I seldom have a pity party these days. You know, where you feel sorry for yourself and think the world owes you something. But, sometimes I do lapse and come up with the pathetic refrain, “Why me?” Of course, when I step back and have a look at my life I see that it is fine. In fact, I’ve been given more than my due. Goodness, I could have been born in the dark ages. If you lived beyond 30, it was a miracle. I’m 52 in July and rather spry for my age, even if I say so myself. On the rare occasion that I do feel sorry for myself, I look for people who have overcome bigger odds than I’ll ever have to. It helps put my lot into perspective. I doubt I’ll ever have to face what American bombardier, Louis Zamperini faced in World War 2. He survived 47 days stranded at sea by catching and killing hungry sharks and drinking the warm blood of albatrosses – only to be captured by the Japanese and horrifically tortured for years in their most brutal POW camps. Let’s consider 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke, who in 1971 was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. She survived a 3,2 kilometre fall and survived more than 10 days alone in the jungle before she found help. Closer to home I look at Billy Selekane www.billyselekanespeaks.com, who eked out a living on the streets of Tembisa in his bare feet. Today, he is one of the top professional speakers in South Africa and a best-selling author, who has been inducted into the Southern African Speakers Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Tembisan Award for achievement. Battling to study? Take a leaf out of Africa’s greatest explorer, the Scot, David Livingstone’s (1813 – 1873) book. At the age of 10 he began working at a local cotton mill. He went to school each evening for two hours after a 12-hour shift at work. Thus, he learned Latin, Greek and mathematics and won a place at Glasgow University. Or take Jean-Dominique Bauby who when he was editor-in-chief of French Elle magazine suffered a massive stroke which left him with locked-in syndrome. He wrote his memoir The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by blinking his left eyelid. He wrote the entire book in 10 months (four hours a day). It went on to become a number one bestseller across Europe. Its total sales today are in the millions. On March 7, 1997, two days after the book was published, Bauby died of pneumonia. What makes these unique individuals different to those of us who moan and complain about our lot? Let’s unpack some of their traits. They don’t have a victim mentality. They don’t believe that this world or anyone in it has a custodial duty towards them. They take 100% responsibility for their actions. They make a firm decision and then act on it 100%. They don’t deviate off the path. They have a compelling vision that keeps them going. They have what is called, true grit.

1. Volksrust Recorder - Column / Rubrieke10 Recorder 12 June 2015
Change
Your
Story
With Jacques de Villiers
For further information:
Jacques de Villiers
jacques@jacquesdevilliers.com
082 906 3693
True Grit
Wees oor niks
besorg nie
Fil. 4:6 Wees oor niks besorg nie, maar laat
julle begeertes in alles deur gebed en
smeking met danksegging bekend word by
God.
Ek weet nie van ’n mens wat hom/haar nie
bekommer nie. Ons kyk soms na mense en
dit wil voorkom asof hulle geen
bekommernisse het nie maar diep in hulle
gemoed dra hulle soms baie swaar laste. Wat
help die mens se bekommernisse? Wat
verander die mens se bekommernisse om die
probleme op te los. Hoegenaamd niks! Die
uitwerking van bekommernisse het gewoonlik
tot gevolg dat mense se energie getap word
en dit lei dikwels tot allerlei siektes. Medici
beweer dat ’n baie groot persentasie van
siektes stresverwant is.
Luk. 12:24-26 Kyk na die kraaie, want hulle
saai nie en hulle maai nie; hulle het geen
voorraadkamer of skuur nie, en tog voed God
hulle. Hoeveel meer is julle nie werd as die
voëls nie! En wie onder julle kan, deur hom
te kwel, een el by sy lengte voeg? As julle
dan selfs nie die geringste kan doen nie,
waarom kwel julle jul oor die ander dinge?
Jou bekommernisse steel jou blydskap. Jou
bekommernisse sê ook “God is nie in beheer
nie en Hy sal nie vir jou sorg nie.
