holidays

These holidays have come as such a relief. Not because I could not wait for later nights and late mornings or the fact that I have no class, no studying and no worrying. I love holidays because its the perfect time to have loads and loads and loads of "me" time - something that everyone needs once in a while.

I'm HUGE on self improvement. Give me any book with the 10 steps to be a better me, a book to help me learn a new skill or something cool to try out - they're all right up my alley and this is exactly what I'm spending my amazing 6 week holiday doing. I've decided to start gymming again and after not being here for a few months straight I found myself dissapointed with what I've allowed to happen. I've never been super skinny or even really fit but I've always strived to look after my health and this is now more evident. Trying to "clean up" my usual diet of sweets and chocolates or chocolates and sweets into something more healthy is definitely on my "to-do" list for this holiday.

I've planted my own veggie garden to aid my new healthy lifestyle and I'll post pictures as soon as I can actually decipher what is what (maybe I should've put up cute little boards with each of their names on?). Today I repacked my entire room and colour co-ordinated all of my clothes - I'm OCD like that. I neatly filed away all of last semesters work ready for the up and coming semester. I love being organised and I love organising and cleaning as strange as that sounds. When my life gets stressed and flustered you can see it in my room and after the previous exams my room looked like hell.

I'm planning on starting my internship at Seventeen Magazine next week - How amazing is that, I still can't believe I was chosen. And hopefully I'll be getting my license in the near future or going by my track record at least by the end of the year.

The thing is so many people see the holidays as a time to do absolutely nothing but what are your days if you did nothing in them? Rather take this time and do something for yourself. Sit down and put your pen to some paper to decide what you want and how you going to get it because if anyone is going to make you successful at any task at hand it's going to be you.

Remember you determine your own future. 

So for everyone on holiday : enjoy it! whether you choose to absolutely nothing or absolutely everything and for those who aren't remember to take at least 10 minutes a day to just have some time to yourself. Read your Bible, read a book, take a relaxing bath, go to gym, make yourself your favourite meal or what ever makes you happy! Remember to always prioritise yourself

must read blog of the week : Transform8ion St8ion

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16 June 1976 | 16 June 2013

Writing this blog post is frustrating. I know exactly what I want to say but trying to convert these hyperactive feelings into something understandable is harder than I thought it would be.

So I assume all South African’s know that even though yesterday was technically Youth day we find ourselves celebrating it today with Father’s day somewhat taking preference yesterday. To those who don’t know what Youth day is, it is basically the celebration and commemoration of the hundreds and thousands of non-white students who marched to Orlando Stadium in Soweto to protest against unfair education policies being implemented targeting non-white students doing Apartheid. These students were targeted by the police and shot, killed and injured but this was a risk they were willing to face.

Imagine. Imagine not only the atmosphere of excitement and passion of those students as they marched down those streets. But imagine the fear that today could very well be their last. Knowing that when they said bye to their parents that morning it could be the last time they ever saw them and this act of marching could be the very last thing they ever did. Could you even try and comprehend the mind-set those students had as they faced their greatest fears? But their passion, dignity and conviction is what gave them the drive to carry on despite their inevitable fears.

Recently my friend Dain Sisam has been tweeting thought provoking tweets to say the least and when he and his friends began their “Conformists” movement I could not help but be inspired, motivated and somewhat embarrassed. As the youth we’ve taken the backseat to any and everything happening in our country and after our tediously enormous amount of whining, complaining and blaming each and every one of our problems on the government we do absolutely nothing about it. I actually feel like laughing at how pathetic it sounds but then I realise that I am part of this generation and guess what? This generalisation of what the youth is complies to me as well. Because one day when people look back on what our generation did or did not accomplish they won’t refer to it as the generation excluding Zina. No, my name will be lost in the sea of thousands who all fall under the title of “their generation”.

