The social network

I have only watched this movie for the first time last night and wow, how inspiring.  For those of you who haven’t watched it yet it is about the guy who invented facebook.  This was really the first true life drama which I really enjoyed.  There is so much into the movie.

Although he is really clever I think that is really about having the perfect idea at a perfect time.  It also shows that how difficult it is to keep friendships in business.  It is probably the worst thing you can do.  If you haven't watched it yet I strongly recommend that you do. 

Your smile or compliment can make a huge difference

Smiling does make a big difference.  When last have someone smiled at you?  Can you remember how it felt?  It is amazing what one small smile can do.  Even if you don’t know a person, smile.  A smile really has powers and can a person think more positively. This does not come natural but you will be amazed what it will even do to you by just smiling more.

Another thing is to give compliments.  It won’t hurt you, but you might have a huge impact on someone’s life without even knowing it.  We are all living on this planet.  We all have Mondays.  We all are just trying to survive and create a better life for ourselves.  While we are living we can actually make it worthwhile for someone else.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

We all are guilty of judging people.  This is one of the worst things we can do.  Every person has a story and no one except that person and God knows his full story.  You don’t know what that person have gone through in his life or what he or she is struggling with at the moment.  There are reasons for what we do and how we do it.  Try to see the good in someone.  There are often barriers for example culture, religion or race which makes us judge someone else.  Do not judge someone because he or she is not like you.  You do not have to like the person or be friends with him or her but it will not help anyone by judging him or her.  Everyone can’t be the same.  We need different people in life to make it a bit more interesting.  Try to understand why some persons act the way they do.  Ask yourself is it because the way he or she was brought up, because of gender, language, religion, race, country etc.  There are so many factors influencing us to make us the way we are. 

This blog was aspired by a situation I was in a while ago.  I was on my way from work to class.  It was a Monday.  The Sunday night I worked on assignments until after 02:00AM.  I woke up at 05:30 to go to work.  At 17:00 I was on my way for four hours of classes and I still had to go back to work to finalise stuff before the next day.  A person came up to me begging.  When I did not give him money, he were very cross with me.  I wish I had time to explain my story to him.  Just because I wear nice clothes does not mean I am rich and have lots of money.  I still have a R80 000 loan and working my ass off to get enough money to be able to start paying it off.  You don’t know me; you can’t come and say bad words at me just because I do not give you money. 

And the best thing is that I am really a person who always give anyone money I see who really needs it.  Therefore think twice because you judge someone because you don’t know what the story behind the face and clothes may be.

The last lecture

I really can’t believe we are almost at the last lecture.  I seriously cannot believe how fast this year has gone by.  This also means I need to say goodbye to a lot of people which faces I saw every week.  Some of them even became my friends.  I am just glad that this is a small industry and Cape Town is even smaller so know I will at least bump into some of them once in a while.  It feels like yesterday when I went to the post office to collect my documents which I needed to register and it wasn’t there.  I sat in my car for about an hour and cried my eyes out, thinking that I will not be able to study this year.   Luckily everything has worked out perfectly. 

From an admin job in Stellenbosh, living in Durbanville, studying at CPUT to a fabulous PR job, living in the city and almost at the last lecture.  I cannot believe what this year has brought to me. 

I am so much richer in knowledge and experience.  I want to continuous studying just need to figure out what and where I’m going next year. 

Living my life as a journey and loving every second. 

Watch this space

I just know I am going to achieve big things in life.  What is nice about this is that what makes me happy and are big achievements for me does not necessarily make the next person happy or successful.  Everyone is unique and different which makes life interesting and fun.  Imagine how boring our lives would have been if everyone was the same.

I am an extremely hard working person and full of ambition.  I believe and trust in God and just know there is a big plan with my life.  I have also learned through time that a lot of small things can have an even bigger impact than one big thing.

I am positive.  I love what I do.  Although I don’t exactly know where I am going I know I am going somewhere and have a kind of plan in place although I know that nothing is carved in stone. 

I am learning extremely much this year, from every person I come in contact with at and through my work as well as in class.  I love learning and gaining more knowledge about my industry and people and life in general.

