The best writers have a way of turning the ordinary into something special. They don't sugarcoat or exaggerate, rather they reveal honestly and solemnly the truth in the story. The story then becomes something worth reading, and is good enough to change someone's life. The best speakers communicate with their bodies, it's in the way they invite you in, the look in their eyes and the steadiness of their voice. The best speakers are logical, they articulate themselves in a simple way for their audience to understand and not so that they can make nonsensical noise. The best listeners are patient and tranquil. They are present but not dominating, they are understanding and not merely hearing, they are welcoming and not closed off.

As people we need to be aware of our body language, the impact we have on other people's lives and be brave enough to own our truth and to fill our spaces. I have come to the realisation that I cannot decide for myself that I have grown up, a year cannot mark the stage of maturity, no, growth is not a stage or a chapter or a cycle but is part of life. It hit me this morning that I have to delve deeper into myself whenever I feel uncomfortable about something and to listen to what experience and reason and God have to say about how I am feeling. To understand that you cannot expect other people to understand you when you don't understand yourself is a recipe for failure. So in these past weeks I’ve been trying to listen to what the people around me are saying.

Phillipa Visser says: “With any system, it's only the people who can make it work. Why are we following the same narrative?”. Bronwyn Wyllie says: “People are swimming in comfortable waters, to realise this is the first step towards change”. Kate Zimmermann says: “ Be exceptional and not the exception.” And Hlombe says: “ It’s real, it’s happening”. 2020 will be the year of plenty.

Hlombe Ndzube

SRC