It is time for us as youth to make the sacrifices required for the changes that we feel the need to be made. No longer should we be the youth that complains and waits for something to happen but instead we should be voices of reason. A strong and steadfast generation who knows exactly what we want and who are willing to stand up for what we deserve. We should be protesting for education and change but at the same time we need to realise the consequences of what we are asking for. If we going to ask for an equal education it is expected that we fill up those classrooms and put an effort into learning. If we going to ask to ask for change it is up to us to embrace the change.

Being part of the youth of South Africa is a privilege. We are granted the opportunity to mould South Africa into the land that we want as leaders of this country. It’s time for us to take a stand and demand that we be respected and that our voices are heard across this country. We need to unite and as a generation we need to be so much more. 

Because NOW, is the time for us

* Dain's blog : Dain You and Me

This photo was found on twitter. Uploaded by Equal Education it shows as students marched across the Nelson Mandela bridge to celebrate youth day

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students as agents of social change

Have you ever experienced that feeling, that overwhelming feeling of passion and the need o do something, to change something and to be something so much bigger than what you are? I can personally say this is something I feel so often. But for some or other reason we don’t act on this passion and slowly it starts to simmer down and after days, weeks and even months of not acting on this feeling you are left with nothing but a mere memory of what of would’ve , could’ve and should’ve instead of what you did.

This blog post is dedicated to this feeling and why I had this feeling last night. In the beginning of the year every student in Stellenbosch University received an email that encouraged us to apply for a course with the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert Institute called “Students as Agents of Social Change”. In all honesty I think that most students skimmed the email or did not even take the time to figure out what it was about but because this is where my passion lies and what I love I applied and fortunately was one of 25/26 students chosen to take part in his short course.

Last night was our 4^th session and we had an amazing opportunity to meet students from the University of Georgia. We spent the afternoon eating and socialising, getting to know one another and in truth it was the first time I had actually spoken to and gotten to know so many of my fellow “agents”. In the week each agent had to send in a photo that we identified as a problem in today’s society and then speak for 2-3 (inevitably much longer for most) about why it is a problem and what role students play in trying to fix the problem.

We discussed various topics from sustainability, education, land, politics till even imagination. We sat in a room so pumped up, our blood boiling with eagerness to say or do something. To have our opinions’ heard and to go out and change the world. But as one student from Georgia pointed out, and it’s something that is pointed out in every one of our sessions, it’s great that we are able to discuss this and to be so passionate about it but if we don’t act on this passion it says in the room we are in. All it then becomes is a weekly 2.5 hours of passion that disappears into nothing after days, weeks and inevitably months of not acting on our passions.  

Whenever I had this feeling of passion, I’d have these huge dreams of what I would accomplish but slowly but surely I would convince myself that I am far too small in this world to create this change that I dream of. But my first step is that I no longer want that passion that I feel to be limited in a room which I why I am sharing it

with each and every one of you reading this post.

I want to encourage you to start speaking about what you are passionate about, even if you are speaking to your friends about it. And don’t think that your passions are in any way inferior to someone else’s. Whether your passion is fashion, music, dancing, politics, economics or any other topic you can think of, your ideas are in no way limited or inferior and ultimately it is up to you to make you passions so much more than a passion that may one day just die down.

I hope you find in yourself the passion and strength to want, create and be so much more than even you think you are capable of

“The world is not interested in what we do for a living. What they are interested in is what we have to offer freely - hope, strength, love and the power to make a difference!” - Sasha Azevedo

a photo from our session last night - found on Lloyd's twitter account :)

A special thanks to the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership, Lloyd Blake, (uncle) Llewlyn MacMaster, my fellow agents and the students from the University of Georgia for an amazingly inspiring and eye-opener of a night

be sure to check out what other courses are running if inerested and apply to as many as you like!

