Jodene is the co-founder of:
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Published October 19th, 2011
It’s amazing how I’ve changed my view on so many things that go on in my world and find the reason to make it that much more significant or insignificant.
I’ve decided to make the Census 2011 very significant, even if it’s for the moment in time that I sat with the form and was part of counting all South African.
I marked ‘no’ for owning sheeps, cows or pigs but smiled at the number of people who live off the land that it’s such a significant part of the census.
There’s always a shadow side and for me that always comes in the pessimism of the people. I never have run-ins with fellow Twitterers but the occasion only ever arises when my optimism and love for this Country comes shining through. I’ve even been blamed for being heartless for loving this country because obviously crime hasn’t ruined my life enough. I have stories … many, but I also have choice.
I choose to love my country and I choose to believe that anything is possible. If I can believe it for my own life then why would I not have enough rays of hope to spread around a little.
I vote! I’ve been counted! I stay positive!
The census did something else though … something very personal and real for me. It asked the question about my relationship status and the options were clear … only one could be chosen for me: Living as though you were married. Wow … I don’t know if you will remember the days when my bio used to say, “30something single Jozi girl …” I also remember the day Greggie told me to ditch that affirmation.
It amazes me that we are in the midst of a process where every South African is being counted and I’ve chosen to make it count too … because I have blessings to count,that are only possible because I chose to be born in the rainbow nation!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published July 30th, 2011
The cast of Burn the Floor and SA Celebs at the Joburg Theatre
What does spending a day with an international dance company and a group of fab SA celebs have to do with ‘project me’?
Let’s see! When I started blogging the mission was to show the world that it is possible to live each day taking full responsibility for everything that happens to us. I know, it sucks to thing that’s true, but it is. I’m also not the greatest fan of the word ‘goals’, but throw ‘purpose’ at me and I will tell you that you can achieve anything.
Was it ever my goal to be invited, as a blogger, to exclusive and thrilling events like the dance experience hosted at the Joburg Theatre? Um … no! It wasn’t my goal to blog much past day 365, but here I am heading my way to the next milestone of 600 days.
Purpose is a totally different ballgame and then yes, I was so meant to spend one of the most fun-filled days of my life, and the most thrilling day of my blogging career, in the midst of dancing.
Project me goes to the Joburg Theatre
In the beginning I thought I was doing something so rare. I thought that I was offering something to the world that not many people knew how. After a while I realised that world is full of bloggers who have a message to put out there. I also realised that many people got the concept of living their own ‘project me’ even if they call it another name. I came to see that so many people put purpose before goals. I also knew that, no matter how many people were getting it ‘right’, there will never be enough people sharing those stories.
I didn’t choose my purpose because I was trying to be different or wanted to prove that I could do the impossible. I didn’t even choose my purpose … well, we choose everything but most times we are just choosing to remember what our soul knows we will be fabulous at. Living with purpose and showing the world that with courage, consciousness and a sense of humour, you can do anything … that’s my purpose!
I'm allowed to have favourites ... right?
There have been so many days when I’ve thought there’s no way on earth I’m ever going to manage to live my purpose. I’ve contemplated going back to a career that never fulfilled me and I’ve thought of searching for work when I know that my spirit would slowly die in a job. I’ve cried buckets and I’ve had sleepless nights that I don’t always mention. In those times I always do two things:
I look back at what I have managed to manifest in my life and sometimes it’s the smallest thing. I also look at who believes in me and usually end up sitting in a heap with my mom who keeps reminding me that I’m exactly where I should be.
After a while I realised that I also needed inspirational stories to drive me forward and from that ‘your project me story’ interview was born. I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone and telling the world that anyone can achieve anything they wanted. I wanted to know that there might be millions of bloggers out there, but that my blog was still filled with my life purpose.
One of the questions I ask is: “Who believes in you when you can’t believe in yourself?”
I think we are programmed by the positivity movement to say that we have to believe in ourselves, but that’s the same as setting those goals. If you don’t have purpose you won’t bother getting on the field. If you don’t believe that you can then you won’t get out there either … until someone tells you you can.
Stefan Ludik is doing it
Sitting in the audience with tears running down my face … some from laughter and some from awe … I realised that ever person on that stage was living their ‘project me’ story and the way their leapt into the unknown was the way it should be done … that’s what living is all about.
