Conversation with Rachel

 2020 is almost over... it has been the hardest year ever, right??? What got us through??? Resilience maybe??? Resilience is the ability to handle and recover from stressful situations and crises. It is not simply coping with adversity, but to experience growth and flowering, finding meaning and purpose, experiencing self-awareness and to tasting life in all its flavours. Remember, resilience is not about overcoming but becoming...  As already mentioned, it has been the hardest year ever.... So stop... Yeah, JUST STOP FOR A MOMENT.... THINK and REFLECT....  Remind yourself that you did your best and that is all you could do. Pause. Take it all in, the good and the bad... Acknowledge your losses... But more importantly, acknowledge what you are grateful for. For me, I am thankful that: I am alive,  My family is safe,  I am still employed,  I am pursuing my dreams,  I am living my truth Going to 2021, I open my heart to growth, love and peace. I really h...

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John F. Kennedy Stop making things not work for you. Stop looking for reasons why it doesn’t work or why it will never work for you, instead figure out a way to make good things happen to you. Whenever we try to make changes in our lifestyle, sometimes we doubt ourselves that maybe we can’t do it or it isn’t suitable for us. Why does this happen? It isn’t because of fear but because we don’t believe in ourselves. We aren’t confident enough to keep pushing through to do things we should. We are complacent about our dreams… No idea will work for every single person, but a lot of them can work for most people as long as you believe that you can make them work. Stop wasting your energy to worry. Use what you have to create and grow from what you’ve learned. Guys, you need to put more trust in yourself and believe in the process of things. If one thing doesn’t ...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will When the road you are trudging seems uphill When the funds are low and debts are high And you want to smile but have to sigh When all is pressing you down a bit Rest if you must, but do not quit Success is failure turned inside out And you can never tell how close you are It may be near when it seems far So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.                                                                                                                 By John Greanlea...

Let's speak to this common phrase, "Some people are lucky." I don't know anything about luck. I have never banked on it, and I am afraid of people who do. Luck, to me, is HARD WORK - and realising an opportunity and what isn't. I had to purposefully plan and strategise what I want to achieve by when. I consciously decided to do less partying (I don't think I have ever started 😊), reduce reckless spending, watch less of Netflix, and movies to achieve my goals. Likewise: Her body is banging hot because she decided to eat clean, meditate, and worked out every day. His business is successful because he puts the extra hours instead of the 09h00 - 17h00 to get the business off the ground.  She has that corner office and earns a six-digit salary because she is qualified for it and has the relevant experience. They are couple goals because they have taken a decision to continuously forgive and love each other every day. They can afford finer things in life because th...

I am not afraid to expose my melanin to the world.  There's too much magic brewing in this skin for me to keep to myself. To hide this shade under the sun because of society's standard of beauty. I am my beauty, and that is enough to live in this body to walk in my truth. I am enough.... You are enough....

Women all over the world walk around with deep scars covered by layers of make-up or a smile. Let us remove those layers and begin the journey of healing.  It is known that women in different age groups go through a lot of trials and tribulations in life. It is time for women unite and be one, speak in one voice in issues that affect the nation. This week I would like to speak life and unity to Inzalabantu. Bafazi lets help each other heal.  Let us celebrate our individualism and the uniqueness in you. Let us hold each others hands in building a nation of bold and assertive women. Life is a journey let us walk side by side through the dark tunnels and the sunny days.  Let’s us mentor each other.  To married women: Let us help prepare the women aspiring to be married for marriage. Let us be honest: Marriage is not easy and not for the faint-heart. Marriage works best when you are one with your spouse. When that union embraces the individual character it ...

Just the other day, I got a call from my Bank. They were thanking me for being such a loyal client, and they would like to reward me with life insurance. For just R 250 a month, I can ensure that my loved ones are well taken care of when I'm dead. First of all, since when does one pay to receive a reward or how exactly am I being rewarded? Secondly, as much as I love my "loved ones," I would also like to reap the benefits of this life insurance, which I will pay for monthly. Right?? Wouldn't you? Yeah, you guessed right, that call did not end well for the Sales Consultant. These calls are too common to me, and I have become so familiar with the lingo also. But that call got me so fired up. How come I never get a call inviting me to be part of a business seminar/summit/webinar? Banks do have investments, savings, and stokvel portfolios, right? So, how come they never sell me these products? I guess my frustration is that society has conditioned us to be economical/fina...

In the last few days, I have been able to read and meditate  I was so hurt I could not find my centre I was so hurt, I resented God and thought he did not exist ... Well, at least not in my life ... I could not pray ... I was too hurt Broken into pieces ... I had no identity ... For all the things I prayed for, I forgot myself I don't know how to pray for me ... Or have a conversation with God about me  Today I felt so ready and open ... I felt that the walls that once existed between God and I no longer exist I am going to heal My only prayer for tonight is... Please purify me, forgive me and thank you for everything. Love the Naked Soul

Finding reasons not to do a set task or goal is much easier than doing it. I wanted to give up on this blog. I am new to this blogging thing. I am not sure if anyone is reading it or if it is having the impact I had hoped it would - that is to spark debates, conversations, inspire and heal. Well no one is commenting or liking... It is not marketed well... So this blog must be useless... Everyone else is doing much cooler things on their blogs... I also wanted to give up on the fitness challenge that I recently joined. I wanted to give up 2 days after I joined the challenge... Why? The pain was too much. Every limb in my body was screaming pain. I convinced myself that nope, I'm good.  But having friends that you share the same goals and aspirations as you is very important because they are your voice of reason. I spoke to a friend of mine who reminded me that at the beginning my body will be in pain but it will adjust.... Right there and then, I reminded my self that discipline is ...

It is so important to make sure that you take good care of your body, mind and soul everyday, not just when you get sick. Most of us are always busy, have stressful jobs, or are too consumed with technology to make time for ourselves. Therefore, "Me-Time" is usually last on the agenda. Worse, we sometimes feel guilty about taking time to take care of ourselves. So here is what you can do to boost your well-being: Make sleep part of your self-care routine. Exercise daily as part of your self-care routine. Eat right for self-care. Meditate. If it feels wrong, do't do it. Say exactly what you mean. Furthermore..... Don't be a people pleaser. Trust your instincts. Never speak bad about your self. Never give up on your dreams. Don't be afraid to say no. Don't be afraid to say yes. Be kind to yourself. Let go of what you can't control. Stay away from drama and negativity. Love.... Your mental health comes first. Protect it.