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time for those new year's resolutions

Sitting awake at 12 o clock at night is not ideal. I’ve been so busy and sleep deprived I found myself waking up on the cold hard floor of our TV room in a very unappealing and awkward position. Varsity is just so much. I’ve never had to handle excessive such workloads, sitting in such a big classroom or feeling so small, unintelligent and in the bigger scheme of things minute. Right now I feel like I’m just part of statistics and it’s up to me to decide whether I’m going to belong to the group that makes it or the group that doesn’t.

So instead of just lying in bed and waiting for sleep to catch up on me I decided to wake up, get inspired and start studying which is something I’ve really been struggling with lately. I’m a last minute kind of girl. The one who has to feel the pressure before she starts working and in my uncles words to me “It’s human nature to be like that” but now it’s time for me to fight my own limitations.

I hated chemistry at school to say the least and it reflected in my poor marks. I can’t even say I liked the subject but just couldn’t cope under exam or test conditions which I often tried to convince myself. And just my luck I find it to be one of my main subjects this year. I find myself sitting in class having absolutely no idea what’s going on and being too scared to put up my hand and ask questions and just not motivated enough to look for the answers. Instead I find myself continuously checking facebook, twitter or just simply doing other work provided I’m not just closing my eyes for a few moments hoping it would wake me up.

So what motivated me at 12 o clock to start working? My New Year’s resolution. I know its March and to be completely honest most of us have given up. I saw the statuses in January already “who still does New Year’s Resolutions – it never lasts” or “New Years’ resolutions are just a waste of time.”  .I get it, we tend to give up so easily when things become tough but think about it: what are our new years’ resolutions? In my opinion they are positive changes we make hoping to benefit ourselves and others. I promised myself that I would work hard this year and if I can’t even do it for myself who can I do it for?

Yes I know those healthy eating ideas have disappeared and replaced by fast food and those gym memberships you took out are now simply a transaction that happens once a month or basically a waste of your money. I want to encourage you to not give up. Start fulfilling your resolutions today and if you fail tomorrow is another day where you can wake up and try again. That’s the beauty of life, everyday is a new opportunity to grow and be or do something amazing it’s simply up to you. You will never regret having that one healthy meal or going to the gym and pushing yourself, these small things may be forgotten but they will benefit you anyway.

I can’t say I’m not going to study for my chemistry test (next week Wednesday) because I don’t like it. If I fail I’m simply going to be one less in a class of 400. I need to do this for myself because the good things are tough but that makes it worthwhile doesn’t it? When you work hard and achieve what you want so badly that you gave it your everything. That sense of accomplishment flourishes throughout your body and over whelms your soul with this indescribable happiness and knowing you did it for yourself makes it that much better.

 

So let’s make a toast to our New Years’ resolutions. The ones that we’ve given up on but we going to start again or the ones we’ve been working hard on maintaining. Let’s do it for the simple reason that we deserve it.

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and maybe I'm just a little girl ... a little girl with great big plans

I said I would inspire you through so many forms and in my last 2 blog entries I felt that I did this using my words but this time I have something different in mind . I came across this song on  http://aimerose.blogspot.com , its one of my favorite international blogs so check it out , and I fell in love with the words . so take a listen and I hope you love it as much as I do . If you read below you'll find the lyrics too

Mindi Gledhill - whole wide world

I’m gonna walk a hundred miles,
I’m gonna whistle all the while,
If that’s what it takes to make me smile,
I’m gonna walk a hundred miles.

I’m gonna rend right up this hill,
Summer sky or winter chill,
If I gotta take a break I will,
But I wanna rend right up this hill.

I wanna hold the whole wide world
Right here in my open hands,
And maybe I’m just a little girl,
A little girl with great big plans.

I’m gonna go and take a chance,
I’m gonna learn to ballet dance,
Learn a little something about romance,
I’m gonna go and take a chance.

I’m gonna live a crazy dream,
Impossible as it may seem,
Doesn’t matter what the future brings,
I’m gonna live a crazy dream.

I wanna hold the whole wide world,
Right here in my open hands,
And maybe I’m just a little girl,
A little girl with great big plans.

