Keeping My Core Intact

“With pain comes lessons and with lessons a new lease on life” Keeping My Core in Tact.

As I reflect on South Africa in March 2015 and look at all the pain, poverty, abuse and ill health in our communities it really takes faith, hope and lots of praying to survive daily.

We look at three areas in keeping my core intact:

• Self
• What defines you
• What is your legacy

SELF

The issue of Self-love, courage, respect, awareness, honesty, worth, confidence,  value. Love is good but when you love yourself it is easier for the world to love you. With all the above when it starts with you it is easier to send back and thus receive it as well.

We often expect things to be done and not ourselves. If you look at practical examples at work where you expect to be loved. You come late all the time, don’t meet deadlines, always absent. This shows how much you do not value your job, therefore don’t value yourself.

“Learning to love your self is the greatest love of all.” In my life on of the things that were instilled in me by my grandmother is to love myself. It doesn’t matter how the tone of your skin is, how big or small your body is, how your features are. Learn to embrace yourself and make the best of who you are.

WHAT DEFINES YOU?

I had a  beautiful life. Successful business with a national footprint, billing millions per annum. Supportive, loving husband with two healthy children a girl and a boy. A mother and a father. An educator of a grandmother.

In 2001 my husband fell ill and was, admitted to hospital. My grandmother had a heart attack after learning about my husband falling ill. My  daughter Lethabo was 27months and Leago(son) was 7months. She passed on. It was a Wednesday and that Saturday my husband passed on. My mother was diagnosed with HIV that same year.

We then had a swimming pool accident at home and my son drowned and passed on when he was two years old.

My mom also followed suite and passed on. In four years I had experienced deaths of four very close people-my grandmother(who was like my mother), my husband, my son and my mother. I lost what cannot be replaced.

I started asking myself a question. What defines me? Is it my job, my business, my cars, my husband, my body, my children? If I lose all these, will I survive? Do I live because of them?

What defines you woman?

I am grateful that I know GOD.

WHAT IS YOUR LEGACY

What is your Legacy? Is there anything you do beyond what is required at work? Is there any extra things you do without being paid for? Do you work in your local library every month? Do you go to an orphanage in your community to feed and bath HIV babies? Do you go to an old age home to assist the elderly?

Legacy is not only a Mandela Legacy. You can also leave your own legacy. It doesn’t have to cost you money. It can cost you time. Make sure you leave behind something you will be remembered for. Your children would appreciate you for.

In conclusion we have just commemorated a few days in March.

• International Woman’s Day – 08 March
• International Happiness Day – 20 March
• South Africa Human Rights Day – 21 March
• World Turbeculosis Day – 24 March

Let us remember that when you educate a woman you educate a nation. Let us continue being happy as women. And remember you are protected by the constitution in South Africa.

Let us continue fighting poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, pain, abuse and ill health. Let us as women work together to make South Africa a better place to live in. Let us keep our core intact….

“Do not be held hostage by your circumstances-react in a way that empowers you(SELF) and frees you from bondages of victimisation” Adelaide Matlejoane.

Aluta