Lockdown Day 54 – 19 May 2020 – A Life That Matters

Posted on May 18, 2020 by PietMar

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a Western movie with Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee van Cleef. The theme song must be one the most recognizable soundtracks in history, at least, I think so!

I have watched The Good, The Bad and The Ugly a few times. Clint Eastwood is Blondie, the Good. I always wonder about that. “Selling” Tuco repeatedly and freeing him repeatedly, how honest is that? And can I then still call him “good?”

My dad taught me “even in jail you find the good and bad.” Please note, we are not talking about guilty or not guilty. That is something else. We are talking good and bad. We classify some people as good and others as bad. The more people are like us, the more “good” they will be. The more people are different from us, the easier to classify them as “bad.”

Quite often, cultural differences may lead to these classifications. Will I eat a bat? No. Then again, when I am starving, I may eat anything. Will Chinese people eat bats like I eat chicken? Apparently, yes. That is my first thought, how do we determine who is good and bad? And are we sure our our plumb line is, you know, plumb? We are not allowing cultural differences to cloud our judgement about good or bad?

Harold Kushner’s book A Life That Matters, change the way I look at people. I am not reviewing the book here, but it is worth reading if you are asking what you can do so that your life matters.

My biggest lesson from this book, was the insight that we are all good and bad. (Here is the AND again). It is our good parts that cast the shadow. You cannot have light without a shadow.

It is exactly the thing that makes somebody (to use and example) a good lawyer, that makes him a “bad” husband or father! To change the shadow, you have to change the light! Do you want to change the light?

yin-and-yang

In the same way that Yin and Yang defines each other, our good and bad defines each other. This insight makes it a whole lot easier to accept people. Once I bought into this idea, I became much less critical and judgmental. I am more open to people and their ideas.

After all, I also have a shady side! I would like other people to make allowances for my shady side. Even if I try to lighten my shady side.

If people were good or bad, life would be simpler. But now we have an enriching AND. Now we have an amazing and enriching diversity. Not always easy, sometimes a challenge to love the one and live with the other!

That is where change happens! Growth happens. That, in my opinion, is where a life that matters happen!

WHAT WILL MATTER by Michael Josephson (c) 2003
Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage,
or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

 

 

 

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Lockdown Day 53 – 18 May 2020 – Systems Theory

Posted on May 17, 2020 by PietMar

This post contains my first two affiliate links! At the beginning of lockdown, one of my goals was to get started with a way to make money online.  Some of my goals I achieved earlier.

I have a book published on Amazon and the second is coming along nicely and should be ready for uploading on Wednesday.

The second e-book I am giving away in return for an an email subscription and another you can download for free. Follow the links below. I am coming out of this stronger!

The Skeleton Dance is appropriate for this post.

November 1990 a courier delivered my handbooks for the first session of MBA in February 1991. Among those books, were a book by Peter Senge. It changed my life. The more I read, the more excited I got.

“the bad leader is he who the people despise; the good leader is he who the people praise; the great leader is he who the people say, “We did it ourselves”
― Peter M. Senge

“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.”
― Peter M. Senge

“In the presence of greatness, pettiness disappears. In the absence of a great dream, pettiness prevails.”
― Peter M. Senge

“[…] vision without systems thinking ends up painting lovely pictures of the future with no deep understanding of the forces that must be mastered to move from here to there.”
― Peter M. Senge

“Our prevailing system of management has destroyed our people. People are born with intrinsic motivation, self-respect, dignity, curiosity to learn, joy in learning. The forces of destruction begin with toddlers—a prize for the best Halloween costume, grades in school, gold stars—and on up through the university. On the job, people, teams, and divisions are ranked, reward for the top, punishment for the bottom. Management by Objectives, quotas, incentive pay, business plans, put together separately, division by division, cause further loss, unknown and unknowable.”
― Peter M. Senge

Goodreads

Follow this link to Peter Senge and read Systems Thinking from the Master. Think of your body – it is a perfect system. For the system to work perfectly, each and every part of the system must work perfectly. How well do you function with a headache? Or with a sore tooth? What about gout in your left big toe? Perhaps that gout is a symptom of another body part not working well! The fact is, each and every part of your mind, soul and body is connected. The one affects the other. It is interconnected and interdependent and co-dependent and dependent of each other. You change one, you change everything.

