Difficult Times

All of us at some point in our lives go through difficult times, whether it is grieving, failure or any type of loss. Though the difficult time seems like never-ending, at some stage it shall pass but it takes a lot of hard work and effort to overcome your difficult experiences, but always remember you can and will heal.

Choose to do it together, (if personal with family, if work-related with colleagues) and, when you choose to do it together, your relationship can become even better and stronger. Acknowledge the  difficult time and talk about it. Others' experience or perspective might shed light and help you. Always look at the bright side and look past the hardship, see the light at the end of the tunnel. Do not neglect yourself during the hardship, take care of yourself. Exercise, eat healthy, socialize, read inspiring books etc. - avoid the negative.

Do not be afraid to ask for help and allow others to lead you. Avoid negative, critical, demanding and judgmental people during this time. Difficult times are opportunities for growth, it often help you to understand yourself, others and your environment better. It creates a type of awareness and  appreciation.

Always have HOPE that better days will come again. Cry if you want but NEVER give up.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. ―Vivian Greene

Commitment

Wikipedia defines a "committed relationship" as an interpersonal relationship based upon a mutually agreed-upon commitment to one another involving exclusivity, honesty, openness, or some other agreed-upon behaviour.

 

I am writing about this topic because this is one of the basic values that form part of the foundation for ones life in all spheres (personal-, work-, family-,love life and religion).

COMMITMENT = is a FACT demonstrated by behaviour and an ATTITUDE consisting of thoughts and beliefs. It merely means 'when the going gets tough', you make it work. It's not a light switch that goes from "on" to "off and this goes for ALL commitments throughout life. You will have to make it work, put in all your energy emotionally, physically and mentally and discover what led you to the commitment in the first place.

It means never backing out, even when it is hard, or uncomfortable, or painful. Learn to compromise and discover that difficult situations can make you stronger and more patient. Staying committed doesn’t guarantee you’ll have an easy road, but you’ll be working toward something important with every step you take in that direction.

When making a commitment, stay true to yourself - self-discipline is the key. The commitment starts with YOU.

About Me. . .

Growing up in the tough neighbourhoods of Rusthof in Strand, Western Cape, I am a glowing example of a young person whose determination has triumphed over adversity. From an early age, I have maintained a highly disciplined lifestyle, to ensure success in my career and personal life. 
 

After completion of Matric, I entered the Institute for Satellite & Software Applications (ISSA), an initiative of the Department of Communications (DoC) on a one-year Information Technology internship program. Starting in 2004 I was placed as an intern in the Software Development Unit. Here I began to develop my skills on computer repairs, service and upgrades as well as in setting up computer networks.

 

I completed a short course in Macromedia Dreamweaver and MYSQL Database Administration to give me the educational knowledge on website design. At UNISA I studied towards a National Diploma in IT Management and have done several short courses in computer repairs, networking and security. I was involved in several inter-governmental projects and as a result, I was chosen to join the high-powered team that was designing the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) website. This was an international collaboration project of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Government and the security requirements of this project were enormous. 
 

I am managing an in-house developed quoting system and are responsible to ensure high levels of availability and security. I participate in the planning and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure system provisioning and maintenance that is consistent with company goals, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements. I am currently doing the Media24 Management Development Programme which is endorsed by the business school of the University of Cape Town.
 

Throughout my career I have travelled to all 9 provinces in South Africa where I have been privileged to visit the main tourism attractions in the major towns. Abroad, I went to Hong Kong and Indonesia and it was quite an experience to learn more about these cultures.

Though I am extremely focussed on my career, I make time to have fun and love the outdoors. I consider myself being a very adventurous person and recent adrenalin-rushing excursions were great white Shark cage diving in Gansbay and bungee jumping at the world's highest bungee bridge, Bloukrans. I am a member of a local athletics club where I participate in weekly time trials and completed the Two Oceans 21km Marathon earlier this year.
 

At home, I enjoy spending time in the kitchen where I experiment with new ideas and recipes. I am a very happy, optimistic, joyful and positive person and to express this I often encourage family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances with an inspirational quote or message. I have learnt that positive emotions spread to others and they enable us to be more resourceful and flexible.

 

My blog will not be focussed on a specific topic but the general idea is to share my thoughts, ideas and opinions on various topics. I want to express my unbiased view on everyday things that affects us. This will be a gradually developing, open-minded blog spot, therefore the name “Progressive Thoughts”.