TAKE ME BACK TO MY INNOCENCE

I found myself in a public space earlier on today. The moment I sat down something caught my attention.

It was a Two Rand coin lying on the floor.

At the same time, something else caught my attention, it was a boy, four years old, sitting adjacent to me and had his eyes also fixed on the coin.

I asked him if the coin was his and he said no.

I also asked if he knew whose it was, he said he did not.

I tried to read the boy’s mind, but it seemed as though my psychological toolbox was not up to scratch for this particular scenario.

I just could not decipher the boy’s mind at that juncture.

Eventually, I picked up the coin and stretched my hand to give it to him.

The young boy shook his head, refusing to accept the coin.

I had to add some more money from my pocket but he still refused until his mother encouraged him to receive the money.

Overcome with anxiety, the young boy eventually surrendered his hands to accept the money.

I asked the boy what he would do with the money and he said, ‘I will buy a Stumbo (candy) Freezit (frozen lolly) and a toy’.

That then pacified my inquisitive mind as I automatically realised the boy actually knew the value of money and what it can do for him.

That prompted me to ask yet another question.

I asked the sweet boy why he didn’t pick up the coin from the floor and why he initially refused to accept it when I offered it to him.

His answer blew my mind.

“My mother taught me not to take what is not mine and not to accept gifts from strangers.”

When the boy, together with his mom walked away, my mind went back to ‘my days of innocence’ and I was left yearning to go back to those days.

Don’t we all yearn for those days?

Those days of innocence.

Take me back to those days when I had a pure heart.

Take me back to those days when I purely trusted, believed, and loved.

Take me back to those days when I would easily apologise if I wrong anyone.

Take me back to those days before I knew what a woman is, to me then, everyone was a mother or sister.

Take me back to those days when my heart and eyes were still virgin from the corruption of this world.

Take me back to those days when I would sit on my father’s lap and feel that I was complete.

Take me back to those days when I would run into the arms of my mother even after she would have chastised me.

Take me back to those days when I had not a single grain of bitterness or grudge towards anyone.

Take me back to those days when I would innocently pray every morning, every evening and before every meal.

Take me back to those days I had respect for everyone.

Take me back to those days when I was simple and palatable to others. Take me back to my innocence.

Take me back to where I belong. I

belong to innocence. Erase everything foreign from me.

Take me back to my innocence.

GO GET YOUR BLESSING

Recently, whilst I was pushing some agendas in Africa’s best city, Cape Town, I witnessed something which invoked a deep impression in me. It was nothing I have never witnessed before but it certainly triggered a multitude of emotions in me.

What provoked these emotions were memories of what used to be.

One day, during my morning jog I saw an aeroplane making the lowering down in preparation for landing at Cape Town International Airport. Suddenly, something hit me and it simultaneously brought me to a vivid mental glimpse of what used to happen when I was young.

Growing up in the ghetto, whenever we would see an aeroplane flying by, there was something we would do religiously and always spontaneously, without any provocation or motivation.

We would run down the dust roads in a gesture making us feel like chasing after the aeroplane, shouting, 'aeroplane, aeroplane, aeroplane' until it was out of sight. That brought a great deal of fascination and fulfilment to us.

During that time in our world, that was the closest we could get to an aeroplane and we concluded that it was other people’s portion and that we were virtually destined to end with using Zupco buses and emergency taxis for travelling.

We had ascertained and defined our own peripheries which constricted us to a second class, back of beyond curve. We were our own limitations because everything about our worldview in this aspect only fitted in the little boxes we inherited and lived with.

The devil thrives on such mentalities and worldviews!

That devil is a liar, isn't he? You have to know that you are not a second class citizen, you are not inferior. You are not going to spend your lifetime cheering others as they enjoy their blessings. You are blessed too. You are not going to die running after aeroplanes like we used to do.

You will fly anywhere without even feeling the cost. You are not going to spend your life talking about sushi. You will eat the best sushi too. You are not going to spend your life seeing pictures of nice cars or houses in magazines. That too is your portion. It’s your turn, go get your blessing. 

Docpeedee
Mwana Mutoko

WHEN IT'S A THING'S TIME

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come," Victor Hugo.

During one of our numerous trips from Mutoko we gave transport to a woman experiencing prolonged labour. She had been in labour for three days and so she had to be transported to a bigger hospital for an operation to be administered. Her pain was apparent to all of us. 

