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(This was my husband's speech tonight at the graduation of the gap-year
students of "Beyond adventure" - you might just need this to get your
MOMENTUM back!)
Have you ever meditated or thought on the name “Beyond adventure”? Have
you started thinking what you will be doing beyond the adventures of 2012? It
has surely been a year filled with endless challenges that has pushed you to
new limits you didn’t know you had. But again…what next? What lies beyond this
adventure? Are you willing to take the momentum of this challenging year and
continue to push yourself to do things that seem beyond your capabilities?
Newton’s theory on
motion is as follows:
- “An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an
unbalanced force acts upon it.
What
does it mean to have momentum? It means that the
faster an object moves, the harder it is to stop. You might be able to stop
your car rolling on an even road, (because you forgot to put the handbrake on),
by standing in front of it and using the force of your muscle strength, but
there is no way that you are stopping a guy on a bicycle going down a hill at
70km an hour.
Your
power does not lie in your size or how intimidating you’re credentials or even
your family history may be.
It is about staying
on the move. Constantly evaluating your situation, your thinking patterns and
the people you hang out with.
I will explain to
you, what I mean when is say: “don’t be a body at rest” – “Keep the momentum”…
Ever
since I can remember, I wanted to be a
director for film and television. When I hit high school, my uncle at that point
was head of the SABC (Wynand Harmse) so I was privileged enough to literally
spent my holidays at the SABC roaming the halls and indulging in the behind the
scenes creation of the amazing 1980s television era.
After
school, I went to University of Cape Town and
studied drama, (to the horror of my dad). I took opera lessons form a famous
opera star and made my first commercial music album at the age of 21. I worked
as a waiter, I did puppet and performance shows on Green Market square, I
worked as a radio presenter for Radio 2000, reviewed films for Sterkinekor, had
a successful rock band that toured the country with 5FM and other top South African
bands. I worked at a Hydrological Research Laboratory and was offered a
full Bio-chemistry scholarship, which I thankfully declined. I Studied law for
a very short while, I also went for auditions for every major television
series, movie and musical made in this country and made sure I had the best
agent. I played in TV commercials and series like “Agter Elke Man” and
“Sonkring”, before I had left school and later landed roles in Egoli,
Generations, Suburban Bliss, and many more. I also had assistant lead role in a
French television series called “Due South”, and played in many TV commercials.
A talent scout had organized to fly me to England for a meeting with Virgin
Records for a record deal, before I was 23, but I gave up the opportunity for a
more romantic one…my wife. At that point I was a regular lead-performer and
actor in the top musicals performing at some of our countries major theaters.
I
then went on to study Film & Broadcast Design
as well as, marketing, and started working for a UK advertising agency during
which I proposed to my wife (to the horror of my now Father - in-law – he is a
medical Dr.) He advised my wife not to reconsider marrying me because I was a
“dreamer”.
Ironically it is
the dreamer in me that has lead me to many of my successes to date.
Soon
after, I had a rare opportunity to join the then top advertising agency in
South Africa, FCB Lindsay Smithers in Sandton.
Their New York office bills in one month what the entire advertising industry
of South Africa bills in a year!
After the first 2
weeks of starting there, I got my first promotion. One year later I was made a
Manager and 2 years after I started there, I was asked to start up a new
division for the group in Cape Town, and so became the youngest Managing Director
that FCB had ever employed.
2
years later, after I successfully built up and
established the Cape Town division with an amazing team, I got tired of making
money for other people and decided to start my own company called Eclipse
Media. I got a capital investment company to back me financially and got the
guy who started Kalahari.net to join me. I got some of the advertising and
design industries best people to join us, and the industry took serious note of
our company,even before we officially opened our doors. I was 26 years old at
this point in time.
After 4 months of
giving it all I had, the investment company that backed us was liquidated
because of fraudulent deals on their part adding up to billions of Rands, and
our little company, in the trendy loft apartment office, situated in the heart
of Cape Town died over night.
My wife Zania often
says that she has no idea how I managed to pull myself together without
shedding a single tear or showing any sign of self-pity. I re-opened the company
(now called ORIJIN), with new investors a mere 2 weeks after this event.
I just don’t
understand why people take so much time licking their wounds when the whole
world is out their waiting for the next great idea or opportunity.
Today,
ORIJIN is a fully-fledged broadcast design and production company responsible
for designing most of the tv channels on DSTV such as Supersport, MNET, Movies,
MK, Kyknet, Series as well as a variety of international channels like BBC,
HBO, Disney Europe and also 2 partnered feature Films. Funny how this giant was
born out of the ruins of a failed first try (12 years ago). We started with 6
members and grew to a team of 62 with offices in JHB and Cape Town and
representation in Europe and America. With an Emmy nomination and winning more
than 100 various local and international television and advertising awards. 2
Years ago in NY, Orijin was ranked as one of the top international broadcast
design companies in the world.
Over the past 3 to
4 years whilst leading Orijin, I also recorded my second commercial music
album, because despite all my successes, music is still my passion, and I also
took up studying again - a BA degree in ministry, before God called me, to
bring my secular experiences and lead a change in Christian TV.
I
have traveled many times to America, Europe,
the Middle East and Africa. I sailed on a yacht through the Indian ocean,
trekked through the African continent, walked the red carpet in Hollywood,
skied down snowy mountains in 5 different countries, drank Campaign underneath
the Eiffel tower and climbed up the Great Pyramids.
