REMEMBER MY SMILE: Part 1                                             28  May  2008

Pointers: Alcohol,  out of it,  minimised,  good teaching,  sad vs. happy…

If two independent parties are of the opinion that we are drunk,  it is time to think seriously of going to bed,  out of deference to our self-respect.    Let’s face it:  our useful contribution to the party is compromised,  because we are pigeon-holed as being  “out of it”!  Perhaps there are definite tell-tale symptoms and signs,  which reveal that we have retreated into a world of our own.  Our private humour-channel cannot be accessed by our fellow party-goers.  They remain tuned into  “the programme-of-the-sober”.

For those of us who take a stand,  and remain pedantic,  the shared opinion is that it is presumptuous to dare define the subjective meaning of  “drunk”.  There are indeed nuances of inebriation,  in the same way as there are degrees of comparison:  drunk…  drunker…  drunkest!  For the abstemious celibate,  who would never consider indulging in life’s  carnal pleasures - yielding to bodily appetites - it is considered grossly-decadent to take even one sip of champagne.  The regular party-goer becomes accustomed to a regular intake of alcohol.  One glass of that irresistible nectar–of-the-gods,  would not even touch sides.  Of course,  what must be borne in mind,  owing to its pertinent relevance,  is the size of the person involved in this study:  a comfortably-large person,  is able to consume large quantities of alcohol, before being framed an alcoholic-suspect,  in relation to a smaller,  thinner,  or shorter person.  Opinion plays a very significant role in this all-important threshold pertaining to how much alcohol is permitted,  after which one should draw the line.

“Out of it”,   and consequently pigeon-holing a person,  is an insult that is loosely used,  in this era of fast technological progress.  A professional photographer,  who is not conversant with the latest market-launch of camera-equipment,  is considered to be “out of it”,  until he achieves mastery of this futuristic apparatus.

I think of a neighbour,  who with unfailing regularity asks:  “how’s it going?”  I conjure up thoughts of all the modes of transport he thinks one should be using,  and all the possible destinations to which he may be referring.  I must ascertain from the horse’s mouth,  exactly what he really means by this monotonously-predictable question!  And I hasten to add:  who are we to judge whether anyone has really reached a predetermined destination,  and with what measure of accomplishment has this journey been completed?   All of us are eternal travellers through this ride we call  “life”.  What is success to one,  is mediocrity to another:  the old man shuffling past his friend in his wheel-chair,  is considered to be moving very fast!!

As I spill out today’s  thoughts,  I am sitting with a screen,  that for some strangely-enigmatic reason,  has  “minimised”  of its own volition,  and no matter which key I press,  I cannot succeed to reset the full screen.  I have tried the  “help”  button,  but the general information fails to assist me in remedying my problem.  In a way, this validates a Truth,  that there is nothing which compares to a real-life teacher who is physically present,  and uses the ancient “chalk and talk technique”,  who stands in front of his class,  ready to answer any questions that students may have.  If there was someone here with me now,  having the necessary competence,  as I experience this frustrating challenge,  that person may possess the skills to resolve the problem and facilitate my enjoying a full screen!  Technology will never be developed and implemented,  to take the place of the wise and charismatic pedagogue of old!

Students told me,  with embarrassing monotony,  that they would remember my smile long after they left the classroom.  These days I tell people,  with a cynical twist in tone,  that I have to try a smile all the time,  because I am a caricature of what I was formerly,  with marks of pain etched into my face,  which goes into uncontrollable contortions,  when I try to articulate a laboured version of what should normally be effortless.  It is tantamount to reining in a wild horse:  I say to people,  that I choose to smile,  because I don’t want to give anyone a fright.

The art of good teaching is encapsulated in what I call the castle-technique:  putting the castle that is in my mind,  as an exact replica,  into your mind.  To achieve this,  one proceeds to number,  then dismantle the stones of the castle, which is actually the idea which manifests itself in my mind,  which must then cross over the river -  being the great divide - that separates your mind from mine.  Optimally-successful communication will occur,  once we have reassembled the castle as a replica,  which now finds its home on the other side of the river -  in your mind.  We accomplish this,  by using the same numbering sequence of the stones. 

Using this technique,  I make the analogy that my broken mouth is like having a permanent neck-erection,  but instead of incredible pleasure,  this is a permanently-painful sensation,  because the muscles remain in sore,  stiff-spasm!

When I look in the mirror,  the truth validates all the damage,  as I study the distortions in my face,  which is my world after botched mouth surgery.

I think to myself that God does not want us to be sad.  We are all part of God.  John Donne phrased it so succinctly when he cautioned us:  “Do not ask for whom the bell tolls:  it tolls for thee!”  Yes, anyone’s demise,  or their sadness,  impinges on us. 

Have you ever seen a sad person walk into a room,  and manage to infect everyone.  It is as if negative vibrations radiate into all those who are in close proximity of this person,  and there is no controlling it!  A happy person’s  exuberance,  brushes off onto everyone in his company.  One can be extremely bubbly and happy,  as a result of chemicals being secreted by our bodies,  inducing an ineffably euphoric state,  comparable to spontaneous drunkenness.  These chemicals are generically referred to as endorphins.  Happiness seems to snowball with a momentum of its own: a happy person,  becomes even happier with the passage of time; sadness feeds on itself,  and sucks us into its sick, sorry vortex.

When my students said that they would remember my smile,  this entails only one drop of the multifarious positive influence that I strove to impress upon them.  One student – Paul - remarked that   “when you teach, your influence spills over to countless generations”. 

It was my absolute pleasure to teach.  I believe that I was one of those few people who gets paid well for doing his hobby.  I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I was a very young boy.  I would set written tests for my siblings,  and it was always my pleasure to evaluate their progress. 

A doctor-friend of mine,  Jonathan,  researched people in their work environment.  He found that only 5% of people are happy in their jobs. The rest are motivated by money,  and these manage to kill time,  as part of their rush to reach for that cheque at the end of the month.  A day must be incredibly long for this ilk.

Remember my smile: Part 2                                 29 May 2008

Pointers: job satisfaction, positive attitude, money earned, lucky lucre,   after working-life scenario, healing the world, using our time…

Yes,  only 5% of people are really happy in their jobs.  No wonder it is called a  “job”.  The implication is that the work is boring and repetitive,  and there is little room for growth,  promotion,  or self-development.  That sounds really scary,  if you think about it.  No wonder people spend so much of their time surfing the net,  at the company’s expense,  and no wonder so many firms flounder in the area of productivity.  On the other hand,  a  CAREER  entails self-fulfillment and satisfaction.  It would be wonderful if everyone could aspire to creating for themselves a comfortable career. 

I spent  Xmas  1994 in America.   I will never forget how enthused people were about their country,  about their careers,  and about Xmas.  Amtrak railways were late with their train connections in Sacramento,  Northern California.  The entire railway staff doubled as willing waiters on the platform,  enthusiastically serving the passengers free coffee,  and spreading out a complimentary buffet lunch.  They felt so guilty about this unavoidable faux pas,  that they had to make amends.  And what a sumptuous meal we enjoyed that day,  right on the Sacramento platform. 

