The First Step

Hi Friends, Can you believe it's already September? These months have been flying past us and soon it'll be a whole new year. It's in these very fast-paced days that I've been trying to find the time to reflect on the things I've learnt and unlearnt over the past few months and years.  If you're someone who knows me, you'll know how deep I can get when it comes to life and the little things. The little things that aren't so little. Lately, I've had to redefine what love means to me. I feel like I'm still growing up and every time I think I know what it means for me, God throws me a situation that makes me break it down even further to discover it at its core.  It's been especially hard to go through these experiences when you've grown up with a distorted view of what love looks like. Again, I ask myself what does love look like? Freedom. Non-attachment. Acceptance. I hear these words being used so often. Easier said than done. I cringe wh...

Hey friends, A whole year has passed since I last wrote (sorry!), and with it came a lot of changes, ups and downs, love and loss. There have been so many things I have been wanting to sit down and write about but the energy to actually get it done has been evading me. So, here I am, in bed at 00:44 am getting my thoughts out.  For most of my adult years, I've always been of the mindset that if I wanted to have a child, I would, with or without having a husband. It wasn't until a few months ago that I realised the vital role a father truly plays in a child's life. Our fathers give us our identities, our sense of self-worth, and our sense of security. This realisation came to me after facing my own discomfort in a relationship and talking with my closest friends and family members. I was extremely triggered by the way things were panning out. Mainly because I wasn't receiving the love I deserved in the way that I needed it, even after having several conversations surroun...

Hey friends, It's been a while since I've written to you. How have you been? I still can't believe we're in 2022! I've been feeling a bit weary lately. There've been moments of panic and anxiety flaring up every so often, most my own fault, of course, but some are so out of my control that they've left me feeling helpless. Do you ever feel like some days you're running around like a squirrel on cocaine and there's still just not enough hours in the day to get everything done? It's in these moments that I somehow get saved by some sudden clarity. It's a story that brings me so much grounding and brings me back to basics. During one very mundane workday, I had a little visitor fly through my bedroom window and climb up the curtain and into my room. I'm not a huge fan of insects let alone flying insects but I wasn't scared of this bee because I've come to realise that they're so much more afraid of us than we are of them and only...

 Hi friends, I'm not entirely sure when we should stop using the phrase "Compliments of the season" but since this is my first blog for 2021, compliments of the season to you and yours! Well, it's definitely been an unpredictable few months for us all. South Africa has had it's second wave of Covid-19 infections which made things a lot more difficult for small businesses and our economies that were just starting to see a glimmer of hope for them. It's unfortunate but we're still pushing and praying for that breakthrough. How are the goals for your new year coming along? Have you bothered to set any yet? I know we haven't had even a month of certainty but I think it's still a good way of outlining your plans for the year. I'll be honest with you, I haven't started with mine yet. I usually start to write them down based on the short-term steps I need to take and then go into long-term goals. Let me tell ya, last year put a bit of a damper on ...

 Hey friends, As we go through the final weeks and get ready to bid a final farewell to another year gone by, I hope that each and everyone of you has been able to keep your compassion intact and your hope at the forefront of what has been a nightmare of a year. We have been through so much in the past few months but one thing is for sure, the love that this year has brought out will not go unnoticed. The year 2020 will go down in history as the year we remembered who we were and what we were put on this earth to do. As we gently place our loss and grief of this year in a glass box with the shattered pieces of our hearts sprinkled over it, as we look forward with hope of a better year ahead I pray that the lessons we were taught this year are remembered and that we never lose sight of what is truly important. We don't need much. We've never needed much. This was such an inspirational year for me. You have all inspired me in some way, shape or form. The resilience and determinat...