I do not want to go into systems theory in detail. Just a few thoughts, though, Systems are alive. The moment you die, the system dies and decomposes. Systems have feedback loops. Think about cycling in a side wind. You ride into the wind to go straight, but when the wind falls away, you swerve and ride straight again. There is a feedback loop between you and society. When you die, society has to adapt. Man, this is amazing stuff! Do look into system theory.

Consider this quote:
“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.”Do you really think the world can stop doing business with China? Do you really think some businesses are more important than another in a modern economy? Do you still think some products are more important in a modern economy? And most importantly, do you still think some people are “more equal” in a modern economy? Then think again, the foot bone is connected to the neck bone! One piece of bubblegum goes into the GDP!
When we come out of lockdown, I agree we should try to support our local business (I have done that before the virus whenever I could, like buying hiking boots and backpacks). But do not get nasty.

Businesses employ people. Your support helps pay a salary. The salary you pay helps to pay your salary. Your support of a business helps put food on the table for a family, just like yours. Instinctively we want to save money. To escape the economic mess we need to spend as much as we can!

We live in one big system, like wheels within wheels. Mess with one part of the system and you mess up the whole system. I am going to stop now, because I know if I get going and can go on forever. Just be aware we need each other to live. Nobody is dispensable, no business is dispensable.

And here is the links to my list and book:

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Lockdown Day 52 17 May 2020 – Language

Posted on May 17, 2020 by PietMar

Sunday – again. Monday always follows Sunday. Generally, people like Fridays most. I don’t like Fridays. Think about it, I will tell you later. But first I am thinking about language and how it affects our lives – and perhaps the outcome of the Corona Virus or COVID-19.

The Best of Mozart

We went for our walk during the time when the virus is inactive, i.e. 06h00 to 09h00. When we came back, I started this music and, thanks to YouTube, that was the type of music that played all day.

I have read a few books on NLP, even did two NLP courses. As always, I cannot remember a lot, except that language is important. The words we use create our reality. I can vaguely remember discussing language in Philosophy classes.

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
– Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
– Flora Lewis

“Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.”
– Rita Mae Brown

“Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.”
-Rachel Wolchin

“Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten.” -Unknown

“Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.”
-Pearl Strachan Hurd

“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.”
-Yehuda Berg

We all know we must be careful of what we say, for various reasons. Words can hurt and break down as much as a bulldozer. Once said, words cannot be erased. Words cannot be unsaid. Something to remember when we are frustrated and don’t know whether we can wear crocs or not.

But these thoughts about words and language were born when I read a news report from the Minister of Health about the “fight against the virus.” It is war language, we “battle,” and we “conquer”. Is that why we have armed forces out in the streets, because it is a war? Is that why we see scenes of police violence against citizens?

When I read the article, I had an unease that I could not verbalize. Only when I woke up the next morning did I know what bothered me. We are not fighting the virus. Scientists at Stanford University, Israeli researchers, researchers all over the world, including Bellville and the MRSC are fighting the virus. They are searching for medicines and vaccines. They have engaged the virus. That is the war and battle against the virus is taking place.

The correct language is “we are fighting the consequences and the effects of the virus.”  Whole new ball game!

The Government, or in South Africa’s case, the RULERS, are not fighting the virus – they do not have the beginning of knowledge to do so, just like me. What the Governments should be fighting, is the consequences and results of the virus. As I said above, if we want to war, let’s declare war on this.

Perhaps if we stop “fighting the virus” and start “fighting the consequences” we will have less police problems? Perhaps the police will focus more on helping and less on “fighting.” And let’s always the remember, it is a few that reach social media. The majority is helping. Never forget to say “some police are using excessive violence.”

The virus is contagious, very much so. Because it is contagious, it can overwhelm the medical system. The virus is dangerous for high risk groups. The virus cause death in some of the people who are infected. That is the consequences of the virus. Did I miss something? Oh, yes, the virus scares the daylight out of some people.

