The Cappuccino Challenge

The Cappuccino Challenge

"Please order your drink as a TAKE AWAY today, (or use one of those thermos flasks) and go for a 20 minute walk.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a gal in glam heels, a guy in smart work shoes, trainers, slops, barefoot or in cool "Converse's". This is about a quiet walk wherever you happen to be right now.

NO cell phone on your ear, no one to talk to, just YOU and your thoughts, feelings and body responses as you wander….

Give yourself permission to look with "beginner's eyes" and imagine this is the very first time you are seeing this environment. If it is your usual hangout, start looking for things you have never noticed before, noticing how you find yourself responding on the inside.

Notice your breath and your body as you move.

Keep asking yourself "What do I love about what I’m seeing and feeling right now?" BE PRESENT. "

I started doing Kate Emmerson's "THE CAPPUCCINO CHALLENGE" - Fall in love with your real self in 30 days - from the weekend. She gave it as a birthday present on her own birthday!


Today's challenge was DIFFICULT! It is not supposed to be that hard? To be able shut down/open up for 20 minutes?

My notes for today:

- I went and bought the take-away coffee, as it is really one of my favourite spoils. It's pay-day also, after all!
- I bought a packet of Lays potato crisps as well! (Why? I was not hungry! Another spoil! And judging myself for it!)
- I contemplated walking outside, but it is chilly today. I am not in a mood for looking over my shoulder or watching out for criminals, so I went to the internal court-yard at work.
- There was a bit of sun-shine, and clouds overhead.
- I thought of getting a picture of the buildings with the clouds. (Sorry for picking up the phone when I was not supposed to!) But my phone's battery went, and it bothered me for the rest of the 15 minutes outside.
- I was thinking about everything to be thankful for: The clouds, the sky, my job and the fact that I have a job, things looking up for my husband, my family that I enjoy going home to,...
- I was feeling the chill in the air, and thinking about winter approaching. I do not like winter! But told myself just now to change my mindset, as I do every year. To embrace winter! (Maybe this year I will enjoy winter more?)
- Seeing the buildings all around, the buzz of the air-cons, and people sitting around and smoking. I am not supposed to be judging any of it, but feeling stifled in that environment. I told myself to just be aware of it!
- BUT I could still leave there with a sense of gratefulness that I am able to take my lunch-time, and that my salary was paid in today.
- I am happy, healthy and this year is going to be one for the books!
- Also thinking: I should BE PRESENT!

This was difficult, thank you very much, Kate Emmerson!
BUT! It's supposed to be difficult!
I am looking forward to each day's challenge!

I AM going to shift something of myself this year!
I will keep you posted if this challenge is going to shift me!


Please tell me how you change something in your life? Do you purposefully work on it? Do you write it down?

An Angel named Dawid helped me with a flat tire!

I got a flat tire yesterday while driving back from work!

I had to stop! When I pulled to the side of the road, this man came running up! He looked like he had fallen on hard times, but he said that he saw my tire was flat and asked if he could help me.

Of course all the thoughts run through one's head of being bashed on the head, and belongings being stolen.. But I was shaken, and had to graciously accept. While pulling my handbag closer, AND immediately phoning my husband to tell him about the car troubles, AND telling him that Dawid was helping me...

Dawid did a great job, assuring me all the time that he had a family as well and that he would be worried as well when his wife was stuck on the side of the road. His hands were bleeding after he had finished with the job!

I was so thankful for this Angel that appeared out of nowhere!

I would have been flabbergasted and totally useless trying to change my own car tire. It was the first time in ten years that we had to get the jack out from beneath my car seat. I just knew some of the stuff were there, and not all in the back...

Thank you, Dawid! Thank you!

You are an Angel!

10 years of happy!

We celebrated our 10 year anniversary on Thursday last week!
It is really genius to have the 1st May as our  anniversary, as it is Worker's Day in South Africa and a public holiday. We are guaranteed a yearly public holiday to celebrate our anniversary as well!

I can't believe that it has been 10 years! It has been so much fun!
"Effortless" is the word that comes to mind!

Although, when we look at our selfies, it definitely looks as if  10 years has passed! (Hubby's food is to blame! Definitely! - That's why there is a shadow selfie!)