As we approached the hospital we heard a loud knock on the screen of the van. It was the pregnant woman's mother in law signalling we had stop the van as her daughter was finally giving birth. I looked at my friend with that kind of a look which was meant to communicate that I had to be excused from that expedition and that he had to go assist because after all he is a father of four. Besides, along the way after giving a ride to these women, my friend had related to me how he had witnessed her wife giving birth thrice. He stared back at me as he grabbed my hand and together we went to the back of the van. 

What I witnessed on that day was my most phenomenal experience. I did not know what to do, what to touch or where to look. As the woman struggled to push the baby out, I could not help but join the encouraging team in shouting, 'push, push, push'. In no time, for the first time I witnessed the greatest miracle of all time, the birth of another human being. Obviously my friend did much of the work which includes cutting the umbilical cord as I gave him a hand in my fascination and bewilderment. 

This experience taught me so many lessons and it totally transformed my perception towards women. It gave me more reasons to value and respect women. The other lesson I siphoned from this has everything to do with time. I learnt that when its a thing's time, whether the conditions are conducive or not, permiting or not, nothing can stop it. Even though the conditions were constricting for delivery to take place, the fact that it was time made the conditions conducive even though they were not actually conducive. 

Think of it, this woman spent three days in a clinic but she could not deliver even though the conditions were conducive for delivery. Why?? Because it was not yet time. When the time was ripe, even though the conditions were not ripe, she pushed that baby out. It happened in the middle of the road, in a bush, back of beyond. There was no nurse or a medical practitioner but she successfully delivered. 

Here is the deal, some of you know deep within that the time for your ideas to germinate has come but the conditions are not conducive. You know its your time to take take that leap of faith but your conditions seem to be screeming a contrary message to you. 

Push that devil aside, enter into your season of elevation and new begginings. It doesn't matter weather its in the bush or wherever, push that baby out, push that dream out, push that job out, push that marriage out, push that business out. Push, push, push.

So what if you don't have the money? Push anyway, its your time. So what if you are not qualified? Push anyway, its your time. So what if you have never done it before? Push anyway, its your time.

Due to the fact that time is ripe, everything around you will cooperate with the agenda of you delivering that bouncing baby.

Docpeedee
Mwana Mutoko

THE MATRIX OF A DOOR

THE MATRIX OF A DOOR
(The art of entering and exiting)
 
Authentic leaders know when to enter and more importantly when to exit through a particular door.
 
For most people (leaders), entering is not a struggle. What most people (leaders) struggle with in the matrix of a door context is the exit factor. Whenever people get used to a particular state and modus operandi they voraciously resist anything otherwise. Anything which seeks to unsettle them from their zone of comfort is decapitated and truncated. 
 
I particularly consider five individuals as good examples of how it is marvelous when a person takes a bow when their time is up. 
 
The five are Nelson Mandela, Pep Guardiola, Alex Ferguson, Albert Einstein and Sachin Tendulkar. These five had their ups and downs and they experienced mountain tops and valleys in their careers just like everyone else does but what distinguishes them into the corridors of greatness is how they meticulously, sagaciously and elegantly exited.
 
The most exhilarating and protruding fact about how these five phenomenal individuals exited their territories is that their exit was not at all precipitated by exogenous factors premised upon failure and the loss of a fine touch. They exited while still at the top of their game. 
 
After having fought apartheid for over 30 years and successfully dismantling it, Nelson Mandela only served one presidential term and he exited. He spent almost 27 years in prison and he went through waters and fire just to dismantle apartheid. It would seem as though Mandela would be justified if he wanted to cling on to power because after all he paid a huge price but because he understood the exit factor in the matrix of a door, he let go when he had to. Neither caring for power nor its associated tributaries, Mandela relinquished his duties when he had to. 
 
Pep Guardiola, after assembling one of the best teams ever in the history of any sport he took a bow when the time was ripe. He had a fine run at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012. When he decided to quit as Barcelona head coach in order to take a time out, Pep's Barcelona only knew how to do one thing, redefining soccer. They redefined soccer and they won every trophy there was to win but Pep still had the wisdom and guts to exit when his time at the club was up. Upon his retirement from Barcelona this is what Pep Guardiola had to say, "The reason I am retiring is simple: four years is enough. I am drained and I need to fill up. The demand has been very high and a manager must be strong...time has taken its toll - I rise each day and don't feel the same. I am leaving with the understanding that I have done my duty...It’s time to go.” His exit was not triggered by failure. His time at Barcelona had expired. 
 