I keep on asking myself:  “what causes people to be so loyal to their country,  so dedicated to their work,  and to hold Xmas in such high esteem?”  The American bus-drivers sport euphorically-contagious smiles with pride,  which brighten up their passengers’  day.

A pretty,  young waitress,  recently enlightened me that at a certain aroma-therapy-oil factory,  if people were sick or sad,  they were not permitted to be involved in the processing and bottling of the oil,  for the duration of the sickness or sadness.  It is obvious,  then,  that people who are not in a positive frame of mind,  should not be permitted into an environment where food is being prepared.  The Biblical maxim enlightens us that a bitterness is introduced into the wine,  if the grapes are pressed by people who suffer from a negative spirit (no pun intended),  remembering that wine was pressed by workers,  who stamped the grapes with their naked feet,  (obviously after they had passed the necessary hygiene tests successfully!).

Now let us take this train of thought one step further:  if people’s  prime motivation is filthy lucre,  how can they possibly be in the perfect frame of mind to involve themselves in their respective careers to the best of their abilities,  with the required love,  and the necessary dedication?  This occurs because they are driven by money alone,  which makes them cold,  crass,  calculating,  and careless…

In our modern world,  competing and competition is foisted on us from all angles.  A company selling sportswear,  claims that winning starts there!  From a young age,  we are programmed into a struggle to become winners.  Losers are ostracised and ridiculed,  except when they win,  by shedding the most weight,  in a weight-loss competition!

Another maxim bails us out at this juncture: it is not whether we win or lose.  At the end of the day,  what really counts is  HOW  we play the game!  Work and sport should emphasise  ENJOYMENT  as its primary focus.  But again,  money is the great dream-target in sport,  where winners are paid very handsomely,  and they become overnight heroes,  to boot.

I find it very disturbing to learn that a win-at-all-costs aggressive attitude,  was responsible for the death of a rugby player recently,  because the opposing team was programmed to win,  no matter what.  And the obvious lure of a bag filled with a lot of lucky lucre,  was dangling in their minds!

In a book called  “Wheels”,  the author tells us that we have to be lucky in our purchase of a new motor vehicle:  if the vehicles are assembled on a Monday,  we slot into the category of unlucky buyers,  because we sit with   “hangover”  cars;  if the cars are assembled on a Friday,  they are known as   “can’t-wait-to-knock-off”  cars,  where the workers do their jobs reluctantly,  frivolously,  and with a half-hearted dedication!  We become loser-buyers,  because the element of luck was not on our side!  Buyers of cars manufactured on a Tuesday,  Wednesday,  or Thursday,  will hopefully have fewer teething problems with their purchase!  I know that some cynical people will say that vehicles are manufactured on an assembly-line,  but the human factor always plays a part.

Think of lawyers,  whose clocks start ticking the moment we make telephone contact with them.  They may be busy drinking in the bar,  but the moment we count on their advice,  they charge megabucks!  

While a patient is lying on the psychiatrist’s  couch,  speaking out his mind on a seriously-pressing issue,  and paying for professional medical services,  this doctor’s  mind may be focused on the weekend he is spending in the mountains!

There comes a time when most careers end,  and invariably it is precisely then,  that boredom kicks in.  The adult-pacifier is eager fill the gap.  In America,  a pacifier is actually a dummy – yes, a baby’s dummy. 

Come to think of it,  television works just like a dummy:  it keeps the person who is watching,  beautifully-quiet.  This is precisely what the busy housewife loves,  after her husband retires,  to spend his days at home.  At least the television keeps the husband silent,  and out of her way! 

Check the vacant stares that come over people’s  faces,  while their attention is fixed on this one-eyed monster -  the television screen.  You may ask what they are watching,  and the answer you get from them,  is that they don’t really know – they are just watching,  in order to kill time.  We think that we kill time,  but in the end,  it is time which really kills us! 

I love this aphorism:  live your life as though it ends at midnight,  but plan your life as though you live forever.  

We should nurture many dreams,  which we can bring to fruition after we have retired.  If we don’t do this,  we are in a way retiring from life.  In America,  senior citizens are encouraged to pursue new interests,  which are all part of the University of the Third Age!  In Israel,  I was so impressed with elderly people who played their meaningful roles on the Kibbutzim,  even if it meant that they were sewing buttons onto overalls all day.  This kept them away from thinking about themselves,  avoiding focusing on their aches and pains.  In the Netherlands,  octogenarians love cycling around their country.  I took numerous photos of these fit old folk on their bicycles,  because I was so impressed with their tenacity to cling onto the beauty of life.

There are 86 400 seconds in a day.  The poem,  “Sands of Time”  informs us that time which is not utilised fruitfully,  is like a bank balance that gets written off,  the moment we put our heads on that pillow to go to sleep.  Tomorrow we get a new quota of  86 400  seconds.  Time is The Great Leveler,  because each of us has the same amount of time every day.  It is what we do with this time,  that is of significance.  I personally believe that we should use our limited time on planet-earth doing our utmost to make the world a better place.  We are also commanded to do our best to reduce the element of evil in the world.  “Evil”  is  “Live”  spelt backwards!  The implication here is that we live life negatively,  and in reverse,  if we resort to evil! 

This is all part of our required contribution towards the healing of the world,  which is so necessary in this age of destruction,  in which we find ourselves.  The greatest challenge is for us to leave our mark of improving the world,  by making a difference,  after we have left everything else behind!  Shakespeare will live forever in the plays that he left behind.

It is a fallacy to think that one can buy time!

Einstein made a joke when people asked him to explain his Law of Relativity.  He simplified the explanation,  so that we,  as laypersons,  could understand his logic:  one minute spent sitting on hot coals,  is a very long minute;  but a minute spent with a loved one,  is a very short minute!   This proves how relative time is:  time can become so long,  if we are doing boring work,  and how fleeting time is,  when we are engrossed in activities which grip our souls!

When I became totally involved in explaining Economic Theory to my students,  a double lecture passed in one fell swoop.  I could never get enough of imparting knowledge,  and I was graced with a beautiful sea of eyes,  all of them totally under my spell.  I miss lecturing more than anything in the world.  I realise that with a broken mouth,  I cannot stand in front of a group of students,  because a lecturer’s mouth is his tool-of-the-trade.  It was most trying to be forced to endure the taunts of those students who did not understand what I was trying to teach them,  but were most successful in emulating the way my jaws pull in strange directions,  because of permanent muscle spasms.  An analogy may add meaningful colour to what I am trying to say:  a radio-announcer without a voice,  is like a prostitute without a bed!  

I still feel a boundless energy,  which I use in sharing my thoughts,  in order to enrich the lives of my readers.  I only hope that you are enjoying what I have to offer about getting the most out of your careers,  and instilling meaningful-purpose into your lives.  I will continue to do my best for you!

