Koodzi | A Sentimental Man

a sentimental man…

Day 30/30 – Done. And then what?

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Koodzi

Whoop! 30 whole days have come and gone – I did it! You know, this seems like it’s just about blogging but it’s more than that…so completely more than that. I was at a point where I was constantly tired and any creative venture I thought I would tried always fell flat because I was so worn out. I dedicated myself to this 30 day blogging challenge to wean myself from overworking, to prove to myself that I still had it and to reconnect with my creative energy space. That’s what this whole 30 day experiment was about – I know that again now.

I think I have been more that successful – I have a bit more clarity, I have set boundaries about how much work I will do, I have re-engaged with songwriting (which I love above a whole bunch of other things) and decided on come key focus areas for my future. Beyond excited! I can literally do anything I set my mind to!

So now that all of this is said and done, then what? Well, I have decided to continue blogging (maybe not everyday but frequently) but I am changing the focus of the blog from just about my life happenings to three things: 1. emerging songwriters that write songs that connect to the human condition (this was the initial vision) 2. musical discoveries that stop me in my tracks and 3. more stuff about my life journey (what’s a blog without a personal touch).

Thank you to everyone who clicked on a Facebook/Twitter link and read my entries. Mucho gracias. Here’s to 30 more :)

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Day 29/30 – Remain Calm, Be Kind

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Koodzi

“Remain calm. Be kind. In the “heat of the battle”—whether military or corporate—kindness, like calmness, reassures followers and holds their confidence. Kindness connects you with other human beings in a bond of mutual respect. If you care for your followers and show them kindness, they will recognize and care for you”

- Colin Powell (13 Rules)

I had an experience at work today that was less than desirable – there was a miscommunication between myself and another senior party. It was quite a bitterness-inducing moment but I stuck to my position of always being calm and beyond collected.    I now realize that it is so important to have open channels of communication in every relationship – work, friendship, romantic – otherwise that relationship is doomed to failure. Another important Colin rule is to make sure that you show people that you value them – it is a basic human need – to let them know that you really “see” them and that their presence on this planet means something to you. A bit of a deep post, but yeah, that was today.

The rest of the work year will be beyond interesting. Thank goodness for Colin Powell and his 13 Rules to leadership. They will come in handy. Peace and Love, K.

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Day 28/30 – Seneca the Younger. Iyanla. Trials

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Koodzi

“If you don’t have a test,

you can’t have a testimony!”

- Iyanla Vanzant

The week started off great. I got quite a bit of work done today, started researching the exact job roles I will do next year (Asia seems like it actually might happen, yay), went back to gym and got back home at a decent hour. Work is still hard but that’s normally leads to growth, right?

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Day 27/30 – Experience. Learn. CS Lewis. True

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Koodzi

“Experience:

that most brutal of teachers. But you

learn. My God do you

learn”

- C S Lewis

Above is one of my most favourite quotes. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about my life and the person I’ve become in order for me to map out some of my future plans (as an aside, the plane are coming along quite nicely) and one thing I have definitely seen is that that life/God/the universe gives you signs or whispers (as Mama Winfrey would say) to let you know which way to go – if you do not follow these signs of truth, you end up in situations that are less desirable. Those seemingly “bad” experiences are merely there for you to learn the lesson that you should always stay true to yourself – if you fail to learn, the lesson keeps coming back, each  time ever more vicious, in order for you to get it – your full potential can only be unleashed if you decide to be who you really are, at all costs! I have had my moments to learn. “My God, did I learn“!

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Day 26/30 – Furniture. Bitter. Wine. Whitney

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Koodzi

Has your day ever been hijacked? That happened to me today. I woke up with the intention of having a great fun-filled day of songwriting, wine and chilling with friends. As soon as I stepped downstairs, my mother told me what her plan for my day was…imagine that! So, instead of all the joyful stuff I had planned, I resigned to furniture shopping, decorating an apartment my parents bought and being incredibly cold as I was subjected to all terrible weather in between all of these activities. So fun *eye roll*.