That is what we have to fight. That is what the government can and should fight. How can we protect the health system – if I can believe what I hear, a lot was done to expand our medical capacity. Tick that box. Well done. We even brought in extra Doctors from Cuba. We provided for extra respirators (although some reports say respirators are not good news). Once again tick the box and well done. Can we do more?

The virus does not cause financial chaos, because the virus does not infect money. Our response to the virus creates financial chaos. I agree we may not have many options when we respond, but we still have to take responsibility for our responses. We need to acknowledge that our responses also have consequences and effects! Don’t blame the virus, but admit “the response that we chose to fight the effects of the virus is causing …” One of the effects of our response is that our great grandchildren will pay the costs. Is that really what we want? If not, how can we prevent this?

If we use that language, we are more likely to look at our responses critically and examine the logic and reasonableness of our actions.

I think that you and I, right up to the Presidents of countries, must be sure that our response to the virus does not cause more harm than the virus. We have to be sure we act on facts and rationally. I know it is hard at the top. I believe in time the scientists will win their war. But we have to wage our war against the consequences of the virus with the least casualties possible.

I am pro-opening the economy – keep the vulnerable people as safe as possible. Quarantine the sick. Keeping myself (vulnerable) safe is my responsibility. I will also do what I can to keep you safe – as I already do with people delivering food and medicine and when I do have to break my isolation. You do the same.

Let’s just use the right language, it may make all the difference!

Oh, about Fridays? I don’t like Fridays, too close to Monday.

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Lockdown Day 51 16 May 2020 – Power of AND

Posted on May 16, 2020 by PietMar

Saint-Saëns – Symphony No 3 in C minor, Op 78 – Järvi

dichotomy
/dʌɪˈkɒtəmi,dɪˈkɒtəmi/
Noun
1. a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
“a rigid dichotomy between science and mysticism”

du·​al·​ism | \ ˈdü-ə-ˌli-zəm  also ˈdyü- \
Definition of dualism
1: a theory that considers reality to consist of two irreducible elements or modes
2: the quality or state of being dual or of having a dual nature
3a: a doctrine that the universe is under the dominion of two opposing principles one of which is good and the other evil

b: a view of human beings as constituted of two irreducible elements (such as matter and spirit)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dualism

At the moment I am often astounded by the dualistic thinking I see on Facebook. Black, or white. Rich, or poor. Hot, or cold. Night, or day. The problem with this is that the underlying dualism is Right (I AM) or Wrong (YOU ARE).  There is no middle ground. There are no alternative.

This is a very exclusive way to think. It immediately puts two opposing ideas on the table. Instead of a conversation about the options, it becomes a discussion (like percussion) of two groups trying to convince the other how wrong they are. And it escalates to an argument and worse. I wonder if that ever worked.

Dualistic thinking works with an either or. Therefore, it is limiting. I like coffee. That does not mean I do not like tea. I like beer, does not mean I do not enjoy a glass of wine, either red or white. When I say I love coffee, you will find people who become offended, because in their minds it means I am condemning people who drink tea. You probably know such people. The reaction is immediately defensive. Defensive reactions lead to arguments.

Years ago, I asked the youth of our church what they prefer to sing, the hymn book or the popular spiritual songs. After a while a teenager stood up and said: “You do not understand, you ask us this or that? And we are saying “hymns AND popular songs.” It is a lesson I never forgot. It enriched my life and taught me about the power of ‘AND.”

“AND” is powerful, it gives you options. Do I prefer tea or coffee? I like both and beer and wine and water and sometimes an ice cold Coke. I forgot about sparkling water! How boring is tea or coffee! How interesting is an infinite choice of drinks! Imagine the options! Do you prefer rugby or cricket? I like both, and tennis and surfing. That is the power of “AND.” It enriches.

We can both be right – or wrong! We can both be right and wrong! But if we dig into the trenches and start firing on each other, it is like all wars – No war determines who is right or wrong, just who could survive.

You know that stupid saying: “I complained about not having shoes, then I saw somebody without feet.” A typical dichotomy. I can be grateful for my feet and complain about not having shoes and feel sorry for the guy without feet (unless the intention is to put me on a guilt trip so I buy him a foot spa! Now I am purposely nasty.) 