Remember my smile: Part 3                                                30 May 2008

Pointers: the power to smile, appreciation, pain, our 2 greatest assets,  balance, making paradigm shifts, making things happen, handling conflict…

“Out of respect to others,  being able to keep a smile on your face,  while inside yourself,  you feel a part of you is dying,  is a characteristic of great power” (Author Unknown – quote translated from yesterday’s  Die Burger).

Students often said to me:  “Sir,  you are one of few lecturers who is always happy!”  One cannot bring one’s problems to the work situation.  During the morning,  before I attended My Mother’s afternoon Funeral,  there was syllabus-work that had to be completed,  and lectures went on as usual.

A person loses oneself in one’s work,  and proceeds to forget all the problems mulling though one’s mind.  The power of the mind,  and its ability to create positive energies,  is incredible.

“If I can conceive it,  and if I can believe it,  I can achieve it!”.  That is precisely how Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mount Everest.  That is how Oscar Pistorius wins races,  even though he is a physically-challenged person.  And there is always a winning smile on his face!

My two precious German Shepherd dogs both contracted tick-bite fever,  and were on a drip.  The emptiness in my life at that time was so palpable,  that smiling took great effort…  and yet one’s life goes on!

It is the personal experience of great deprivation,  that inevitably equips us with the ability to appreciate the value of life.

A certain pastor says that the most worthy members of his community,  are those who are happy with the crumbs.

Professor P.J. Schoeman,  who lectured  at Stellenbosch University,  wrote a book “Van Jagter tot Wildsliefhebber”  (From Hunter,  to Wildlife-lover),  in which he points out so succinctly that we must experience intense deprivation,  in order to renew our sense of appreciation:  we must know first-hand what desert thirst is like,  in order to appreciate water again,  and we must live on field-roots for some time,  in order to rekindle our appreciation of a meat-dish.  With the electricity crisis that South Africa is experiencing currently,  perhaps we have been too spoilt in the past,  with cheap power always being available at the touch of a button.  We begin to take electricity for granted.  We never think of those who wake up to cold showers in the morning,  perhaps for the entire duration of their lives.  In fact, these people may not even have access to clean,  running water,  just by opening a tap!

Yes,  “there by the Grace of God,  go we.  We complain that we have no new shoes,  until we meet up with someone who has no feet!”

My close-to-death-experience of pain following botched mouth-surgery,  makes me appreciate immensely,  so many of the things that I formerly took for granted.  Being out of pain,  is an absolute release,  even though I live a life of permanent discomfort,  not being able to talk or chew normally,  because my mouth-muscles are damaged. 

It was C.S. Lewis in “Shadowlands”  who enlightened us:  “ Pain is God’s megaphone, to arouse a deaf world”.  Pain is the wake-up call that impresses upon us,  the tremendous value of life.  This impresses upon us,  how critical it is to preserve life…  to cling onto life tenaciously.

During the first Economics lecture with a new group of students,  I would always challenge them to list 5 assets of greatest worth.  Do you know that hardly any of them mentioned Health and Time, which are our two greatest assets:  these two treasures (aspects of Human Capital and Human Asset Accounting) both enjoy a very high price,  and once they slide,  no money can buy them back!

We should guard our Health and Time,  and sometimes even allow ourselves to be selfish about these.  If everyone in our clique is smoking,  we have the right to refuse to join.  If everyone in our clique is partying all-night,  we reserve the right to go home at a time which will provide us with sufficient sleep,  so as to enjoy the following day to the full.

After 55 years on this planet,  I have learnt that balance is a key criterion in getting the most out of our Health and Time.

With regard to food,  each individual’s constitution is different from the next person.  That is why we are told:  “one man’s meat,  is another man’s poison”.

We should use our time to develop our bodies, minds,  and spirits.  Each of these three aspects,  should be in synchronicity with the other two.  It is pointless spending all day at the gym,  without reading the newspapers,  which then enables us to be aware of what is going on in the world;  and we must make time to feed our souls,  by being in harmony with,  and communing with nature.

A paradigm shift entails brazenly facing everything that crosses our path,  yet using a fresh attitude as our technique in handling a new predicament.  If a person is confronted with conflict,  the options are fight or flight.  We can either face the situation,  or flee from it.  Fleeing may make cowards of us!

The fight should embrace positive intentions.

I believe a conflict situation is handled in 5 different ways, by 5 different personality-types:  these are

Ø      the waiters: those who wait for the coming of Godot,  the person in Samuel Beckett’s play,  “Waiting for Godot”,  who never arrives!  This group of people spend their entire lives waiting

Ø      the watchers waste their time gazing at the world passing them by,  and they too,  never accomplish anything 

Ø      the wanderers spend their entire lives using unnecessary energy plodding along an uncertain maze,  which has no definite destination

Ø      the wonderers spend their entire lives in contemplation,  and they never make decisions: some advise them “yes”,  some advise them  “no”,  some advise them  “maybe”,  and in the end,  they keep wondering,  but never make a commitment, or follow-through on any plan of action

Ø      the most successful types of people, is that group which makes things happen:  they invert the 4 groups of lazy “w” ‘s  that have just crossed our path –  (the lying-down “w”  becomes a standing-up “m”) - “  and this group of people,  pro-actively MAKE things happen.  They are commonly known as the movers and shakers of society.  They make their dreams come true every time.

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a book,  “On Death and Dying”,  which actually helps anyone cope with the phases of conflict: The Acronym to remember these is  ‘DABDA”:  Denial,  Anger,  Bargaining,  Depression,  Acceptance.  A person goes through these stages,  during the period he is confronted with any crisis.  Once acceptance has been reached,  he experiences a type of panacea – a cure-all,  which enables him to feel that he has reached closure,  and this equips him with the ability to move on with his life.  Sometimes,  people fixate on any one of these stages,  and depending on how they are affected,  in some measure they are capable to continue with their lives.  The degree of fixation,  will act as a brake,  which slows down progress in other areas of their life.  A lot of folk would refer to this fixation as being an obsession.

A paradigm shift when confronted with a crisis,  is the blessing of spending more quality-time with family and friends over candle-lit dinners,  when the electricity goes off,  because there is now more time for conversation,  once the television fails to function.  These are the positive effects of a so-called  “crisis”!

Crises can actually be blessings in disguise, which shake us out of hibernation and complacent inertia.   

Remember my smile:  Part 4                                            31 May 2008

Pointers: using our full potential, modern speed-age, saying goodbye, it could have been worse, artist Vincent Von Gogh…

Klipheuwel and Darling,  in the Western Cape,  flaunt wind-energy structures which create electricity.  They are currently under-utilised.  The shock of South African power-outages,  which is euphemistically called power-sharing (“beurtkrag” in Afrikaans),  is the driving force precipitating future potential-optimisation of these structures.  Community members tried aborting this electricity-from-wind innovation,  with the pretext that it spoils the beauty of their environment!

