Category Archives: My Thoughts

So? How’s things going?

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The last time I stopped to assess where, what and how my life was going was in March. It feels like ages ago and as Spring has arrived, I thought there is no better time to do it again.

My body: With the hope of losing 7 kgs before December, it came down to me going back to Melanie (read: saviour dietitian) in July to get me back on track with my eating. After two consultations, I have managed to lose over 1kg. It turns out that eating salads every day is not that bad, especially when I’m able to load it with my new favourite item – tomaraisins!

Plan of action: keep up the good eating routine. I have also stuck up a picture of myself on my desk. It’s a picture from 2010 when I was happy with my body and where I want to get back to.

My work: Can it get any busier? Busy is good but I do find there are some things which I am never getting to. Research, new trends, networking…  All these types of activities have pretty much taken a back seat while I struggle with what feels like mostly admin on some days.

Plan of action: Realise that the admin needs to be done but to find time for other stuff.

My home: It feels as if everything in my house needs work. The curtains need cleaning, bedroom carpets need washing, the pool needs to be fixed, the garden needs pruning, the water feature needs to be replaced. The big problem is that there is never enough time on weekends to get to most of these chores.

Plan of action: Write up a to-do list and prioritise what needs to be done. Decide on what’s really important in life.

My time: KK and I have bought bikes. For anyone in to sport, just that statement will explain everything. Riding takes up so much extra time (and money) compared to running. The problem is that even though we do most of our hobbies together, it has taken a lot of time away from some of the other things we used to do together. There is also less time for chores around the house.

Plan of action: Make time! Even if it means sitting together with a calendar and booking time out.

My running: I took a break during Winter mainly due to foot injuries, flu and … well, to be honest, I hate running in the cold. But as Spring has set in, I’ve started to run a regular 5km route on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ve also run two 10km races. I feels great to be back!

Plan of action: Stick with it and enjoy!

If I look at my list and review all these areas, the one major theme stands out: TIME. It’s become a real commodity lately and can truly make such a difference to my life in terms of the goals I set for myself. Thank-goodness I am still finding time to run. That’s a good thing, right!

The next time I look, it will be Christmas. *gasps*  – 119 days to go!

5 things I’ll remember from London 2012

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It’s all over. As quickly as the Olympic Games arrived, it ended even quicker. But wow, what a great two weeks it was! There were many highs and lows but five key things stood out for me:

1. Pushing yourself to the limit … and then going even further.

It was absolutely incredible to see so many personal bests, new Olympic and World records being set and competitors pushing themselves beyond what they thought possible. What stood out for me? The runners, of course. But watching the weightlifter’s step out on the mat, time and time again, to lift weights that seemed impossible to lift was fascinating to watch. Maybe it’s the smack from the coach across the face that did the trick or the loud shout before the lift? But there’s definitely a look on their faces that you start recognising which tells you ‘they’ve got this in the bag’.

2. Different strokes for different folks.

I really enjoyed most of the swimming, track & field and gymnastic events, but I must be honest when I say that there were some events which I did not watch. In fact I am baffled by the fact that they are even part of the Olympics at all and yet hundreds of spectators filled the grandstands to watch these events. It made me realise that maybe I don’t enjoy watching them but others do. I guess we’re all different and we all enjoy different things.

3. Great legends come with great responsibilities.

I watched in awe and amazement every time two of my favourite stars of this year’s Olympics, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, came out to compete. However, both ‘legends’ acted very differently in front of the crowds and cameras. Phelps was humble and took time to congratulate other swimmers. Bolt on the other hand revelled in the limelight and became a tad too arrogant for my liking. What disturbs me somewhat is that younger athletes look up to them and I do not know if Bolt realises the power he now holds and the message and image he portrays. Legend, yes. But role model? I’m not so sure.

4. I love you South Africa!

My country is a proud one and one to be proud of! Watching the four gold medallist rowers belt out our national anthem was such an emotional sight! Seeing both Bridgitte Hartley and Caster Semenya’s infectious smiles on the podium was stunning and made me smile too! And who can forget Bert Le Clos – no explanation necessary. I can still hear him saying, “Beautiful!” in his husky voice. I am filled to the brim with pride!

