Poster that used to hang in my classroom. Quote by Mother Jones. Illustration by the brilliantly talented zenpencils.com
Its been a few years now since I taught in a traditional classroom in a traditional school system. For awhile now I have turned my attention to the likes of Sir Ken Robinson. His book Creative Schools is a fascinating read and definitely, for me, the direction I think education should be moving.
Anyway, in this quiet start to my year it was time again to look through boxes of old teaching files and papers and decide what needs to go.
A special box put aside to place items that hold significance – valuable memories of that time in those classrooms and the young people who walked through my life then.
But other than that, stuff has to go. Another one of my all important rituals – taking stock, paring back and letting go.
Back to the poster. I had forgotten about this powerful message til I stumbled across it again in this tidy out. I used to look at this message on the wall everyday – strengthening and inspiring. Once again it resonates so deeply with me…. so I wanted to share it with you.
A year ago I gifted myself Kristina Karlsson’s intriguing book – Your Dream Life Starts Here. I got the Dream Life Journal at the same time and got stuck into the business of dreaming.
I decided to take my time with this process unsure of where it would take me.
Chapter 2 is titled “Be inspired by the dreams of others”. At the end of this chapter is such an inspiring story, that of Dr Tererai Trent. Discovering her story sidetracked me from the Dream Life Journal for a number of months as I explored Dr Tererai’s magical idea of sacred dreams and tapping into your Great Hunger.
By August I had 3 delicious dreams safely encased in my Dream Tin! I don’t have a suitable place to bury my dreams, like Dr Tererai did, so the tin travels with me wherever I go.
This part of the process was so uplifting and hope-inducing, particularly on the back of a previous few months of difficult times to push through.
But there’s dreaming and then there’s doing, right!
Back to the Dream Life Journal which I have now completed. Dr Tererai’s inspiration of the sacred and Kristina’s insights into the practicalities of dreaming have dove-tailed beautifully. Those 3 dreams buried in the Dream Tin now have very specific dates assigned and a master action list for each…. a couple of actions have even been ticked off already in the last couple of days!
I have always been a bit of dreamer… a day dreamer wandering wistfully through memories or drifting into future hopes.
As Master Yoda says of Luke ” Never his mind on where he was… what he was doing!”
This is dreaming of a different kind…. a dream life that is tangible and oh so possible… if I keep my end of the deal, stick to my action list and the Universe meets me half way… this time next year will look really different. Let’s see, shall we?
Longing to experience the real, authentic Mama Africa in all her grit and glory? Love a good road trip? What about great banter around a campfire, sipping a gin and tonic, pausing every now and then to listen to the soundscape that only a night under the African sky can bring? How about magical sunrises and sunsets? Or an impromptu coffee stop in the middle of somewhere intrepid? Want your African experience to include some boots on the ground time for wildlife conservation and community empowerment?
That all important coffee break along the way…. Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique
Then you need to meet my gorgeous friend, Carla Geyser. Her Journeys with Purpose are all of the above and then some!
Carla with Izzy (another kindred spirit) on a boat… a day exploring the waters of Maputo Bay, Mozambique
I first came across Carla’s story in 2016 when she embarked on her epic Elephant Ignite Expedition – travelling 16 000km across 10 countries. Carla and her team visited 37 conservation organisations, engaging with communities along the way and distributing 20 000 educational booklets. The idea for this expedition was sparked by the plight of elephants across Africa – their plummeting numbers due to poaching and human wildlife conflict.
Then in 2018 I followed Carla’s next adventure, The Rise of the Matriarch, on social media. This time an international all women crew set out with Carla for a 50 day, 11 000km journey through 4 countries. This expedition raised global awareness for the plight of African wildlife, raising funds for conservation groups and empowering local youth, especially girls.
I still have the diary from that time and scribbled in a
margin is “Blue Sky Society Trust – next time”.
In May of this year I got to meet Carla in person. She picked me to be part of her crew for a
2019 Journey with Purpose. I have
recorded this incredible adventure in previous posts:
Carla is a great expedition leader – the perfect blend of happy-go-lucky and down to earth pragmatism. She knows Africa well and understands how to travel wisely. Able to go with the flow while at the same time being uber prepared for every eventuality – a real skill in this environment!
Carla overseeing production of a delicious potjie… on top of the world in eSwatini
I love Carla’s attitude to life which is incorporated into
the name of her not-for-profit – The Blue Sky Society. Read here how the name came about. She is a kindred spirit… we share a passion
for Mama Africa, our birthplace. Yet
Carla’s personality is such that anyone from anywhere could not help but enjoy
her company and be swept away in her enthusiasm for life and her work.
I consider it one of the greatest experiences of my life, that May Journey with Purpose. I also consider it an honour and privilege to have shared the road with Carla Geyser and her fabulous landy, Dora. And I cannot wait to go again and be a part of another Blue Sky Society Journey with Purpose!
Dora the Landy in Kruger National Park… this photo taken shortly after two spectacular leopard sightings
Carla is an ordinary woman just like me. But her big dreams, her belief in the infinite possibilities of life and her “just do it” attitude make her voice extraordinary….
Four incredible Journeys with Purpose are planned for 2020 (click on the links to find out more):
I want my life and work to be meaningful. I want to live and breathe my passion and purpose daily. I want to be a force for change – for a more loving and compassionate world.
But my character is not forceful. My leadership style is not charismatic or
persuasive. My dedication to my work, my
accomplishments and achievements often fly under the radar as I don’t seek to put
myself forward. I am also not competitive
which means I mostly defer to more extroverted characters. Perhaps this is read as weakness.
And so I have been having a little crisis of self… the
crisis of the “I’m too small” and the “I’m not enough” kind because I don’t have
a “big, out there” personality.
I’ve been here before. So time to find solitude and sit with this discomfit and then the epiphanies will come…. they always do…
Susan’s Quiet
Revolution is based on wonderful core values some of which have profoundly
resonated with me:
Be kind always Be soulful – embrace feeling, emotion and the unseen Be quirky Be honest Be aligned with your values Be a revolutionary – “In a gentle way you can shake the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
I want to be a quiet revolutionary.
And in my own gentle, authentic way shake the world.
My most profound experience of quiet and solitude was in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park where I took this photo.
