Tag Archives: choices

Choose your circle carefully!

28 Saturday Dec 2019

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I hope YOU choose to enter the new year, new decade with endless faith, oodles of optimism and most importantly, the right inner circle.

If this last year has taught me anything, boundaries are more critical than you know. Choosing to have boundaries simply means that YOU choose to be surrounded by people who share your outlook, share a similar approach and refuse to compromise core fundamentals – like the truth, honesty, integrity, compassion, kindness and love.

As we chart through various stages of life, we meet so many people along the way. Some of them come into our lives for a reason, season (painful and expensive lessons in some instances) and lifetime.

The key is to discern an individual’s role in your journey; and embrace and accept the role he/she is meant to fulfil for the said period. The fact is that holding on when a reason or season is over brings with it unnecessary frustration, hurt and pain so let go when you ought to.

All relationships should evolve (and dissolve) organically. Period. #youllcatchthatinaminute

With 2019 about to come to an end, let us make a conscious choice to refrain from taking the same “mistakes” into a new decade. There’s still time to do a thorough “spring clean”.

Your choices and decisions should be based on what’s best for YOU.

For your journey.

For your peace of mind.

With a new year. With a new decade. We get to make better choices. We get to put ourselves first. We get to stop pretending. We get to stop keeping up appearances. We get to be the voice that keeps it REAL 24/7.

My wish for you: may YOU never sacrifice your peace of mind and mental health to please anyone. Be true to YOU and always choose to have the courage of your convictions, even if you are standing alone. And never ever allow any person to disrespect you… cut your losses and walk away.

The right people will appreciate and love you unconditionally.

Blessings, love and perfect peace to you, always in 2020!

All it takes is one choice…

20 Wednesday Nov 2019

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There’s nothing more beautiful than witnessing a random act of kindness. Nothing makes my heart smile more than seeing an exchange of a good deed between complete strangers, or even people who know each other.

This is a little reminder that it’s really the simple things in life that matter and mean the most. Being kind doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a dime. It’s simply one heart opening up in love (and without condition or expectation) and looking to extend the endless string of kindness.

Yes, life is cluttered with all sorts of challenges, and issues that are at the best of times beyond our control… but that should not detract from our core function of being kind and loving toward each other.

Kindness doesn’t always have to come wrapped up in a ribbon or pretty packaged box. It’s the little things:

• A smile

• A hug Sharing a meal

• Dropping off a meal at a shelter

• A shoulder to lean on

• Making time to listen to someone in distress

• Paying for someone’s parking ticket without them knowing

• Paying for someone’s meal without them knowing

• Stopping in the middle of your day to ask a colleague, friend how he/she is doing – and really listening to that unspoken cry for help

• Dropping off a meal, a little treat or sitting and listening to those less fortunate

• Playing with kids at an orphanage

• Reading to the pensioners in an old age home

• Running an errand for a pensioner

• Dropping off flowers or chocolates to random patients in hospital

• Signing up to assist a charity during a fundraising drive

• Writing little notes of encouragement for random people and your tribe and dropping them off (without them knowing)

• Sending a voice note to let someone know that you are thinking of and thinking/praying for them The list can go on and on because the need for sowing seeds of kindness never ends.

I don’t believe for one minute that we are so “busy” or caught up in our own lives that we can’t see the dire need for spreading kindness now more than ever. Some people are in pain (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) and one seed of kindness can make all the difference in the world.

Let us never grow weary of reaching out and caring… it’s the right (humane) thing to do.

Thank you for taking the time to read this… now get going… start sprinkling those seeds of kindness wherever the road leads you…

We need each other…

19 Tuesday Nov 2019

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Since last week I’ve been house bound. Not out of choice, I must point out. I traipsed off to the office on Monday morning choosing to ignore the fact that I felt a little under the weather and was minus a voice. Oh the horror of not being able to speak; and some of my colleagues were finding this a delightful site to behold.

Long story short, one look at me and our medical team were mortified at the fact that I drove to the office instead of “calling” (read: text or mail) in sick. I tried to offer some sort of defense about it being a Monday blah-blah-blah but they were not interested. Instead, they armed me with the relevant meds, read me the riot (read: wellness act) and sent me on my way.

Chicken soup. Check.

Water. Check.

Fruit. Check.

Chocolate. Check.

Meds. Check.

I was ready for a week of “solitary confinement” and as someone who hardly ever gets sick, I figured this flu/laryngitis wouldn’t last more than three days. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong.

My body felt like it was being panel-beated and I just couldn’t break a stubborn fever. At that point my life seemed like it was a scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary. I couldn’t call anyone (the joys of being a migrant worker). I contemplated texting my neighbour to drive me to the ER but decided against this for two reasons: apart from an initial introduction and one other time I texted to apologise for triggering the alarm, we hadn’t really spoken. So imagine now asking him to be my personal uber? Even my feverish self knew this was a bad idea….

