A Powerful Instrument

The mind has the ability to build the most beautiful of things; it controls our most wonderful thoughts and actions and holds the most beautiful of memories. 

But, the mind is also a dark place; a place that destroys beauty, a place of evil thoughts and actions and a place that buries the saddest and ugliest of memories.

Last year, when I initially moved to Bloemfontein, I would often tell my sisters that I experience many moments of unexplained anxiety that would randomly come and go when I was alone or quiet with my thoughts. I later convinced myself that the anxiety was a quiet sign from the universe, telling me that something great was about to happen in my life and, fortunately, that proved true with many great and wonderful things happening in 2013.

Unfortunately, lately, those moments of anxiety have been replaced with a deep and unexplained sadness. My mind, with all it’s beautiful abilities has revealed itself vulnerable- vulnerable to an uncontrollable sadness. A buried sadness- sadness that the mind hides even from itself.

Throughout my entire life I have had very little to be sad about. I have not been blessed with the greatest of fortunes nevertheless I have been very fortunate- I have life, love and purpose.

At first I thought that it a mourning sadness, as in September this year I bid farewell to my only grandfather. His death opened a wound that seems unable to heal; it has opened a flood gate of sadness…

I find myself sad that I no longer have a grandmother and grandfather on this earth, my parents have lost their parents and that many are alike.

I find myself sad that death is unpredictable yet inevitable.

I find myself sad that people cannot become who/ what they wish to truly to be because society has told them what is and is not acceptable.

I find myself sad that people have placed unwelcomed expectations over my head whether it is expectations of my life, career and choice on marriage and children.

I find myself sad that people still hold onto outdated thinking that discriminates and remains prejudice to people purely because of their gender, race and religion.

I find myself sad that people cannot be honest with themselves and therefore with others.

I find myself sad that people so easily disregard the impact of their words and actions in the lives of others.

I find myself sad the most monstrous of crimes happen to the most innocent of people.

I find myself sad that I am so fortunate while others suffer each and every day.

I find myself sad that things change. People change. Relationships change.

Most of all, I find myself sad that people find themselves in this overwhelming sadness and never recover from it.

This blog post is not a cry for help, but rather a reflection of the thoughts that I try to hide, even from myself. I am learning that sometimes it is difficult to find myself unhappily content when sometimes, all I am is just unhappy.

It has been a beautiful yet dark year. I am learning  that living presently within my life means that I should allow sadness in and live present in every emotion.

I hope that all of you will realize that sadness although overwhelming comes with a beautiful lesson or feeling, only if we allow ourselves to truly feel it. Also, I hope that you realize that the powerful instrument, called the mind, can handle anything you throw its way…even a sad storm waiting to pass.

So, accept that sometimes we will find ourselves more unhappy than we do content but always remembering that living present within this sadness allows you to live a life fully lived. 

“There is something beautiful in reveling in sadness.

The proof is how beautiful sad songs can be.

I don’t think being sad is to be avoided.

It’s apathy and boredom you want to avoid.

But feeling anything is good, I think.”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The Ultimate Race...

South Africa is liberated. It is a country that is born from the racial injustices of apartheid…a country of truth and reconciliation…a country of freedom.

While studying in this conservative city of Bloemfontein I have come to realize though that some people might never be free or liberated.

They will forever be imprisoned by fear or their closed minded ideas of inequality, subconscious conditioning and ignorance. They will forever hold onto the idea that mere tolerance versus embrace is enough. They will forever allow race to dictate their choices.

I have wanted to write a post about the racial social struggles that I, as a young black woman (and many alike) have come acquainted to in this city of roses when it comes to dating or social interactions with our white male peers but have feared that I might just step on a few toes of offend a few people but sometimes, staying true to one’s own self is worth more than that.

Moving from a city where many of my friends were from different races and many dated inter-racially, Bloemfontein seems to be rather backwards in this regard.

Many parents and my peers do not believe in the idea of interracial relationships. They believe that interracial relationships are wrong because we are too “different” and racially incompatible to conclude in successful long term relationships...

This results in young white males or females who are interested, or are attracted to young black, coloured, Asian women or men-deprive themselves from great opportunities to meet beautiful souls and even worse: date in the interracial closet.

Others, on the other hand, said that their lack of interest in dating inter-racially is merely because of choice and preference and has nothing to do with fear or pressure from friends and family. I think, that is the easy answer, if we honestly reflect we will find that every decision that we make in life is subconsciously conditioned and influenced. We are not truly making decisions on our own…the ideas that have been uttered to us from birth stay with us long after we outgrow our nappies. The images that we associate with the idea of love stay engraved in our minds. It is rather disheartening to see that some people choose to remain in a box marked comfort. We choose to stick to one route when there are many breath-taking roads not traveled.

