Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from February, 2016

When did having it all become doing it all?

Or being all things to all people… Ruth Bader Ginsburg , U.S. Supreme Court Justice: “You can’t have it all at once. Over my lifespan, I think I have had it all. But in different periods of time, things were rough.” As a mother, a wife and a business woman, I have thought a great deal about this.    My article about #OutsideWork generated some personal mail that asked me, inter alia: “How?” “What do I need to do to satisfy everybody that needs my full attention when I am with them?”  My children, my boss, my partner – they all need me to be the best that I can be, and I am barely keeping my head above water.” “I don’t want to be selfish, but there is no time for me.” And a poignant comment: “This article made me remember that there must be time for “self” but I am not finding it.  I am mentally and emotionally exhausted and nobody seems to care” There is no one answer.  It’s different for those in a committed partnership, compared to single parents and, without quest

Retirement Act - what is going on?

The link to the Treasury Press Release is below.    It appears that the annuitisation is delayed, however the document released is a proposal and the final information will be covered in the budget speech on the 24th February, 2016 by Pravin Gordhan, current Minister of Finance. Much time and expense has been incurred by many companies to ensure compliance with the new act.  It appears that both Nedlac and Cosatu are objecting to a lack of consultation, with two major issues on the table: The savings are part of worker’s income, and should be accessible to the workers, as and when they need them, particularly with no comprehensive social security in place The fact that a comprehensive social security and retirement reform discussion paper has not been published. There has been general communication regarding the Taxation Laws Amendment Act (TLAA).  It was promulgated in 2013 and signed into law on 8 January 2016 i.e. with an effective date of 1 March 2016. The TLAA includ
Outside work, unwinding does not always have to be mindful…. (This article was written in response to the LinkedIn February brief #OutsideWork) “ Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else .”   J.M. Barrie And, old faithful, “ Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life ” We aspire towards balanced lives, talk constantly about work/life balance (as if work were not life) and often make work sound like the grudge part of the day.  I like to believe I have an integrated life, instead of a merely balanced one, with paid and unpaid sections. There are those who write their own pay cheques, and, for them, balance and integration are even more difficult to achieve.   The reality is that, for many people, their work is their life.   Even taking vacations cuts into their total absorption. I am not like that, at all! I love what I do for payment. I also love doing the stuff that keeps me close to family and friends.

Which Wolf are you Feeding?

Which Wolf are you Feeding?   An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life: (Sources – See below) A fight is going on inside me, he said to the boy.   It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.   One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. This same fight is going on inside you – and every other person, too. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather “Which wolf will win?” The old man replied simply “ The one you feed”. When I came across this story in a thriller by Michael Robotham, my reaction was immediate.  This is a great hook for creating positive thinking and, importantly to our business, a new way to approach an age old concern. Feeding the good wolf - focusing on th