At the first glimpse of daylight, I drove to my GP and she confirmed it was no longer the flu but bronchitis. The good news was that the fever broke, I was given a much stronger antibiotic and my voice had returned but she warned me to “take it easy” because I wasn’t out of the woods just yet.

What’s the point of this post?

The aha-moment was this: words whether spoken, written or unsaid are equally important and define (positively/negatively) our lives more than we realise. More than that, we are emotional and social beings who need each other.

With a new year, a new decade mere days away, may we always choose to open our hearts and mouths… and always choose to express ourselves. That way we will have no regrets, no unanswered questions, lingering thoughts or feel like we can’t reach out for help when we need it most. After all, life is about stepping beyond the confines of our comfort zones and having the courage to speak up and reach out…

I think I’ve said this in a previous post, the reality is that no person is an island… we all need each other in one way or another; rain or shine.

Take care and stay fabulous….

When I look back…

28 Friday Dec 2018

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… I sigh a breath of relief because it’s only through God’s grace that I remain standing; and able to share this post.

If ever there was a year that showed me flames, it was 2018. I shall spare you the detail but if you remember anything from this post, know that whatever and whoever is sent to put a spoke in the wheels of your destiny, it will not succeed. I say this confidently because boy, oh, boy… did they come fast and furiously. And each attempt was thwarted and came to naught, thanks to the Hand of God over my life.

I cried a lot this year.
It was a combination of tears of joy and tears of sorrow; some I personally experienced and others I witnessed.

There were tears for the disappointment in the way some prospective projects folded.
There were tears for the disappointment in the way some people (including family) behaved.
There were tears for the disappointment in the way some people chose to defeat the ends of justice to save face instead of taking responsibility for their untoward choices/decisions.
There were tears for the disappointment in the way some associations dissolved before they even took off.
There were tears for the disappointment in the way some people used people as pawns in their game of life.
There were tears for the disappointment in the way some people choose to continue along the path of a dysfunctional façade knowing full well that these actions have a domino effect.

Some of the hardest tears were for the ties that I chose to sever in the name of self-preservation and peace of mind. Like my mentor pointed out, ‘Jesus did not resurrect Judas and neither should you’. And also, forgiveness does not equate to re-association.

So in all the tears, pain and disappointment, I’m most grateful for the fact that it brought me to my knees and made me draw closer to God. There was many a night I was face flat on the floor either crying out in prayer or having these heated debates with God trying to figure out the why. Until, one morning, He whispered “be still and trust Me”.

And when that penny dropped, the journey became more enjoyable and the revelations came about sooner and more clearly.

With the start of the New Year just days away, I continue to look ahead with great expectation, an open heart and confident that He that started a good work will make sure it manifests as and when it should.

As you embrace 2019:

May you honour yourself (and your space) and enforce the relevant boundaries.
Let your no be no and your yes, be yes.
May you walk in purpose and never compromise the work you are called to do, all for His glory.
May you never settle for anything less than you deserve.

More importantly, may your heart be filled with perfect peace, undiluted joy and gratitude for all things (big and small).

Love. Love. And more love to you and yours for 2019 and beyond…

While you are waiting…

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

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When I woke up yesterday, I had no idea how my day would pan out. Usually, there’s some sort of “plan”… so if I need to tweak it here and there, it can be done without any hassle.

But, I found myself driving to the beachfront. There’s been tons going on around me – some matters less complicated than others but still enough to rattle the free flow of this thing we call life.

It was only when I pulled up into a parking bay, that it dawned on me that I’m doing something so out of character. I smiled and reminded myself that I’m not a robot and so it’s okay that I get to choose to be present. That it’s okay that I do whatever it is that makes sense to me in that given moment. As long as I’m not inflicting hurt or pain on another, it’s perfectly fine.

It was a beautiful, balmy day in Durban and apart from the odd cyclist, jogger or couple on a walkabout, it was still. The kind of day that felt like it was ready to wrap its arms around my exhausted soul.

The smell of the ocean and soothing sounds of the waves made me feel like this specific piece of paradise was created just for me. I closed my eyes for a few minutes in pure gratitude. And through the salty tears, all I kept hearing was a gentle voice, whispering “be still and know that I am God”.

I smiled.
Blinked.
Looked around.
Smiled again.
In that moment, I knew what that meant.

It was in that moment that I found peace. Again.

Added to this was a fishing rod that I spotted. My eyes were fixed on that rod.
What was it about that fishing rod? It’s not like it was the first time I had ever seen a rod.

In that moment I realised that when we are in a waiting season – or transitional phase – it’s important to stay anchored to our true and Sovereign source of hope and life, God.

If you are reading this, and find yourself in an in-between phase in your life, I’d like to encourage you.

Don’t give up. Don’t you dare contemplate quitting. The tables will turn.