The irony is that I was counting every blessing that I was a spectator and not one of invited guests who were taken on a journey of learning a routine from the Burn the Floor show. Straight up … being thrown in the air by a stranger and twirled across a stage by anyone (no matter how talented) doesn’t seem to fall into my purpose at all. I say that now, but judging from the looks on the faces of the very brave celebs, I bet they never thought they would be there either.
Only after the dance routine to “turn the beat around” was complete did I think … holy cow … this is going to be an interesting morning. One hour for a group of newbies to that dance routine to make it happen and be taught by some of the best in the world. There’s only one way to get that right … let go and have fun.
They actually did it and they did it freakin’ fabulously. After an hour of giggles, tripping over each other, huffing and puffing … they did it and it was spectacular.
Rose-Leigh-Anne Mosenohi flying high
It’s ‘project me’ so there’s a life lesson here … for me and for you:
Sometimes you’ve just gotto say ‘yes’.
I have a best friend and business partner that I love with all my heart and soul, but he has this habit of trying to understand why I have made some of the choices I’ve made along my career and in my life. When he asks me for explanations I get that feeling like I’m going to explode with frustration … it’s aimed at me … because I don’t have the explanation, I just have the knowing. So I have learned to say ‘yes’ a lot.
I’m sure not everyone asked to take part in a day that was purely about fun, would have said ‘yes’. What’s fun for one person surely isn’t fun for another and if I were asked to attend as a dancer over that of a blogger … I am sad to say I might have said ‘no’. My head would have told me I wasn’t fit or strong enough and my ego would have reminded me of the clumsy dancer I was as a child … but I watched people who did say ‘yes’ and I know they will never be the same again.
So many people ask me how I am managing to achieve what I am and I sit and think of clever ways to explain it all … but sitting in an audience that was no bigger than a crowd at a dinner party, I realised that I have been saying ‘yes’ for a very long time … and this was yet another invite from the universe to take me to where my dreams are a live and … burning the floor!
A very special thank you to the team from Joburg Theatre, the cast of Burn the Floor, the judges and super brave SA celebs for a very special day in the life of me.
After sifting through 1500 pictures and needing Greggie to keep the Libran “I love everything” in check … here are a few pics but a good few hundred can be found on the Lifeology Facebook Page.
SA Celebs for Burn the Floor Dance-off:
MALES
Adriaan Bergh (Mr SA 2011)
Graeme Richards (Popular TV Presenter)
Graeme Watkins (2nd place in Idols previous season, front-line singer in GWP)
Stefan Ludik (Actor, now singer, just released debut album)
Dalen Lance (TV presenter on Step Up or Step Out, also hosted High School Musical Reality show)
Stevel Marc (Top International model)
Ruan Burger (Popular actor, currently on Erfsondes, previously on Getroud Met Rugby)
Bongi Mthombeni (Idols finalist, soon to be seen as Prince Charming in Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella)
Merlin Bailie (popular face of the Vodacom Player 23 campaign, actor in Colour TV and Rhythm City)
LADIES
Ashley Hayden (Survivor Finalist)
Chantal Rutter (Carte Blanche presenter)
Rose Masenohi (DJ on UJ FM)
Jolene Martin-Morgan (TV presenter, actress in various KykNet comedy shows
Tanya van Graan (FHM sexiest woman 2007, actress and model)
Lesego Motsepe (Lettie in Isidingo)
Carmen Pretorius (winner of High School Musical reality show, Mamma Mia, soon to be seen as Cinderella in Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella)
Carolyn Steyn (socialite)
Carol Ralefeta and myself hanging out on the props while she waits to judge the dance-off
Watching the dancers practice with one of the judges Michael de Pinna
Thanks for Adriaan Bergh for being such a great sport and watch this space for his 'project me story' soon
Girls will be girls ... right Jolene?
Bongi and I bumped into each other in the elevator and trust me, I had no idea he could burn the floor like that ... wow!
Stevel Marc stole hearts with one funky personality and um ... some very smooth moves
Um ... not quite sure who was taking the leap of faith between Graeme Watkins and Giselle
Harold van Buuren, Carol Ralefeta, Michael de Pinna and Erica Elle
A proudly SA a truly moving moment when the Burn the Floor dancers performed a routine to Phata Phata
Ashley Hayden ... breathe hunny, breathe!
