Build what you dream

I love the message of this poem ...

Mandela has died - a poem

December 6, 2013 at 12:56pm

Madiba has died.
Today I held my little boy on my lap as he cried, inconsolably.
Not for a man he’d ever met,
But for a story that made him safe and proud.

I also want to fold my arms around our young country and say
‘There, there.
Remember how much he loved you?
Don’t forget that he gave up his anger, his righteousness, his time, his life
because he believed in you that much.

Maybe you can love him back by believing too?

I know you’ll miss him, my angel.
He will leave a grand space.
An open space!
You can grow into it, you know.
Everything you have loved in your Tata
You have in yourself.

Don’t fight, children, there’s enough inheritance for everyone.
Here, you take some of his compassion – it’s valuable, and rare.
And you, did you like his humour?
Take! Take!
Take his listening, his forgiving, his inclusiveness.
The more you spend them, the more there will be.

Invest your inheritance and build what you dream.
It is more lonely for a name to stand apart
Than alongside millions.'

Angela Deutschmann

With Deep Gratitude, Madiba

What a powerful and inspiring quote, said by a man who lived a truly great life!

I listened to a reading last night from Angela Deutschmann's (Angela) Insights from the Edge about ambiguous signals that we send to the universe with regards to our desires. The reading mentions that "the two most salient questions of your whole life are who are you? and what do you really want?"   

Daniel LaPorte in her book Firestarters, also asks "what do you stand for?"

How many of us have thought really deeply about that and worked really deeply with that? I have certainly looked at those questions, but I know that in my (and those around me) busy life, I don't focus enough of my attention on living that.  I just end up fighting fires, getting exhausted and running on treadmills that are not taking me to where I really want to be and to living a life that is "less than we are capable of living."

The reading goes on to mention how vital it is to master the choices around what we do with the resources that are truly at our disposal, i.e. time, money, energy and attention.  "Everything  you do in life, or learn about or contribute to or become interested in, whatever it may be, should be about expanding, clarifying or enriching who we really are and what we really want."  We need to be really conscious of the messages we send to life if we are interested in receiving from life what we really want.

Most of us end up sending mixed signals to the universe by not backing up with our resources that which we truly desire, which can cause fatigue, complication, frustration and even disillusionment.

If we look at Madiba, there is no doubt that he gave any mixed signals to the universe about what he wanted and what his desires were.  The reading talks about how we will be able to tell those people who are not giving mixed signals as" there will be an energy about them, an aliveness."  Many people who have met Madiba talk about his presence and I am sure it is this "aliveness" that they can feel.  His life was aligned in declaring what he wanted from it and what he stood for.

Thank you Madiba for standing in your truth, believing in it whole-heartedly and for shining your light as a beacon for the rest of humanity.


Ngiyabonga Tata

Labyrinth

I absolutely love walking a labyrinth and my most favourite (I say that only having walked a few in my life) is the one at Boondocks Mountain Lodge and Labyrinth, Boondocks, in the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa.  It is run by the nurturing, humorous, interesting, spiritual and fascinating couple, Ann and Stuart.  

It is set next to a little stream running into a beautiful dam built by Stuart under some really beautiful and powerful trees.  There is a magic to this labyrinth and although I have not been there for 2 years now, I am hoping to go back next year and have some special time on the labyrinth.  The story of how Stuart built the labyrinth is a fascinating one - all about faith and trust and just makes the labyrinth all that more special.  I hope you get to go there and experience the beauty of it yourselves

In the meantime, on this, my late father's 70th birthday, I share this labyrinth with you... Virtual Labyrinth

Much love,
Pascale

Nature, Beauty, Gratitude

I have just watched this Ted Talk by Louie Schwartzberg, and his video narrated by David Steindl-Rast and was very touched.  With this year, having been a very hard one, some days, it is hard to be grateful and so it is wonderful to see a beautiful video like this and to be reminded of the many wonders we do have.  Enjoy. Nature, Beauty, Gratitude