12 Lessons

Hi lovelies

So I had a lot of time to reflect these last couple of weeks and I’ve been thinking how, from the day we set foot on this planet, we are all on a journey of growth and transformation, and whenever something significant takes place or changes in our lives it often results in an intense growth spurt. Of course, one way to keep track of this development is to regularly take time to think about your life, organize your thoughts and identify habits that support your progress as well as behaviors that doesn’t serve you well.

I believe there is enormous value in reflecting how we are going through this world, what we achieve, what we learn and where we are at fault, in order to learn from our experiences. Due to enormous changes in my personal life it is safe to say that I have experienced a major growth spurt recently and as a result I would like to share with you twelve lessons that I’ve learned in the past 5 months, through our relocation in times of a global pandemic.

1. I’ve learned and seen for myself that life could change in the blink of an eye. You can have it all figured out, you can have a 1-year, a 5-year and a 10-year plan, you can have a road map to success and several lists each day trying to organize your life into a smooth cruise. Yet, when life happens, everything could change.

2. I’ve learned that material possessions are not important. You do not need a lot of earthly belongings. Sure it is nice to have some fancy stuff but I have never felt more carefree and light-hearted with only a few of my favourite items. We have decided that we would never want to buy things again just for the sake of having them. Less things to clean, less things to worry about. You can lose it all in a day, and you can also accumulate it in a very short amount of time.

3. I’ve learned goodbye is a verb. It takes a lot of mental and emotional action and it can leave you more exhausted than a full-day marathon. I am not afraid of goodbyes anymore, but I still do not like them.

4. I have learned that when I follow Gods plan for my life, I will be blessed. To believe and know for sure that, because I put my faith in Him, I am right where I need to be at this moment and to trust in the timing of my life. God is faithful.

5. I’ve learned that miracles happen every single day, I just need to open my eyes and see them and be thankful. The conscious intentional practice of gratitude can really help to become aware of the countless blessings and miracles in life. I think it is one of the reasons that Jesus said we need to become more like children, to see all the beauty in the world and be in constant admiration for everything life has to offer, just like a little child.

6. I’ve learned to invite the opportunities that come my way with open arms, even if it scares the begeebies out of me. Everything you are going through is preparing you for something else later on. Even the slow, waiting season. So I had to learn to be quiet, shift my priorities, slow down, focus on relationships and cherish real connection.

7. I’ve realized that South Africans are terribly desensitized to what is going on in the country, the violence and aggression and corruption, and it is not okay. For the first time in my life I experience that a country can actually function in a healthy and respectful way. Sure, every country has their problems and politics, no country is perfect, but what’s going on in SA is really not acceptable. I am appalled at the realization that I got so used to what was happening around me every day, until I had distance to give me perspective. South Africans are amazingly resourceful and hardworking, determined human beings whom are sought after in the rest of the world. And they shouldn’t be living in such dreadful circumstances.

8. To take good care of those few special people in our life, when the going gets tough you will need them and they will be there for you too.

9. I’ve learned that not everything in life worth having will come easy to me. (I had to learn this one a few times over in my 29 years of life.) Although the administration and practicality of this entire trip came super easy to us, it was also single-handedly the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

10. It is okay to mourn everything I have lost and still be joyful, it’s okay to feel utterly sorry for what is happening in the world and still be happy, because my joy does not come from worldly things, but it is from God and it is an everlasting joy, and it is not bound to circumstances, material, earthly things. It is a state of the heart. It is founded in the knowledge that the creator of Heaven and earth loves me. I have learnt that I can feel the pain of all the injustice and suffering in the world, and get all of the emotions and still remain joyful and peaceful in my soul. Through the difficult and rough times, we grow, we develop, we become the person that we are intended to be, we are moulded and shaped by it, yet through it all we remain Gods children. He can take anything, the worst of all circumstances and use it for good.

11. I have learned that Africa is still the most beautiful place on this planet,

12. and to top it all off I’ve learned that you can totally love your country and still emigrate.