Does it have to be capitalism or socialism? Does it have to be capitalism or communism? Or can we listen to socialists and learn something to make capitalism better? Can we listen to Marx and make capitalism better? If we use “and” rather than “or” we will have so many more ideas and options. Is the choice today between the economy or lives? If we work with that dualism, we are creating another dualism – we are deciding should people die of the virus or starvation or diseases associated with poverty? On the other hand, if we can say we need to save lives and the economy (we need the economy anyway to pay for what we need to save lives), fewer people may die.

If we can learn to converse more, recognize or dualistic thinking and use “and” rather than “or” we will have fewer wars and much more wealth of ideas and prosperity. We can solve problems on new level and more creatively.

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Lockdown Day 50 – 15 May 2020 – Value of a Cent

Posted on May 15, 2020 by PietMar

Lockdown Day 50 15 May 2020

David Gilmour – Live At Pompeii (Full Concert)

I do not know who David Gilmour is, but since part of my lockdown goals are to learn and open up to new experiences, I click on the video when YouTube suggests it to me. Perhaps I can expand my YouTube music experience.

This morning a few random thoughts.

Robert Frost is the poet of the Road not Taken that is always at the back of my mind when I hit the road or trail – in my 4×4 or my 2×2 hiking boots. He also said this truth:

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
– Robert Frost

That is a good thing – life is like a strong flowing river and it takes us a long, whether we want to or not. In my limited experience of 61 years, healing begins with life going on. Painful as it may be. Life will go one after lockdown, too.

“When life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich or poor.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

One thing about the Coronavirus is that it is hitting everyone. Perhaps not the rich so much (Rich has become a loaded word in our society, and we confuse high-income earners with being rich), anyway what I as saying, many high-income earners are also unemployed today. Despite what some people in society want us to believe, they work for their income and they keep the economy going, because they can buy things that I cannot afford. And it is BUYING that creates an economy. It is BUYING that creates jobs – not a stupid politician who claims he can do it! But I think Eleanor Roosevelt is right, we had it too good for too long and forgot about the “seven lean years” that always follow on the good years.

This morning while out during the 3 hours that the virus is inactive, I thought about the value of a Cent. A cent has become worthless, so we do not even have them anymore. But a cent can sometimes make all the difference! This thought was triggered by the news releases I read with my first cup of coffee of large international companies laying off thousands of people. I was unemployed in my life. I have experienced how it is to be without an income. I know how it feels not to have money to buy a Coke. That is when you learn the value of 1 Cent. If a Coke costs R2.50 and you have R2.49, you cannot buy a Coke. You may just as well not have any money. The 1 Cent is the difference. That is probably why we were taught to “count your pennies.” And back to Eleanor Roosevelt, we forgot about counting pennies!  Today it is the people who did count their pennies who suffer least! That is how they became wealthy – they diligently counted their pennies!

And lastly,

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
– George Bernard Shaw

That has been my message to myself since Lockdown Day 0 – to use the time to create a post lockdown life!

Isn’t 50 another special number? If so, we may get a miracle.

I stopped listening to David Gilmour – it is more adverts than music, I rather turned to:

PINK FLOYD: Delicate Sound Of Thunder (expanded new edition)

 

 

 

 

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Lockdown Day 49 – 14 May 2020 – Frustration

Posted on May 14, 2020 by PietMar

My music given by YouTube is once again Libera.

Today is day 49 – 7×7 and I wonder about the number 7. Seven days in a week. Seven deadly sins. Seven notes make an octave (that needs further investigation, octa = 8, or does it?), seven dwarfs, Shakespeare 7 ages of man, seven continents. Biblically (and it seems some other religions too) seven is considered a number of perfection and wholeness. God created in seven days. Since 7, and multiples thereof are important and significant, today must be a very important milestone in the lockdown period. Especially when the date is 2 x 7 = 14. I expect big things today.

We will have to see. After all, it is superstition, but if you Google “magic number seven,” you will be surprised how many snake-oil salesmen are out there.

Since I am journaling and I am committed to being in the now, I try to determine my feelings or where I am at, so to speak, every day.

