60 Reasons to celebrate life

We are about to celebrate Father's Day and Youth Day all wrapped in one. Today we celebrate the JOY of Fatherhood. Father’s Day is a indeed a special moment in the year where we pause to honour the deep and lasting impact fathers have on our lives. It’s more than just a day—it’s a celebration of love, strength, guidance, and sacrifice. To be a father is one of life’s greatest privileges: to hold tiny hands, to offer wisdom through life’s twists and turns, and to be a steady presence through all seasons. There is a unique and indescribable joy in watching your children grow, knowing that you’ve helped shape their lives with your care and example. On this day, we not only feel proud to be fathers, but also grateful for the gift of fatherhood itself. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY & Also Happy Birthday to Antoinette tomorrow! 15 JUNE 2025 LINK: LINK to Landing page with LINKS to other "REASONS" posts

Since it's Saturday, what better day to celebrate one of my greatest passions? Can you hear the church bells sounding in the distance? Somewhere, a bridal party is buzzing with excitement—after all, the big day has finally arrived... I Was Born to Celebrate Love As a wedding officiant, I don’t just conduct ceremonies — I witness the power of two people choosing each other, committing to a shared life, and saying yes with open hearts. Every wedding is a sacred moment, and it’s my deepest joy — and calling — to help couples honour that moment with meaning, authenticity, and celebration. Some people find a job. Others find a purpose. I found mine standing before two people, eyes locked, hearts open, ready to say, “I choose you.” That’s the moment I come alive — when love stands still for just a second, and everything else fades away. For me writing the ceremony always begins with music — a certain melody floating into my awareness as I begin thinking about the couple, their journey...

  As we reflected yesterday on projects of the past, I think it is equally important to celebrate some exciting projects in progress in 2025 . I am presently involved in the development cum presentation of a Dual CMI Degree/Diploma program in collaboration with several universities and training institutions. I have been rolling out this program with the CMI program since 2012. We are very fortunate to have negotiated Articulation agreements with various overseas Colleges and Universities. The core aim of this initiative is to restructure the traditional model of student engagement — shifting from a 99:1 campus-to-practice ratio to a much more practice-oriented 20:80 ratio , allowing students to spend significantly more time gaining real-world experience. All CMI students are employed and engaged in upskilling programs so that is a natural and easy fit. In parallel, we are developing an innovative credit accumulation and points system called “EXIT-Levels” . This will allow stu...

It is raining Projects  As I look back over the past three decades of my career, I am struck not only by the diversity of the projects I’ve been part of but also by how each one has left its mark on me.  From the very beginning, I was drawn to work that challenged assumptions, projects that was trendsetting and shifting boarders and called for deep engagement with people and ideas. What I didn’t fully realize at the time was how much these experiences would shape my outlook—not just professionally, but personally. Some projects tested my technical knowledge (or forced me and colleagues to develop new tools)  and taught us the value of creativity, innovation and perseverance. Others were more collaborative, reminding me that relationships, trust, and communication often matter as much as strategy and structure. I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life, across sectors and disciplines, continents and cultures and it is from these collaborations t...

I have a shelf filled with all the psychology books I studied—I think collectively over forty thousand pages. Yikes!!! Sometimes I wonder why psychology is so complicated...   When it comes to human nature, the following video might just sum it up brilliantly!!  On a lighter note: "Just think of all the reading and studying I could’ve skipped—if only someone had handed me this cheat sheet a bit earlier!"  See here it is!!! - The CODE to understanding Human Behavior in a nutshell... (See for yourself by clicking on the LINK below) YouTube Video That being said, off course psychology approaches human nature from multiple angles, each discipline offering its own unique lens. Psychoanalysis delves into the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences, while behaviorism focuses on observable behavior and the impact of conditioning.  Humanistic psychology emphasizes personal growth, free will, and the inherent goodness of people. Cognitive psychology explores how...

  Brushstrokes on the Canvas: A Reflection at Sixty I know now: this blog is an immense task. And yet, I will continue the undertaking — courageously. My promise is my promise, and I’ve always liked to think of myself as a man of my word. I don’t like to break that. But I also know now that I will never truly be able to do justice to my life in this “broad strokes painting.” Not because I think I’m particularly “special” or “exciting,” but because each of our lives is such an enormous, intricate, and beautiful life-sized painting. The challenge lies in how we unpack and interpret those colours — how we dissect the brushwork of our own existence. Right at the start, I said: this is not to impress or brag. This isn’t an “Oh-look-at-me” kind of thing. No! This is a humble attempt to do justice to a life I’ve come to see as one long, continuous blessing — yes, interwoven with sadness, but that’s how texture and depth work. The beauty lies in the contrast — alternating...

...ek weet nou (hierdie blog) is 'n onbegonne taak... tog gaan ek steeds maar my onderneming moedig volhou. My belofte is my belofte en ek het nog altyd graag aan myself gedink as n man van my woord. (die breek ek nie graag nie) Gedagtig aan al die BAIE mense wat my lewenespaadjie gekruis het  -  Simonsberg Koshuis (US) 1984 Ek besef al te goed, ek sal nooit regtig daarin kan slaag om werklik reg te laat geskied aan my lewe in hierdie "broad strokes painting" nie. Nie omdat ek so "special" en "exciting" is nie, maar omdat almal van ons lewens so n ontsaglike, lewensgroote, mooi skildery is - en hoe "unpack" en "dissect" ons daardie kleure. Reg in die begin het ek gesê: hierdie is nie om te beindruk of te roem nie - "Oh-look-at-me-tipe-ding-nie"!!! NEE!!!, dit is n poging aangewend om reg te laat geskied aan n lewe wat ek as een groot stuk seen sien - welliswaar met hartseer tussen in, maar dis mos maar hoe tekstuur en diep...