I wanna hold the whole wide world,
Right here in my open hands,
And maybe I’m just a little girl,
A little girl with great big plans.

You tell me, don’t try it,
I’m warning you that I won’t buy it.
All the failure is fleeting,
I trust it always has its meaning.

I wanna hold the whole wide world,
Right here in my open hands,
And maybe I’m just a little girl,
A little girl with great big plans.

I wanna hold the whole wide world,
Right here in my open hands,
And maybe I’m just a little girl,
A little girl with great big plans.

the clock is ticking

Thomas Jefferson said "never put off till tomorrow what you can do today"

My friend Alexa once told us a story during one of our prefect meetings. Like all stories I don’t remember the details but from what I can recall I’ve put together a story of my own.

Imagine each day you woke up and you went to the bank and given a sum of money. Not only a small portion but in total you were given R86 400 each day. So what’s the catch right? Only thing is, is that you have to spend it by the end of the day. So what would you do?

What would I do? I’d buy my family the things their hearts desire. I’d give the money to charity to help children further their education. I’d start a business , I’d create the fashion line I dream of , I’d build houses and houses and houses for those who cannot afford .

So what if I told you this is a true story, only instead of the bank giving you money its God giving you time. You get 86 400 seconds each and every day. Time is more precious than money and often this is something we tend to forget.  What are you doing with your time? You can’t save it because you can’t get it back tomorrow. Think of all the things you thought you’d do. Not the things you’d buy or the stockpile of material possessions you’d collect. Let’s even look at my list. I don’t need money to build those houses; I need to take time out of my so called “busy” life to start doing more for charity. I can start tutoring and mentoring those less fortunate than me who have the disadvantage of attending an under privileged school. The smile on the faces of my family members can be achieved through small, caring and loving actions rather than buying them objects. I can take responsibility for my future and start planning a business I dream of or even begin sketching clothes I’d love to make a reality.

So how about you? What could you do and more importantly what will you do? Our lives are passing us by. At the end of each year we ask ourselves “where did time fly” but maybe ask you what did I do with my time? Did I use every opportunity, did I do my best, did I study hard enough or did I spend way too much time in front of the TV again? Be a part of a generation that has decided time is of the essence and if we want to bring about change NOW IS THE TIME.

 The only question I have left to ask, is our future worth your time?

2013: the year of change

-          The year to make your time count

2013 : the year to be confident

Elanor Rooselt once said "Do one thing everyday that scares you"

We often hear such things and think "how am I supposed to go sky diving , snorkeling or even bungy jumping everyday" - but I've come to the realisation that that is not what she meant. Nelson mandela said "it is our light not our darkens which most frightens us" - and I agree. We have become a society that is so afraid of being who we truely are. We fear celebrating our accomplishments and talents because we worry about the opinions of those around us. I believe 2013 is the year we say good bye and good ridance to our fears because our fears do absolutely nothing but hold us back from where we are supposed to be on our God driven journey.

Today I decided to do one thing that scares me by starting this blog. It may sound weird - I know , but in truth it does scare me. I'm scared of making myself vulnerable and that is exactly what this blog does. By starting this blog I am allowing others to critise me and my opinions. I've often heard that I'm such a shy person which shocked me probably as much as it would shock those closest to me. I was the captain of my debating team and when I got up to give my speech believe me the last thing I lack is confidence but I realised that what I do lack is the confdence to be true to myself because I fear the critism that acompanies this decision.I realised that confidence is not only being able to stand up and give a speech during class or defending your decision. Your confidence lies in the depths of your soul , it is what gives you the strength to face your fears and to celebrate your individuality.

So what are your fears ? How are you going to face them ? And our we you going to finally make 2013 different from all the other years we claimed would be too? You're going to accept yourself , Love yourself , Repect Honour and Cherish yourself and I belive your true confidence will come naturally.

2013 : the year of confidence and the year of change
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