A few months ago, the exit of one of the best soccer coaches of all time from soccer dominated the media. After transforming Manchester United from a lackadaisical outfit to a championship outfit ever since his arrival at Old Trafford in 1986; Sir Alex Fergusson took a bow when it mattered most. He exited when he had to. His exit was not at all triggered by failure. At the time of his exit, he still had the novel ability of winning championships even with average material. His exit from Manchester United triggered a multitude of reactions throughout the world but what can't be disputed is the fact that one of the greatest soccer coaches of all time understood the exit factor in the matrix of a door. 

Albert Einstein’s name is not strange to many. He is widely regarded as the most influential person of the 20^th century. With his name almost synonymous to genius due to his unprecedented, off the chain witty inventions, Einstein fully understood The Matrix of a Door. Despite all he did to uplift lives, despite the phenomenal aura and glow he exhibited, Einstein did not struggle to exit when it was time. This is what he said when he was dying after having refused surgery; “I want to go. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go.” Wow! What a way to exit the world. Very few people know when it’s time for them to go and let go.

This past week, the media was awash with the exit of yet another phenomenal sports person, Sachin Tendulkar a.k.a The God Of Cricket in India. Sachin undoubtedly inscribed his name in the corridors of best cricketers of all time. He broke all the records there were to break. He had the unique ability of winning games against the odds. While his form and prowess was still intact, Sachin decided to exit the game which he had become a master of. After having enjoyed a prolific and rewarding career spanning a period of 24 years, the talismanic Tendulkar elegantly exited the game. He was not forced into retirement by poor form or failure. While still a darling of cricket fans all over the world, he bowed out of cricket. He exited while he was still at the top of his game. “It is hard to believe that a wonderful journey had ended” said Tendulkar as he bowed out of international cricket. After all, what is unquestionable is that he exited when he had to. 
 
The norm in the world, Africa especially is that whenever a person gets to the top or accesses a particular terrain (door), they only exit when they are no longer necessary, wanted, at their best or when that would have looted everything. Now that is regrettable and unpalatable. All over the world, systems and institutions are collapsing because people do not understand the matrix of a door. People do not know when to enter and when to exit.
 
 As soon as some people get past the entrance factor, they deliberately choose to ignore the exit factor in the matrix of a door. Every door represents and speaks two things. These two are entrance and exit. No-matter who and what you do, always apply your heart to wisdom and timing. You must know when to enter and you must know when to exit through a particular door. Do not wait until you are no longer necessary, do not wait until you are no longer wanted and do not wait until you are no longer at your best to exit. Despite how painful it may be, exit when your time is up and do so elegantly. Do not hold on when you are no longer needed or when you can no longer perform at your best.

Great people know how to enter and exit certain doors. When they enter through a certain door, they make a place better than how it was when they first entered. When they exit, they leave a place better than how it was when they entered.

Docpeedee

Mwana Mutoko

Advise for AfriCANS by an AfriCAN.

In my work as a life coach and counselor I have certainly interacted with many Africans from different walks of life. What I have had to painfully come to grips with is the fact that our African culture has by and large molded us to be conservative and unnecessarily impalpable at times.
As such, it is not only hard for us to give love but we also struggle to receive love. We grow up in families and communities where the word 'LOVE' is foreign and considered a taboo. Some of us have never heard even our parents tell us that they love us. Growing up, i don't even recall even my siblings telling me they love me but of course we knew very well how to scold, fight and malign each other. Its only now after enlightenment that I for one take the onus to tell my siblings or parents that I love them.
The reality is really sad. Even married couples struggle to tell their mates that they love them. As our children grow up to be integrated into the bigger picture of the society all they would have learnt from their parents is how to say 'pfutseki'. Now that's sad.
This is to me the major reason why our continent is flooded with hatred witchcraft and enmity.
Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, I wish to let you know that the word 'LOVE' is not at all diabolical. If there is any word you aught to use more frequent than any other word, it is this blessed and sweet word, 'LOVE'. Let love be radiated in our families, workstations, schools and various institutions. You can start to unlearn, learn and relearn now. Find someone you will sincerely tell you love today.
Alvin Tofler's sentiment that, "The illiterates of the 21st century are not going to be people who can't read or write but those who can't unlearn, learn and relearn," rings true and factual to me. Africa, its time for us to Unlearn, learn and relearn.

Mwana Mutoko
Docpeedee

Big God = Big Dreams = Big Appetite = Big Actions = Big Results = Big Money.

GO GET YOUR MONEY. When you get your money, never be apologetic. Transform lives using the money.

Mwana Mutoko
Docpeedee.