They made a great team and I have to admit ... they are both my favourites in their own right! SA's talented singer, Graeme Watkins and the true dancing queen from Burn the Floor, Giselle
Look out for Bongi in this year's Pantomime at the Joburg Theatre ... he's Prince Charming in Cinderella! *giggles*
Dancer, DJ and dynamic dudette, Erica Elle
Thank you to Pat Sloane Photography
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published July 1st, 2011It truly was an honour to received this message especially sent to all event organisers for the second annual social media day celebrations around the world.
It was even more thrilling to watch the conference room at the Crowne Plaza Johannesburg fill with familiar Twitter faces. But of all things, it was one of my proudest moments when I looked around and acknowledged that I had made this event all happen. Never taking away from the help that each and every person gave me to get to that point, but yesterday truly was my moment.
I don’t take that moment often and far a ‘project me’ goes, putting myself in the spotlight and knowing that every Tweet, blog post, follow, comment and bold move I have made has now been recognised on an international scale, I felt one step closer to truly living my dream.
Press releases will come out, news and info will continue to flow through about this event and tomorrow I will be posting all the pictures right here, but for now, I just want to share my own global message. I want to savour the ‘project me’ moment and one of the most powerful messages that I have to offer.
Each one of us has something unique to offer the world that no one else can. Each one of us has our own formula that no one can ever recreate even if they hold the same ingredients. Greg taught me a very important lesson about this and he always uses Sony and JVC as his example. He always reminds me that sony created the betamax and kept their formula hidden from the world. On the other hand, JVC created the VHS and shared that formula with the world until it totally dominated and eventually completely overshadowed and took down Beta.
I watch that every day in the world of online and see how we are so afraid to share our fomulas and gather in clumps of bloggers, social media experts and sources of information from many other fields (somehow I do think that it is more of a South African mentality) because we are concerned that our information will be stolen and used.
I have a very dear friend who trademarks and hides everything they do. We battle to find out what people charge and if ever I need to find contract information I always have to refer to international sites where the laws don’t apply here.
This all speaks of what we are afraid we are going to lose if we give too much of ourselves and our knowledge.
Give it! Give it all because even if someone recreates your fomula there is something within you that is so unique that you will never lose your happiness, abundance or uniqueness.
I stood up on that stage last night and knew that people all around the world were doing the same thing. Before, I would have felt insignificant because countries were bigger, bloggers were more well known, Twitterers had thousands more followers and other people got more exposure and support. But this journey of ‘project me’ has given me the very global message I want to share with you today.
Project me … the blog and the living … has highlighted my uniqueness. It has shown me that I have a story to tell different to everyone else in the world. No greater or lesser story … just a different one! The different is my unique and that unique makes me fearless in sharing my knowledge and what I have learned.
Not so long ago someone else in the UK started a blog called ‘project me’. He got hold of me and said he was inspired by me. A friend asked why I had not trademarked the name and prevented that from happening. My response is that I wish every person started a ‘project me’ account. I wish every single person told their ‘project me’ story. Because each story is unique and no matter what, there are enough people in the world who want to hear my story …
Tomorrow’s blog will be filled with thanks and pictures of the event … but for now … I hope you know how very unique you are?
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published June 3rd, 2011
This is one of those typical days that people ask me about. The days where I have 30 minutes at home to blog and get ready to go out. Why is it 6pm and I haven’t blogged the whole day? Well … most of it is secret!
Good secrets though … but things that I’m waiting for the final signature on the dotted line before I talk about celebs I helping to socialise online, two new sponsors, an opportunity to write for a magazine and date for ‘project me’ and Organic O talks.
You might not be thrilled that it’s all secret, but I’m so stoked because I don’t have to write very much tonight … Now I have to leave in about 25 minutes!
The main reason why I’m so freaking rushed is because my poor car’s battery has officially died. It’s been a very hard working little battery and served me to the bitter end. I’m on a plane to Cape Town on Sunday morning and time is so tight that we decided to fix the car when I get back and I would share the car with my mom for the next few days.
Why are those the days when we both need the car? So it’s been juggling meetings, fetching international guests from airport drop-offs and entertaining her this evening so that we can carpool.