I am exactly where I want to be at this stage in my life and I know I am even going to wow myself in the future.  I have achieved so much so far.  I haven’t dreamed of this life and just know there is much more to come.

Watch this space...

My favourite Cat in the Hat book is?????

This does ring a bell but I serious cannot remember the different books!  My favourite children’s books were the Walt Disney books.  I really loved all the Walt Disney children’s books as well as all the movies. 

My favourite children’s story though is Brakenjan.  Wow it really makes me long back to my children days.  If I look back now everything looked so perfect, although I know I had other issues then.  I remember every Thursday night when I was a little girl my mom had a church thing on and every Thursday was bonding time with my dad.  We always played golf and soccer in our corridor and then we watch a episode of Brakenjan and go to sleep. 

Why I have conversations?

I am in the communications industry, are you really asking me this question?

Firstly I love talking and I love listening and I love people!  Without other people we would be nothing. My life would really be empty without conversations.

There are a variety of reasons why I have conversations. My main reasons for communication are to clarify something, to share an experience, feeling or emotion, to build a relationship or to show interest.

Conversation is also become a major topic in businesses especially in the communications and public relations industry.  Organisations use to communicate from the Top-Down but today more and more organisations is utilising a participatory approach which involve two-way communication.

Write your bucket list / 100 things to do before you die?

Even though there might be 100 things on my bucket list the main thing is to live my life to the fullest.  When I lie on my sick bed one day or breathe in my last breath I want do so with a smile and know that I have lived my life and made use of every opportunity.

If I look back at my life now I am happy with my life.  I can die now and be satisfied.  Although I feel that I did make 3 mistakes in my life which two of them involved ex-boyfriends (laugh out loud).  But you know what if it weren’t for my mistakes and for them I would not have been the person I am today.  The other one was where I really messed up and disappointed my parents.  There is also of cause where I wished I could get a better first job, or that I went overseas in my gap year.  But then I would not have been where I am today and I am happy where I am today. 

I am a very realistic person and I do not want to have a bucket list?  Does it make me a weird person?

My big fat BIG dream.

There are two sides of this dream.  The one involve loved ones and the other one involve materialistic things. 

I will not have a fat big dream without all the people that I love.  This involves my Mom, Dad, Sister, and Brother, My boyfriend, other family and close friends.  No matter what my dream is I want them in my life.  I will rather be poor with these people in my life than the richest person in the world without them.

As far as it goes for materialistic things, I would like a beautiful home with a big garden and swimming pool.  The house should be cosy and not too big. I want a closet I can walk into and a separate closet for my shoes and jewellery.

I want a job which keeps me busy but it must not be too much stress and I must have as much holiday as I had in school.  I must also have enough money to go for holidays where I want to without thinking about whether I have enough money.

Wow, what a life this would be.  And it does actually not seem too impossible.

Conventional is a good fallback position isn’t it?

In my opinion convention is a good fallback position no matter in what situation you are.  It is important to live your life to the fullest, but when you are unsure or in doubt you still have your old tradition and knowledge to fall back on.

What you learn through your life will always be a part of you.  One of my motto’s in life, is not to find yourself but to create yourself.  I also believe that although you start to create yourself since the day you are born you only true get a 100% free choice of who you want to be after school.  Till then you need to go to school, you can’t choose with who you are in class with, what teachers you have and what you do every day. Your choices are limited.  The day you leave school your life lies in front of you as well as thousands of choices and you can decide where you want to go and what you want to become. 

You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time

Don’t try to do too much at once.  Even though I am a woman we are all just human.  Concentrate on one thing at a time and finish it and do it well.  If you focus on two things some or other time it will become too much for you and you would have to choose.  It is just not worth it.  It is good to dream well and have all this amazing sounding goals, but be realistic.  I for instance ended up chasing too rabbits this year although I hadn’t planned it and believe me I still don’t know if I will catch the second one.   

I started this year of in a more of an admin position at a small non-profit company.  I already had my diploma and was so desperate for a proper PR job.  I tried looking for a job but no one wanted to appoint me as I did not have proper PR experience.  I then decided to do my Btech degree part-time in one year, with the hope that someone will appoint me with a degree.  I felt like I was already behind after I took a gap year after school.  I then enrolled for my Btech degree taking all 5 subjects.  In June this year it just worked out that through someone who knew someone who knew someone who were looking for a Junior PR I got this amazing job.  Since June I really had a crazy life.  Let me tell you it is not easy working full time and studying full time.  I became a complete workaholic and still don’t know if I will catch the second rabbit – by passing all five subjects and obtaining my degree this year.  Lesson:  Only chase one rabbit at a time.