Hey friends, I was going through some pictures recently on Instagram by a photographer, Adrian Steirn. He got up close and personal with some guys that were shooting up heroin. It was a scary, thought provoking picture and it made me think long and hard about one of the silent killers of our generation - addiction.  I've been thinking about how desensitised we've become to the issue and the fact that many people don't understand what it takes for people living with an addiction problem to try and give it up or to live as a recovering substance abuser. The relapses, the shame they face from society, the frustration, the mental health issues and everything in-between. It's become so easy for us to play God and judge harshly on what we think is not okay or is a moral dilemma in our books. This is a very sensitive topic to many people out there, so I urge you to have an open heart when reading. There are many types of substance abuse, as we are all very well aware of but al...

Hey friends, I'm so, so sorry that I've been MIA for a while but I am back now. I've missed you! I hope you guys are keeping well and hanging in there. I can't believe we're already in September. This year has been moving way too fast. We've been downgraded to level 2 lockdown here in South Africa and while we're all transitioning back into our office life the cases of violence against women and children are still at a record high. The Daily Maverick reported that there was a massive increase in reported cases of gender-based violence during the hard lockdown, 87 000 to be precise. This created an opportunity for me to ask our women, via social media, about some of the self-defense items they carry with them when travelling or just going about their days. The results concluded that pepper spray is a very popular item. If you don't already have one or have no idea where to get one from have a look at Defcon Tactical  or Takealot . You can order online wi...

Hey friends, You guys doing okay? I've been finding myself in and out of a state of anxiousness the past couple of days. I think it's quite normal to be feeling that way during a time like this. I have always had anxiety and as a child it was MUCH worse. It would stop me from going on school excursions. It was that bad. Somehow, I have learnt to deal with it and take a hold of it in a more understanding way. It's never been easy but I got there. What's helped me a lot was my spiritual journey. Learning to trust God with everything in your life is a very difficult thing to do when you've always tried to control everything around you. I'm going to be bold and talk a little about my life growing up. I never grew up in a happy home. For me it was always trying to prepare myself for the next thing going wrong. That was a major part of my anxiety as a child . I was always walking on eggshells and never had anyone to speak to. It wasn't something I co...

Hey friends, I've been a bit quiet lately. It's been quite an emotionally draining 3 weeks for the women in SA and throughout the world. How did we get back here? I am just so exhausted. I am so greatly affected by  Gender Based Violence in my country and around the world. Joanne Chukwueke called it the "shadow pandemic" in her article. I can't tell you the kind of anxiety this pandemic gives me. I'm thankful that I am able to work from home. Covid-19 has helped with my safety in terms of not traveling so often but for the many other women that still need to get out there and put food on the table for their families this world is not a safe space to walk through. Even living at home in times like this can be a very dangerous thing when you have an abusive partner. How do you stop a rape culture that has gone on for centuries? How do we create an environment where men and women can come out and seek help? An environment where they do the work ...

Hey friends, Fun fact! I wear glasses. It's a pretty recent development in the life of Pran and I am still getting used to having it on my face. I've had times where I've left the house without them. I laughed it off because I don't enjoy wearing them but the truth is they help me see clearly. I miss having 2020 vision without my specs. For most of us the thought of having 2020 vision would mean when someone is able to have the visual acuity (Yes, I've learnt a new word), of something 20 feet away. This is just something we've come to understand. However, this isn't the only visual skill that is necessary for us as humans. For example, in order to acquire your driving license one would also be required to have a peripheral awareness (side vision), hand-eye coordination, as well as depth and perception. The other very important thing you would need is colour vision . Isn't this an amazing gift given by God? For us to have all these abilities...

Hey friends, What a time to be alive, right?! From Covid-19 taking over the world in a few months to the protests surrounding the late George Floyd's death. This has been a whirlwind of a year already and evidently overwhelming for a lot of us. I almost feel as if I'm in a movie but this is real life! These are the things 2020 has brought in with it. This year has definitely told us to sit down and shut up because it has something to show us. With everything going on right now, I felt the need to speak up about it. I feel a need to shift my focus, as we all have felt in these trying times. So here I am taking the first step. The first step in our lives has always been a monumental part of transformation. It's been a sign of change. Like the first step you took as a baby, or riding your bike without training wheels for the first time. Scary but necessary. It's how we learn, it's how we grow. This is necessary to me, to open up about the issues we face...