Do Not Despair

By Hussein Manack

As a keen observer of the world around us it appears to be quite easy these days to fall into the deepest throes of despair.

Ever increasing levels of crime and corruption, pollution, disease, pollution, taxes, drugs, poverty and wars that never seem to end, confront us day after day until hopelessness threatens to become a way of life for most of us. 

We must never ever despair! 

Despite the evil and degradation that appears to swirl around us and our children, we should never forget that we still possess the power and the potential to change and significantly improve our own lives as well as the world around us.

Never should we capitulate or abandon  hope, even when we are struggling to survive in an ocean of tears.

Og Mandino on his book, "The Return of the Ragpicker" talks about a French priest and wise man, Pierre Charron, who five centuries ago said that despair is like a spoilt child, who "when you take away one of their playthings, throws the rest into the fire for madness." 

"Despair grows angry with itself, becomes its own executioner, and revenges its own misfortunes." We must never ever give up on ourselves.

Despair is born from fear, and is a direct result of us losing confidence in ourselves and our ability to deal with life's challenges. 

When we reach that point, few of us realize that we are also admitting that we have lost faith. Faith in God and His ability to assist us.

It is at times like this that it is important to commit to the following:

• to never succumb to the fear of failing by focusing on the goals that that you have not yet achieved,

• to embrace adversity as a friend who will teach you far more about yourself than good fortune and success ever will,

• to remember that failure is only a guide and a stepping stone to success,

• to rejoice over what you have, little though it may be,

• to never lose faith in a brighter tomorrow,

• to hold fast to your dreams and your plans for a better life,

• to repeatedly remind yourself that success always has a price,

• to work with enthusiasm and love, no matter what the task at hand may be,

• to endure at your chosen task even after others ceased, for real success is only achieved at the end of the extra mile,

• to treat everyone you meet as you would want them to treat you,

• to control your tongue and temper, guarding against foolish moments of fault-finding and insults,

• to greet everyone you meet with a smile and a soft word of encouragement instead of a frown or silence,

• to be sympathetic and attentive to the struggles and sorrows of others,

• to look for every opportunity to be kind to others, as life is too short to be vengeful or malicious,

• to remember that yesterday has passed, forever beyond your control,

• to remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and not worth worrying about,

• to remember that today is the only day and today is all there is,

• whatever you plant you will reap, what ever you put into whatever you do, you will get back, and to remember that only fools sit idly by and wait for success to arrive,

• to always deliver more than is expected of you,

• to set goals to be accomplished before every day has ended,

• to strive to be the best you can be, and this may not necessarily be wealth or success,

• to accept yourself as you are,

• to remember that your true worth depends on how you feel about yourself and and how much value you add to the world around you, and not on the praise of others,

• to resist the temptation to compete with and surpass the achievements of others,

• to ignite whatever you do with enthusiasm and excitement.

How to Live a Balanced Lifestyle

By Hussein Manack

Anxiety and stress can be avoided by living a balanced lifestyle

What is a Balanced Lifestyle?

We all strive for health and happiness. After all, what's the point in working hard toward a long and healthy life if you can't enjoy it? 

While focusing on a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating correctly is great for your body, balanced living means protecting your mental and emotional health too. 

And stress reduction needs to be at the top of your to do list. Balanced living means considering all aspects of your life: relationships, work, fitness and health, and emotional well-being.

In addition we are all blessed with a unique gift, talent or potential that we may want to fulfill while we have the opportunity. It is therefore important to maximize our potential and one of the best ways to do that is to live a balanced life by prioritizing what it is we would like to spend more time and energy on. 

"Your talent is your Creator's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to Him."

How does one attain a Balanced Lifestyle?

Below is a four step approach to begin living a balanced life, which starts by appraising exactly where you are currently and getting a birds-eye view of your situation as it stands at the moment. Almost like an annual audit of a business. 

It doesn't matter who you are, a student, housewife or a professional, you will be amazed at how revealing and helpful this exercise can be. If you begin the process and take the first step today, it may well be the beginning of fulfilling your lifelong dream. At the very least it will lead to a happier and more fulfilled life.

Step 1) Do a lifestyle audit or appraisal of your life using the Wheel of Life (WoL) 

Example of a Wheel of Life (WoL)

You can design your own WoL depending on your own life and circumstances. For example, a teenager may want to include Schoolwork as one of his / her Core Areas, while a Housewife may want to make Home Environment a Core Area. Your WoL could even be divided into 12 Core Values if you feel it's necessary.

Having said that certain key priorities may be worth including on almost everyone's WoL. These would probably include Health, Family & Friends, Finances as well as Personal Development.

Start by doing an appraisal on the different elements of your own life by asking the following questions for each area: 

⭐️ How satisfied am I regarding my Health, for example?

⭐️ On a scale of 5 (as in the WoL above) or 10, where am I?

⭐️ Make a mark at the appropriate score on your WoL or colour it in as in the example above.

