Personal reflections

Reflections. I grew up in South Africa with two very unorthodox parents who for example adopted six children to make a total of 10 of us. They had a strong belief that rules are man-made and needed to be tested until proven to be valid, valuable and not harmful to the greater good. This stayed with me, and I would say that I've always been a risk taker who challenged authority. Inexperience meant I made many mistakes when I was younger and fought battles that were not mine to fight but with age, I was able to see less black and white and more grey, more of the mosaic of life. Over time my interpretation of what challenge meant modified. There is unfairness in the world everyday and therefore energies need to be focused on that where we have expertise and can make a difference. This podcast is an extension of my mindset to confront perceptions and focus on the small differences I can effect on an individual which in turn can impact those around them. If I say something that shifts your mind and improves your day or more than that, then surely producing this podcast is worth the effort. I believe that most people want to help other people and I'm trying to do this in a tangible way. This podcast is an example of that. As I said in “Fuck the why” podcast I don’t have any great calling or amazing why that compels me to do this or any illusions that this, like most things, will by and large be lost in the ether of information overload. I do it because I know what I say can help and maybe it cheers up or helps someone have a better day or life and selfishly it forces me to reflect on my own thoughts and actions once a week. We are all the product of our environment, how we grew up and I think it is of utmost importance to work on our self-awareness. How else do we challenge the scripting of our youth by parents and teachers? Surely evaluating our beliefs to make sure they are truly what we believe rather than blindly accepting the things that we grew up being told is part of owning ourselves? Identifying beliefs that are helpful to us or not must surely be a priority as we mature? If learn about ourselves and the things that are not so helpful and try to alter those, then we stop perpetuating the baggage of our parents through ourselves and onto our kids. At the same time, we want to pass on the things that have fortified us and helped us throughout our lives that came from our parents. Most parents want to do their best and nobody has a blueprint with answers to their children’s needs but I believe that if we can implant in our children the ability to think, change and evaluate then they have a healthy way to develop their own beliefs and philosophies and each generation going forward can be better. Ultimately, despite all its problems the world is a safer and better place now than it was a century ago, or 500 years or 1000 years ago. Parents, teachers, mentors, and coaches are just people and fallible, so I challenge you to reflect on anything I say in these podcasts. I remain and always will be an optimist that most people are doing their best to be good people and have empathy for each other and whilst this is the case the world is wonderful and if we choose to focus on the magic without being naïve about horrible realities, we can navigate a healthy mindset for ourselves.