Animal Abuse

I have never seen so many stray cats and dogs like I have seen here in Cape Town. The thought that people can harm their animals in any kind of way makes me just so sad. To say I love animal is an understatement. I adore animals with my heart and soul.

There seems to be this problem here in the city of Cape Town, I am not too aware of the other suburbs and areas, but beggars on the streets sell these most precious puppies for R20-R200 as they cannot feed themselves or get home or whatever the reason may be. I have since last year saved three precious puppies and have kept the one, Bella, who is my life. How can people walk around with the dogs and just sell them? Apparently it is illegal and I could actually slap myself because I paid these beggars money for the dogs.

                   http://www.beliefnet.com/Love-Family/Pets/2009/02/Pet-Loss-Meditations.aspx

The place that I took them to is DARG in Houtbay and they really are doing such wonderful work. They care and love the dogs and cats and it makes me so proud that there are actually people out there that are making a difference.

There is a major problem, not just in Cape Town but in South Africa. Dogs and cats also have feelings and all they want is love. How hard is it to love? And especially when they just love you unconditionally. The saying “a dog is a man’s best friend” really hits home when I see my baby Bella looking at me with nothing but love.

If you do happen to see people selling dogs illegally please either take them to DARG, phone the police or give me a call – I am serious!

                                            http://www.pethotelsofamerica.com/kennel.html

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?

My question is how did you get to the top of the pole? No I’m just kidding.

Today we live in a society which puts a great amount of pressure on us. If we don’t look or act a certain way, then we do not fit in and are considered outsiders. Peer pressure is one of the most disturbing things that most of us (not just teenagers) face today. From drinking and taking drugs to how many people you sleep with are just a few things that people have to face to be considered “cool.” If I look back at when I first started high school back in 2003 and looking at the world we live in now, things are just getting worse. I can only imagine what life is going to be when we have children one day. It actually makes me physically sick to the core of my stomach what 12 year olds and up are getting up to these days. Where have morals and self-respect gone to? Where has sex before marriage gone? Are we all so desperate to be accepted into society that we are willing to throw away our own names?

       http://www.ecosuperior.org/article/is-peer-pressure-good-for-the-environment-470.asp

What worries me the most is where do the parents come into the equation here? Do they not see how their children are acting and are they not teaching their children basic morals and dignity? I am not saying I look down on these people and judge them. We should never judge! What I am saying is I hope we all learn from this. We do not need to be what society wants us to be. We are all our own individuals and we all need to make our own decisions at the end of the day and whatever decision we make we need to live with them and all bear the consequences to our actions.

If you want to leap off that pole away from society, good for you! If not, you are never going to know how to be your own person that God made you to be.

http://eatingdisorderprogram.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/i-feel-the-pressure-to-be-thin-by-samantha-spiwak/

Why is everyone getting divorced?

Divorce is not a funny at all.  More and more people are getting divorced by the minute.  More than 50 % of married couples around the world are divorced. It’s actually weird when someone says that their parents are still together. Why though are so many people getting divorced?

I think the children get affected the most. I come from a divorced family and it affects us as the children the most.  Marriage is the most sacred bond of all time. It is the most beautiful thing given to us from God. Divorce is becoming so common, and it really does upset me.  It affects my relationships with men. I do not trust anyone I see. It isn’t meant to be like this because when we find that special person we want to spend the rest of our lives with, it should stay like that. I come from a very strict religion where divorce is very much frowned upon and I am sure that most religions are the same. So why now? Why is everyone we know getting divorced? I certainly do no not agree with divorce, I feel that people should work through their problems and come to some kind of an agreement. But then again if it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work.

                  http://www.active-parenting.com/archives/2011/11/20/divorce-its-effect-on-children

My sister and I have suffered. We have been through so much with our parents’ divorce. I would do almost anything to be a family again. One thing I do know for sure is that it has made us into much stronger people. Because we have been through hell, and I feel like I have literally been through hell, you have to be strong because they are still your parents and you can’t take sides because you love them both. Some advice, DO NOT take sides, it makes things 100 times worse.

For those of you, whose parents are still together, embrace it. You are so fortunate. For those of you who come from a divorced family, we will be ok. Hold your head up and high and let us not make the same mistakes our parents made.

                                     http://www.jkattorneys.co.za/specialist_divorce_lawyer.aspx

We are what we do

Sometimes in life we get judged by what we do. We might make mistakes and by that one stupid mistake, we are now judged by what we did. That does not make us bad people and it does not define who we are.