Paulus het hierdie waarheid neergepen: Hand.
20:24 Maar ek bekommer my glad nie en ek ag
ook my lewe vir myself nie dierbaar nie, sodat
ek met blydskap my loopbaan kan volbring
en die bediening wat ek van die Here Jesus
ontvang het, om kragtig te getuig vir die
evangelie van die genade van God.
Hoe kan ons getuies wees wanneer ons
bekommernisse so duidelik in ons lewens is?
Hoe kan ons van God se getrouheid getuig
wanneer ons in die grond gedruk word deur
ons laste? Ons kan nie! Wanneer ’n top
atleet aantree vir bv. die honderd meter resies
dan het hy/sy die ligste van klere aan. Ek het
nog nooit iemand met weermagstewels en ’n
rugsak sien aantree vir ’n kort snel wedren
nie. Hoekom? Hulle wil nie enige ekstra gewig
of hindernis hê wat hulle spoed kan affekteer
nie!
Heb. 12:1, 2 Daarom dan, terwyl ons so ‘n
groot wolk van getuies rondom ons het, laat
ons ook elke las aflê en die sonde wat ons so
maklik omring, en met volharding die wedloop
loop wat voor ons lê, die oog gevestig op
Jesus, die Leidsman en Voleinder van die
geloof, wat vir die vreugde wat Hom
voorgehou is, die kruis verdra het, die skande
verag het en aan die regterkant van die troon
van God gaan sit het. Bekommernis breek
jou spoed en tap jou energie.
Spr. 3:5 Vertrou op die HERE met jou hele
hart en steun nie op jou eie insig nie. Ken
Hom in al jou weë, dan sal Hy jou paaie
gelykmaak. Wees nie wys in jou eie oë nie;
vrees die HERE, en wyk af van die kwaad; dit
sal genesing wees vir jou liggaam en
verkwikking vir jou gebeente.
Groete in Sy Naam.
Ds. Jan Keyser
Volksrust Seme
Business Column
Willem Hüsselmann - 082 415 7725
Freddie Kapp - 017 735 4444
Johan Botha - 082 335 7274
Ashraf Moola - 082 558 5515
Ahmed Chotia - 082 554 4886
Are your employees fully engaged at work?
Chances are, they’re not. According to a study
done by Dale Carnegie Training, three quarters
of employees reported they don’t feel engaged
at work.
But one of the biggest factors that made people
feel engaged was a positive relationship with
their immediate supervisor. Managers have a
huge influence on how well employees perform
— and the results are not always based on
whether you crack the whip or offer the best
rewards. Often, it has much more to do with
interpersonal relationships.
So how can you cultivate more engagement
and success from your team? Try doing these
five things every single day:
Leadbyexample.
As a leader, you’re always being watched. You
could view this negatively, or you could see it
as an opportunity. Employees feel resentful
when they are asked to do things they believe
their superiors would not or could not do, so
walk the talk. This goes not just for work tasks
but also for attitude; if you’d like to cultivate a
more cheerful attitude in the workplace, start
by being more cheerful.
Ask questions — and listen to the answers.
Nothing will breed resentment and
disengagement faster than the proverbial
“suggestion box” that never gets opened. The
best leaders regularly talk to their employees
and ask what’s going well and what’s not.
When you get feedback about something that
isn’t working, really listen to it, take it to heart,
and decide how you can respond. It may be
that you can’t immediately make a change (for
any number of reasons) but just letting an
employee know that they’ve been heard and
that you’re taking their concerns seriously —
not simply paying them lip service — is
important.
Give constructive feedback.
No one likes being told they’re doing something
wrong. But people do like to know if there’s a
faster/better/easier way to accomplish a task.
Sandwiching constructive feedback with praise
is another good habit that will help employees
feel both appreciated and supported.
Actively build your team.