Inter-racial hook-ups have become the biggest kept secrets among the youth of Bloemfontein. Many will dip in the pool of interracial love but too few will do it proudly in the company of their friends and family or with the absence of liquid courage.

It saddens me to see young men and women allow the outdated ideas of their friends and families to dictate how they live they’re lives. I believe that we will never be free until the day that interracial couples can walk freely on campus or in the malls without stares or racial slurs thrown at them.

Just as Martin Luther King Jr. did, “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls”. I have a dream that people will be brave enough to stand up for what and who they love. I have a dream that people will be freed from the chains of judgement.

I hope that people will come to realize that there is only one ultimate race and that is the human race...

Until people accept that, they will continue find themselves settling with an unhappy content and depriving themselves of true happiness.

Unbridgeable gap of content

Whenever I am at varsity, home has always been a place that I longed for throughout the semester ….this holiday though, being home seemed somewhat different.

It was still the same home – filled with all my favourite things- love, laughter, great food, unforgettable times, exceptional friends and the warmth of family. The only thing difference being, how I felt about being home.

My dilemma: When I am at university, I am always missing out the special moments that my friends and family back home are constantly making without me and for the first time, while home, I had this strange feeling of longing to be back in Bloemfontein, back to what seems to be my “new” life, back to what I have come to know and love, back to my other family of friends.

This made me ponder on the idea that in life, you shall never be fully content. It’s as though, what had always previously fulfilled you, will one day leave you longing for something else.

It is frightening to think that we are constantly faced with making life long decisions such as the choice to marry and who to marry or the inevitable choice of a career only to realize that at the moment that you made that decision, you were content but in a year, month or days’ time you find yourself far from content, seeking something more.

Are we, as human beings, engineered to constantly seek something greater than what we have?

In Katy Perry’s song, “Thinking of you” she sings: “How can I get better, once I’ve had the best?”...I think we fail to realize that sometimes the moment/ time in your life that you may be experiencing is the best and that you could possibly be missing out it because you are chasing something that you believe could be better!

Is there an unbridgeable gap between being content with what you have and the idea of finding content in something else? Are you disregarding the value of what currently makes you happy by seeking an unguaranteed greater happiness? It is unguaranteed because you do not yet know that by accomplishing or getting that thing, will truly make you happy.

In my situation, am I disregarding the happy time spent with my friends and family back home by seeking to be in Bloemfontein, having an unguaranteed time of happiness?

Instead of drowning myself  in the fact that I am constantly missing out on something great, whether at home or in Bloemfontein, I should  live fully present – wherever I am and with whoever I am with.

It is easier said than done, but I think until we can be fulfilled by what we have, we will never be fully content.

But this made me think- where do we draw the line between positive/ambitious thinking and a lack of content for what we have. Many would think that a rich man, seeking to be richer is rather selfish and lacks content in what he has but is he truly content if his heart seeks more riches?

Are we filling our lives with things that society has told us will make us happy instead of truly soul searching to find what makes us happy? Are we shoving the idea of happiness into a box marked “Standard” for every being to accumulate?

I challenge everyone, including myself, to throw this box away! Search for what makes you truly content and then…live it and love it! Do not ponder on what you do not have; do not long for what is not presently there in front of you because you will forever be searching for content in a maze of unhappiness.

Lesson's of Commitment

This past Sunday marked a special day for many men out there; Men that have made a decision to cherish one of the greatest gifts of life…men that have committed to the blessings and sacrifices of fatherhood.

On Father’s Day, Twitter was buzzing with tweets about absent fathers who failed to recognize and be present in the lives of their own children but instead of shunning those men, I preferred to celebrate and honour the men who have taken responsibility in the lives of their children.

I dedicate this post to my loving father and all fathers and father-figures that have committed to guiding their children, young and old.

My father has taught me many things from changing a light bulb to making the perfect cup of tea but his greatest lessons are given from the way that he lives a life full of commitment.

Commitment to follow his heart – My father has taught me that you should never fear to follow your heart no matter where it might lead you or whether or not people might find you unworthy. You set the bar for which and who you are worth to have in your life and heart.

Commitment to your passion and aspirations- he has showed me the benefits of being greatly learned rather than being merely educated. My father has reminded me that hard work and being driven by your passions and aspirations can lead you to a life that no education can ever give you.

Commitment to morals and values- My papa has always reminded me that the basis of every great person is a strong moral and ethical code of values. Every decision is made with him being true to himself and his faith.

