Many years ago I my goal was to be the CEO of a huge business. My first job was on the railways. On a coal locomotive. I did it because my mother thought I was not going to get a job after my army stint.
I started night shift. 12 Hours of it. I never thought that I would get hungry during the night. Because when I sleep I did not get up to have a mid night snack. Well, I was so bored and hungry, while I was being coached to become a train driver. The third night we made an accident and I though stuff that. And I left.
The next day I got my first job in corporate world. I was going to become a metallurgist. I wanted to know all about steel. It took me a few years to complete my studies. And I started work as a metallurgist….. with the aim of being a CEO.
But it was hard work, I enjoyed corporate life. And I thought that I need more degrees. Stats and maths at Unisa and post grad studies at Wits – Operational Research.
Back to my corporate life. I was already happily married and had a lovely daughter. But this is not about my private life. We had it all. We had the fancy house, with a nice bond, we had fancy cars, medical aid and pension funds. We were secure but not satisfied.
And I started ask asking question; why if I had all this am I wanting something else?
I now realised that these fringe benefits were created to keep us semi-conscious. Security is an illusion. No pension fund can give you security only you can. My happiness was important to me.
As a family we decided to sell everything, everything and start our business.
I know now that I had to experience running an marketing my own business. We had to setup home in our newly aquired retail store. The maid, our daughter, the white rat and my wife and me….all living above the store. As the people walked in the could smell our food.
This was a critical period. We had little money. Within 5 months we were very successful. And I mean it. The white rat died and my family forced me to buy a house. Our own house, not bonded. Then we bought and sold more stores.
It was during this time that I started studying marketing. I could run a business well, but to do better I had to market better. Advertising was expensive and I wanted to create relationships. I wanted to help people use word of mouth to promote my business.
The only solution was the internet. I started various internet businesses. Many failed and it was an expensive learning school. But I did what I wanted. The internet made me compete with huge business because they had no idea how to use the internet.
Then blogs and social media. I created many websites using wordpress. I still maintain many websites and social solutions, helping business people to create online tools. My intention is to help people use these tools in stead of having a static dead website.
Social media was the tool I was looking for. Now I had a tool to amplify word of mouth. Now I can teach and coach people how to use online tools to make more money.
During all these I experienced life and wanted to share life’s lessons with other people. I became a mentor; business, social media, spiritual and life skills. Mentoring, coaching and teaching are natural for me. I have done it and know that you can do it.
I believe in being conscious; awake and aware. I try to be more awake at all times. This took me a long time to realise……… To realise that I was not really awake,….not really awake when I got up from my bed in the morning.
It’s this realisation that I am sharing with you. There’s hope beyond the rush. As soon as people, I help, start taking a deep breath or two they realise how important they are. Well, you are very important.
I believe that life begins and ends with our search for happiness. But during our search we get so involved in the illusion. We believe the illusion is real. It’s like fog. Beyond the fog is the real you. You have to find it.
This is why I find it interesting that people want to use social media to stay in touch with others…. when they have no way of staying in touch with themselves. Together we can start a conscious effort to stay in touch with self, then others and the planet.