Just so you understand – I always work from home. I visit the office as needed (mostly just so they know I am alive). I miss visiting my clients, but I have regular virtual visits. I miss the gym, but I will not go back this year, irrespective of lockdown, because of my wife. I miss a drive on dirt roads, but I can live with that.

My feeling is becoming one of frustration. Not with lockdown as such, but with the stupidity of people whom I more and more perceive to be incompetent and who are trying to hide their incompetence behind silly rules. Instead of governing us during this time of crisis they are ruling and I am losing my confidence in the RULERS (I am deliberately not using the word leaders, because leaders lead, they do not RULE).

I marvel at the President’s use of the word rational, when I cannot see any rationality behind too many of the rules. Let me just clarify again – not the isolation part, the idea that a shop can be open, but may only sell certain items. What is rational about that? The idea that I can only buy a t-shirt to wear under another garment – is that fake news? I hope so, because it is beyond irrationality. To me it speaks of a person so far beyond the depth of his capabilities that he or she hides behind stupid, petty rules. I really hope the t-shirts and shoes thing is fake news. My frustration may change to despair.

I am almost 61 – I learned the more people lack confidence and skills, the more petty rules they need to hide their “lacks.” More and more I have a feeling that day 49 should be a very special day that will miraculously change a lot of things – snake oil!

I am frustrated – and scared.

“I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream.”
– Temple Grandin

“On every front there are clear answers out there that can make this country stronger, but we’re going to break through the fear and the frustration people are feeling. Our job is to make sure that even as we make progress, that we are also giving people a sense of hope and vision for the future.”
– Barack Obama

This one needs pondering, from a historical perspective into the future. …
“We develop the kind of citizens we deserve. If a large number of our children grow up into frustration and poverty, we must expect to pay the price.”
– Robert Kennedy

Read more at Brainyquotes

 

 

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Lockdown Day 48 – 13 May 2020 – Reality

Posted on May 13, 2020 by PietMar

I have been keeping up my journal, just not posting ideas and thoughts that might stir up more emotions.

Libera in America: What A Wonderful World

Stay With Me Performed by Libera

“When you argue with reality, you lose – but only 100% of the time.”
– Byron Katie
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
– Walt Disney
“Don’t let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality.”
– Les Brown
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
– Philip K. Dick

Source

As the news of retrenchments and job-losses comes closer to home, the reality of Covid-19 also comes clearer. And I cannot help to think back to my first posts. The scenery is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be – yet. It saddens me. It frightens me.

There is a story that the church in Russia had a synod while the Russian Revolution was happening. While people were killed in a revolution, the church argued about how many angels can dance on the point of a needle. Talk about being in contact with reality!

Right now, sooner – or we will not have a later, we need to check with reality. We must acknowledge our fears and we must check our ideas against reality and facts, to the extend that there are facts and that they are reliable. We do not have time for power games. Egos are always dangerous. Now more than ever.

Covid-19 is real. It does not matter who is to blame – that is angels on the point of a needle. Playing games comparing people in the suburbs to people in informal settlements are angels on point of a needle. The economy is driven by a very rapidly shrinking middle class. To say we must choose between lives or the economy is beyond angels – it is a dichotomy attitude. I can choose for lives and the economy.

Don’t wait until you receive the retrenchment letter before you realise lives=economy and economy = lives.

It is beyond dump to work with an either/or outlook on anything – it leads to ever diminishing prospects. I promise you, we will all benefit from an and/and attitude – it creates abundance. And the people in control would do better if they govern instead of rule! 

Look at the banner above this post. Look how the diversity of colours enriches the scene. You don’t have to choose between drab grey, or blue, or red, you can all of them – and get this amazing scene. The power of an and/and mindset!

 

 

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Lockdown Day 42 – 7 May 2020 – Tears

Posted on May 7, 2020 by PietMar

While looking for the Roger Whittaker song below, I found this one, parents will understand.