Luckily it’s an easy convincing seeing as though we are going to a gorgeous Jozi restaurant with my precious friend, Hustler Girl to see my newfound friend Emmanuel singing. (More about that tomorrow seeing as though I now have 20 minutes!)
So … clearly there are thrilling things to share with you and it will all be revealed as I get the confirmation along the way.
The one thing that I do get to tell you is that I intend to prove that you can make a living as a blogger and social influencer in South Africa. If you are in SA you know how large a statement that is. If you are anywhere else in the world and that challenge seems easy … it’s not! We have a whole lot of catching up to do with the power of the online space and I have every intention of being fundamental in paving the way … that’s no secret!
Right … 15 minutes to pretty myself up for dinner, international guests, awesome friends, mommy & me time and SA talent!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published June 1st, 2011
I can’t believe the day is nearly done and this is the first moment I’ve had to sit down and blog. Reflecting on the hours I have a picture of a day that truly bounced between moments of perfection and disillusion. I know life is supposed to be like that, but some days the pendulum swings so rapidly that it feels as though I’m going to fall of the edge of the my world.
I think of Soldier Guy in the middle of the icy depths of Canada and I know we don’t even begin to get the concept of winter here, but it was freaking freezing this morning. I only had a meeting at 10am and still I was petrified to face the cold.
The morning was filled with excitement and the prospects of a new sponsor (that I will soon be calling ‘partners’) in Project Me and more specifically, Project Body. Straight after that I had a meeting with an SA magazine that I have heard so much about and I have been looking forward to meeting the team. I wouldn’t have the courage to go ahead with ‘project body’ if I didn’t have the support of some very special people. One of those people is ‘project me’ sponsor, Niel of Slimlab. It made the moment even more thrilling knowing that Niel would be a part of both of the meetings.
All dressed up and heading out into the cold was tough enough, but when my poor car wouldn’t start (again) I felt completely disillusioned. Clearly something is wrong! It’s either the battery or something draining the battery and there truly isn’t the finances to have car trouble now. I’m not a ‘why me’ girl and I don’t believe that we are punished by the gods, but I did throw my hands up in the air and give a glare to whoever was looking down on me.
The rest of the day went pretty much the same … awesome meeting, and I officially have a personal trainer. It might be all exciting but I’m not a morning girl (seriously) and exercising with this back injury scares the living daylights out of me. I’m blessed that Patrick (who I will introduce to you formally in an upcoming blog) is so spunky and excited about this venture of ours. I’m also blessed to have Niel tell Patrick not to let me get away with my antics (shit) even if I burst out crying … and we all know how often I do that. I have gym at 8am in the mornings from the week after next and don’t anyone dare tell me they go to gym at 5am … I can’t help it if you’re nuts!
It’s always glaringly obvious that Lifeology’s philosophy is so different when we try and collaborate with others and I am feeling the pressure of making sure that our philosophy and that of the magazine align, but that’s what Friday’s meeting is about.
While sitting in that very exciting meeting and breathing life into ‘project body’, I got an email telling me that my proposal to socialise a company online had not been chosen over another company. I would have been gutted were I not sitting amidst so much positivity … unfortunately positivity doesn’t pay the bills and I feel the stress mounting.
Isn’t this just a typical end of the month post? Money! Stress! Doubt!
And then I get asked to socialise a prominent SA personality! I get to set up his blog and website for him and help him use all his social platforms to his advantage. I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself.
In that very breath, there are some technical things I can’t do on the blog and although I’m happy to help him out, not everyone else is on the same page with energy exchange as I am. So excitement turns to a bit of fear about tomorrow.
When I stress, I cough and a lung almost detaches from it’s tendons (or something anatomy life that) and after a phone call to find out why I didn’t land the job, the coughing spree began. The tipping point is that the other company was hired for a whole lot of reason that has nothing to do with the online platform. Being well connected has nothing to do with creating the right platforms for social media … but I felt better understanding that it wasn’t my offering or my quote. It’s still yet another ‘no’ from a once was potential client.