Ask these questions not only of yourself but also ask your partner and a close friend or acquaintance before completing your wheel.

Step 2) Reflect

Identify areas of the WoL that need attention either way. In other words are there areas where you are spending either too little time and focus, or areas where you are spending too much time. It could be that after doing your appraisal and filling in your wheel you discover that you are spending too much time on your business or at work and not enough time with your family. This may require a slight change in the time and energy you put into both these areas in order to balance your wheel and your life. Remember, ultimately the aim is to end up with a wheel that is balanced and at probably around 7/10 in each area of your life. 

You will find this exercise to be quite revealing and probably something you were already aware of, but just couldn't place your finger on it. It's a great place to start before taking any steps regarding goal setting or trying to fix your life. 

Many people try correcting certain areas of their life because they are aware that things are not quite right and chop and change different areas of their life haphazardly only to find that it works for a short while and then goes straight back because they haven't clearly identified where that particular priority fits into their life as a whole and also because they don't have a plan. It's also important to remember that each area of your life impact the others because we only have a limited amount of time in a week. If you therefore decide to spend more time with your family, it's important to understand up front where that time is going to come from and how much of it your are prepared to sacrifice from another area such as your work. If there isn't a clear plan and understanding regarding this you may discover somewhere down the line that your business has suffered to an extend where the damage is irreversible and that then impacts on your finances which ultimately puts a strain on your family. In this example, while your intention was noble and sincere, ie, to commit more time to your family, in the end your actions actually placed more strain and pressure on your family that wasn't there before.

Step 3) Set GOALS 

Goals are dreams with a deadline. By setting goals you are in effect creating the future in advance. By doing an appraisal of your life using the WoL you now have a birds-eye view of your entire life and identified areas that need tweaking. The other important thing you have now achieved is that you have created some level of dissatisfaction with where you are in your life right now. This is important, because as long as we are satisfied with where we are, we may never be pushed into action.

How to set goals

a) Set one goal in each area of the wheel that you feel would balance it and commit to take immediate action. You now have 8 ( or 12 depending on your own WoL)  goals which you must absolutely committed to.

b) How would you feel if you could achieve all 8 goals within 1 year? Let this be your objective and your deadline.

c) Now write down and take at least one action immediately today towards achieving  each goal, eg, a phone call, google search, etc

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." Abraham Lincoln

Now that you know where you are and have a plan and a deadline, it's time to take action.

4) Take ACTION (Time to put your wheel in motion)

⭐️ Ask yourself the following question:

What would the price be if I didn't achieve my goals? 

⭐️ Also use the Rocking Chair test by asking yourself the following question:

 How would I feel if I did & didn't (answer and imagine both scenarios) achieve each goal when I am on my rocking chair at 80 yrs of age?

Remember, human behavior is motivated by two things, pain and pleasure. It is therefore important to inject as much pain and pleasure into your answers to these questions. And when you think about them, picture them as vividly as possible, in other words, add color, taste, smell, emotions, etc and include all the senses.

Happiness and success depends on being fulfilled in every area of our life while being able to prioritize important areas where you are driven and have particular dreams or ambitions. Success will be short lived if other areas of your life are being neglected. While it may seem difficult to achieve this, all it requires is a clear plan. The four steps above are amazing tools which will assist you to archive what sadly, most people today cannot and are battling to come to terms with.

Go for it, take the first step and all the best.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain

Feeling Helpless? Here's How to Fix it

By Hussein Manack

The Three Beliefs (Three P's) that Lead to Helplessness and How to Fix Them

Belief 1 

That a problem is Permanent.

Once you believe that a situation is permanent you stop working at it and do nothing to improve or overcome it. 

Fix it by:

- refusing to see any problem as permanent,

- believe that the bad times will pass just as summer is around the corner and the sun will always rise the next morning after the darkness of the night.

Belief 2

That the problem is Pervasive.

Once you generalize a problem in one area by allowing it to enter into other areas of your life, you could soon become helpless. 

Fix it by:

- refusing to allow a problem in one area of your life, i.e., failure at school or a divorce, to pervade or control other areas of your life or even your entire life,

- regard every problem as a challenge that can be tackled individually.

Belief 3

That all problems are Personal.

If you believe that your problems make you a failure, you may feel overwhelmed and begin to lose self-confidence. 

Fix it by:

- refusing to allow a failure or mistakes in one area of your life to mean that you are worthless or a failure as a person,

- seeing each problem in perspective.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

(How to live and experience them)

By Deepak Chopra

1) The Law of Pure Potentiality

• Take time each day to be silent, still and to connect with your spirit. This can be done through the practice of silence and meditation. This means tuning out the world and taking time to just Be. Stillness is the first requirement for manifesting your desires.

• Practice non judgment. When we constantly judge things as right or wrong, good or bad, we create turbulence which constrict the flow of energy. Non judgment allows us to silence our minds and access our inner stillness.