Carrie Underwood + Target performs Little Girl Don’t Grow Up Too Fast

But this is the song I had in mind:

Roger Whittaker Sunrise, Sunset

Yesterday was my first cycling in many weeks, if we talk about real cycling, in many months. My knee feels the exercise. So I decided not to walk this morning. Rather do my prescribed exercises. My wife did go for a walk. When she comes back, she says the saddest thing is she ran into the kids and our granddaughter did not recognize her (Ana is almost 2 years old and we are wearing masks). Then we get a video and Ana did recognize Granny, she just could not get out of the pram quick enough. Now she stands at the dam and asks “Where is Granny Jeanne now?”

Real Wealth

Real Wealth

While my wife is under the shower, Ana Whatsapp video calls. She cries, because she cannot speak to Granny. When Granny phones back, the sadness is so intense that Ana cannot speak.

That is when I think of Roger Whitaker. How often do I look at the little girl photos against the wall and remember the little girls dressing up, playing paper dolls, “baking” mud cakes for a tea party under the African Coral Tree. Now they are grown-up women. Two already parents, and very good parents. More than enough reasons to be proud of them.

Perhaps that is my legacy to the world!

But truth be told, my eyes are brimming with tears for a 2 year old who misses Granny as much as we miss her.

“To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid.”
― Robert Brault

“Child of my child, heart of my heart.
Your smile bridges the years between us…
I am young again, discovering the world through your eyes.
You have the time to listen and I have the time to spend,
Delighted to gaze at famil.iar, loved features made new in you again

Through you, I see the future. Through me, you’ll see the past.
In the present, we’ll love one another as long as these moments last.”
― Author Unknown

Quotes from here

My eldest granddaughter is Leah and I was her babysitter from birth. At birth her hair had a reddish shine. I walked up and down with her in my arms singing all kinds of made up songs so she can sleep. Voshaarnooi, a Boerneef poem put to music by Louis van Rensburg, became her song. (Vos in Afikaans meaning something reddish).

Here is the original composition:
Voshaarnooi – Louis van Rensburg
and anotherperformance I like
Jakkie Louw, Kevin Leo – Voshaarnooi

Today I listen to this for my 3 daughters,3 granddaughters and 1 (almost) three month old grandson.

Subsequently Ana video calls again. We play Peppa Pig a few times (see below) and I read a couple of stories via video call. Not the same, but I feel much better!

https://youtu.be/VouqtYPP1s4

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Lockdown Day 41 6 May 2020 – Chill

Posted on May 7, 2020 by PietMar

Tomaso Albinoni – Adagio

After taking on the world the previous two days, time to relax!

“Enjoy The
Sound Of Silence.”
― Timothy Salter, Reflections in Short Poetry

“The fact is, inner peace isn’t something that comes when you finally paint the whole house a nice shade of cream and start drinking herbal tea. Inner peace is something that is shaped by the wisdom that ‘this too shall pass’ and is fired in the kiln of self-knowledge…” 
― Tania Ahsan, The brilliant book of calm: Down to Earth Ideas for Finding Inner Peace in a Chaotic World

“Sometimes, the most productive thing that you can do is to step outside and do nothing… relax and enjoy nature.” 
― Melanie Charlene

With some more music in the background, I am going to have coffee in the sun, my feet on a chair … and chill. It is the time of Coronavirus and madness.

I will step outside …

 

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Lockdown Day 40 – 5 May 2020 – Rights!

Posted on May 6, 2020 by PietMar

Forty seems to be a significant number. Perhaps a miracle will happen today.

The story of Paul Potts is very inspiring. Here is his first audition at Brittian’s Got Talent 2007. Speak of a man who needed a hand up, and got it! It is the stuff dreams are made of. Goose flesh stuff.

But I rather listen to a concert performance of Nessun Dorma.

Yesterday I shared, what may seem to be a radical standpoint. I may even seem harsh and heartless. Not so. I am surprised, though, that nobody challenged my generalizations! Controversy is supposed to get reaction.

I am fully aware that, as Forrest Gump said, “Sh*t Happens.”

Many people standing at the robot is not standing there because they are incompetent. They could be highly qualified people, like fitters and turners or boilermakers. Unfortunately, industrial development and technology made their skills obsolete. Robots (artificial intelligence) are doing their jobs better than they ever could. If you think your job is not threatened by this trend, think again.

The question is, what is the responsible way to handle this problem? Surely just retrenching people is not the best way? We cannot just discard people like old clothes when there jobs become obsolete.

