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Self Discovery - Exploring the Journey

July 23, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

It’s always been amazing to me that I have lived in this body for so many years, and had never thought about myself, my journey, or my personal growth. I think that growing up in a poor household we were focused on keeping body and soul together and the next meal became the most important thing that we could focus on.

I always knew that there was something more out there, and knew that I had been put on this earth for a purpose greater than just eating and sleeping. I realised that God had put the seed of greatness inside me and that it was up to me to nourish it and make it grow - but how?

When Allan and I got married,  we went from being very poor to being very successful  owning our own home, cars and had numerous overseas holidays but I knew there was more to life - but what? And then for my 50th Birthday Allan gave me a ticket to the breakthrough experience, It was the Date with Destiny, with Tony Robbins and that’s when I discovered what life is really all about.  I realised that you can’t pour from an empty cup, and before I could advance any further in life, I had to get rid of everything that was holding me back. I had to relearn all the things I had been taught as a child. My parents, bless their souls, had done the best they knew how. I had been taught that it was virtuous to be poor, that rich people were crooks and that children should be seen and not heard, and they should only speak when spoken to!

I quickly realised that if anyone wanted to really get ahead in life and grow, this upbringing wasn’t going to work, but how do you change 50 years of conditioning? Well, the answer is, in a heartbeat! It was that quick!!

I realised that one could never think like a poor person and become rich and by the same token you couldn’t think like a rich person and remain poor! You become rich or poor in your mind first, and the rest follows. I also became aware that many of the decisions I made were rooted in fear. Fear that things wouldn’t work out how I wanted them to, fear of the unknown, fear of taking the step that would take me out of my comfort zone, and that’s when I realised that FEAR is nothing but False Evidence Appearing Real and that worry was a rehearsal for a disaster! Worry is thinking about what you don’t want to happen and the old saying what you think about you bring about is true. This was brought to light by the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne where she teaches the law of attraction, you always attract what you are thinking about, be it good or bad - the choice is always yours.

But how do you maintain a positive attitude in these days when everyone is talking about doom and gloom? The newspapers use misery to sell, the TV shows us all the bad things and sensationalises them, and some movies are all about the terrible things that happen to people that may happen to you personally  in the future? Well, the very first step in the right direction is to be grateful for everything you have - no matter how little - there is always someone worse off than you. So just say THANK YOU out loud to acknowledge that you do have something to be grateful for. Every morning when I get out of bed and put my feet on the floor, I say THANK YOU to God for allowing me to wake up to such a beautiful morning and I thank Him in advance for all the super things that I will experience on that day.

The most important thing in your life is your health. You cannot feel good if you are not healthy, and I mean healthy, you need to eat well and be mindful of what you put into your body. When I bought my Porsche, it was a diesel model and the salesman said to me – “you must only put diesel into this car - if you put petrol in it won’t go and don’t come and moan to us because it will be your own fault you messed it up!” I always say God should stick an instruction manual on each child as its born, only give this child good wholesome food, lots of water and fabulous fruit and veggies. The child would grow up to be so healthy and not be asking for sweets and cakes all day long.

I always tell people that God is busy these days as there are 8 billion of us on this earth now and he really hasn’t got time to ask you what you want. So, the best and easiest way to get what you want is to write it down and add a picture - as a picture speaks louder than 1000 words. Ask for everything that you want, no matter how trivial, I stick my vision board on the wall of my bathroom and I read it every morning and evening when I brush my teeth, when I go to the loo, when I have my shower, when I am putting my make up on, doing my hair (I spend a lot of time in the bathroom) and I often ask for the things out loud in case God isn’t up to reading them on that day. Just try it - you will be absolutely amazed at how quickly He organises it for you - even in the Bible it says Ask and you will receive, Seek and you will find, Knock and the door will be opened. He only asks one thing of you, and that’s that you BELIEVE with all your heart it will happen, and it will. Remember Gods delays are not Gods denials - He knows when the time is right for you but like the petulant child that you are - just keep asking!

As you discover more about yourself you find that you can cope with life’s ups and downs so much better. You become more disciplined, less emotional and you will find that those people who used to irritate you either stop irritating you or fall by the wayside and you won’t come across them anymore. You tend to gravitate to like-minded people who are more positive and fun to be with. So, make sure your cup is so full that it runs over, and you can help others to change their mindsets and if we all do this, together we can make the world a much better place.

Much Love,

Margaret Hirsch

In Guest Blog Tags Margaret Hirsch, Entrepreneurial Journey, Personal Development
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African print accessories…We love the celebration of African printed cloth in these handmade fashion accessories created by South African brand Marabou Essentials, founded by Fentse Mokale. This passion-f Image of the Day / Oryx Desert Salt

Sustainable salt and pepper…At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate about supporting  sustainable brands, and a great example is Oryx Desert Salt, founded by Samantha Skyring in South Africa. This growing Image of the Day / Reform Studio

Sustainable fashion accessories…We love showcasing women business innovators, so this morning we are featuring the work of sustainable lifestyle brand, Reform Studio, an inspirational eco-focused manufacturing Image of the Day /Femi Handbags

Full Bloom Style…Add a touch of summer florals to your wardrobe with one of the beautiful new Bloom handbags from Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi. With their eclectic pops of colour, there&rsq Image of the Day / Melvins Teas

Time for tea…If you love tea, then this Cool Chamomile tea from the Melvins Tea brand, founded by Flora Mutahi in Kenya is just what you need. The brand is part of Melvin Marsh International, the Kenyan-based f Image of the Day / Afropian

Storytelling through accessories…Afropian, the Pan-african lifestyle brand founded by Ethiopean entrepreneur Hortense Mbea, is a rare, fully hand-made in Africa brand. It uses traditional know-how in a modern way t Image of the Day / AAKS

Vibrant Ghanaian craftsmanship,…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We lo Image of the Day / Ledikana

Contemporary South African Chic…Knowing exactly how to spot a gap in the marketplace is key to the success of any fashion brand, and Mapholo Ratau, founder of Ledikana in South Africa, has achieved that goal. For h Image of the Day / The 1964 Brand

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Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan

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