• Spend time with nature. By silently observing nature, a sunset, the sound of the ocean, a stream or a breeze, the scent of a flower or a forest, we begin to sense the harmonious interaction of all the elements of nature and the lavish display of abundance in the universe. By tuning in to nature we can access infinite creativity and spontaneously receive creative thoughts. Connecting with nature's intelligence will give you a sense of unity with all of life, and help you to get in touch with the innermost essence of your being.

2) The Law of Giving and Receiving

• Give a gift to everyone you encounter, be it a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. This begins the process of circulating joy and affluence in your life and in the life of others.

• Gratefully receive every gift that life offers you. Be open to receiving, whether it be a material gift from others, a compliment, or a prayer.

• Silently wish everyone you encounter happiness, joy, and laughter. By giving and receiving the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation, and love, you will keep wealth circulating in your life.

3) The Law of Karma (Cause and Effect)

• Witness the choices you make in every moment. The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.

• Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself two questions: "What are the consequences of this choice?" and "Will this choice bring happiness to me and to those who are affected by the choice?"

• Ask your heart for guidance, and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort. If the choice feels comfortable, go ahead with it. If the choice feels uncomfortable, then don't make that choice.

4) The Law of Least Effort

• Accept people, circumstances, and events as they are in this moment.  When confronted with any challenge, remind yourself, "This moment is as it should be," because the entire universe is as it should be. 

• Take responsibility for your situation without blaming anything or anyone, including yourself. Every problem is an opportunity to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.

• Relinquish the need to defend your point of view. In defenselessness, you remain open to all points of view, not rigidly attached to one if them. 

4) The Law of Intention and Desire

• List your intentions and desires, and look at this list before you go into silence, before you sleep at night and when waking in the morning,

• Let go and release your desires, trusting the universe to handle the details. Having faith means that when things don't seem to go your way, their is a reason and it's usually for the better,

• Practice present-moment awareness in all your actions. Refuse to allow obstacles to consume your attention in the present moment.

6) The Law of Detachment

• practice detached involvement by detaching yourself from the outcome of your intentions and desires. Stay alert and prepared for the opportunity within every problem by letting go of your idea of how things should be,

• embrace uncertainty as an essential part of your experience, and solutions will spontaneously and magically appear. Good luck is nothing but preparedness and opportunity coming together, this is the perfect recipe for success,

• remain open to all possibilities, and enjoy every moment by singing your song in the journey of life - all the fun, mystery, and magic of possibility. 

7) The Law of Dharma or Purpose

• each of us are her to discover our true self, to find out that we are spiritual beings or divinity in disguise 

• each if us has a unique talent/s that no one else alive has and that we are here to express. When expressing this talent we lose track of time,

• we are here to serve our fellow human beings with our talent,

• by asking "How can I help or serve all those with whom I come into contact with?" we combine the expression of our unique talent with service to humanity.

• the Law of Dharma brings the preceding six laws to fruition, for when we master it, the whole universe is on our side and every law and power of nature comes to our aid and supports us spontaneously,

• to experience the Law of Dharma: 1)seek your higher self through spiritual practice and discover your divinity, 2) find your unique talents (that you love to do while expressing these talents), and 3) serve humanity with the expression of your talents (by asking "How can I help" or "How can I serve?"

THE FINAL ANALYSIS by MOTHER THARESA

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was

never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

FAREWELL NELSON MANDELA 1918 - 2013

NELSON MANDELA 1918 - 2013

 

 

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

 

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“It always seems impossible until it's done.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

 

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“The greatest glory in living
lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
― Nelson Mandela

     

“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“ As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I am the captain of my soul.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

    

“Courage is not the absence of fear — it s inspiring others to move beyond it.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Appearances matter — and remember to smile.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Nothing is black or white.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“In my country we go to prison first and then become President. ”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities and a thousand unremembered moments produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people. There was no particular day on which I said, Henceforth I will devote myself to the liberation of my people; instead, I simply found myself doing so, and could not do otherwise.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

 

“There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiograpy of Nelson Mandela with Connections

      

“Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it's lowest ones”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

    

“Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Quitting is leading too.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

    

“Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great?”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“I AM THE MASTER OF MY FATE AND THE CAPTAIN OF MY DESTINY.”
― Nelson Mandela

      

“It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Tread softly,
Breath peacefully,
Laugh hysterically.” 
― Nelson Mandela

      

“I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.”
― Nelson Mandela

    

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
― Nelson Mandela

 

“Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savor their songs.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

    

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
― Nelson Mandela

Ultimate Success Formula by Anthony Robbins

1) Get clear about the outcome you want?

2) Decide and take action - overcome the fear of failure (it's impossible to fail) and speed up the process by modeling someone who is successful at what you want.

3) Notice what you are getting from your action by paying careful attention - flexibility is power, so be prepared to change if necessary. 

4) Keep changing your approach until u succeed, eg, babies keep trying until they walk.