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea” (Alain)

I don’t know of anyone who had only one idea and it worked.  Everyone is different and work different.  Everything starts with an idea, but nothing comes from only one idea.  You start with something and flesh it out and then while busy thinking and working with an idea you will think of better ideas.  One is never enough.  Rather more than less.  Recently I also learned something very valid in our industry.  When a Client told me they want 120 Guests which should include partners – 40 media and 20 celebrities.  You know what I did?  Typically a newbie I compiled a guest list of only 60 people.  I soon learned that you can almost expect a drop-off of 50% on the day and need to invite double the amount of guests.  Luckily I realised this soon enough. 

An idea can just be so much better if you have more than one idea.  This also specifically relates to the PR industry.  I realised this in our brainstorms.  One may have an idea, but as soon as everyone input their ideas it becomes this amazing idea which is thousand times better than the first original idea.

Have you figured out the second head fake?

We are all just humans.  None of us can predict the future – or that is what I believe.  It is all a guessing game.  Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not.  Experience count a lot and research, but there will always be that 50% chance that you can be wrong. 

This makes life interesting.  It is all about how you look at a situation.  A situation has always at least two sides and you have a choice from which side you would have to look at it.  Life is full of surprises.  Don’t get too confident, you never know what might happen the next second or step.

The 4 letter word L*O*V*E

For those of you who do not know I am in a 10 month relationship at the moment.  It is my third kind of serious relationship of my life.  My first relationship I believe was merely because I felt lonely and urged for attention.  It was in my matric year.  I went to a really small school in a very small town and there were not that great option of boys.  Although I loved my single life during all my school friends, by the time a got in matric I was looking for a relationship.  I was evaluating my environment and my eyes got stuck on this kind of ‘hot’ guy with a ‘cool’ attitude in school.  It was really puppy love although I believed I was totally inlove with the guy until about 6 months after we broke up.  Then I only realised what was I thinkg???  Although I believe everything happens for a reason and that is what I took out of that relationship.

My second relationship can you believe evolved through facebook.  He searched for an old friend, found three Nadia Louw’s on facebook (that was 4 years ago) and sent me a message.  I responded and from there on we chatted everyday and got to know each other extremely well.   I have never found someone I can just chat to for hours and we just have something to say every second.  When we met it was love at first sight from his side.  After a while I gave in my struggle of saying no all the time and we became more than friends.  We had a wonderful relationship although I never felt the butterflies, probably because they were never there.  Three years down the line after hours of thought I left one day and never went back.  It is sad that I had to lose such a great friend, but still I believe everything happens for a reason.

In March 2010 it was just a normal day at work.  When I went to get something at the printer and walked back to my office in the corridor this friendly, nice looking guy asked me if he were at the right place.  He came for an interview.  Just when I walked passed him I secretly thought to myself that I hope he gets the job..and he did.  Seven months down the line I started flirting with him.  It took a while for him to bight but he did alright.  Only three months after that we started dating.

Wow what a long introduction to get to my point.  The first two guys we told each other really early in our relationships that we loved each other.  The thing is it is almost a year and my boyfriend and I still haven’t really told each other that we love each other.  Although I am positive we do.   What will the reason for this be?  Have we both learned through previous relationships and do not want to commit too early?  What does it actually mean to say I love you?   How do you actually know when you love someone?  All these questions and loads more are running through my head.

We would just have to wait and see.

My best friend got engaged...

                                  



dreamstime.com

  My best school friend who is probably still my best friend even though I do not often see her got engaged over the weekend.  I am so happy for her!  I know she and her husband to be will be very happy for many years to come.  Wish I was closer to help her with the arrangements and to share the excitement.  We have though almost arranged her whole wedding in our hour conversation we just had.  It is funny how things work out.  It feels like yesterday when we were still in school dreaming about this day and time.   We could spend hours sitting on the side path between our homes after school or hockey practise and chat about everything from love to life.  It was really a privilege to grow up in such a small town and have such a great friend, but I am so glad we both spread our wings.

