My principles to true joy

I thought I should share a few principles that I've been aligning my life with lately. They're, in fact, extracted from one of the chapters in a book that I'm working on. In the book there's no reference to the Creed of Izz. That's just my pompous ego having a go at it.

Creed of Izz

- Seven principles to true joy

1. Seize the reign of fear in thy heart

2. Tame thy pompous ego

3. Make personal integrity the root of thy heart

4. Manifest thy heart’s desires by pursuing thy life’s purpose

5. Share the spoils of thy labour and sweat

6. Seek to genuinely display thy heart’s innate love to all thy fellow beings

7. Be content with little material riches, but constantly seek infinite inner wealth

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Believe in an idea

Sometimes I have this marvellous ideas. So awesome they could set my mind alight - live. Such ideas come when I least expect them to (when do yours come). They're most spontaneous of imaginary creatures. Some people call these moments their bulb moments. Einstein moment.

To me, they mostly come during a period of intense reading (the rests between such readings). Periods when I'm most engaged to full throttle with my mind. In stark contrast though, they also come when I'm most relaxed. When I'm so relaxed I virtually ponder nothing in my head and then POP, a bonfire of an idea explodes.

But alongside such brilliancy, I noticed something missing. Something probably more important and significant than the most-awesome idea itself. That most of the time there's lack of believe in ones own ideas. Lacking the believe that although common sense says 'ah-aaah, not doable', one trusts and has faith that it can be done.

With me, I realised that if I pursued something that I doubt. Something I don't truly believe to be fruitful in its nature, I tend to go half at it. Sparing the other energy and resources for another. Divided attention I tell you.

It takes a lot to believe in your own idea. A lot more than it takes to even work on that idea. But at the same time, no work, no pay. No sweat, no mass. Simple as that. So my own lesson for today is that I must harness my ability to believe. Reignite it. Light it back up. And then quadraple that with 100% pure hard work. Let alone with pursued imagination.

So once you capture that brilliant moment. Once you net that awesome idea. First believe truly in it, then stack up the hard work and bring it home to roast - success that is.


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The bitter with the sweet

A bowl of sour grapes. Bitter, sour grapes. One would describe the journey of life like that sometimes. Or is it often. But then again, in life, we have to take teh bitter with the sweet. For times roll, the good old days return. Times roll a slope further, then the bad old days pay us that dreaded bitter visit. And it is during this time that we wish this, that, and that.

Someone just recently said to me, whatever you're going through Izz, take the bitter with the sweet. And remember a coin always has two sides and more often than not, the other side is always good. And that good side, once the coin rolls over like time does, it will be your opportunity of enjoying a busk or two in the sun.

Not cultivating thick skin, the kind that can stand the cold days in your life, will always make one pessimistic. For you wouldn't see the silver lining in the clouds. That thin, very thin silver line that says, 'there's light alongside this darkness'. That the tunnel ends with the light. But if we can't take the bitter with the sweet, our hope will not last us to get to the sweeter part of the journey of life.

I better try and re-engineer my skin to be a bit thicker than it is sometimes. It does get to be a bit too thin, especially when I have lost all hope in something. Sure you can also do that as someday you will need that thick skin when the bitter period cuts in.

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The bitter with the sweet

A bowl of sour grapes. Bitter, sour grapes. One would describe the journey of life like that sometimes. Or is it often. But then again, in life, we have to take teh bitter with the sweet. For times roll, the good old days return. Times roll a slope further, then the bad old days pay us that dreaded bitter visit. And it is during this time that we wish this, that, and that.

Someone just recently said to me, whatever you're going through Izz, take the bitter with the sweet. And remember a coin always has two sides and more often than not, the other side is always good. And that good side, once the coin rolls over like time does, it will be your opportunity of enjoying a busk or two in the sun.

Not cultivating thick skin, the kind that can stand the cold days in your life, will always make one pessimistic. For you wouldn't see the silver lining in the clouds. That thin, very thin silver line that says, 'there's light alongside this darkness'. That the tunnel ends with the light. But if we can't take the bitter with the sweet, our hope will not last us to get to the sweeter part of the journey of life.

I better try and re-engineer my skin to be a bit thicker than it is sometimes. It does get to be a bit too thin, especially when I have lost all hope in something. Sure you can also do that as someday you will need that thick skin when the bitter period cuts in.

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Patrice on cover of Forbes as BILLIONAIRE

Patrice, a man I'm lucky to often shake his right had whenever ever I'm at Nelson Mandela Square (by Sandton City), has made the cover of the international benchmark business magazine, Forbes.

He is introduced as the new kid billionaire (only black South African national) with riches amounting to about R6.6 billion at todays rates. He makes all his riches from resources. His empire is African Rainbow Minerals (ARM).

I hope that having rubbed his hand some of the business aura/mysticism/shrewedness/attitude/energy of him has somewhat transformed into me for use tomorrow.

At the time, during the Audi/Joburg Fashion Week, when I networked Patrice and asked on what made him tick and what it takes to get to where he is, the answer was: nothing makes me what I am. I just believe in what I want and I work hard for it. And yes, he did seem and sound very normal and like your neighbour. So he is not wired differently in his biology, it's his attitude and approach that he has re-wired to be of a go-getter, or shall I say billionaire!

A mention of note is also that Bill Gates is now former richest man on earth alive. He has been unseated from the top golden throne by the modest investor guru and villager, Warren Buffet.

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Develop a love for design

All things equal, life is pretty good. All things equal, design is life. Design makes life. Design is the entire beauty of life.

At least that's how much Izz loves design. I realise that most of my good ideas (including my poetry and some writings and my home decor) were inspired by the passion for design and by other designs that I come across. Even the 14-chapter novel that I'm working claims as its source, design.

We always buy one or two products in a day and overlook the attractive, often (at least to me) inspiring designs that adorn them. The house designs, signage design, automobile designs, decor designs and even ideas designs. The conglomerate of all that. All that cocktail, if you think long and hard about it, would inspire one to develop intriguing ideas that one hasn't even thought of as yet (obvisouly for fear of being a little crazy - for being non-comformist is called CRAZY). At least for me noticing design patterns has gotten me that far, and even on a path to a creative highway. Once on that highway - and am sure am on my way there just now - the achievements will be numerous.

So today my word is only that do pause everytime you have yourself a product with catchy design, when you go passed a well designed product of any kind. Make a mental snapshot of it. Do so often until it almost becomes second nature and I have no doubt that when you need to get creative with something, anything, a conglomerate of all that design patterns you had consumed will come to your marvellous rescue.

Something for me to keep working on.

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