Thank you my dear Husband for the person that you are, and the way that you are treating us! The girls and I love you very much, and we appreciate all that you are doing for us!

It really has been a joy to have you in our lives!

We had a lovely breakaway at Glenburn Lodge which is only 30km from Johannesburg. It was especially great that we could fetch the children the second day and that we could spend some time together.

(I will do another post about our stay because most of my photos have already been downloaded on my home computer.)

I just wanted to say thank you to a great partner!
I "know" that it is not always as easy as this! (From a previous nearly forgotten life!)

I am the lucky one!

Grateful for 2012

52 Weeks of Grateful

I am linking up with Maxabella Loves and Kidspot with their weekly 52 weeks of Grateful.for this year.

There is nothing that self-motivates and aspires than a grateful attitude and perspective on life.
I am copying what Maxabella Loves says about "noticing better" (her words):

I’m Bron from Maxabella loves... and years ago I started writing down three things every week that made me feel grateful. Just plain grateful, nothing special. However, the power of gratitude to lift and inspire is amazing and before long I realised that I was living my life looking for things to be positive about. Even in the midst of a slow or difficult week, I would feel hopeful, energised and just bloody lucky to be here. One way or another, being grateful just changed the way I look at life.

This week I am... Grateful for 2012!

A New Year is overwhelming, and has the ability to knock you down with responsibilities and routine and  stuff to do...

The word for this week Beginnings fits in perfectly with being grateful about 2012. 
A New Year of New Beginnings! 
A New Year of starting afresh. 

I am always saying that I love new beginnings, and that we are allowed to make as many new beginnings that changes our lives and us for the better. 
My first blog post "Mom blogging"  states that it is all about new beginnings...
If I did not make a new beginning in a previous life, I would have "drowned" in a situation that was intolerable! 

The Toddler started her year at a new pre-primary school. She loves it already because she did not want to leave this afternoon!

The student in our home is leaving for varsity for a whole new exciting adventure!

Hubby and me will have a different family life this year as well...
Minus a family member... More time? We will see!
We have personal and physical and financial and spiritual and emotional and intellectual goals to set, and some to change this year!

Whoop-whoop! 2012! You are going to be great year!
Let the NEW begin!

Nearly taken out by a bus

I turned left into a road on Wednesday, and was confronted by a Metro bus coming straight at me in my lane...

The bus was trying to take out a taxi which was in the other lane, and it gave no inclination of going back into its own lane! I had to reverse back into the street from where I turned!

It happened extremely fast, and I did not even had time to look back if there was a car behind me.
I started to reverse knowing that it would be better for me to do that, than being hit by the oncoming bus!

It was a harrowing experience!

In a matter of split seconds my life could have changed, or it could have been the end!


Afterwards I sat there, my knees shaking!

Our existence here are very fragile...


Thank you for another day!


(Picture: Microsoft clip art: Bus)

Grateful for water from a tap

After this weekend I am grateful for being able to turn a tap and water pours from it...

We had four water pipes bursting in our complex over the weekend.

We could not do our normal washing of clothes or dishes. We could not bath! I had to rethink the way I brush my teeth when there was no water gushing from a tap. Small things, but when you are suddenly confronted with its absence, you realise how important it really is!

I am truly grateful for water from a tap! 

The burst water pipes also affected the power supply, which they had to switch off. 

I am truly grateful for being able to press a switch, and the lights go on...

I can make coffee with the flick of a switch! 

Thank you for power and for water in my house!

67 minutes...

It is Mandela’s birthday today, and we are all celebrating it by spending 67 minutes giving back to our communities. #MandelaDay

Somebody asked about the significance of 67 minutes in a previous blog post. It is the same amount of years that Nelson Mandela, former president, spent towards the greater good of all people here in South Africa. A significant amount of that time was spent in prison!

Woodside Sanctuary

We spent the time today with the Woodside Sanctuary for mentally and physically disabled people (children). It is very near to our workplace in Auckland Park, Johannesburg! The Woodside Sanctuary has been identified as our CSI project for this year!

They were very accommodating towards us, and involved us with helping them with some of the activities with the children. They are doing wonderful work with the people there. It is a 24/7 job!