In Chicago,  the lights went out.  Chaos,  and looting of shops resulted.  This  inspired  “What did you do when the lights went out?”  South Africans are advised to go to bed early!  Can you imagine how this brainwave will impact on population explosion?  “Bed is the poor man’s opera”!  Economic Statistics reveals one baby born every twenty-six seconds in South Africa.  Throw the cat amongst the pigeons,  in a lighter vein:  research discloses couples’  most exciting moment as being approximately 22h30.  Listen carefully.   You will hear the earth move,  when the clock strikes 22h30 every night!

We use only 10% of our brain power.  Our joint challenge is to tap into,  and access more of that dormant  “grey matter”.

I dispute the multi-tasking pretensions of those who can read,  watch television,  knit,  talk on their cell-phone,  and dance to the beat of music,  all at the same time!  The million-dollar question:  “how successful can he be in each of these  5 areas?”  With all due respect,   we were created to specialise:  excelling in one activity at a time,  or failing at everything!

This conjures up thoughts of a juggler in the circus.  He specialises!  Depending on his skills,  there is a cut-off point,  after which he will not cope with catching an added ball.  The Didactic Learning Curve has a tendency to flatten.  A typist will speed up,  typing more words per minute,  until a point,  where it is impossible to type any faster!  She specialises!

Our speed-age implies we do everything faster.  SMS-language on cell-phones – “nu-speek” – validates lost writing skills.  The proverbial  “Queen’s English”  is trashed.  University examinations are multiple-choice - multiple-guess,  monkey-puzzles.  Once a student masters the art of eliminating the wrong answers,  he stands a stunning chance of scoring a distinction,  without writing one word. 

Our meals have become micro-wave dishes.  Fast-food outlets are mushrooming.  We no longer sit around the winter supper-table,  with the log-fires-of-old burning.  Warm family discussions,  lovingly exuding reminiscences of the day’s  highlights,  is long-forgotten nostalgia.  Today,  people eat cold food,  fast… breakfasts-on-the-go,  quickie-lunches,  T.V.-tray dinners!

I sit with a full plate,  chewing slowly,  because I do not want to bite the inside of my cheek,  with jaws being out-of-alignment.  I still smile! 

Because life has become so fast,  people don’t cope.  The drug – Speed – in this speed-age,  is not a solution!

The moment we are on the brink of losing something,  we realise too late,  the value we  SHOULD  have attached to it,  while we possessed it.  That final chocolate in the box, triggers the salivary glands to kick-in with a frenetic lust for a last chocolate.  The Economic Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility - extra satisfaction gained from the last unit consumed,  is less than the extra satisfaction from the previous unit - is defied!  Students always joked that the more beer they drank,  the more they enjoyed the party!  They always bubble with sparking brilliance!   I just smile!

Are Economists like Weathermen – retired Politicians?

We should guard our time.  When our final moment arrives,  we may be graced with the opportunity of asking ourselves whether we made the most of our journey on planet-earth.  Did we spend enough precious moments with loved ones?  Did we realise all our plans?  Did we make all our dreams come true?

Saying goodbye to anyone,  shocks us with a foretaste of Death.  We never know if we will see that person again.   Scary!  We should always follow the dictates of our hearts,  making time for those people to whom we are drawn.

This age of rush and rudeness is replete with a variety of intervening,  and unknown,  variables.  We must live our lives without fear.  Robin Williams,  in the movie  “Dead Poets’  Society”,  encourages his pupils to  ‘Carpe Diem’ -  the Latin for  ‘seize the day’.  Be fired up and inspired!   We must make the most of our time,  by letting every moment count.  Moments become mementos – keepsakes!

It is anomalous that the things which should help us in this technologically-advanced age,  are precisely those things which have the power to inflict on us the most harm.

Think of a jet-aircraft,  which gets us between continents in a matter of hours.  That same plane - when something goes wrong -  goeswronggoeswron_ -  can cause the deaths of hundreds of passengers,  who moments before,  were ironically watching a movie called  “Airport”  on their digital screens,  enjoying a meal,  sipping at Jack Daniels,  when suddenly…

Emigrants who voyaged by boat from one continent to another (up to the early 1900’s),  said goodbye to their loved ones,  knowing with almost absolute certainty,  that the chances of seeing each other again,  were bleak.

Saying “Goodbye” can be so final.  That is when loneliness kicks in with a vengeance.  A person goes on that long journey,  on his own…

“It could have been worse”,  is a coping mechanism that I always resort to,  when things do not work out according to plan.  This somehow tides me over a crisis.  One reads about people who are mugged,  claiming that at least their lives were spared!

With life on our side,  we  CAN  make new beginnings. 

We must never question God’s Ways.  The Lord Moves In Mysterious Ways His Wonders To Perform.  He never gives a person more than he can bear,  and when daunting things happen to us,  we should construe these as honoured challenges.

A lady told me that after mouth surgery,  she lost her sense of taste.  Ox-tail,  her favourite food,  now tastes like wood.

OUR  taste-buds are unaffected.  We must Thank God!  We must smile!!

The artist,  Vincent Von Gogh,  painted these colourful words: “to know life,  is to love many things”.  If you can do something,  leave it,  and try something else.  Having multifarious talents,  makes a person eclectic.  At a dinner-party,  he will steal the show,  with subtle wisdom pouring across the table.  Even though we may not be able to multi-task,  we can aim for versatility. 

In his poem  “If”,  Rudyard Kipling teaches his son,  “if you can walk with kings,  but never lose the common touch”. 

We learn so much from conversations with beggars.  They have experienced life at ground-level.  Then we take a seat at the Royal Table,  eating caviar!

I will never forget a professor recalling how people respected him when he wore an expensive suit,  addressing him as  “Sir”.  However,  during the vacation,  he wore paint-stained overalls,  while pottering around his house. He ran out of paint,  and with the stained overalls,  presented himself at a hardware store.  He was amazed how people can  ‘talk down’  to a painter.  While he was busy paying,  one of his students addressed him as ‘Professor’,  to the absolute horror of everyone in the shop.

It is unbelievable how “positional goods” place us in society…  

Remember my smile: Part 5                                             2 June 2008

“Too many people spend money,  which they have not earned,  on things which they do not want,  to impress people whom they do  not like”  (Will Rogers).

These are  ‘positional goods’,  referred to by brilliant word-wizard,  Barry Ronge.

There are 3 motives for  ‘holding money’:  Transactions Motive,  Precautionary Motive,  and Speculative Motive!   When a person is in possession of loads of  ‘old money’, he indulges in the latest designer Pleasure Motives.  He becomes  game to consume anything  “cool”!

Partying all-night,  dipping into a Smartie-amalgam of concoctions and chemicals,  including Viagra;  then counting how one scores in terms of hits;  taking “E” – Ecstasy -  for added pleasure…   and coming off disappointed,  only to realise,  that anything but ecstasy,  is the outcome!  The person whose body is now riddled with these dangerous chemicals,  loses his ego-boundaries,  forgoes his self-control,  races his motor,  by burning the candle at both ends,  and an anticlimax of indescribable aching-tiredness is the horrific reward!  These symptoms are one of the causes of the syndrome we label  “Yuppie ‘Flu burn-out”!