5. Even good athletes give up, but great ones don’t.

I watched the women’s marathon with keen interest because two of my favourite South African runners were participating, but my attention was on the runner who came stone last.  Ireland’s Catriona Jennings in my mind demonstrated true guts and determination. The awesomeness of the crowds as they cheered Jennings home over the final agonising mile of the marathon. Crippled with the pain of a foot injury, Jennings finished last in the women’s race, a full hour after the winners. She was overcome with emotion and I’ll never forget the visible pain on her face as she crossed the finish line and bawled her eyes out.

The lesson: She did not give up, no matter how much it hurt. She showed me that even great athletes also have bad races; even good runners can struggle and come last, but winners never quit.

See you in Rio!

The day it snowed in Jozi warmed my heart

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When you work in a corporate environment, you come to realise that stress, politics and work pressure are part of everyday life. I have found the past few months particularly tough, not only for me, but also for my colleagues.

I have searched for many ways of encouraging them. Out of desperation, I have even proposed a rather cheesy idea to the head honcho of the department, hoping it would bring a spark back to people’s faces. But no luck. When people are down and demotivated, it’s very difficult for them to see anything positive in whatever you do.

But something magical happened today. Something unexpected. It snowed in Jozi.

At first, staff would casually walk up to the windows and look down. But as it became heavier and heavier, excitement grew and more and more people gathered together at the windows. It took one person to say, “Hey! Let’s go outside and play in the snow!” for everyone to grab their jackets and head on out. The excitement and giggling was electric.

What a sight to see hundreds of people from other departments all with the same idea, queuing at the ‘cattle gates’ to get passed security and out of the building.

Once we got out, we laughed and giggled and stood in the snow with massive smiles on our faces. I looked around and saw colleagues having fun. I saw them laughing and hugging and taking photos of each other and acting silly. We were like kids! We didn’t care if it was cold and we didn’t care how wet we were getting. It was awesome. But for the 5 minutes we stood out there, it was as if all the problems disappeared.

I realised that the snow was for me, more than them. You see, although I’ve been part of a project team where the focus is on “people” and changing that cold, hard corporate culture, I have also felt incredibly ‘responsible’ for their happiness in the office. It’s been a bit of a burden on my shoulders and a lot of my stress has been frustration in not seeing a change in culture and a vibe remaining so negative.

But today was different. Today came out of nowhere. The lesson I learnt was that laughter and fun will come at the most unexpected times. But also, that sometimes, I’m not the one that will bring about the change. I just need to be present. But most of all, I need to start laughing too!

Not wanting kids is a lonely place to be

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As a 37-year old married women with no kids, I must admit that I don’t exactly know where I ‘belong’ in society these days. You see, one would have thought that as people have started to accept mixed racial couples and same sex relationships, so too would the idea that a woman who decides not to have children be okay. But it isn’t.

I still get the confused looks, the gasps and the disbelief. In fact, majority of people who know my decision will still tell me that I will change my mind in future and ‘I better hope it’s not too late.’

Women judge me and quiz me as if somewhere in my explanation they’ll find a loophole to my reasoning and try to convince me otherwise. I’ve been warned that I will have no one to take care of my when I’m old. I’ve been informed that when KK and I grow tired of one another, that we’ll have nothing in our lives to hold us together.

I’ve been told that I am missing out on the biggest blessing of life and that there will be no one to carry our family name in to the future.

But not many will tell me that it’s okay. Very few are able to tell me that it’s my decision and that there are loads of women like me who are fine not to have kids and who have never even wanted to have any.

I get insulted when people say that I have four-legged children instead. Um, no. I grew up with dogs, I love dogs but they are not a substitute. They are dogs. I get upset when people suggest I am concentrating on my career. Nope. It is just a job and I personally do not want to be the boss. I just don’t want children.

Do I hate children. No, why would I hate them?

The hard part is that I have lost many girfriends who have moved on into that phase of their lives and now have nothing in common with me anymore or perhaps who don’t know what to talk to me about anymore. It’s still me. Bron.

All around me, I am flooded with messages on TV, magazines, billboards and the media about what a ‘normal’ couple looks like.

And I guess that’s my point. I’m confused as to where exactly in society I fit. In my head and my heart, I know who I am and the decisions I’ve made.

But not everyone around me seems to get it.