Inspiration, the power of intention

About two years ago I received a piece of paper from a stranger . She looked at me and said, “This will help you”. It was a completely random occurrence that changed my life. I now believe she was definitely a guardian angel or had one working through her. Today I look back and realise how much that piece of paper assisted me, stuck to my fridge and although almost impossible to live up to,  trying to do so, has definitely assisted. I would like to share it with you today, so please take a few moments to view the wise words of the Dalai Lama that changed my attitude and perspective. Perhaps you will glance over it and have a wonderful day, or print it out and make it your Mantra, whatever you do, whether you take it seriously or not, I am positive, that just by reading it, it will assist you in making a great success of your life. It stays in the corner of your mind, hidden and slowly but surely new connections are made in the mind, altering reaction and action alike:

Instructions for Life by The Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   -  Respect for self,
   -  Respect for others and
   -  Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
    think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

So there it is, I now try to run my life and business according to the wise statements above, and it has assisted me greatly. I hope it will assist you to in all areas of your life.

Visiting The Table..

This weekend I was reminded of why we are so lucky to be staying in South Africa! Not only do we have so many National treasures in the terrain,wild life and people, but our cities are also definitely something to be proud of! South Africa really is the most beautiful countries in the world! I was lucky enough to be reminded of this, over the weekend and thought its a trip to share with all of you…

This last Saturday my family and I decided it was definitely time for a visit to the top, the top of table mountain that is, Cape Town is gorgeous! It was just such a beautiful day and I couldn’t resist. It was my daughters first trip up.

We arrived at the cable car and thanks to the J&B MET and with so many people taking the opportunity to visit the beach instead, we found parking near the cable car station quite easily, which generally never happens..

We made our way to the cable car station ( the pricing by the way is made for tourists, they should seriously think about providing a discount to South African citizens) and my daughter was amazed with not only the speed at which we elevated and the view but above all else, the rotating floor.

On reaching the top of the mountain we took a trip to the self serve restaurant, they offer a variety of options, from warm cooked food to a full salad bar and everything from coffee to a full selection of wine and beer. It was definitely a unique experience.

After enjoying a relaxing meal our adventure began, my daughter couldn’t stop asking questions and we took more than one go at the binoculars provided by the National Park ( at R 5 a shot, if you are planning a trip up there be sure to take a few R 5 coins with you, its a big help). We walked around admiring the view, reading the interesting informational boards ( that covered every subject from Dassies to Robben island history and the weather 6 million years ago) for a further 2 hours. We also had a few very interesting chats about Fynbos which my daughter found hard to understand, “How can Fynbos only grow in the Western Cape and no where else in the world?”, was the question of the day, a very difficult question to answer to a 7 year old (particularly considering she doesn’t understand weather patterns and climate at this stage). We spent the rest of the afternoon checking out the flowers and searching for fairies and Dassies (Did you know they are related to the elephant?)( I think they were hiding from the heat) and then we ran into a lizard or two. They were actually quite funny to watch, part of the pleasure of having children is that you can remember and even partake in activities such as simply watching little creatures with fascination for up to 10 minutes at a time.

Going down was almost as much fun as going up! What an awesome day! It really allowed me to appreciate the uniqueness of the Mother City and gave me some much needed “out time” with the people I love most in the world!