God forbid,  he should pass out at the party,  and need the services of an ambulance.  On the way to hospital,  in the rush to a medical team,  which hopefully will succeed in flushing out the poisons from his system,  the ambulance races over speed-humps.  The poor guy lying on the stretcher,  then feels the pains of whip-lash as well!

Why should we place ourselves in burdening debt,  just to impress the Jones’s?  Debt is a financial devil that feeds on itself.  People sometimes try to solve the problem,  by using one credit card to pay off the others.  An item bought on credit -  when interest and other charges are factored in  -  can cost up to twice the price of what it would have cost,  if cash was used.  It is hard to sleep, knowing that we owe the world money. 

Let not the sun go down on our debt!

Motivational Speaker,  Clem Sunter,  advises us to cultivate a Jackal Mentality,  by hollowing out our lives,  by being alert,  and by travelling with the lightest load possible. 

The ethereal butterfly flutters over the garden,  with just the waft of the wind.  Yes,  if the wind is behind us,  we need very few possessions,  which are actually the stifling barriers in our efforts to accomplish set targets. 

A person can travel the world with only his wallet,  and still be in touch! 

Technology enables us to stay in touch,  even if we visit the remotest places in the world.

“Function before Form”,  is a Marketing credo,  whose relevance is underplayed in our modern-day pretentious society.  What a product does -  rather than how it looks  -  is of critical significance at the end of the day.

Think of that vintage Beetle Bug,  chugging along at a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour.  It is a very basic vehicle,  but it keeps on going.  This is precisely why the Volkswagen Beetle was phased out:  because a person who bought this car,  realised how cost-efficient it is,  from a maintenance perspective.

So many modern vehicles are assembled with computerised parts.  They sit stranded along the road to Malawi,  because developing countries do not have the parts,  the technology,  or the trained technicians,  which are prerequisites for these futuristic cars,  should they give problems en route.

So many modern-day appliances  and products,  have built-in obsolescence.  Their life-expectancy is short,  as a result of the disposable age in which we live.

Today the panic-button gives problems,  tomorrow the remote-control gates fail to work,  the following day the automated garden-irrigation timer does not respond!  The more modern-day possessions we own, the more problems we seem to encounter.  The things that are supposed to make life easier for us,  give us the most headaches!!

A mother now has more time for the rest of the family,  because the baby sports a fresh disposable nappy.  No more nappies on the washing line!  There is an art in hollowing out our lives:  disposing of the things that have lost their purpose.

A friend’s  philosophy holds true:  if we have not used something for six months,  we should think very seriously of doing away with it,  because this item becomes part of the excess baggage that clutters our lives.  This item also succeeds in cluttering our clear thoughts!  We clean out our lives this  way,  and move slowly and comfortably into a spiritual realm.

Shakespeare speaks of the  “7 Ages of Man”,  where loss at each stage of life occurs.

During the period leading up to the high-court case,  following damage to my life and lecturing career,  after botched mouth surgery,  a colleague of mine gave me a book called  “Necessary Losses”.

This book validates for me,  the correct mentality of the Biblical Wanderers who travelled light,  resolute to reach their destination – The Promised Land!  They divested themselves of excess baggage!

Remember my smile: Part 6                                 4 June 2008

Pointers: Old Noddy, carrying few possessions,  Slow me down Lord,  life-span of today’s products,  customers coming back, supplements,  losing,  omni- powers,  love vs. hate,  psychosomatic illness…

Chugging along in our old red Beetle - dependable Noddy - carrying as few possessions as possible,  we take a pit-stop rest for a while,  and read the poem  “Slow me down,  Lord”.  We sip tea,  still warm in our flask,  under the embosoming-shade of an old oak tree.  We tune in to the birds’-song,   imbibing the purity of their insistent chirping-melody,  on which composers base their musical scores.  We share core sentiments depicted in our poem:  “Inspire me to send my own roots down deep into the soil of life’s  endearing values, that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny”.

The art we strive to inculcate,  is the ability to slow down enough to smell the roses,  in a world riddled with rush and rudeness.  We smile politely…    We are getting there…  Iteratively  (by trial and error)!

It is amazing how life’s modern micro-chip mentality,  has moulded our resemblance to Clem Sunter’s  sharp jackal: the tendency towards being proactively alert,  and in tune with the world.  We carry a cell-phone,  and have access to the Internet.  We travel lightly:  one pair of denims,  and a few drip-dry items.   Spending wisely,  stretches the contents of our wallets. 

This journey is about achieving  spiritual wealth,  to enhance our lives.  Abraham Maslow’s  research explains this phenomenon as self-actualisation - self-development.  We aim to lose ourselves in the euphoria of this journey!

The emphasis remains on benefiting society as a whole,  by vowing to do something every day,   which will stop others’  hearts from breaking.

A friend found difficulty securing a job.  He telephoned me,  in desperation.  The mere fact that I made time to listen,  may have been the precipitating agent in saving his life.  He threatened to jump from a high-rise building,  without a parachute.  After that,  he job-hopped a lot,  but at least he kept the proverbial wolf away from the door.  With enduring tenacity in sending off his Curriculum Vitae in “NEWS directions”  – NEWS being the acronym for North East West South – opened possibilities in the United Kingdom,  where he is currently happily managing a restaurant.

There is an advert where a man unknots his tie,  then takes a plunge into a swimming pool,  from the ledge of a high-rise building - a lesson for us to cut off our shackles,  in order to free our spirits.  A free spirit in the work-scenario, implies being paid to do one’s hobby!   This instils a special magic and love into the time spent at work! 

Positive events will fill our lives,  if we are fired with the motivation of keeping doors of possibility open! 

A Japanese Proverb cautions us not to be afraid:  “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows”. 

Further along our route,  petrol-jockeys make bids for old Noddy,  because they too know that she rides forever:  she is indestructible.  No wonder  Cape car-hire companies snap up all the old  “Vollas”,   on which they can lay their hands.  Vehicle manufacturers choose to erase the memory of this Beetle,  because people who bought this car,  kept it for life.  All its components were made of durable materials.  The engine was uncomplicated.  It could be removed and replaced,  almost as effortlessly as installing a lawn-mower engine. 

Noddy chugs on forever,  because  “built-in obsolescence”  was never introduced…

If this scenario prevails,  how can salesmen earn a living?  In order for them to put food onto the table,  customers must keep coming back!  After five years,  a lot of modern vehicles get  ‘sick’,  and their  20%  annual depreciation,  ensures a very nominal value on companies’  Balance Sheets!

Any engine,  including the heart - which is our body’s engine - may suffer adverse consequences,  if unnecessary additives are pumped into it.  I shudder when I think of unnecessary surgery some people undergo,  because they have the money it takes,  and a need to pamper their vanity. 

An anaethetist informed me that some people survive the operation,  but are allergic to the anaesthetic,  with catastrophic consequences!

Nature will take its course,  no matter how many face-lifts a person has.  Surely we won’t choose to look like the wax models at Madame Tussauds!