Commitment to growth- My father grew up in a pretty conservative, strict household but he has been committed to the idea of growth in his perceptions of the world. He has taught me to remain open-minded to the ideas and opinions of others especially those differing from my own to allow personal growth.

Commitment to leading- my father has always committed to living a life of leading by example and empowerment. He has encouraged me to be self-reliant, empowered and a true confident leader at heart.

Commitment to accepting mistakes- A life with no mistakes is a life that has not been fully explored; my father has often humbled himself to apologies whenever he was wrong. He has taught me that accepting and apologizing for your mistakes is one of the greatest tests of character.

Commitment to picking oneself up from failure- My father has taught me that failure is a bittersweet facet of life. The quicker you recognize and accept your failure, the quicker you are able to pick yourself up and learn from it.

Commitment to fulfilling promises- My father has never broken a promise; he has taught me that you should never promise anything that you will be unable to deliver.

The greatest commitment my father has ever made is the commitment to living each day to the fullest- He has taught me to live present in every day, every emotion, cherishing each person, moment and memory gifted to me.

The one thing that I have learnt in life is that greatest lessons should never be selfishly kept from others. Therefore I encourage you to seek the small lessons and pleasures of having a father in your life and cherish all the moments given to you because it is in those moments that you can find happiness that will leave you only content.

Clarity of Purpose

Hi…I am Modiehi Mokoena and I am a recovering blog avoider…

So, the last few months have been pretty ordinary. They have been filled with nothing but simple student living; I go to varsity, come home,  go out partying, disregard my studies, do nothing extraordinary…repeat.

This could possibly be the reason why I have avoided writing to you all. I have thought that my simple life has become too ordinary to share with you…

Earlier this week, I attended a leadership training presented by the University of the Free State’s Dean of Student affairs- Rudi Buys on the topic of clarity of purpose, since then, the words “Clarity…Simplicity…Purpose…Perspective…Mindfulness… Patterns…” have echoed themselves consistently in my mind.

Living a simple life would, to most people, bring a sense of clarity to their lives. I, on the other hand, believe that my simple life has led to me losing my sense of purpose.

In reality, simplicity is actually not as clear as we believe.  Things are not as black and white as we would like them to be and grey matter will always linger in our sub consciousness- we just choose to ignore it.

I have chosen to ignore the fact that; I may not be as happy (as I believe) with my choice of studying law or that I am miserable at my place of stay or that I actually do not enjoy going out partying as much as I used to or (more worryingly) that I have lost my sense of purpose and self.

Society has a funny way of fooling people in

to believing that there is a common level of self-purpose. It has shaped how people should view their lives purposeful based on certain requirements. As a young woman- if you do not seek to be educated and successful, you lack motivation, inspiration and therefore you lack purpose. One cannot simply say that one’s aspirational purpose is to be a woman working at a clothing store because that, according to society, would be insignificant.

I have fooled myself into believing that being in varsity and merely living my life is purposeful enough in this world. I have lost my self-concept and have allowed my relational and collective self to depict my ideal self-purpose. I have lost true perspective of what I truly want from my life and how I plan on getting it. I have lost a sense of presence in my decision making and choices.

That leadership training has surprisingly awakened me. It has made me mindful of my everyday surroundings and decisions, has made me conscious of my daily patterns of choices, actions and thoughts and has reminded me that a shift in perspective will, bring with it, a shift in purpose.

It has showed me that lack of action and remaining in my comfort zone will not simplify my life but rather complicate my sense of purpose and with it my life.

I hope that you will not see this post as cry for help but rather as a reminder to constantly evaluate your self-purpose and greater purpose in society.

Be reminded that- without purpose, you will find yourselves unhappy more than you do content.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" of 2013

As I sit here, writing this post, I am ashamed to say that I have been so consumed in my own life that I have disregarded my blog and my readers. I may just have to blame it on the fact that I have been living fully in every moment of everyday. Many of you will probably agree that sometimes life just ‘happens’…it gets so busy and overwhelming  that you tend to disregard the things that are truly important to you or make you happy. We forget to make time for what matters to us but most of all, we forget to reflect on what is happening in our lives.

As we are now merely a month into a new year, we should not only view it as a time of “new beginnings” but rather a time of self-reflection.

There is no better time to reflect on the good times that made you smile or giggle excessively, the bad times that made you melancholy or fuming from anger or even the ugly times when you look back and think “what the hell was I thinking?”

2013 had its share of all the above and I figured, where better to reflect than here, with all of you.

Greatest FOMO Moment of the Year

Believe it or not! But my greatest FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) moment of 2013 was felt during the Belieber Tour South Africa! Missing the Justin Bieber concert had my little Belieber heart pretty heartbroken and with his recently announced retirement, I am devastated…guess till next lifetime it is.

