Proud Moments-The Graduation

I lay in wake haunted by the visuals of one of the proudest moments of my life. A week has already gone by and I can not believe that I still have those pictures in my mind. I had not given it much thought or even taken the time to plan the day and hope it turned out like I had imagined. Very often people will plan this day to the last detail but I was not able to do that or may be my busy life just will not allow me to do so. I am glad however, as I was completely taken by surprise of how it turned out. In actual fact, I was blown away.

"The atmosphere was so euphoric", so say Ms Thobakgale a friend and former classmate who by the way looked as fashionable as usual on the day and I couldn't agree more. I had always thought people just make a fuzz about graduations to make it seem so much of a warranted excitement until I experienced it for myself. The smiles on the faces of parents, the joy  of fellow alumni, the voices of the choir, uncoordinated dance moves of graduates, a cheer from over  3000 audience you feel almost like a celebrity...only this time you are being cheered for by fans who before this day had never known your name but find you deserving of using their last bit of energy to scream and applaud you for your achievement.

The moment is so special. If anyone ever wondered if there could ever be a perfect moment in life, a graduation ceremony could never come close enough. The moment is just priceless. The moment is so priceless that one can even afford to pardon a Professor who delivered a paper he wrote on 'Drugs and the Rastafarian', a topic which most people will agree with me had nothing to do with this day. It is a moment where you can proudly say you have accomplished something great without a doubt.

The thing I realized about graduation is that it gets you motivated and gives you this natural boost of confidence anything is attainable in life. As I sat in my seat observing proceedings, with my hat on, and my graduation "belt" over my shoulder I began to draw deep down from my memory what it took for me and my fellow classmates to obtain the Bcompt degree...the good grades in earlier years of varsity, all the way to the final year where even a 50% deserved a round of applauds. As we learned about booms and recessions, we had our own fair share of volatility...only this time it was not in the form of market volatility but rather 'marks volatility' and emotional fluctuations from happy happy...to stressed...and to happy again when the degree was in  the bag and we could safely say the 'We are graduates'!

This makes one think of their goals and targets...however high they may be, to believe and feel a sense of POSSIBILITY!

LALA NGOXOLO MADIBA

The greatest son of South Africa, a hero, a father to many, a symbol of forgiveness, an icon, the ever smiling…there a not enough words in the dictionary to describe this beloved statesman, Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela.

” Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and country, he can rest in peace” Nelson Mandela. If we were all granted a gift to take a peek into the land of spirits, I believe we will see him rejoicing…like the Indian Proverb goes, “When you were born, you cried and the  world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice”. The world cries today…Nelson Mandela sleeps in rejoicing peace.

Madiba’s life was a great example of unity and his death is no different. Today South Africa and the world unite in mourning of his death and also celebrate his extraordinary life.

It was really an honour to have lived in his time however short it might have been. Thank you Rolihlahla for inventing a compass of forgiveness, love, unity, leadership and selflessness.

Lala Ngoxolo Tata.

WYSIWYG

The Power of Visualization (What you see is what you get)

We are familiar with some people being described as ‘geniuses’.  These kind of people will be top of the class; they will design, create, invent and always know how to find solutions to a problem. Their memory is just impeccable. These people are simply smart.

During my 1^st level of varsity I myself was fortunate enough to come out top of my class after obtaining distinctions for all my courses. I was labeled with the term ‘genius’ and even when my performance took a nose dive, I was still viewed as such.

 I believe that we all have the power to do the extraordinary but the problem is most of us do not see ourselves being extraordinary. At the beginning of my 1^st year of varsity, my dad took me to Markham’s and bought me a suit. As I fit the suit and looked in the mirror, I pictured myself winning awards in that particular suit. Ten months down the line I was at an award ceremony in the same suit receiving an award for the amazing results I had obtained. The experience was like a movie on replay.

