This one is a short snappy blog after listening to my role model Oprah all morning. Personal development is a key part of my day, and I was blown away by what I heard, so it was only right that I shared…

  1. Who am I and what do I want?

These questions are not about your occupation, or the roles you play as daughters, doctors, teachers, friends, lawyers.  I am asking you ask the bigger question of ‘WHO AM I REALLY?”. I want you to understand that because once you’re connected to all that is, all that is possible becomes possible for you. I don’t want to just be successful in the world, or make my mark. I want to fulfil the highest expression of myself. This requires some kind of direction in life, to constantly ask yourself do I have a destination, or am I just riding? You must have some kind of vision in life, even if you don’t have a plan. You want to be in the driving seat of your life, because if you’re not, life will drive you. 

       2. You must find a way to serve

Martin Luther King said “not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service”. We live in a world where everyone wants to be famous, and we think being known will bring us value. The truth is, all of that will fade with time. The real truth is the service and the significance that you bring to your occupation, gift, job or whatever it is that you are doing. If you look at the most successful people in the world, they all have SERVICE. Everyone is talking about Mark Zuckerberg and IPO – SERVICE, Jay-Z rapping – SERVICE. Use whatever you do or product you choose to make as a way of giving back to the world. For many months, I was happy about having a large following on Instagram and that was enough. But, I had to take a long look at what I was doing and I made the decision that I was not just going to be ON Instagram, but I was going to USE Instagram as a platform, as a form for good and not be USED by Instagram. My decision to shift my paradigm changed my outlook, options and prospects.

        3. Always do the right thing and be excellent

People notice. Think about how you notice – look at when you go to Nandos and the waiter gives you a bottomless drink for free, you notice. Why? Because even at Nandos, excellence shows itself. Let excellence be your BRAND. If you make a choice to in every way, in every experience to do the right thing with excellence, you become unforgettable. People remember you, and that is what we all what. Do this even when people are not looking, because the law of motion is at work. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Celie said it in the Colour Purple, “Everything you done to me, already done to you” so don’t worry about revenge, you just have to do the right thing.