Greatest Achievement of 2013

So, I am not one to fuss and obsess over my appearance but my greatest achievement has to do with the fact that I have dropped a few dress sizes and lost 10kgs in 2013! …And to all of those who are shaking their heads right now, just remember- If I am going to try save the world, I need to look good doing so!

Biggest Crush of 2013

Okay so, I am torn between 3 amazing men! Firstly we have the “oh so handsome” Dr Avery  AKA Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy!! Secondly the witty, charming Rob Forbes from 5FM! Yummy! And lastly the ultimate bad boy Chris Brown! Well, such decisions actually require a lot of time and consideration before being taken therefore; I’ll just have to have them all for now right?

Greatest Challenge of 2013

My biggest challenge of 2013 was definitely staying focused on my academics. I may have just slacked off on my studies and prioritised a good time over the books…but this challenge is not easily won and looks like I shall be fighting it for the next 4 years?!

Greatest Highlight of the Year

My highlight of 2013 was definitely my first trip abroad to the beautiful country of Belgium! Was a memorable experienced filled with so much fun, learning and awesome people!  I hope that I will be blessed with many a moments of wonderful journeys

Worst regret of the Year

My greatest regret last year was staying miserable for way too long! The year starting off with me moving away from home to a place I hated without even giving a chance…and now a year later, I regret how long it took me to make the most of that situation…who knows what awesome things I could have done had I not been miserable and closed-minded all that time? But you know what they say right…better late than never.

The Saddest Moment of 2013

My saddest moment from last year was the death of my beautiful grandmother. This was an unexpected, difficult time of the year. I continue to think about you, miss you and cherish your memory Ngono, may your remarkable soul continue to rest in peace.

Worst Mistake of 2013

So in 2013 I signed a contract without reading the T&Cs and the result of that: I cost my parents a loss of R8000 with an even heftier debt left, still to be paid! I’m sorry Mama and Papa! Let’s call it an IOU (I Owe You) until I make it big. Note to self, no matter how happy and excited you are when signing a contract, be sure to read the fine print!

Happiest Moment/s of the Year

Last year, I was blessed with so many happy moments that I am struggling to choose one! So I will say that my happiest moments were meeting and seeing my favourite 5 FM Djs play live! Was amazing to see/meet people that I listen to each and every day in person and aspire to one day work with #JustPuttingItOutThere

Another happy moment of 2013 was seeing Rihanna Live in South Africa, one of my all-time favourite artists! Just a reminder of how lucky and fortunate I am!

Favourite thing/s to do of the Year

In 2013 I discovered two passions that became my favourite things to do. The first being radio. I found a love of everything radio and one of my favourite things to do turned out to be listening to it and even being listened to on Kovsie FM! I hope that my career on radio is not short-lived and that this hobby will continue to fill my life with happiness and fun.

Secondly, one of my favourite things to do was Blogging. Writing and keeping this blog was so enjoyable and allowed me a place of reflection and sharing. I hope that I may keep these things close to my heart and discover more wonderful things to fill my life with.

Best Surprise/s of 2013

Last year, the last thing I expected was a year full of surprises and boy was I wrong to do so! I was surprised with so many awesome things that I can’t just share one!

Firstly, 2013 was, surprisingly, a year filled with winning! I won money, Tickets and experiences that I would never have imagined of being lucky enough to win…this was all because I optimized my luck!

Secondly, I surprised myself. I, in 2013, chose to stop forcing people to do things with me and learnt to do things alone…I was never troubled to watch a movie or have lunch by myself but always feared going to a show or partying alone but that all changed! I became my own best company and because of this, one of my greatest surprises was unexpectedly being gifted a ticket to watch the international sensation- Maxwell- live in South Africa all by myself and it was amazing! Thanks again sissy!Lastly, I was surprised by the amazing people and things that came from me moving to Bloemfontein. I was offered so many opportunities of growth by the University of the Free State, not forgetting all the awesome people that now form a very important part of my life.

Greatest lesson of 2013

The most profound lesson that I learnt in 2013 was: The extent of your happiness lies in the choices that you make. I learnt that too often do we take happiness for granted when making decisions in our lives but realizing this has made such an impact on my choices and my life. I have decided to make decisions that bring happiness into my life, each and every day!

So as you can see, 2013 was an incredible year! It had its ups and downs…but was overall an extraordinary year! 

I hope that on reflection, your year was even better than mine but most importantly, I hope that 2014 is even better! May you continue to seek happiness in a world filled with so much unhappiness! Hope that you may continue to be unhappily content…