Today
I am in my late 30s and everything I
had ever done so far has culminated in what makes me “Me”. To do what I do
today, I needed to understand acting, to direct actors, music and the
integration of design in and with motion picture. Nothing I ever did was a
waste of my time. It made me who I am. Even waitering will teach you a level of
humility, which few people will ever understand. The best part of giving you
this “toilet-roll” rundown of a part of my life is that it might sound like a
lifetimes worth of adventures but I can honestly tell you that I see myself as
standing on the starting line of my career, the beginning of great things to
come. I don’t dwell on the past, and I don’t feel that I have by any means
“arrived” now or at any point before…
What is my secret?
Or rather what has worked for me?
Discover what
brings momentum to your life and
never loose your speed. Don’t dwell on your losses, and never under-estimate
the power of being a dreamer. You might start as a so-called dreamer, but you
will end up being remembered as a visionary.
Do you have momentum
in life or are you "a body at rest"? What are you actively doing to
discover what you enjoy and what you are good at?
Michael Dell,
founder of Dell Computers, started his company with $1,000 and the idea to sell
computers directly to customers. Dell says there’s not much to learn from
success.
Here’s the gem guys - “Don’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, that you miss the right opportunity. Recognize that there
will be failures, and acknowledge that there will be obstacles. But you will
learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, for there is very little
learning in success.”
There’s a saying
that sums up how life can be perceived sometimes: “Good judgement comes from
experience, Experience comes from bad judgement.”
The
powers that stand against your momentum in life are:
1. Fear
2. Lowering our
standards
3. Giving in to our
perceived circumstances
4. Laziness
5. Procrastination –
(the putting off of things that needs to get done.)
Step up and be
clear on what you want! The faster an object is moving, the harder it is to
stop.
Life is about
momentum, not about motions!
Don’t accept your physical environment as the
definition of how you are going to live your life.
You need to stand
still and truly contemplate “resolutions” to better your life – a resolution is
a true resolve to a matter. It means cutting off all possibility of going back
on your decision or your old way of doing things. A resolution is not
expressing your desire with no plan, no action, and ultimately no follow
through. You have to have enough reasons to follow through.
1. Get clear
2. Get focused
3. Make the changes
you want, in order to make the outcome an absolute must to achieve.
4. Get a proven plan
5. Find a role model
Where
focus goes, energy flows. If all you ever
focus on is your losses, then you will inevitably become a loser.
Know what you want.
1. Don’t just do what
you have done in the past.
2. Don’t repeat the
sins of your fathers and grandfathers.
3. Don’t believe that
the family you where born into will be the measure with which God molded you.
Genetics does not
mold us. Life and Life experience does, Faith in God, the studying of His Word,
and the operation of the Holy Spirit in us, is what molds us.
Proverbs 26:14 (AMP)
As the door turns on its hinges, so does
the lazy man [move not from his place] upon his bed.
Proverbs 24 (AMP)
30 I went by the field
of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, behold, it was
all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone
wall was broken down.
32 Then I beheld and
considered it well; I looked and received instruction.
33 Yet a little sleep,
a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—
34 So shall your
poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.
Kevin Spacey once said:
“A lot of young
people meander around and they have no idea what they are doing. To want to be
successful is not enough – That is just desire.
You have to:
1. KNOW what you want
2. UNDERSTAND why you
are doing it
3. and DEDICATE every
breath in your body to achieve it.
If you feel that
you have something to give, if you feel that your particular talent is worth
developing, is worth caring for, then there is nothing that you could not
achieve.”
Creating momentum
in your life takes increasing the things that move you forward and decreasing
those that hold you back. I know that living a life that we desire is not
always easy to achieve. We have ‘habits’ and ‘repeat cycles’ to overcome. But
by creating momentum, we can move past those and move toward the life we want.
Momentum, by its
nature, requires a lot of upfront push to get the ball rolling. Here are some
tips I found to jumpstart the momentum in your life:
1. Create your picture
of success and make it a reality. If you
can’t see your vision of success, you’ll never get there.
2. Know what you love
and do what you love. If you hate your
job, get a new one. Go to school and learn a new profession. Start that
business you’ve always dreamed of. Pick up that crazy hobby you’ve been
thinking about.
3. Eliminate your
energy drains and recharge yourself. Energy
drains are those things that drag you down. Things that recharge your energy
can be anything that inspires you and puts you in a good mood, like a place to
relax, an activity, or a person.
4. Remove your fears.
The greatest source of procrastination is often a deep-seeded fear – fear of
success, change, failure, ridicule and the unknown.
5. Create a
“braintrust”. Identify a handful of people in
your life who can help you move your life forward. Consider pulling from a wide
range of backgrounds, ages, experience and opinions. Sometimes those who are
most critical provide the best insights.
6. Find the time.
Be creative and find the time to do what you love to do, instead of what you
have to do.
7. Let things evolve. When
the flywheel of momentum starts to turn, pay attention to clues, connections,
and opportunities that are presented to you.
8. Commit to your
dreams. Creating momentum starts with
commitment.
Momentum is more than just
moving. Momentum is a mental shift. It’s a gratifying sense of progression that
gives your life stamina, inspiration, joy and that push you need! When it’s
working, elusive or not, momentum can be an amazing and abundant force for
change in your life. How do we get the momentum we need for change that lasts,
that inspires and that infuses every day with purpose?
“Never give in.
Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large
or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never
yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
Hubby a few years back in New York
