Look Up!

A Primary School teacher asks her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them.

This is the essay one of them wrote:

'Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a Television. I want to be the TV in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around me. To be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. And ... I want my brothers to fight to be with me ... I want the family to just leave everything aside, very now and then, to spend some time with me. And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them. Lord I don't ask you for much. I just want to be like a TV.'

My Reflection:

In today's modern world it is less about the TV and more about our mobiles, tablets and computers. We have made these new age items the centre of our lives and we are all guilty of this - myself included. Yes it is true that technology is keeping us in touch with our friends all over the world, but at the same time it’s also isolating us from the ‘real’ world… We are always ‘connected’ but are completely ‘disconnected’ from the people right in front of us.

A study, at the Tel Aviv University, concluded that technology addiction should be regarded as a disorder on a par with gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania. The research showed users were addicted because they become irritable when away from technology. So from today, limit your time on the laptop and every now and again go out without your phone… This is an uncomfortable task as our mobile is attached to us a like a limb, but every now and again it can be quite liberating.

This video is what gave me a shock wake up call.
(I highly recommend you watch it too)

'Look Up' - A spoken word film for an online generation

"Look up from your phone, shut down that display, take in your surroundings, and make the most of today. Just one real connection is all it can take, to show you the difference that being there can make."

May you have an awesome week.
Darren Zwiers

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”― Henry David Thoreau

Burnt Biscuits

Authour Unkown

When I was a little child, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologise to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Baby, I love burnt biscuits.” Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”

My Reflection:

I love this story because it illustrates how important it is to treat certain situations with a high level of sensitivity. You can be upset and eat burnt biscuits or you can be happy and eat burnt biscuits, either way you are eating burnt biscuits so you might as well be happy. We have to realise that the life we all live has imperfect moments and it is so important to know how to handle these moments and come to terms with them. Learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences is an extremely powerful tool in all relationships. Everyday you have the opportunity to cut yourself and others some slack. We have no clue the type of day people are having or what they are going through at that time - so it is always important to exercise a high level of sensitivity to the people around you. When someone drops the ball, instead of giving them a hard time about it, just reach down and pick it up for them.

May you have an awesome week.
Darren Zwiers

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." -Mahatma Gandhi

Out Of Depth

A Boy was swimming in a river and got out of his depth, and was in great danger of being drowned. A man who was passing along a road heard his cries for help, and went to the riverside and began to scold him for being so careless as to get into deep water, but made no attempt to help him. "Oh, sir," cried the Boy, "please help me first and scold me afterwards."

My Reflection:

In times of crisis or difficulties it's always important to give assistance first and then advice. The quickest and most effective way to help someone out of a crisis requires immediate action. Unfortunately people are too quick to give advise when things are looking down and are too slow to really assist the person in need. It’s far better being a person of action rather than a person of words, as actions speak much louder than words them self. So the next time you see a friend, family member or colleague in need, try assist them practically before giving them advise.

I wish you an awesome week ahead.

Darren Zwiers

“You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.” ― C.G. Jung

Greatest Hitter

A little boy put on his baseball uniform and went outside to play, chanting "I'm the best baseball hitter in the world!" He throws the ball in the air, swings and misses. Strike one! He adjusts his hat and says, "I'm the greatest baseball hitter in the world!" He throws the ball in the air, swings and misses. Strike two! He adjusts his hat a little more, takes a couple of practice swings and says, "I'm the best baseball hitter in the world!" Once more, he throws the ball in the air, swings and misses again. Strike three! He puts his head down, thinks for a few moments about what just happened, then jumps and says, "I'm the best pitcher in the world!"

My Reflection: 

If we only focus on the the negative aspects of a situation we will certainly miss out on the opportunity that lies just beyond it. It’s time to stop thinking about what is happening to you and to start focusing on what you can achieve in any given situation. A negative outlook won’t get you anywhere. Being optimistic on the other hand will take you places you have dreamed about. Living life to the fullest involves taking risks every day, and while not all of them end the way you want them to, it is in your control to adjust your outlook on the end result… It's not about what happens to you, it's about how you react to what happens and having a clear optimistic mind, you will be the best at what ever you set out to achieve!

I wish you a positive week ahead, where every situation presents itself optimistically in your mind!
Darren Zwiers

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”  ― Dr. Seuss

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us! My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage (frustration, anger, disappointment, etc.). As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

Reflection

Successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. It’s really not worth experiencing life based on someone else’s bad mood and negativity. This is something we are all familiar with… It just takes one person’s negative attitude to ruin your day. Don’t let this happen - in fact you have the potential to turn that person's day around for the good. Just because someone seems to be in a bad mood, it doesn't mean they are constantly angry or depressed. They are just likely having a bad day and yes, we all have those days. Instead of allowing people to dump their mood on you, be extra patient with them and offer them a friendly smile and a liltle assistance.

Have a garbage free week ;)
Darren Zwiers

“Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.”  ~Unknown