Verity's Blog

I believe...

I believe that teaching our children to pursue their passions is the most important gift we can give them and that their courage to set out on the unchartered path of dream catching will define the future of this planet. I believe the world needs fearless dreamers, innovators and explorers of light who will dare to think big, act on ideas and create the world they dream of living in. I believe. Do you?

From 'Here' to 'There'...

I had a beautiful sunrise drive today out to do a talk at the Stellenbosch Business Network and was struck by this stunning city I live in. It got me thinking about how easily we can take things forgranted. I decided to make the focus of my presentation the importance of gratitude in our life journey - as people and as business owners. I have certainly chosen a hugely challenging road - filled with amazing ups and heartbreaking downs. But, it strikes me that the 'pain' of it only really comes from focussing on what isn't here, what's missing and forgetting to look around and say thank you for what is here and what is working.

It seems to be the human condition to always have 'here' where we are, and 'there' where we want to be - and the bigger the distance between the two, the unhappier and more frustrated we are. This industry means that 'there' is invariably always a long way off - not enough airplay, shows having poor attendance, not getting booked on the big festivals, not selling millions of albums etc etc etc.

BUT - as I discovered during the lucky packet project, when I decided to get grateful for what was 'here', things really started looking up. When I started noticing the support that I did have, the albums that I had sold, the fans who did come to shows, the radio stations that do play us - all of a sudden 'there' wasn't so far off. Yes we have miles to travel as a band and a huge vision to fulfill and most likely many frustrating twists of turns of 'when is it going to happen???'.  But, we do have over 2000 amazing people who have supported us thus far, we do have one great album and a second one ready to be recorded, we do have people who pull their friends together and come to support our shows, we do get booked for fantastic corporate shows etc etc etc.

So my point... the only difference between 'here' and 'there' is one letter. And that letter is 'T'. And, when you let 'T' stand for THANKFULNESS for everything you have right here, suddenly there doesn't feel that far off anymore - because you are present with what is and not stuck in the gap of what's missing. Yip - it all comes down to gratitude & being present!

 

 

I believe...

I believe if life were easy then there would be no cars, planes, pacemakers, high speed internet, incubators, multi vitamins or deep freezers. I believe that winters, storms, droughts, famines and hardship are the backbone of innovation. I also believe that while nations may be forced to grow through adversity, that as individuals we can be a lot slower at taking up the baton.

I believe that if we could see the blessing in our fears and find the gift in our disappointments that we would carve new paths effortlessly and our courage would light others forward.. I believe that the ability to think out the box is one of the first things we should teach our children and that we should encourage their questions and never answer them with 'because'. I believe that there is always a better & new way things could be done and all we need do is approach life with an open mind and the question “what is the lesson here and what solution could I find for it?”

I believe...

I believe that if life was easy then nothing new would ever happen. I believe that without adversity we would never grow, learn, innovate, create, evolve. I believe that if we never faced challenges we would never be forced to find solutions. I believe that extraordinary problems force us to start asking extraordinary questions about our lives and find extraordinary solutions to the obstacles we face. I believe that the quality of our lives is determined by the quality of the questions we ask about the world around us.

I believe...

I believe that living your dreams is easier said that done. I believe that most dreams are tucked under pillows and never see the light of day. I believe that dreams and courage go hand in hand, and the without courage & action dreams don't come true. I believe that dreams can either define or confine us. I believe that holding back on a dream till 'oneday' will ultimately breed frustration and dissillusionment.

I believe that living a dream will exhilirate you but also exhaust you. I believe that dreams are never quite what they seem and the lesson they hold for us only becomes apparent long after we are on the road. I believe that our dreams hold the key to our healing, but to find it we must pass through the fire of our egos and let go of attachment to outcome and discover the freedom of doing for doing's sake.

I believe...

I believe that the journey you take in pursuit of a dream will stretch you beyond your wildest dreams and twist you into shapes you never imagined. I believe that we are all capable of realising that we are so much more powerful than we anticipate and that if we step up to the plate, 9 times out of 10 we will succeed. I believe that 'stepping up the plate' is one of the hardest things we will ever do. I believe that each time we do, we change the course of our lives.

I believe life's journey is about showing up, saying yes and accepting what shows up without judgement. I believe every journey you take is invaluable and that if nothing every happened there would be no stories to laugh about at dinner parties. I believe we should embark on journeys that make for great belly clutching, heart stopping, soul inspiring stories we when talk about them.

I believe...

I believe... that the journey life takes us on will always be different to the one we were expecting. And while we don't always control the outcome we can always control our experience of it. I believe that for the most part we live our lives in reaction to the circumstances we are faced with and it is only in extraordinary situations that we start to consciously create our experience.

