South Africa: People of Resilience

Resilience: The ability of a person to handle crises, change, setbacks and surprises in a healthy manner.

South Africa has many examples of people who have shown resilience in the midst of turmoil, financial problems, lack of opportunity and hatred of the opposition. One such person we all know is Nelson Mandela. It says in Christo Brand's book: My Prisoner, My Friend that when Mandela's warden asked him, "why are you studying?" that he answered, "I might get out one day and then I need to be ready". When asked why he woke up each morning at five to exercise in his small prison cell, he gave the same answer.

5 tips to boost resilience!

1. Choose the right friends

People with positive friends have more energy, more brainpower and live longer. People with negative friends become negative themselves.

The art of transitions

Looking back at the path of any master, you will see many transitions. Masters in their trade have come to acknowledge and embrace transitions in their life.

Thinking isn’t as easy as it seems

From the minute we wake up till the minute we fall asleep our brains work producing thoughts faster than we can speak them; actually even while we sleep our brains keep on working. So you would think with all that practice we would be really good at it!

Give as much as you can (within reason)

Giving is a beautiful way of serving yourself and others. Benedict of Nursia (400 A.D.) gave the following definition for power: ‘power is the freedom to serve’. Alternatively you could say the following: having money gives you the freedom to serve. Money brings lots of possibilities. Chances to support others, to create things with others, to help the weak, to build a healthy future together with the new generations.

Safe as much as you can (within reason)

If you know what ‘enough money’ is to you, and if you earn as much as you can (within reason/in a healthy way), then you can safe a lot of it! Just, why would one safe any though? Well, it seems to be something natural. Saving and creating stocks is a perfectly normal phenomenon in nature. To survive the ‘winter’ you need to be able to safe up.

Earn as much as you can (within reason)

The credo is, ‘earn as much money as you can, given your unique skills and experience – but within reason’. John Wesley motivated his friends and students to work in a more professional manner. He taught them to get better and better in what it is they are good at, and to make more and more money while doing so. Not to become greedy, but to be able to provide well for their family, and to contribute to society. This principle is just as valuable now, as it was all those centuries ago. Besides, we are returning to a time that people have to take responsibilities themselves a lot more again. Because of the changing markets, more and more people are going to be running their own little company (just like 250 years ago), instead of being employed.