If you’re not thinking about how to build
or grow your team when you’re not actively
hiring for a position, you’re missing a key
component of being a strong leader. Look
for ways you can mentor, teach, and train
your existing staff to grow beyond the skills
sets for which they were originally hired.
And when it is time to fill a position, fill it
with care, seeking not just a warm body to
fill a chair, but the right combination of
personality and skills to be an asset to your
team.
Take care of yourself.
As part of leading by example, take the time
and the effort to take care of yourself.
Exercise, take breaks, and make sure you
get enough sleep. If your team members see
that you prioritise self-care as a means to
better productivity, they will do the same.
If you doggedly work through lunch, work
late, and cram in extra work on the weekends
they may feel pressure to do the same —
even when science shows that taking
appropriate breaks will make everyone more
focused and productive.
These tips may seem simple, but if you
actively build them into your days, you will
find that you become a better leader — and
by association, your employees become
more engaged, more productive, and
happier as well.
What would you add to this list? Do you
have a daily habit that has helped you
become a better manager? Please share your
experiences for the benefit of others in the
comments below.
You are more than welcome to respond to
this article of Bernard Marr, that was
published online.
For more info please contact any of the
Business Chamber Committee members at:
5 Things Great Managers
Do Every Day
To advertise in the
Recorder please
contact us
017 735 1532
I seldom have a pity party these days.
You know, where you feel sorry for
yourself and think the world owes you
something.
But, sometimes I do lapse and come up
with the pathetic refrain, “Why me?”
Of course, when I step back and have a
look at my life I see that it is fine. In fact,
I’ve been given more than my due.
Goodness, I could have been born in the
dark ages. If you lived beyond 30, it was
a miracle. I’m 52 in July and rather spry
for my age, even if I say so myself.
On the rare occasion that I do feel sorry
for myself, I look for people who have
overcome bigger odds than I’ll ever have
to. It helps put my lot into perspective.
I doubt I’ll ever have to face what
American bombardier, Louis Zamperini
faced in World War 2. He survived 47
days stranded at sea by catching and
killing hungry sharks and drinking the
warm blood of albatrosses – only to be
captured by the Japanese and horrifically
tortured for years in their most brutal
POW camps.
Let’s consider 17-year-old Juliane
Koepcke, who in 1971 was flying over
the Peruvian rainforest with her mother
when her plane was hit by lightning. She
survived a 3,2 kilometre fall and survived
more than 10 days alone in the jungle
before she found help.
Closer to home I look at Billy Selekane
www.billyselekanespeaks.com, who eked
out a living on the streets of Tembisa in
his bare feet. Today, he is one of the top
professional speakers in SouthAfrica and
a best-selling author, who has been inducted
into the Southern African Speakers Hall
of Fame and received the Distinguished
Tembisan Award for achievement.
Battling to study? Take a leaf out ofAfrica’s
greatest explorer, Scot, David Livingstone’s
(1813 – 1873) book. At the age of 10 he
began working at a local cotton mill. He
went to school each evening for two hours
after a 12-hour shift at work. Thus, he
learned Latin, Greek and mathematics and
won a place at Glasgow University.
Or take Jean-Dominique Bauby who when
he was editor-in-chief of French Elle
magazine suffered a massive stroke which
left him with locked-in syndrome. He wrote
his memoir The Diving Bell and The
Butterfly by blinking his left eyelid. He
wrote the entire book in 10 months (four
hours a day). It went on to become a
number one bestseller across Europe. Its
total sales today are in the millions. On
March 7, 1997, two days after the book was
published, Bauby died of pneumonia.
What makes these unique individuals
different to those of us who moan and
complain about our lot?
Let’s unpack some of their traits. They
don’t have a victim mentality. They
don’t believe that this world or anyone
in it has a custodial duty towards them.
They take 100% responsibility for their
actions. They make a firm decision and
then act on it 100%. They don’t deviate
off the path. They have a compelling
vision that keeps them going. They have
what is called, true grit.