As Whitney would sing, it’s not right but it’s okay – bless her soul. At the end of it all though, it’s really okay. There is a bright side…I got a chance to spend time with my family throughout the day and now we’re sitting in the living room having some amazing South African wine (Kevin Arnold – Shiraz and Kanonkop Kadette). I guess it all works out in the end right?

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Day 25/30 – The Long Way Around. Ready

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Koodzi

In my family, I’m the outlier. The weird one with the weird tastes and the weird fashions. Not that I’m crazy or something, I’ve just been a little out of sync with everyone else. As I’ve grown older I’ve become to really love this about myself. I can now see very clearly that being a little different is much more interesting that going with what everyone else is doing.

This has also filtered into my work life where people think I’m a little odd, lol. I’ve 90% decided on what I will do next year and every time I tell people at work what my plans/thoughts are, the common reaction is that they can’t understand why I would do something that is not on the safe and beaten track. My answer is always: “what’s the worst that could happen? – I could hate it and just do something else”. I am young, smart and ready. So yes, I will take the long road, the lesser known road and see what this world has to offer me. Here’s to the brave ones.

“I could never follow…

I’ve been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
But I’ve always found my way somehow
By taking the long way

…taking the long way around”


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Day 23/30 – Emotional. Exhausted. Selfish.

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Koodzi

11:26pm. Today was beyond emotional. I spent a large part of last night working on the slides for the presentation I had to do for a training program and then had to be at work at 8am – which isn’t too great when you sleep at 2am. Between being super tired and going through the presentation/making final changes, I was dealing with team members from other work assignments I am involved in and responding to requests from various managers. Being “spread too thin” is an understatement. Luckily, I’m working on some interesting clients/work streams so that makes up for the tiredness.

The presentation itself didn’t go so amazingly but my group was noted for having the best slides that could actually “sell” a product/service to a client – I was beyond pleased because I put forth the effort and it clearly showed. After the presentation, I went back to the office to wrap up some loose ends relating to other work functions which further added to my tiredness, but it had to be done. I know now that this is not working. At this point, it seems that I am always moving from exhausted to tired and back again. From here on out, I am done with this – it is more than clear that I need to take care of myself (mind, body and soul) and have enough rest before I attempt to tackle the large volume of work on my plate. I am priority number one. Some would call it being selfish, but I believe that it is self-ful – caring enough about myself. Off to bed.

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Day 22/30 – Shadow Days. Tired. John Mayer. Perception

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Koodzi

Tired. Not much to say. Been very low on sleep lately. My dear friend, who shall remain nameless requested a John Mayer post. Luckily for her, this song fits my feeling about my life right now. I’m feeling as if things are looking up. I’ve decided to do right by me at all times. You need to honour yourself, your dreams and who you really are at your core. All you need is a change in perception – some, like Marianne Williamson, say that is a miracle in itself. This is Shadow Days by John Mayer (LP named Born  & Raised is coming soon):

“I’m a good man with a good heat
Had a tough time, got a rough start
And I finally learned to let it go
Now I’m right here, and I’m right now
And I’m hoping, knowing somehow
That my shadows days are over”

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Day 21/30 – Practice Room. Preparation. The Boys

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Koodzi

K Pop groups have taught me one major thing! You need to rehearse, rehearse AND rehearse. The practice is as, if not more, important than the final performance. You need to be prepared for your opportunity so that you reduce the chance of failure to the absolute minimum. Take SNSD (aka Girls Generation) for example – they rehearse their performance for their song “The Boys” with as much energy as required for the actual performance. Basically, go iiiiiiiin! Check them below in the Practice Room:

Practice:

Performance:

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Day 20/30 – Surrender. India Arie – River Rise

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Koodzi

Perfect for Sunday. This is so life giving! I’m going through a strange funk but things are looking up :). Sometimes, the best thing is to just surrender, the universe/God/wherever it is that you get your power from, will definitely figure it. Just go with it. Thank you India:

“River rise, carry me back home…

…I can’t do this
Lord I need your help
All the material things
They feel like chains
If you’re not here beside me
You’re the reason I see
Help me to remember the way
I surrender…”

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