What if Change has to Start with Who you Are ?

“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.” Nelson Mandela

On Thursday 18 July Nelson Mandela turns 94. His long walk to freedom gave my country, South Africa, a lifeline. It took two incredible men  (one of whom was a staunch Afrikaner, Noble Peace Prize winner, FW de Klerk) to extinguish an oppressive and racist regime without full out civil war and bring to our country the promise of rainbow nation with democracy and equality.

Two men who chose to be unique, who made choices that fundamentally made them stand out from the crowd and popular opinion. They were ridiculed as fools and then hailed as heroes.

To celebrate Madiba’s birthday people all over South Africa are dedicating 67 minutes to creating the change they want to see in the world. They are doing this by donating time to causes and charities. I am instead asking you to donate 67 minutes to yourself!

Yes! Stop giving to everyone else and instead give yourself 67 precious minutes because I know that you haven’t had much time for yourself and your thoughts and hardly ever feel that you are deserving of such a selfish thing, 67 minutes to think about your life, what you want, where you are..

To create the life you want to love requires that you take time to connect with yourself. Who are you ? What is it you don’t like about yourself ? How would you like your life to look ? If everything you didn’t want wasn’t there, what would be there in its place ?

To answer these questions requires time without the drag of urgent everyday things. It requires a space where you can sit and simply do nothing but allow your thoughts to wander, asking yourself these questions. What do I want ? What would I need to change to get that ?

The courage to be You

“ As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Nelson Mandela

It takes courage to take the time to listen to your answers, knowing that you may not like what you find but also knowing that you can change it, but first you need to see it so you can own it.

It takes courage to start to make different choices and be who you want to be, rather than who you are have always been! Madiba made those choices. He chose to dare to be different and stand out against the crowd and look what change he created. What if all it takes to keep that change going is for you to walk in his footsteps and start to shine your light ?

It Doesn’t Require Perfection

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” Nelson Mandela

67 minutes to reconnect with yourself and start to create the life you want to live. 67 minutes to start to choose who you need to be in order to create the change you want to see in the world. 67 minutes to create a quiet revolution that has the potential to change the world, one person at a time.

67 minutes to choose to Live with Dare! Stand out! Claim your life! Bring the rainbow nation to life! Create the life you want to love! Go on, 67 minutes …I dare you!