Something POSITIVE for a change

Howzit

I
don't know about you but jislaaik I'm now getting really gatvol of all the bad
news. South Africa once again seems to be falling through its own poephol. I
think I'm going to puke if I hear any more s#*t about Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe,
Crime, Eskom, the Oil Price, Inflation, Soaring Food Costs, Bafana Bafana or
even friggin Paris Hilton. I've absolutely had it with all this negativity, doom
and gloom! I'm really SAT of it all ek se!!! How about
you?

I mean
it's not like I want to gooi the ostrich vibe and bury my head in the sand. This
shit is real and it's serious and it's happening all over.but not to me..YET!!!
Nevertheless I can't help but read it, hear about it it, see the headlines, hear
the rumours.EVERYWHERE. It's like they are brainwashing me boet. And the worst
part of it is that I feel totally and completely HELPLESS. Useless.
Disempowered. Castrated (almost.) Frustrated (completely.) I keep getting this
heavy ball of anxious dread filling my guts and it feels really KAK! And the
worst part of it all is that I am a motivational speaker who needs to stay
positive and optimistic.

To top
it all off, winter is coming so I can't even feel good about the lekker weather
any more!

Peter
de Villiers, our new Springbok Rugby Coach, was quoted in a Sunday Times
interview published on 4th May as saying: "The local media thrive on negativity.
They have nothing good to say about their country. If there is something bad
about this country the local media will break a leg to be the first to write
about it. They're a bunch of negative people who live in a world of their own,
and are merely there to earn a living and not make SA a better
place."

I
agree completely with the ou. I'm think that most of our journalists, reporters
and editors are uninspired, negative, disaster focused, sensation seeking, sad
sorry scumbags. They find fault in everything and never propose any workable
solutions. Many of the ordinary people of South Africa are busy doing wonderful
little things every day, but none of it is newsworthy. Here's the truth: There
are roughly 6.6 billion people on planet earth. And according to the World
Health Organization, some 56 million deaths occur per year, at the current
global average. That works out to about 153 400 per day. That's right - 153 400
deaths every 24 hours! So it's not really hard work to find disasters,
accidents, catastrophes, murders, muggings and general mayhem to fill the
headlines. It's actually pretty easy.

But
during that same 24 hours, about 350 000 babies are born. That's right, every 24
hours, around 350 000 beautiful, miraculous, perfect, pure, happy, untainted,
precious little beings begin their journey on this planet. And what do
journalists write about this? F%*k all that's what! Unless of course a six month
old baby is stabbed to death - then we never stop hearing about it!

Every
day about 48 million of us get up, take a s*#t, clean our teeth (hopefully) and
get on with our life. And many of us perform little acts of respect, compassion,
kindness, service, giving, helping and creating. As Cath Jenkin wrote recently
in her blog: "There is noise and joy and emotional honesty in the way we live.
When we as a nation are happy, we celebrate. When we are sad, we are sad
together. Does anything else really matter? At least we are together in the
queue for petrol and/or torches."

But
for our media this is not newsworthy. It's just life.

So I
gave it all a lot of thought. Then I did some more real deep thinking. And guess
what - buggerall happened! So I stopped thinking for a while, by learning to
meditate. Then I stopped reading most of the newspapers. Then I stopped watching
the news on TV and listening to the news in my car. And I stopped listening to
people with negative chirps and bad energy. And I stopped focusing on what was
going wrong in my life.

Then I
started to meditate every morning, after doing some simple yoga stretches and
synchronized breathing exercises. And I replaced my morning cup of coffee and
cigarette with some herbal tea and a dagga joint. (OK - joking about the joint!)
And I re- read the Power of Now and Conversations with God and a Short History
of Nearly Everything. And I began to visit an awesome positive website called sagoodnews.co.za.  And MAN did
I start to feel better. MUCH BETTER. Then I started to watch every sunset
possible, ride my bicycle, watch funny video's on Youtube, work in my garden,
walk on the beach - I fu&%#ng started living again BRU! From the inside out!
And it finally hit me between the eyes, an epiphany:

You
can't change your thinking in order to improve your behaviour. You need to
change your behaviour in order to improve your thinking. It's taken me many
years of searching and many many books, self development courses and personal
growth experiences to come to this simple truth.

So if
you, like me, are feeling anxious, concerned, depressed or gatvol, why not try
changing your behaviour and DOING something differently, from today.

For
example:

Greet
every SAP policeman you meet with a friendly smile or handshake and thank them
for protecting you and your loved ones. Boy do they need some
motivation!

Visit www.sagoodnews.co.za.
Often.

Read
an inspiring book.

Write
a poem.

Get
into nature (or walk barefoot on your lawn!)

Write
down everything you have to be grateful for. Every
morning.

Play
inspirational music, especially when the news comes on your
radio.

Find
some way to exercise your body a little more. (Endorphins are
lekker!)

Try
out one of the 100 available techniques of mediation or
relaxation.

Watch
the sunrise and/or sunset.

Create
a morning ritual to make your day beautiful.

Find
out and speak about the good news.

Choose
to be happy.

And
don't allow the media to f%&k with your mind.

Most
importantly, seek out and speak your own truth and live a whole life.

You
deserve it.

And in
doing so, you will change your life and make a massive difference to this
special place we call home.

PS: To
all the media people out there - I'm all for a free press. Really. I'm just sick
and tired of your continued obsessive focus with everything negative. When are
you going to realize that you are not merely reporting on what is happening -
you are CAUSING some of it by your actions. Yes - YOU! You are helping to
perpetuate a dangerous cycle of violence and destruction. I accept that bad news
sells, but soon there will be nobody left here to buy it! Please cheer up and
get a life or piss off and go find another job. Serious. I've had it with your
sensationalism and scandal. Enough already. Start doing your job and working a
little bit harder to creatively seek out and give some headline space to the
good stuff going down in SA. Trust me, it's there!

(Pheeew it feels good to
have got that off my chest!!!)

I wish
you an awesome day. Choose to make it that way!

Mark
Berger.

(Please feel free to
forward this mail to anyone whom you feel may be in need of some good news.)