I met Theunis and we did some colouring in together. They could not tell me his “story” of how he got there, but he was adamantly trying to tell me about something about his head! We figured out he got a bump on his head, OR it was the reason for his disability. He loves his watch on his arm, and he has a soft toy car which he is holding all the time. He told me when we were leaving that we should come again…

Dave, a former engineering student who was in an accident, was spelling our names repeatedly, and getting very excited when he counted the snakes & ladders dices being thrown.
“I know! I can spell! I can do mathematics!”
Apparently he sometimes can get very frustrated when he realizes what has happened to him!

The guy in the back was knitting with Elizabeth. He is blind, but when she wanted to leave, he was hugging her and did not want to let go!

Every person there has got a story. It is not a depressing place, but where there is hope and laughter. The people who work there are kind and caring!

We all came away from there feeling grateful to have what we have!

It seems we don’t even have to go far to look when we want to give back to society…
(It is just around the corner!)


What are you doing with your 67 minutes today?

Rocket flowers for winter

The Aloe flowers are spectacular this time of the year! We even have some of it in our winter garden.

They don't ask for anything, and we don't have to water them! They are just here every year!

I am grateful for a little bit of colour in our garden!

Hope you have a wonderful colourful weekend!

Thursday thanks!

This Thursday has a lot to be thankful for... #thankfulness

- It is my "Friday" today. I have a long weekend coming up!

- Our wine order has come and I am drinking export red wine to France, courtesy Spier.Les Vins du Monde. Cheers!

- My friend and I got free cappuccino's at Woollies today because they forgot our food order! I was really looking forward to the mature cheddar on rye, but the broccoli from last night was much healthier... (Of course! Wink smile!)

-  I could still draw R100 from my account to put in some petrol for my car.

- Tomorrow is pay day!

- Hubby is making pork stir-fry, and it smells delicious!

- The Teen can finally submit her portfolio for Communication Studies at the university... One less thing to do! (Grade 12: the stress is getting to me)

Enjoy your Friday! What are your plans for the weekend?

Related posts:
Thursdays

The day before the last

Coffee and lots of toddler-time

Apparently the 21st is the very last day! I have been enjoying the conversation going on in Twitter with #judgementday and #endoftheworld and #rapture


It is the FINAL final day on our calendar! (One of many! Wink smile)


I was thinking that if this is true and this is my second last day, I would definitely not be at work. How would I spend this day?

I want to spend it with family. (The people I am most grateful for.)

I also would want to spend it with the extended family. I would ask my sister and brother to come home from overseas.

We would have a final party! Probably a braai here in South Africa.

There would be good food! (Woollies would be perfect. I would not want to spend the day in the kitchen)

Red wine! The very best! I would sip on one glass… (Too much, and I could miss the end! That would be pathetic!)

I would tell my family I love them! (There should not be too much tears!)

I would call up all my friends, because they would be with their families. I would tell them I enjoy and love having them in my life.

We would all be discussing about what-will-happen-next! Heaven? Hell? Nothing? The discussion topic that would definitely take centre stage! (We were discussing it this morning when the topic came up.)

I also think that we should try to have that final party somewhere in nature. Where there are trees and clouds and we could feel the sun on our faces.

We would watch the sun coming up, going down, and up again for the final day…
That would be my second last day! With the people I care most about!


How would you spend your day before the last?

Thankfulness

I heard the story today of Tracy Todd , the quadriplegic woman whose life is an inspiration. It touched me when she said that the most important thing she wishes she could do again is hug her son. I am so grateful that I am able to hug my baby, and the people near to me. It struck me also that I am able to listen to inspirational stories as part of my job. I am a sound archivist of mostly Afrikaans radio material, and everyday is a new experience listening to people and their stories. I heard today how wonderful it is to be able to do normal things, like combing hair or going to the gym. We take it for granted, and our lives can change in an instant. Tracy Todd became a quadriplegic in an accident because she did not wear her seatbelt. I have been doing the same with Mieka, sitting with her in the back seat of the car when she cries. From now on we have to make other plans. I want to be around to hug my children. And I went to the gym during lunchtime… (smile)