I remember remarking how young a community-leader looked!  One of his colleagues hastened to add:  “time will soon take care of that!”

Yesterday’s Die Burger details a sad story of a 39-year old body-builder experiencing chest-pains during a competition,  and suffering a heart-attack!  Doctors say it was caused by  “untested” supplements that were meant to boost his power!  These supplements were actually  TOXINS  in his body!

“Letting go,  and letting God” is a wise philosophy,  when we face a crisis,  or the looming threat of losing worldly possessions.

Similarly,  we have to survive the trials of the current Economic Recession. 

We must never permit  Our Health  to slide.  It is  Our Greatest Asset! 

Kahlil Gibran gives us hope with this deep wisdom:  “We may lose our possessions,  people can shed our blood,  and burn our bodies,  but they can never harm our spirits,  or touch our Truth”. 

Let’s face it:  there is only so much we can do,  after which we must have faith enough,  and intuitive wisdom,  to guide us in making this burden over to the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient Powers. These all-powerful,  everywhere-present, and all-knowing powers, are crutches in crises.

Being engrossed in activities with unconditional,  positive intentions - aiming for society’s benefit - feeds the outcome,  and the momentum of our mission,  because we have pure and noble motives,  serendipitously adding power to its completion.   What we do,  is clothed in a pure aura.  Like a magnet,  it attracts energies onto our side,  with nurturing protection from supportive guardian-angels,  egging us on to finish our task effectively,  sporting inscrutably infectious smiles on our dials!   Watches,  in advertisements,  smile at ten-past-ten!

Somehow,  what was formerly a problem,  is a successfully-accomplished challenge,  because we had faith enough,  to press ahead with our lives.

An additive that always enhances the quality of our lives,  is  LOVE:  “LOVE” is an acronym for Listen,  Observe,  Verify,  Empathise.

In Afrikaans, “HAAT”  and  “HART” - are  “hate”  and  “heart” -  close-sounding words!   Hate backfires,  adversely affecting our hearts.  Love has palliative healing qualities,  which always starts with  “smiles on our dials”!

In the poem “A Smile at Xmas”,   the core line states:  “No-one needs a smile more, than those who have none left to give”! 

I believe that when all else fails,  with Xenophobic Violence which gripped South Africa the past weeks,  only hugs,  love,  and smiles,  will save the day!

In his book  “In tune with the Infinite”,  Ralph Waldo Trine  warns us that hatred,  anger,  and other negative emotions,  are triggers which cause psychosomatic illnesses. 

While sitting around the Sunday roast,  grandchildren excitedly announce to Grandmother that Mom stands ready to do a trick!  Gran curiously asks what they mean,  to which the grandchildren eagerly reply:  “Mom will climb the walls,  now that you have arrived for lunch”! 

She is their Paternal Grandmother (Dad’s Mom).  The daughter-in-law does not like her,  breaking out in boils,  when the Grand Old Lady is around.  This is a palpable display of the venom she produces when Mother-in-law is around.  The doctor advises transmuting the hatred with love,  and the boils will not erupt!

Hatred and anger induce cancer-causing toxins being secreted in the body!

Remember my smile: Part 7                                      7 June 2008

Pointers: God, Truth,  stress,  humility,  loneliness,  planning,  Love,  Music,  the power of believing, our pets,  brotherly-love…

Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twersky instructs us that God and Truth are identities.  They are inseparable Siamese Twins.  God is Truth,  and Truth is God.

Acknowledging this Truth,  would have facilitated the daughter-in-law’s healing.  She would have been free of her boils long ago.  Does she believe in God?  Is she aware that every single person that God creates,  possesses a part of God?  You only have to look into people’s eyes - which are the mirrors to their souls – to see the spark of God shining in them! 

Even the worst of characters,  have the spark of God in them.  These folk need recognition,  in order to bring their good qualities to the fore. 

When she hates her mother-in law,  she hates God! 

People’s  bodies get  “run down”,   if negative energies are allowed to start flowing through,  and these destructive elements precipitate burn-out,  and eventual psychosomatic illnesses,  if they are not nipped in the bud,  and drained . 

Premature aging sets in when there is concurrent stress and anxiety,  which promote negative energies.

Our fast-paced modern world is beset with so many changes.  It is absolutely normal that uncertainty will rattle people.  There is an art in cultivating,  and then mobilising,  those powers which will prick at us like a positive wake-up call to be on our guard.  If we let down our guard, we let down our God!  He believes in us.  He wants the best for His Children. 

There is a very important criterion with which we must comply: whatever we do,  must to be done exclusively to His Greater Glory.

When we leave this planet,  we will be remembered for the things we did to make God’s World a better place.  We are temporary visitors to His Planet, and everything that we possess,  is actually on loan from Him.  If we damage someone,  or if we damage their possessions,  we are actually damaging something that belongs to God!  How are we going to make amends?  Can we make amends?  Can there be reparation for the permanent damage that we are currently inflicting on Planet Earth,  in the name of selfish greed?

We ought to be moved to the marrow with the possibility of acquiring and accumulating the knowledge which being alive teaches us,  and this knowledge comes on the wings of the ineluctable passage of time: the lesson is that living life,  plays out for us numerous examples where,  the more famous people become,  the more humble they grow.  Why are we so reluctant to be like them,  and assume a low profile?  Is this all part of an Inferiority Complex?

I think of my Icon,  Mr. Nelson Mandela,  whose humility gathers a momentum,  as his popularity grows! 

Is this not a shift towards his celestial greatness?  Is this not a qualifying attribute,  which admits a person to the thin ranks of standing ready to be evaluated for possible admission and induction into Sainthood? 

Jesus arrived on a donkey,  wearing old sandals,  and he washed people’s feet.  Stoop to rise.  Rise to fall.  Remembering at all times,  that whatever we do,  must be done unconditionally,  and to  His Greater Glory! 

This makes one think of the quote:  Be kind to people on your way up the ladder.  You may just have to pass them again on your way down!

Pretentiousness is a sore signal of insecurity.  The moment that the pregnant silence of loneliness kicks in,  the cell-phone appears,  because habit is shifting us into a gregarious world,  where we crave constant company,  and we flounder the moment we have to be on our own.  We can  NEVER  be lonely,  if we know that God is with us.

“Footprints in the sand”,  is relevant here:  the gist of this poem’s lesson,  is that we feel insecure,  because God has assured us that He will always walk beside us.  In our moment of dire need,  there is suddenly one set of footprints in the sand,  and we panic.  This is actually the time when God is  CARRYING  us! 

It is only in the silence of your solitary sanctuary,  that you can be creative.  One cannot be creative at a raving party,  or in an environment where there is noise.  Noise is intrusive and invasive pollution. 

Economic Theory teaches strategies for Long Term planning.  John Maynard Keynes ridiculed this,  stating that in the long term we will all be dead.  Today’s fast-paced life does not make provision for planning,  because there are so many contingencies,  fluctuating variables,  and shifting parameters, altering the picture all the time.  What was in our frame-of-focus a moment ago,  has shifted to another image.  We have to cope with this change. 