I can give you a whole lot more examples of the yo-yo my day had, but I think we all get the drift! This morning I was doing my visualisation and imagining the successes, work, published books, online presence, public appearances … blah, blah … but most of all, I saw the impact I made in the South African psyche when it comes to the online space. I saw South Africa actually getting the concept, implementing it and catching up to the rest of the world and that made the roller coaster ride a little more bearable!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published May 31st, 2011
There’s only one way to get your big girl (or boy) panties (or boxers) on and get out into the big wide world of things that fear you … Nike has it so right and I wish I could tattoo “Just do it” on most people’s foreheads. Of course I would need to start with mine.
We all have fears and we look at each other as though our fears are much scarier. I can think of a good number of people who I look at very strangely when they say something scares them. To me, it’s easy! Shove me on stage, totally unprepared, and I will be fine. Give me a topic I’m comfortable with at least. Don’t ask me geography questions in public unless you are planning on making a complete ass of me. Funny that, considering what I’m about to announce.
I’m determined not to start the ‘book’ with the opening line: “It began over a pizza and coffee”, so count it as officially being used. Truth is, it did begin that way and with a whole lot of frustration as I watched a friend put an awesome idea on a shelf because of a whole lot of fears. Mostly, his fears didn’t scare me, so it was easy to give him a handful of reasons to ‘just do it’. By the end of the evening we had a brilliant idea and both of us were making a whole lot of dreams a reality.
Pat Sloane has never seen the best parts of South Africa and for some reason I have had my dad on my mind in the most tear jerking way. Pat is a brilliant photographer and I’m a passionate writer. Pat wants to create a coffee table book of the positive side of our beautiful country and I want to give people a true understanding of happiness.
Greg and myself has dreamed of changing the perception of charity and so Lifeology Rich (readying individuals to create happiness) was born. There is so much to tell you about that aspect of our vision, but for the most part, we want to give back in the only way we know how … by empowering individuals to discover their richness within.
While I was standing on top of the 22nd floor of the most gorgeous building in the centre of Braamfontein on a frosty winter’s night in South Africa, I had two thoughts.
1 … holy crap, I climbed into an elevator and went up 22 flights without thinking I was going to do. Yes, I’m that afraid of them. I have even walked up 17 flights to my hotel room (up and down) for an entire weekend. I have made my sister walk up over 150 steps in London to avoid the subway elevator … I am that afraid! Well … I was that afraid! Staring at the beautiful view at Randlords and watching the lights twinkle and Jozi glisten, I realised that I had no need for an old pattern anymore.
I used to be afraid of getting lost or stuck in lifts and public toilets in case no one noticed I was missing. It was my fear that I would be stuck there or lost for hours or days. I can’t be claustrophobic because I’m happy to climb in a plane or pile into a noisy club and small space … but lose me in a crowd and my world falls apart. I’m not that girl anymore … the one who thinks I’m not noticed or that I’m so insignificant that I will be gone for hours and no one will even notice I’m missing. It’s been that recent that yesterday was the first elevator trip that didn’t scare the panties off of me. Okay, I cling to my cellphone a little, but that’s better than walking 22 flights of stairs.
So, on top of the world, really was that spectacular.
The other incredible moment was realising that I’m about to make one of my dad’s dreams a reality. No wonder I have been so emotional about him of late. With Pat’s fears putting on the breaks and me battling to watch people not overcome their fears, I took the plunge and told him that we would collaborate on our dreams coming true. My dad wanted to see South Africa in one long trip (but being on the road with an oxygen tank to survive is not the wisest idea) and Pat wants to take pics of the happiest moments he can capture in this magnificent country. I, on the other hand, want to do an incredible trip in memory of my dad, blog about it and share the concept that happiness truly is that individual. If you ask 100 people what happiness means to them, I know you will get 100 different answers … and so, Project Happiness is born!
The how’s are always the fun part and there’s a lot to plan without getting too bogged down in the detail. So it’s a month on the road, driving through SA and taking pictures of what happiness means to the people we meet and see around us. Then a coffee table book will be born with the combination of my telling the story of our trip and quoting South Africans from every corner of this incredible place and asking only one question … “What does happiness mean to you?”
Well …
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published May 27th, 2011
I think the only person who can’t believe that I used to be this club hopping, 4am on a school night kinda girl is me.
I started when I was 16 (I’m sure that was under age) and discovered a club called Ceasars Palace in Braamfontein. I kid you not … it became a standard Wednesday and Saturday night thing until it got to the point that a group of us were on the VIP list and used to stroll past the crowds lining up in long queues on a freezing night like last night.