You might be a jealous person.  We all know what jealousy does to us. It turns us into mad people. It is human nature to be jealous. An example, your ex-boyfriend has a new girlfriend. He is posting pictures of them on Facebook and immediately you start comparing yourself to this new girl in his life such as “she’s prettier than me”, “what does she have that I don’t?” and so on. We cannot control these feelings because like I said, it is human nature.

http://supremeglory.com/08/19/2011/im-okay-because-at-least-i-dont-do-that-comparing-yourself-to-others/

I do not necessarily agree with this saying, “We are what we do”. Things that we act on and do, does not define us. It is who we are inside and the good qualities that we have that define us.  We need to stop comparing ourselves with other people and start looking at the good qualities that we possess. We are all great and we are all different. Imagine if we were all the same, life would be so boring. So start embracing who you are and remember your actions do not define who you are.

                                  http://daytobeyou.com/be-yourself/youre-your-own-person/

Dont lie to me !

Lying must be the number one thing that I hate the most! It is destructive and ends a lifetime of trust. I just don’t understand why people lie? I have a saying “Everything comes out” and trust me, it does! I would rather hear the truth no matter how much it hurts or kills me because you can work through it and you still trust that person. Is that not the most important thing to have in any relationship? Trust? Whether it’s your boyfriend, girlfriend, dad, sister, best friend, trust is key.

I have experienced first-hand that everything comes out. Yes, obviously I have lied in the past, to my parents, friends, sister etc. (and it came out) but it’s how you learn from those mistakes that really counts. If you carry on lying, then there’s a problem.

Most of us probably lie to loved ones because we feel that we are protecting them. Yes, that could be the situation as I have learned but it’s how far you take it that is the problem.

It is pretty clear that I have very  strong feelings about lying because I have been lied to endless times by loved ones and it has damaged my relationships with them. Is it worth it? I don’t think so. You might have different opinions to me and that’s fine, but never forget that it destroys the bond you have with the other person you love and I don’t think that is a risk I will ever be willing to take.

http://heidikwells.blogspot.com/2012/02/lying-in-relationships-deception.html

We are afraid of the wrong things

Often we find that getting to know people is the most petrifying thing. We walk into a room and all these faces are staring at us and we freeze. Just saying hello to someone is so hard, but why? Are we scared of what they are going to say to us, what they think of us or that they going to judge us? I am sure that most of us hate getting to know someone or taking that first step. It has to be done though.

As most of you all know I am from Durban and I attended Varsity College. I then moved to Cape Town and transferred to the Varsity College in Rondebosch. Obviously I was nervous and afraid of what people may think of me and also coming into a class of people who had been together for 3 years was frightening. To my surprise, people were so welcoming and friendly and so helpful that I was really overwhelmed.

I then decided to come to Cape Town University of Technology to do my last year in Public Relations and also coming into a class of people who had known each other for a few years. Again to my surprise, I was so welcomed and everyone was so friendly.

It might be maybe because of our insecurities that we feel we cannot approach people or maybe you are just shy. I know because I am really tall that some people feel intimidated or I feel uncomfortable approaching them.

Whatever your reason, take that first step, don’t be shy, be confident.  People are not as bad as you think, trust me.

http://unafide65.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/simply-different/

Fish falling from the sky

Expect the unexpected.

I was told this from a friend a few years ago and thought to myself, what is she going on about? Well let me tell you now, I know what she was talking about and did I get the surprise of my life!

I have recently have been going through a bit of a bad time in my life, which I thought would never happen to me, and I am standing right now with my eyes wide open in shock because like I said before “It will never happen to me.” We must never be so naïve to this statement because those of us, who do say it, normally are the ones who get a bit of a wakeup call. Life in general is so unexpected, one day we can be having a perfectly normal day and the next thing we know something comes a long and totally ruins it for us. Did we know it was going to happen? Probably not. That is why we have to live in the moment. None of us knows what is in store for us, so we must embrace the moment, live and love life to the fullest because you never know when fish could fall from the sky.

https://iamjustabee.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/232/

                                        http://www.slowdownfast.com/how-to-live-with-gusto/

New upcoming artist

My best friend, Karen Pape, is one of the most talented people I know. Ask her to do anything and everything and she will do it no matter how hard the challenge is or who it is for. She has the most genuine heart I have ever come across. All she wants to do in life is help people, which must be one of the most amazing qualities anyone can have. Anyway, what I want to share with everyone is her paintings. Her talent in this field is almost unreal. I cannot comprehend that she has never had any sort of formal art practice and the art she produces is astonishing. She always paints with purpose. Her art tells a story of either something personal or something she feels strongly about. She mainly paints people of all races because she feels that by painting people, people will be attracted to her paintings feelings, emotions and the story it has to tell.  

Tonight (5 March) she will be participating in her first art competition and I no doubt, know she is going to achieve some kind of recognition. She has a dream and she is aiming high for it. We all need to start somewhere for us to succeed in life. Even if we fail the first few times, who cares. Do not let it hold you down. Keep trying and do not hold back. Take that first step and aim for greatness.

Good luck my friend.