Any plan grows obsolete very fast…  it’s like the continuously-changing weather.  Using a raincoat when the sun is shining,  is not a wise decision.  Suddenly a gusty, cold south-easter starts to blow! 

Clem Sunter’s sharp jackal travels light,  but in amongst his amalgam of carefully-chosen items,  is the versatile wind-breaker,  which doubles as a raincoat!  He is equipped,  and he is ready!

The art of coping in this fast-paced world,  is to take it one day at a time.  If that is too long,  then take it one hour at a time,  or one minute at a time!

God,  Truth,  Love and Music  are the  4  legs of The Holy Table.

Einstein questions the existence of God.  He maintains that The Bible and its contents,  reveal a childish mentality!

Kahlil Gibran teaches us that Death is stronger than life,  but Truth is stronger than Death: this impresses upon us just how strong is The Power of Truth.

Love has many interpretations.  A Cosmic Love,  in its widest context,  is an unconditional  love towards all creation.  

The hugs that parents get from their children,  is different from the love we feel for heroes and icons who make an impact on our lives.

Music is so overwhelmingly and immediately-gripping,  that it causes people to hold hands spontaneously,  or suddenly to get up and dance.

Having God,  Truth,  Love,  and Music in our lives,  integrates and attracts the omnipresent Cosmic Healing Powers.  These are the positive forces in nature which combine to nurture our lives,  and reward us with longevity.

Dr. Coue had a recipe for his patients:  he encouraged them all to say these words,  the moment they woke up:  “every day,  in every way,  I get better and better”.  The curative power of positive thinking,  induces the body into a pattern of increasing wellness.

The Placebo effect of healing is phenomenal:  The sweet that we have just swallowed will cure us,  if we have the capacity to believe strongly enough.  These curative powers are further enhanced,  when a patient believes in his doctor!

Patients who are surrounded by beautiful flowers,  and their accompanying alluring fragrances,  are wafted into healing.

The therapeutic qualities that animals possess,  must never be underplayed.  The warmth of the cat lying on the duvet next to the person feeling ill,  exacerbates a positive improvement towards recovery.  It is amazing how sensitively tuned-in are our pets to our health:  the cat will lie on the bed with her sick companion all day,  if necessary. 

This is all part of unconditional love. 

A pet will sacrifice his life for his master,  if this is necessary.

In Gundagai,  Australia,  there is a statue of a dog on a tucker box,  waiting for his master.  The dog will guard that tucker box until his master returns.

This phenomenon of incredible love, makes me think of the love Naomi had for Ruth… and the amazing friendship of David and Jonathan.

Being blood-brothers in the “Olden Days”,  was an oath that two friends took,  by cutting their respective thumbs and joining them,  in order to mingle their blood.

A person will have no compunction about donating blood to his brother… even a kidney,  if this is necessary.

When one spouse of a couple who love each other very much dies,  there seems to be a pattern where the other spouse dies shortly afterwards.  Montaigne describes this love as  “two bodies with one soul”.  The kindred spirits of twins seems to validate this.

Remember my smile:  Part 8                      10 June 2008

Pointers: beyond the call of duty,  charity,  rescue,  passion,  geese…

Allow no half-measures.  Whatever is to be done,  should be done with mind, body,  heart,  and soul.  We may never be graced with a second chance!

Setting aside time to visit an ailing patient,  is a paragon example:  we will live to regret,  if  we procrastinate about this good gesture,  which warms the heart of someone who is ill.  In Afrikaans,  we say  “after postponement,  comes cancellation” -  “Van uitstel,  kom afstel”!   Stalling,  temporising,  delaying tactics,  playing for time,  are tricks we leave over for the lawyers! 

I heard a true story of a sick man requesting his son to cancel his pension.  The strong premonition that life is drawing to a close,  is so pungent in this last request.  The man passed away in his sleep,  that very same night! 

Days before my own  Father’s  passing,  he gave me a new pair of shoes,  predicting that he would never wear them.  I was reluctant to part with these shoes for years after  Dad’s  death!

A French doctor-friend of mine emphasises our fragile existence,  and our delicate vulnerability…  “the wind passes over it,  and it is no more”.  Think about this Truth:  we are just a breath away from Death!  A person never knows what awaits him,  in the interval before the next moment arrives.  The strongest amongst us,  may suffer a sudden aneurism!  That is why we must smile and Carpe Diem!  There is only the present.  This is precisely why it is called a  “present” -  because it is actually a  “gift”  from God,  to use optimally (to the full).  We must pack into it,  whatever we possibly can,  filling the present,  so its memories colour the future!

The secret is to give it our best shot.  Every opportunity and situation is a gift of breath and power,  which we must use to the full!

If we decide to donate blood,  we must harbour no regrets afterwards.  Any grudging thoughts at the completion of this unconditional,  noble act,  will steal the special honour and glory bestowed upon us. 

Neither must we boast about this good deed.  The Bible,  being our Source of Reference,  tells us that the left hand must never know what the right hand is doing.  Charity is a secret act between God and our heart!

If we believe strongly enough,  we must be prepared to lay down our lives for this deep sentiment.  A decision to donate a kidney to a family member,  ranks amongst life’s  greatest presents.  It is,  in fact,  the gift of adding life!  There is no greater calling than giving of ourselves,   and being prepared to lay down our lives for the things in which we believe. 

Commendable as it might be,  it is so easy for the rich to donate money,  which is just a drop in the ocean of their wealth!

We must also follow through on our decision,  until our mission is complete,  never reneging.  We stand to drown in the mid-stream vortex of confusion,  if we do not follow through with determination,  the current of our promise. 

A firm belief gets crystallised,  then ignited with a firing-pin.  This eminates from the cockles of the heart,  and the dictates of gut-feeling.  Following the directive of our heart,  never misleads or betrays us.

An example that comes to mind,  is two people in a boat.  One suddenly falls into the water.  Without entertaining second thoughts,  his friend’s heart will dissipate all fear.  He will dive in,  in an effort to save a life.

In a crowd,  it’s a different matter altogether:  people are self-conscious and embarrassed to rush forward,  dash into the water,  and rescue a drowning fellow,  because there may be somebody more capable.  Everyone waits for the next person to take the initiative.  A moment’s  delay is the critical factor between life and death of this drowning man!

Bearing noble intentions in the case of an injured person,  may just exacerbate the problem:  if someone has hurt his back - accompanied by whiplash - moving this person in the wrong way,  may cause further pain and added injury!

Passion is our keyword.  Losing ourselves in our work,  in the things that we do for others,  and in our hobbies,  is an exemplary sentiment that we ought to cultivate.

Passion placed into  “Honesty Hour”  when Jack and Meryl spend time discussing a problem that has arisen,  could avoid a later  “pressure-cooker syndrome”  erupting in their relationship!  The word  ‘passion’  has overtones of intense love!  Cultivating the self-discipline required,  and harnessing all energies we can muster,  results in a passionate approach to everything that we undertake to do.