Nothing would stop us! Not even exams or broken bones. Ladies night was on Wednesdays and we would grab front row seats on the edge of the dance floor. We would wait for certain songs the whole nite and sometimes arrive home as the sun was rising because it took that long to get up on the speakers and dance to it!
I remember that one year a friend of ours gave up clubbing for Lent … we thought she was psycho and there was a huge celebration when she returned after 40 days of real sacrifice. It did pay off though, because she met her hubby there not long after.
Believe it or not … I never had one comfortable day of clubbing in all the thousands of nights out. It was way before ‘project me’ and I was this chubby, glasses wearing virginal girl who thought that competing with size 2 chicks who got the guy was the end of my world. I went for the dancing, the b52 shooters and because I have always made beautiful friends throughout my life. Even now, as I sit here and think back, I can’t think of one time when I was happy in my skin and out on the town.
That girl in me is an old friend that I no longer recognise and I only realised that last night.
So, I bitched and moaned like an absolute brat and Tweeted myself silly about it being too cold to go out and that I was too old to go out on the jol (SA word for awesome time or party). I chewed Greggie’s ear off and shivered like a drama queen but kept reminding myself that in a few hours it would be his birthday and I had to grow the hell up!
Of course I’m thrilled that I went out and for so many reasons.
I’m loving getting to know people I’ve met on Twitter and I can slowly start to call real friends. Mike is one of those special peeps who invited us to go watch an SA band that he has been raving about. I haven’t done live music in ages and forgot how much I love it. I might still be feeling too old to go to loud concerts where I have to queue for hours and stand for even longer, but last night I realised that I’m not gonna get to old for amazing SA bands in chilled out venues, with special people.
My proud pic at the top is with Mike, me and Graeme from the Graeme Watkins Project in the middle. I haven’t seen stage personality like that in a very long time and for a girl whose passion lies with country music, I have to say they get full marks for stealing my heart. I loved the lyrics and I hope to interview Graeme on Your Project Me Story soon, so I will definitely include some of them.
Only when all the gorgeous girls arrived and it would have been that time for the old insecurities to kick in, did I realise just how happy I am to have taken time time to like me.
I mean seriously, look at my gorgeous friends! Oh, look … there’s gorgeous me too!
‘Project me’ made magic last night by not having to drag all the baggage of low self esteem out with me. I’m not a girl to look back with regret, but I am one to look at the moments as perfect and even more amazing remembering how far I have come.
In the end everything warmed up: The fingers, toes, heart and company.
Thanks to Mike for the invite and the Graeme Watkins Project for the SA pride. To Emmanuel for rocking up unexpectedly and being so freaking special.
Last, but certainly not least … to my best friend, business partner, next door neighbour and soul mate (in our own little way) … happy birthday to you! So much of who I am is because of the light that you held up so that I could see who I am through all the darkness. It was one of the most precious moments to count down to your birthday and wish you a happy birthday in moments when I couldn’t be happier to be me.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published May 26th, 2011
The standard ‘project me’ joke is that I say I don’t complain often (but I do) and it’s going to be a short blog (but it never is). So tonight I’m going to try not complain, but fok it’s cold. Keeping it short might be on the cards because I’ve had a very offish day!
Of course I didn’t tell anyone around me, but it’s also why I’ve left blogging until the very last moment.
Blog wise, it’s been so exciting that I don’t quite know what to do with myself, so let’s share the positive. Today I got to interview Stephen van Niekerk for Your Project Me Story. For my international friends, he is one awesome South African actor and I have been honoured to get to know Stephen and slowly share my passion for blogging and social networking and its endless possibilities with him. When everything fell into place and one of the charities he supports had it’s national day on the same day as the scheduled interview (ok, I coordinated that a little), I woke up so excited.
The rest of me woke up freezing cold and irritated that the landlords haven’t sorted out what they promised to and I ended up acting like a big baby and sleeping with my mom behind locked doors last night, because the alarm still isn’t working.
Back to the excited part of me that had a glimmer of being a part of the National Soup Day in Stephen’s featured post. The whole start to the day got me thinking and I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that a part of ‘project me’ will always be the platform to allow others the use it as a voice. I’m very stuck on not calling people needy, less fortunate and I watch how I use the word charity.
