Ubuntu

An anthropologist studying the habits and customs of an African tribe found himself surrounded by children most days. So he decided to play a little game with them. He managed to get candy from the nearest town and put it all in a decorated basket at the foot of a tree. Then he called the children and suggested they play the game. When the anthropologist said “now”, the children had to run to the tree and the first one to get there could have all the candy to him/herself. So the children all lined up waiting for the signal. When the anthropologist said “now”, all of the children took each other by the hand and ran together towards the tree. They all arrived at the same time, divided up the candy, sat down and began to happily munch away. The anthropologist went over to them and asked why they had all run together when any one of them could have had the candy all to themselves. The children responded: “Ubuntu. How could any one of us be happy if all the others were sad?”

Reflection

Ubuntu (oo-boon-too) is a philosophy of African tribes that can be summed up as “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Ubuntu can be translated as “human kindness,” but its meaning is much bigger in scope than that - it embodies the ideas of connection, community and mutual caring for all.

We cannot exist in this world without other people. We all share a connection and community; the minute we remove the collectiveness behind this, we have nothing but ourselves and that's a lonely place to live, as we need each other every day. It is impossible to be human on your own, yes you have your own values and ideals towards life, but you have to be able to share it with others, otherwise what's the point. There is so much we can learn from this African ideology. The beauty of Ubuntu is that it’s in action all the time and never ends. People are all around us, you exist in a shared humanity and it is your responsibility to build on it, to expand Ubuntu within your community and then into the wider community and so on…

With the power of Ubuntu - cultures, races, languages and religions will all be honoured as we are all the same, we are all human in this world, we share the same heart beat and the same colour blood. Stop fearing and slating other cultures and other religions because when you get to learn the roots of another, you realise they are just like you. Every breathing human has hopes and dreams for a better, peaceful and enjoyable world as we all live in a shared spirit of one. It’s time to embrace Ubuntu, live it, express it and share it… "You are who you are because of all of us".

May you have an awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

"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 

Bad by name, bad by nature?

(From “A Long Walk To Freedom" by Nelson Mandela)

During Nelson Mandela's imprisonment on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer was the most brutal of them all: "A few days before Badenhorst's departure...... I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands. When I had finished, Badenhorst spoke to me directly. He told me he would be leaving the island and added: “I just want to wish you people good luck”. I do not know if I looked dumbfounded, but I was amazed. He spoke these words like a human being and showed a side of himself we had never seen before. I thanked him for his good wishes and wished him luck in his endeavours. I thought about this moment for a long time afterwards. Badenhorst had perhaps been the most callous and barbaric commanding officer we had had on Robben Island. But that day in the office, he had revealed that that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been obscured but still existed. It was a useful reminder that all men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a core of decency and that, if their hearts are touched, they are capable of changing. Ultimately, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been foisted upon him by an inhuman system. He behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behaviour."

Reflection

As the world has lost a great leader in the past week, I decided to share this moving story. It’s a great reminder not only about the quality of Nelson Mandela’s nature, but also, every human being on this planet has a side to them which is one of goodness. When you can look into a person’s heart and extract that goodness where other people get the chance to recognise it, they will have no choice but to express it. As the story suggests, if you can touch a person’s heart in a thoughtful and caring way they will be given the opportunity to change. Kindness is contagious, its hard-wired within all of us, that’s why it makes us feel so alive. It’s an expression of our true selves. People who are seekers of kindness always identify the goodness in the world and experience life with such a high level of appreciation. Always, always look for the kindness in people - at times it can be hard -  but you have the potential to help a person identify their own concealed goodness and thus, in turn will embrace it for lasting change.

May you have an awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead” - Nelson Mandela.

Double-sided Solution

(Author Unkown)

A father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world. He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again. He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done. But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map. When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, “Oh…. Dad, there is a man’s face on the other side of the paper….. I made the face perfect to get the map right." She ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.

Reflection

When I read this story the first thing that came to mind was a tapestry. Have you ever seen the back of a tapestry? It’s messy, dull and looks like a total mess, but when you turn it around its a display of carefully chosen and well arranged materials. This is the same with the challenges we face in our lives. At first we see it as a complex, unachievable mess, but there is always another, ‘better’ side to the experience we are in. It’s just a matter of perspective. The happiest and most successful people I know, see challenge as an agent for growth. These individuals are reflective, they are creative and always see the other side of the problem. Remember the saying “every coin has two sides”, well so do the obstacles we face everyday, it's just up to you to choose the more fitting and opportune side. It's the joy of conquering these obstacles that makes life so meaningful and accomplished. A good start to identify the other side of a problem is time, use time as your advantage. Quit banging your head against the same brick wall over and over. Take time to think things through and find creative solutions. It's scary to see how rushed we all are, the more complex a problem, the more time you will need. Don’t dwell, but don’t rush… find that balance and problem solving will become enjoyable!

May you have an awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful" - Joshua J. Marine.  

"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings" - John F. Kennedy.