Geese flying overhead,  seem to put so much passion into their synchronised flight.  Their combined effort of flying in a row,  saves them energy.  They fly on a loft of air created by the birds in front of them.  Why can’t we learn from them to work together?  The bird in front uses the most energy,  so when he tires,  he takes his place towards the back,  and another bird pilots the combined flight!  Is this not a magic,  which I invite you to experience,  the next time a flock of birds fly overhead!

Then we get lame ducks,  sitting ducks,  dead ducks,  and out for a duck…

Let’s keep smiling…  We’ll discuss these friends anon…

Remember my smile:  Part 9                                         11  June 2008

Pointers:  excess baggage,  theft and lies, lame ducks,  sitting ducks,  dead ducks…

With sentiments of desire to reach this same stage,  people will say:  “S/he’s  free as a bird”!  The Bible speaks of The Truth that sets us free.  Unnecessary,  heavy loads of excess baggage,  imprisons us.  Baggage includes lies that people tell.  Lies clutter our minds with mental baggage! 

If a person lies,  s/he must first make sure that s/he has a good memory. 

A lie eventually turns traitor,  like oil which always surfaces on top of water.  Friend Mish always said that a thief comes back to the scene of his crime:  if a person plays the wrong chord in music,  s/he will play that wrong chord throughout the song!  Once a thief has crossed the line,   s/he feels no compunction about committing further crimes. 

The same logic holds true with murder.  Serial murderer,  “Dr.”  Harold Shipman,  had a thing against elderly ladies.  He prescribed medication to WORSEN  their condition.  150 of his elderly lady-patients died under mysterious circumstances.  The police refused to arrest him,  their pretext being that  “the evidence was not strong enough”!  Shipman was eventually found guilty,  and with a conscience gnawing and haunting,   he hanged himself in prison.  Kayaad Almeini’s  novel,  “The Kite Runner”,   slots all evil acts into the category of theft:  if a person lies,  he steals another person’s truth;  if a man runs off with a married woman,  he steals a wife and the mother of children. 

There are people who carry loads of baggage around with them wherever they go.  Some walk around with full pockets,  or huge bunches of keys dangling from belt-loops of their trousers.   Making the time to hollow out superfluous and heavy balls-and-chains which strangle our progress,  frees us to access essential items that we really need.  Clumsiness - which is an inherent characteristic of these burdens - slows us down,  and tires us out!

We should constantly spring-clean our lives, getting rid of excess baggage which retards our journey towards a spiritual destination,   enjoying ethereal quality-of-life,  filled with wondrous pleasures and joys of the soul.  If we manage to convince ourselves to travel lightly mentally and physically,  we succeed to qualify to be admitted in joining the flock of birds flying up above us:  all in a row,  above the earth’s shackles which bind us,  and stop us from expressing our True Worth!

If a feather-weight ring is fixed onto any bird’s leg,  its balance becomes compromised.

In  “The Source”,  Michener advises:  “untie the cords that bind your soul,  with undeviating dedication”.  Setting our souls free,  opens possibilities which promotes  our spontaneous blossoming,  and our growth towards free spirits,  feeding on the joys of life. 

Is this perhaps when we reach a point at which we are capable of surviving  “on love and fresh air”??  With the cost of food soaring currently,  this would be a magnificent accomplishment!  

Let us look up to the freedom enjoyed by the flock of birds flying above us.

We smile,  knowing that it is possible for us to do the same,  if we will only cultivate a culture of commitment!

Unnatural pressure produced by the marked bird’s ring,  may eventually maim it.  A tight bandage placed on its leg for a period of time,  will cause blood restriction,  coupled with compromised circulation,  which may result in permanent damage.   Now we have created a lame duck!

This duck is ostracised,   forced to live out its remaining days in solitude.

Michener’s  “The Covenant”  is a novel tracing South Africa’s  history.   He enlightens us how the Khoi and San nomadic tribes will leave elderly members behind,  as they are no longer able to keep up with the clan.  Their family walk on,  comforted that their no-longer-capable parents will enjoy a last succulent meaty-bone and a calabash of water.   The deserted parents suck and savour their last days of earthly solitude. 

Instinct encourages animal-mothers to eat their young,  if these are born with abnormalities.   Survival of the fittest originates from this! 

In the human species,  nature discourages procreation,  if people have physical disorders,  thus ensuring the aberration is not perpetuated.

A sitting duck is one that is an easy target.  Like that cunning rat,  the duck has got to be alert,  and ready to move to safety at all times.  Ambivalence kicks in,  because the duck is fully aware that if it does not rest,  it will suffer burn-out syndrome. 

This dilemma is a challenge for us…  a lesson for us to remember that rest is essential,  in order to build the strength required to move out of danger quickly.   It teaches us to be proactive and prepared for obstacles that may cross our path.  Keeping fit will ensure that we are not sitting ducks.

A dead duck is useless.  It cannot be eaten,  because rot may have set in.

If the duck has had a full life,  it breathes its last with a smile,  knowing full well that its remains will recycle into the earth to feed life that springs from it. 

Life is a circle…  The Dead Duck will be back!

Remember my Smile: Part 10           13 June 2008  Lucky for us!

Pointers: Dead Duck, out for a duck, ducks in a row…

“When you do common things in an uncommon way,  you will command the attention of the world”.  These are the achievers, who leave their mark!

On the news today,  we hear of a man who was declared dead.  Doctors were on the brink of removing some of his organs to recycle as transplants.  Suddenly - after half an hour - the man’s heart started beating again of it own volition!  What they thought was a dead duck,  got a second chance.  The cat holds onto the luck which earns it the proverbial nine lives!

This is a lesson for all who have lost hope,  standing ready to cast their dreams into the trash-can: miracles  WILL  occur when least expected.  We must never lose hope,  but rather tune into,  and absorb,  the life-giving sap of serendipitous powers pervading all around us.  As long as we cling onto hope,  we  WILL earn a second wind to harness renewed energy,  making possible the enjoyment of a new lease on life. 

Before we are granted new beginnings,  we must be prepared to relent on everything that makes up our world now.  This is tantamount to starting afresh,  with a renewed birth!

Abraham was prepared to follow through on God commanding him to sacrifice Isaac,  the son of his old age.  God tested the strength of his belief!  Are we prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice?  Are we prepared to give our lives for the things in which we believe?  God challenges us all the time.  Spiritual Stamina must sustain us, no matter what obstacles try to intimidate us.  Hold on tight to your beliefs! 

“Hold on against the dying of the light”,  poet Dylan Thomas urged his father,  who was taking leave of life…

Dr. Viktor Frankl says: “Everything can be taken away from a man,  except one thing:  the last of freedoms, and that is being free to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances… to choose one’s own way”.  With the fragment spark of life that is left over,  it is possible to choose a new beginning.  We must build a positive and persevering mind-set!  Think of that last candle that persists in glowing,  and succeeds in lighting up the darkness…