Stay true to your purpose.
Stay true to your core values.
Stay true to living in love and hope.
Stay true to the Rock of your salvation.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Reality check…

23 Saturday Apr 2016

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There’s nothing like a hospital staycation to jolt you back into action. This past week I found myself in hospital for longer than I had envisaged and might I add without warning.

Long story short, last Saturday I started feeling under the weather and thankfully I was under the watchful eye of my mother. By Sunday morning things got progressively worse and it was off to the ER.

After mountains of paperwork and admission complete, the drama began. By drama I mean the drips, poking and prodding…

The doctor and nurses tried to speak in hushed tones but my super sharp ear picked up most things and I asked questions. Then those dreaded words “Miss Kast we need to admit you to run further tests”.

Time stood still for those few seconds; and it was the nurse’s pat on my shoulder that jogged me back to reality.

Fast forward to the ward.

The drip was attached, my vitals were monitored, blood samples taken, specialists streamed in and out, x-rays ordered, then a CT scan and the final straw was a MRI… I felt like a guinea pig.

By the way, who says you can rest when you are in hospital?! The day starts at 4.30am and there’s a constant flow of activity it’s impossible to nap (unless of course you are sedated).

I made friends with the two other ladies in the ward, the nurses (on both shifts) as well as the catering and cleaning staff. Listening to their stories highlighted one thing – we are a people of hope and love. We all have a story to tell and we all need each other in one way or another.

As for me, I am thankful that my health is on the mend and I am going to make it my mission to stay out of hospital. Operation “my health, my choice” is in full swing.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xx

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No masks here…

11 Friday Mar 2016

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This post is courtesy of a conversation I had with a dear friend yesterday. For purposes of this (and future posts) I shall refer to him as Positive Paul. We all need that one friend who can lift the band aid off in one go and after it’s done you still feel like you are walking on sunshine; for me, that person is Positive Paul.

This chat came about because I shared with him a comment I made to someone who I believed could’ve been a good friend. Sadly, that didn’t pan out as I had hoped and like I said to Positive Paul, the brief exchange, spurts of banter/laughter was appreciated while it lasted and certainly gave me a different perspective.

No regrets.

Only gratitude.

So through this experience I realised that I’m actually in a good space; a space where it’s tickets for anyone who doesn’t appreciate my time or worth. Life is way too short for one sided relationships (family, friends) or to pretend to be anything than your authentic self.

You see, quirks and all, Positive Paul reminded me that the people who are meant to be in my life will appreciate:

• my off-key singing
• random comments / messages
• “complicated” laugh (only he knows what that means)
• midnight ramblings
• over-thinking and analysis of a situation

I guess he has a point because when all is said and done:

• I give wholeheartedly
• I give freely
• I give without expectation
• I am fiercely loyal
• I am brutally honest
• I like to talk
• I care – too much
• I cry when someone is sad or in pain
• I am a hopeless romantic
• Yes, I am an all or nothing person… and make no apologies for it. Because, I’m worth it!

Let me leave you with words of wisdom from former president, Nelson Mandela: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

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Striding with purpose!

21 Monday Dec 2015

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(Source: Brene Brown)

There are moments in life when we all feel like throwing in the towel; whether it’s work, a relationship, a project and even ministry. And not because we are weak but because the load just appears to be super heavy and we feel like we need some breathing space.

But, have you noticed that it’s at those times that some wonderful person will cross your path, and with just one word, they will give you that extra nudge to keep moving along purposefully.

This year, I’m super thankful for the many Divine connections, that were sent my way at the right time.
I am able to keep going through unmerited grace plus the selflessness of these wonderful men and women.

I’m sure you too can identify a guardian angel or two that saved the day or was the voice of reason 🙂
Or, maybe you’ve been the one to make a difference and help someone keep going.

I’ve said it before and will say it again, no person is an island… we all need each other.
This week especially, be generous… not necessarily with money but with your time and talent.

Here’s the challenge: will you choose to make at least one person smile this Christmas?!

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

Reach out & rise up!

01 Tuesday Dec 2015

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On this first day of December, my hope is that you will:

Choose to be kind

Choose to reach out

Choose to make someone smile

Choose to be motivated

Choose to live on purpose

Choose to make a choice

Choose to be thankful

Choose to be authentic

Choose to be at peace

Choose to believe

Choose to have faith

Choose to love and be loved!

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured x

faith hope love

One year later…

12 Thursday Nov 2015

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When I started this blog exactly one year ago to the day, I had no idea that it would be so much fun.

It’s been a wonderful experience and the connections made are just amazing.
Of course, channels of this nature can also be a breeding ground for trolls, but fortunately the spam filter in place takes care of those.

I’m often asked whether I “run out of things to write about”… No, there’s still so much I’d like to share.
I just wish there were more hours in the day for me to write. But, I’m working on that.

I’m currently on a break between deadlines and thought I’d extend my gratitude.

Thank you to those who choose to follow.
Thank you to those who choose to comment.
Thank you to those who choose to rather email or text after reading a post.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

My hope for you this day and always, is from an Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

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