In combination with the build up to the Twitter Blanket Drive and the CANSA event that Lifeology is a part of and that my very talented business partner, Greg Arthur is singing in, I felt the need to explain what ‘charity’ means to me. I won’t do it tonight because I said I wasn’t in the blogging mood, but I know it’s going to become an integral message in ‘project me’.
Tomorrow is Greggie’s birthday and it’s dinner at my house. My dearest friend, Hustler Girl is stressed because life is in that scary about to fall over the edge part of the journey. So the other part of my day was filled with what to cook for my special friends in the combination of happy and scary times. Last night I invented an awesome recipe of chopped herbs, lemon, garlic, chilli and reduced fat cream for the grilled chicken. Of course it was a hit, but I can’t repeat one day later … sigh! That also got me thinking that it seriously is time to start recording some of my recipes. As a Pagan witchin’ in the kitchen, I should be …
I’m obviously very nervous to begin ‘project body’ and I’ve decided to start it when we return from Cape Town on the 14th of June. Oh, did I forget to tell you that? Thanks to the incredible peeps of 6 on Thirteenth, Greggie and I are off to combine some work and writing (well, I’m writing) for a good few days. In the time that I have been writing my novel, two of my friends have published theirs. My dad was still alive when I started writing it … I mean really! So it’s time to get down and do it and I’m hoping a wet winter in Cape Town is the perfect place.
Okay, about 200 words short of normal … but about 400 words more than planned! See you all on day 512 … the big Birthday!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published May 25th, 2011
It’s one of those days I didn’t dream about and that’s what makes it all the more incredible.
It was my first interview as a blogger! Okay, casting my mind back, I’m pretty certain that it was my first interview … period! Well a face to face one with that little dictaphone and a journalist asking me questions that the world wants to know the answers to. Well, my world at least.
One of the questions that Lindsey Kin of Media Update asked me was, how do I decide what to blog about each day?
It’s the significant moments. The ones that jump out as a time when I’ve had to go into ‘project me’ mode and either tell my truth, face my reality, laugh at the moment or be conscious and grateful.
With that in mind, my day was filled with two of those moments.
The morning was abuzz with ‘project body’ phone calls and emails. I had to call my friend, The Gossip Guy for a little pep talk on actually telling the world that I’m fabulous because he knows the difference between confidence and arrogance. That done, I finally got brave and damn well called the personal trainer that I contacted just after I was given clearance to get back to gym … In MARCH! I though I would have to re-introduce myself to him, but instead he picked up the call and said, “Hi Jode, where have you been? Not in my water aerobics class, I see!”
Yes, yes … I hate gym! Well, actually … I’m scared of it! It’s because I have no idea what moderation is and usually end up breaking my body when unsupervised. After hearing my idea for ‘project body’, he’s keen to sponsor me with a few personal training session in the pool (because my back is safest exercising in water) and monitoring my weight loss and body fat, measurements … blah, blah! I’m even more excited that Niel from Slimlab is joining me in potential sponsor’s meeting and has proven to be an unbelievable support along a very scary road.
Now I”m on a mission to get a little more media exposure and Niel was a great help there too … even though he told me that all he had to do was Google. Hey, if I don’t have a PA yet, a little damsel in distress can be faked once in a while.
Driving to the interview was fun, considering I had to break it to Greggie that I double booked Monday morning because my diary is on the Blackberry and I’m scared to sync it with the laptop because things get triple booked … so when I’m on the phone I don’t know what’s happening in the dairy and … well … do you think I’m kidding about the PA?
I loved the interview questions, but we never escape the voice of the low esteem that has to be mean at the most crucial moments. Mine always says the same thing: “You talk too much!” I never give myself a hard time about talking nonsense or making no sense. I’m always mean to me when I think I could have said all of that in half the time. I said it anyway and in true Jodene style, even had a moment to shed a tear.
I love knowing that what I do is unique enough to not be able to pull 10 questions out a hat, but do know that one questions is always going to come up: “What do I do in my spare time?”
Cook!