 

      

How hard is it to follow instructions?

softmyhard.com

I have one personal problem and that is that I am a bit of a dreamer.  Sometimes I get lost in my thoughts completely.  I will just stare out of the window into time and think from anything to everything. 

At least I do get the work done at the end of the day.  I am just a person who works better under pressure.  Sometimes I am really wasting time if I do not have a deadline chasing me.  Like for tonight for instance.  I have so much work in the next month that I do not know where to start.  Instead of just starting somewhere I packed away my washing, sorted out some paper work, uploaded photos on facebook and browsed around on my phone. 

I think I got this from my mom, but can something like this be generic or is it just a bat habit?  Can I overcome it if I try really hard?  I am a woman and is suppose to be able to multitask shouldn’t I?  It just feels a part of who I am – a dreamer.

If you live faster, you die faster

mannaismayaadventure.wordpress.com

Most of us live in the fast lane especially us in the PR industry.  It is from home to work to home to work for five days and sometime even six or seven days a week.  During weekends its groceries, gardening, house work, personal admin etc.  When do we ever get time to relax?

The faster we live the faster we die.  Where are we running too?  Slow down for at least once a day and look around you.  See the blue skies, the mountain or listen to the birds singing.  Cherish each day because life is not about milestones but about moments.  If you look back at your life, yes you do look at what you have achieved but you remember the good memories.  Try to slow down and enjoy each day because it is not called the ‘present’ for nothing.

Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.” You can’t choose the 15 minutes but why would you be world famous?

shenkitup.com

To be world famous you should be a Hollywood celebrity, a President or an extraordinary Entrepreneur.  With those three categories at mind I immediately think - Lady Gaga, Brad and Angelina, President Obama, Richard Branson and Bill Gates.

If I would be world famous I would probably be famous for starting a famous PR company or being a world known presenter. Wow what a dream.  Although I believe with hard work and dedication I can become famous, but do I really want to be famous?

Paparazzi running after me 25 hours of the day, no privacy, all eyes on me, major stress.  I think I am too happy with my little life in Cape Town, South Africa to give it all up to befamous.

Life is so short make the best of it



delinparadise.blogspot.com

The last couple of weeks I just again realized how short life is.  In a week’s time I’m turning 23 already.  Can it be?  If I am so lucky and get granted a full life I’m already one third into my life.  And the case may always be that today can be my last day. 

My Grandfather passed away last week.  He was old and just suddenly got really sick about two weeks ago.  He had a full and happy life and my grandmother passed away last year and we all know a man cannot really live without a woman whether they will admit it or not. 

 I know it was his time and I accepted that although I wish I could see him one more time, or visit him one more time or phone him one more time.

I quickly want to share one short special moment with you. My grandfather’s funeral was on Friday and on Saturday morning our whole family went to Spur.   We were all kind of happy and sad in a way.  After a while the people next to us asked us what our whole family were doing there. One of my Uncles quickly answered him. That person replied and said he can see where our Father/Grandfather are now.  What an inspirational experience and lesson.  We do not even have to say something to set an example.





A skill set called leadership

pillow10.blogspot.com

Leadership is one of the most valuable skills you can have.  Not everyone is leaders some are meant to be followers.  Since I was a little girl I wish I had better leadership qualities.  I was a Leader in Primary School and High school but how stunning feeling mustn’t it be to be head girl or the captain of the hockey team.

My sister though was Head girl in Primary School and High School and Captain of the Hockey team and was recently announced as a one of the House Committee Members for her hostel. I am so extremely proud of her.

 I know I would be a great leader but one thing setting me back is my soft heart.  I am busy hardening up.  I must say I am really learning so much from my boss currently.  It is just stunning working for a medium sized to small consultancy.  It gives me the chance to observe so much and to learn how to act in certain situations. 

Leaders are really strong people. In order to be a good leader you must be extremely good with people.  How weird is this.  I have only been working for this company for about three months.  I was really down on Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon I was called in to ask if I’m okay.  That is what I call an amazing leader and boss.