I believe that rock bottom is the best place to start creating your life from. With nothing left to lose and nothing left to fear, perhaps that is when we truly get how inconsequential it really is and step into the freedom of that knowledge. I believe that freedom is knowing that nothing really matters and the choosing to play with life anyway. To laugh at the chaos and marvel at the sublime perfection and be open to wherever it may lead you.

Keep on feeling it!

The last game has been played, the last team has left our shores and a few remaining visitors are soaking up the magic before they too head home. Standing on the other side of an mindblowing month in our country's history I am in awe and I am inspired. For a the end of this the true heros of the 2010 World Cup were not the teams, FIFA, the vuvuzelas or even the magestic stadiums. No, the true heros where the millions of ordinary, everyday South Africans who turned into extraordinary fans and ambassadors for our country. The millions of people who painted their faces, waved their flags, blew their vuvuzelas and bid the world welcome with open arms and hearts. The true heros were every single on of us who celebrated Bafana Bafana's incredible world class performance and then went on to give our hearts completely to Ghana and urge them on to do Africa proud and mourn with the continent to see them so unfairly denied a semi final. And from that let down, what a heartwarming thing to see Cape Town painted Orange in solidarity last Tuesday.

What a thrill to ride the trains brimming to overflowing with fans, bob along in the sea of support on the fanwalk, dance with strangers in the street and for the first time in a long time see all of us looking openly at one another and smiling, laughing, celebrating together. The success of this world cup lies in the spirit each of us brought to it because that is what thousands of visitors are taking home with them. A memory of a rainbow nation - washed with colour, song, vuvuzelas honking in unison, raw energy & hearts bursting with national pride. Let's keep on feeling it!

  

 

 

The Colours of her Life...

When we decided to hold a ceremony to honour our mother for the 'colours of her life' on the 28th of February, we had no idea that just three days later she would peacefully pass away. It seems now that we were divinely guided to have it when we did, and forever more we will know that we have experienced the rare priviledge of having nothing left unsaid.

We put together a simple ceremony where we played 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' as we surrounded mum in a circle and dressed her in a beautiful rainbow skirt. After my brother, sister and I had read a welcome, everyone picked up a piece of material, and she sat in a sea of colour as we read to her the meaning of each colour in relation to her life. It was about acknowledging & thanking her for her journey as a woman, a sister, a friend, a wife and a mother. I was blown away by how graciously she received each compliment and when we finished, she sat amongst us and shared her thanks and feelings with everyone. One by one we shared candid memories about her and she laughed and cried with all of us. It was incredible.

I could never have known that less than a week later we would share the colours of her life once again at her memorial. Despite the deep sorrow we all felt, her memorial was a celebration of her life and ended with friends and family dancing to 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' on a carpet of fallen leaves in Tokai Forest. I knew in that moment that my parents were watching us and smiling - knowing that the legacy of their lives will live on in all who loved and cherished them.

All I know right now, is dont wait until it's too late to let people know they are loved. There is something sacred about creating your own ceremony to honour a loved one - even if it is only for a birthday or to give them hope when they are going through a tough time. Life is defined by the moments when we truly connect with people - and if all it takes is a bit of creative effort, some coloured material and some words of love & song played softly in the background to make it happen - then do it. I can promise you that the memory you create, will sustain you through the darkest hours.

My beautiful mother passed away, far sooner than we ever expected, last Wednesday 3rd March at 5.38pm. My sister, her husband, my aunt and I were all around her bed holding hands as she passed very peacefully from this world. It was a strangely beautiful and achingly painful experience that has stayed with us through these last few surreal days.

I will be eternally grateful that we held a life honouring ceremony for her just three days before she died and that each of us had the chance to tell her just how much we loved her. We had no idea she would be taken from us so soon, but also feel relieved that she was spared from prolonged physical suffering. She lived her life to the fullest until the day she passed away and I will remember forever that last Tuesday she walked me to my car and our last words to each other were 'I love you'.

I have been humbled by the love and support our family has received through all of this and am overwhelmed with love for my family who have grown even closer through this experience. We held a memorial for mum on Saturday under the trees at the Tokai Arboretum, and it was a true tribute to her to have nearly two hundred family, friends and fellow travellers arrive to celebrate her memory and give her a standing ovation for a life so beautifully and graciously lived.

It will be a challenging road ahead adjusting to life without her but I feel amazingly at peace to know she doesn't have to suffer anymore and that she left this world having said all she needed to say and knowing how much she was adored. I love and will miss her so much!