One can only be successful when he can imagine how he looks in his success and how his success looks like. An inventor will develop a prototype before the final product. The same principle should apply if one is to be successful. One of my lecturers told my class his life story, “When I was still a student I would paste my dream car and my dream house on the wall right in front of the table I used for my studies. Every time I struggled with my school work I would look at the pictures and I would not rest until I figured out the solutions”. Today Prof Zakuza is one of the most honored people in the auditing profession and it is safe to say he can more than afford his dream car (perhaps an Isuzu or 1400-those who know him understand what I mean) and house that he had pasted on his Dom Room wall.

We are all hungry and salivating for success. It therefore makes sense that any slight glimpse we have of success will entice us to make an effort to satisfy that hunger. The desire to achieve something great is in all of us and the only thing that can move us from our comfort zone is a vision of how beautiful it will look to have accomplished such greatness; the smiles and congratulations from family members, friends and colleagues, the awards and acknowledgements, throwing your graduation hat in the air in excitement after long years of hard academic labor. All these are images that show how amazing it is at the finish line and once you see the beauty at the finish line, you will be bold and strong enough to begin the race.

Learners who attend the annual SAICA THUTHUKA DEVELOPMENT CAMPS are always given a statement for life, “I’m somewhere in the future and I look much better than I look right now”.  This statement is passed on to thousands of learners each year. Apply it whenever you face challenges in the pursuit of success and I promise you that you will feel an overwhelming urge to keep going.

“Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north, east, south and west. All the land that you see, I will give you and your offspring forever”. Genesis 13:14-15.

Visualize, focus and capture. You ought to dream and dream big without limitations. Whatever you see is what you shall get!

 

 

 

THE MEMORY OF 4 YEARS (A SPEECH TO MY FORMER CLASSMATES)

All protocols observed I greet you all. I would like you to know that I wrote this speech with mixed emotions of both joy and sadness. If I had to stand in front of you and deliver this speech, you would see me smile and cry at the same time like it happens in movies, except this time it will be so real I might even deserve more than an Oscar.

Being with you for the past four years was an amazing, fun, educational and memorable experience. From the early years of Mr. Chokuda with his lovely Zimbabwean accent saying ,“ I want you all to pass” to the years of Blessy with his high pitched voice saying, “you will only pass if you pass”  all the way to Mr. Tayob’s athletics coach statement of, “we are almost at the stadium”. I remember the funny club created by some of the boys e.g. ULMA (and I’m not going to expand the abbreviation just in case an under 18 year old stumbles across this speech) and the abnormally crazy laughs of Msiza and how can I forget the long arguments during class meetings. LOL…if we ran a big corporation together, we would take 10 years just to agree on the name. However we should really take pride in touching the lives of the orphanage and the old age. I guess the long arguments paid off after all.

It wouldn’t have been a real class if there weren’t any romance, would it? Those couples who are still together, BIG UPS! And those that had to break up under whatever circumstances, well…it was fun while it lasted. Those that were just friends with benefits, hope you enjoyed your benefits. Ms. Thobakgale and Mr Muhlopi win my award for best dressed classmates (and believe me Tsholo… I really tried to find a fashionable way to put this but nothing came to mind so please pardon me).

In the final year, some of us came out of the closet… LOL, it’s not what you think, Philip…don’t get too excited. I am referring to Mr. Tshigoda’s poetry stunt at the farewell function. Wow is all I can say to that. And who knew Mr. Rakadani is a dead ringer for Michael Jackson. Hello Rakadani…maybe we should host an exhibition concert this December, we could make some money you know. Mr Kunene and Batseba, maybe you guys should consider a second career in music. These memories I shall treasure forever.

In conclusion let me be responsible and say these words. The race to cross the finish line is still on and it is not about who gets there 1^st. Those who cross the finish line 1^st are just a testimony and encouragement that we can all make it. There are more than enough prizes for us all at the end. We just have to push each other on and finish the race. Congratulations to all of us for making it thus far and for not giving up. Let’s keep the dream alive. ‘IT WAS POSSIBLE, IT IS POSSIBLE, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN POSSIBLE, AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE POSSIBLE’.

Let me borrow a few words from Rea’s vocabulary. “Like, really, seriously, you know”, you guys are the best and I am proud to have been part of you. BIG HUG! Please keep in touch and keep visiting my blog.