I am also aware that in South Africa we have a history that we need to address. Sadly, we have lost many good years of the redressing process because of people in Government acting irresponsibly. But it is also time to move beyond that and start acting responsibly – with government leading. The question is, how do we address this responsibly? To me it seems that many people acted responsibly and began to escape the terrors of our history. I would try to empower the people who show that they want to rise out of circumstances. That is why I am very outspoken about schools and education. We need to do whatever it takes to ensure a good quality education. A good, quality education does not mean everybody should go to university! A good quality education prepares somebody to make an economically successful life by contributing.

I also think the idea of education for the first 21 or so years of your life is rubbish. We should make it easy for people to continue learning and upgrading skills. We constantly need new skills in the economy. Business would benefit a lot by not only allowing, but by getting involved in, programs to keep their workforce (who wants to) on a continuous development plan. Even personal development, such as domestic science!

Years ago I wrote a monthly financial planning newsletter for a big company who paid me to do it. The HR manager and myself discussing the content regularly. It was published in a monthly staff newsletter. I often asked the HR Manager if it works. He was convinced it works, because of the changed financial behavior of the staff. A simple thing, but it made a difference.

And that is what I am talking about. It need not always be million Dollar projects!

Once we replace Rights with Responsibility, the whole issue changes.

As a society we have a responsibility to help those that are in trouble. But help means help to recover and get back on their feet, so to speak. Some people really are victims. We should help them with empathy.

If everybody acted responsibly, everybody would have rights!

One thing to me is non-negotiable. If you reject the rules of society and consider yourself above such rules, you are arrogantly irresponsible. And you immediately forfeit any rights, however basic, that you may have had. In this regard I think of the story of the boy who murdered his parents and claimed mitigating circumstances, because he is an orphan.

Let me conclude with a story or two or more.

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In Worcester we had a lady who helped the poor people. She dedicated her life to that. She insisted on some rules, though. Nobody was allowed to send a child to ask for something they needed. “I do not want the children to acquire a culture of somebody will provide or a beggar’s attitude.” Helping responsibly, conveying values.

One day my wife and I drove down Russel Street in Worcester and saw two ladies walking with big bags. I recognized them as congregants and offered a lift, which they gladly accepted. I asked about the packages. They tell us they resigned from work, since they did not like it. They were coming from “welfare” and the packages consist of food and clothes. “It is much better than working.” What would the responsible way be to treat this situation?

I told you I read 3 books about helping the poorest of the poor. Inspiring reading. The message is the same – help the people to help themselves. Do not impose your ideas of what they need on these people. Often they do not need money, they need the basic material or seed to get started. In one case in Zambia a woman told the author of the book, then an aid-worker, they do not need and neither can they use the things the organization wanted to give them. What they needed was security for the girls to fetch water. Because of thugs hanging around at the well and molesting the girls, it was unsafe to fetch water. Providing security solved the problem and saw a successful vegetable garden growing.

The message is the same – empower a man, and you empower one person (and probably create more problems, thinks I). Empower a woman, and you empower a village. I will not tell you here about such an effort I had the privilege to visit in Malawi. Societies where a respect for women is cultivated also benefits economically, according to one of the books (with examples),

My last story. Until about 18 months ago, I taught people how to invest in property. At the beginning of this business, I had a planning role as well. I had to visit the Eastern Cape. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Many of the people who came for planning planned to work overtime to buy their first Wendy house to rent to somebody. What touched a nerve, was the GENUINE URGE To Succeed with those people. They just needed a leg up. They dreamed big dreams and were prepared to work for it.

After lockdown there will be more people at the robots. More victims of the Coronavirus. How will we help them responsibly to get them started again?

I am acting responsibly and preparing myself for a reduced income after lockdown.

As I go through my own process, I have written an e-book that can help you find an idea and start your own business. It comes as a package with The GUTSy Newsletter – people like those I met in the Eastern Cape – with a Genuine Urge To Succeed.

If I act responsibly towards myself and others, we will all have a better life.

The bottom line is this: if we change the idea of human rights to human responsibility, the perspective change. We become involved as opposed to being spectators.

 

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