I swear … I could think of nothing else but spending time with my friends and family and cooking … a lot of cooking! Do I need to get a life? Do I need to tell the low esteem to shut up and go into all the little details of what I do like … oh wait, I also said listen to country music. Does that count against me? Only a smattering of followers in the US will be thrilled about that answer, but most of SA will roll their eyes. Don’t make me take up knitting or sky diving. The other option is that word will spread that my stand answer will be, “I cook!” and all future journalists will know to avoid that one … damn I hope so!
Of course, the question does make me lonely! Don’t get me wrong … I love living with mom, the 2 kitties and the parrot. I would, however, love to say that my spare time was spent with a special man driving around SA and seeing all the incredible places our Country has to offer. That was my dad’s dream and we used to laugh at him. He wanted to buy a caravan and drive the whole of Africa … it never sounded tempting until after he was gone and we didn’t have the luxury of seeing the Africa through his beautiful stories and memories.
Well on that very exciting note and with a huge thank you to the team at Newsclip for finding my ‘project me’ journey newsworthy … I’m off to cook for friends! Another defining day with priceless ‘project me’ blogging moments and a great reason to blog!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 12th, 2011
It’s been a hectic few days and the business and social events are far from over. At the same time I’m packing and getting read to move at the end of the month. My back is mending so well, hence not having mentioned it in a while, yet I have fallen off the gym bus again. With all of this in mind, I’m very conscious of any free time I can get to myself. That’s the only reason why there was a slight ‘um’ when my sister offered my mom and myself tickets to go and see Katherine Jenkins. I literally had my mom on standby until Thursday afternoon and finally pulled myself together. My mom and I have an incredible bond and a lot of that is based on music.
Katherine Jenkins might be a far cry from the country music genre I am most fond of, but she has been one of the reasons I have watched my mother begin her new life after the loss of my dad. One of her greatest battles was to listen to music after he died and I watched it tear at her soul for months on end. When she finally got to that point … the point where I heard Katherine bellowing out from her room while she pottered around without a tear in her eye … well that’s when I shed my tears of relief.
Healing is priceless and so are moments like my mom and I shared last night. A big thank you goes out to my big sister for generously giving us the tickets she had received. We went with two of my sister’s staff members and for one of them it was the first concert she had ever seen. Well, she couldn’t have been introduced to the power of a live performance by anyone more fabulous than Katherine Jenkins.
When I grew up I loved escaping into my little world of Barbie and her beautiful blonde hair with the prettiest dresses. I have a special place in my memories for princesses and I literally shed a tear the second the beautiful woman with an angelic voice walked onto the stage. He honestly looks like every girl’s real life Barbie doll and then she emerges with another dress change that turns here into a princess. Her voice does exactly the same transformation as she sings her way through classical to pop love songs. Then, as she speaks, this tiny little voice bubbles out and she giggles between each song.
I used to be the concert queen when I was younger and went to see nearly every person who came to our shores, but as I have gotten older I have become more selective. Last night I made the best decision in a very long time because it gave me so much to be grateful for. Of all the things, I was most proud to be South African. Hang on … I’m always proud to be South African but last night it wasn’t just another international artist saying that South Africa was beautiful and we all believed her. She gave us the gift of reminding ourselves by the South African flavour she added to the show.
Instead of traveling with her orchestra, it was our very own Johannesburg Orchestra. The Bala Brothers were truly amazing with a powerful reminder of how much talents walks amongst us. Of course this down to earth family mingled amongst the crowd after and my sister’s staff members were beyond thrilled when Loyiso Bala posed with them for a picture. I wish you could have seen these giggling girls who couldn’t quite believe the moment they were in.
My favourite moment of all was when Katherine offered the audience the chance to ask her questions and that’s when the personality of South Africa was unmissable. Good gracious, we are a scream, totally forward and a little outrageous. Someone asked her age. Someone asked her dress size. Someone asked her to marry them and everyone had her blushing and giggling as we cheered the answers. Well, someone even had the balls to ask her why the Welsh rugby team has never won against South Africa … oh we are a cheeky bunch!
Wow … I know today’s blog sounds a little like a review, but as ‘project me’ moments go I can’t really express how important every moment of last night was for me.
From the treasured moments with my mom, the humble excitement of the gift my sister gave her staff, the natural beauty of a true star, the power of one voice, the South African pride and the fact that in the middle of the concert I thought to myself: “I’m totally pain free!”
Here she is … The fabulous Katherine Jenkins
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
