My friends and I recently went to Las Vegas. I hated it but my friend, Puleng, loved it. Here are the Pros and Cons of going to Vegas :)
Video Blog: Reasons Not To Go To Vegas
April 29, 2013
Koodzi – These Are The Things (Interlude)
February 9, 2013
Just a little something I worked on after work today. Was feeling a weird so had to release. Still in demo form but I like it. Thoughts?
Posted in Koodzi, Music Leave a comment
Pause
October 31, 2012
“When you find yourself in a new situation or a new experience, everything that requires healing rushes to the surface. So if you don’t take a minute to breathe, you will do what you have always done and find yourself in the same pain. So the lesson is, PAUSE. Take a breath and say “how am I going to handle it this time?”"
- Iyanla Vanzant
I know I made a wrong decision because I am not at peace. Luckily, I know what went wrong so I can fix it. I should have paused before San Francisco. The months and particularly the week before I got here, my life had been running on empty and I was pushing along with everything I had - tired but still pushing on. This included my relationships with my family, friends, work etc…I kept going until I literally got onto the plane all worn out. I didn’t realise how tired I was until a week after being in SF.
I was laying in my bed the other night and realised that before I left South Africa, I had such high hopes for my life in SF. I had planned to make a super vision plan about everything I wanted to do in SF and receive from this 6-month experience. There I was, tired from the work day, drenched with the same problems of worry, tiredness and being uninspired, that I had back home in SA and no hope for the life I imagined I would be having. Then, that voice from greater power whispered ever so clearly in my ear “come now, you know this, you know that you need to pause, you know this will end up in the exact same way that it did at home…pause, take a breathe, be present and decide how you are going to do it this time…you know this“. And yes, I know this. I mean, between all the Oprah, Eckhart Tolle and Neale Donald Walsch, I really do know this.
So, one week into San Francisco, I have decided to refresh from my misstep. San Francisco is and will be everything that I wanted. I want it to be unforgettably enlightening, fun and soul-enriching. So how am I going to do it this time? I’m going to be present…Be. Here. Now and soak up all the magic.
I’m letting myself off the hook for the thing’s I’ve done. That my friends, is freedom after the pause.
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Pretending
October 3, 2012
“When we hold secrets [or pretend], we create shame. And being ashamed is like a veil that covers your entire life. Let go of the secret and release the shame.” Be free my friends. 03 October 2012 was my day. xx K
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Try
September 21, 2012
For me, the week has been long, the people have been tiring and the days have been draining. However, you’ve got to get up and try again. This is life. The daily small, somewhat insignificant, moments make up the day and make up your life. So enjoy it, live hard, try hard, go all the way in on this life thing. YOLO may be overdone but seriously, you do only ever live once. Go forth…at least give it a try. K. xx.
Posted in Life, Music Leave a comment
San Francisco. Excited
July 31, 2012
I’m moving to San Francisco in October for 6 months. I am beyond excited. New continent, new cultures, new experiences, new people, new food and new fun!
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Twenty 5: Born and Raised
July 10, 2012
“Then all at once, it gets hard to take
It gets hard to fake what I won’t be.
‘Cause one of these days you’ll be born and raised
And it all comes on without warning.”
- JM
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Day 30/30 – Done. And then what?
June 13, 2012
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 :)
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Day 29/30 – Remain Calm, Be Kind
June 12, 2012
“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.
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Day 28/30 – Seneca the Younger. Iyanla. Trials
June 11, 2012
“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?
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Day 27/30 – Experience. Learn. CS Lewis. True
June 10, 2012
“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“!
Posted in Koodzi, Life Leave a comment
Day 26/30 – Furniture. Bitter. Wine. Whitney
June 9, 2012
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?
