eapen Nadine Stander, Anatoli, Cazanne, Gaynor Young, Glenda Butler, Cheryl Wylie, LA Janssens and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign. ‏

[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]

Day 2034: Thanks so much to Susannah Schaefer and Smile Train

2 Replies

It’s the smallest things that take up the most space in one’s heart – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 25 PM on day 2034 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 11, learn one new thing –Pholcids, or daddy long-legs spiders, are venomous predators, and although they never naturally bite people, their fangs are similar in structure to those of brown recluse spiders, and therefore can theoretically penetrate skin.- have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Shari Mason donated $25 and today Anonymous donated $60 (thanks SO MUCH Shari and Anonymous 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $5 356 only $894 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I got a letter from Smile Train with a picture of a child they recently helped attached to it I wasn’t expecting it but it totally made my day and meant the world to me (I mean who even sends letters anymore? Talk about amazing). Thanks so much again to Susannah Schaefer and Smile Train.

Day 2033: Meat-Free Fridays

Leave a reply

“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” ― Albert Schweitzer

It’s 12 : 08 PM on day 2033 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 10, learn one new thing – The oldest LIVING tree is called “Methuselah” and is 4,765 years old. This tree is nearly 1,000 years older than any other bristlecone alive today. It lives in a secret location in the White Mountain range of eastern California.- have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –raised $5 271 only $979 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

A few weeks ago I decided that today I would start Meat-Free Fridays – Meat-Free Fridays is like Meat-Free Mondays except now I’m also going to do it on Fridays – because I believe we must be more conscious in the way that we consume. If you would like to participate in Meat-Free Monday and Meat-Free Friday all you have to do is abstain from meat every Monday and Friday (I will not know whether you did or didn’t you’re not accountable to me or anyone else).

Day 2032: “Tony Robbins Key to Success, Wealth, and Fulfilment with Lewis Howes”

Leave a reply

“The secret to living is giving.” – Tony Robbins

It’s 1 : 01 PM on day 2032 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 9, learn one new thing –Number of letters: 28 (in Arabic) – some additional letters are used in Arabic when writing placenames or foreign words containing sounds which do not occur in Standard Arabic, such as /p/ or /g/.- have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – My Paper Parties donated $125 and Tim Fargo, author of Alphabet Success – Keeping it Simple. My Secrets to Success and founder of TweetJukebox (soon-to-be Social Jukebox), donated $1 000 (thanks so much to My Paper Parties and Tim ) ) which brings the total raised to $5 271 only $979 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I watched “Tony Robbins Key to Success, Wealth, and Fulfillment with Lewis Howes” and in the interview Tony said the secret to living is giving he went on to say we need to give the most when we have nothing to give I have found those two things to be so true in my own life I absolutely loved this interview. Watch “Tony Robbins Key to Success, Wealth, and Fulfillment with Lewis Howes” below:

Day 2031: Actions, Titles and Leadership

2 Replies

Actions and not titles make leaders – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 11 PM on day 2031 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 8, learn one new thing –Dogs belong to the taxonomic family Canidae (canines) which is divided into two tribes: those related to wolves (Canini) and those related to foxes (Vulpini). A couple of canine species lay outside these two tribes, but hyenas are not canines.- have breakfast, hang out outside and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – Beverly donated $25 (thanks so much Beverly your ongoing support means a lot to me always ) which brings the total raised to raised $4 146 only $2 104 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday some things happened in South African politics that made me realize yet again that actions and not titles make leaders.

Day 2030: Night by Elie Wiesel

2 Replies

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed….Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.” ― Elie Wiesel, Night

It’s 12 : 25 PM on day 2030 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 7, learn one new thing –Ostrich has the biggest eyes in the whole animal kingdom. Its eye is bigger than its brain. Ostriches don’t hide their head in the sand. They will lay their head on the ground if they sense a danger.- have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $4 121 only $2 129 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel – a horrifying yet well-written book about Elie Wiesel’s time in the concentration camps during the Holocaust – in this book one sees the worst in humanity on display and the strength of the human spirit. I am FOREVER CHANGED. Thank you Elie Wiesel.