My aim is to inspire people around the world one blog post at a time.
This is the place to nourish your mind, heart, body and soul.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch your own business. Maybe you want to escape the rat race and find peace in simple living. Maybe you want to improve your health. Whatever your dream is, it is valid!
-
Dreams without action are just dreams. But taking action doesn’t necessarily mean quitting your job and burning the ocean. Small steps matter. It is the ability to plug away consistently at something over time that is the key. Small steps add up. You’ll get there!
-
If you keep building slowly and consistently with passion each day, adding value that matters to you, then the growth will take care of itself. The keys to achieving success are patience and avoiding complacency.
The Future of Jobs
Imagine the world in 2030 and beyond, and you will realise that many careers which feel secure today will either be transformed or pushed aside by then.
New ones, some we cannot yet name, will emerge to take their place.
In this shifting landscape, the question therefore is not just “Which jobs will survive?” but “What kind of work, skills, and mindsets will thrive?”
This article draws on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 and related research to explore how the labour market is evolving, how fast change is likely to come, and what young people, current managers, and businesses must do to stay ahead.
The New Gold
Walk into any boardroom in 2025 and you will hear three familiar words pop up again and again: data, energy and water.
These three simple words are likely the new gold of the 21st century because they share four features with historical gold rushes:
1. They are scarce in the places that need them most.
2. They are unevenly distributed.
3. They carry outsized geopolitical leverage, and
4. They can compound value across the rest of the economy.
So, suppose you are planning a strategy for a country, a company, or your own career. In that case, it is essential to understand why these resources have moved to the centre of power, who stands to win, who may lose, how quickly the shift is unfolding, and where the proverbial new seams will be found.
Selling Sickness
A key question that I often ponder on is “Are pharmaceutical companies really incentivised to make people well”?
As the cost of medicines and other medical treatments seems to be on an accelerated upward trajectory here in South Africa, where I live, it’s a timely question.
The popular narratives seem to paint big drug firms as either heroic lifesavers or rapacious profit-seekers. I suspect that the truth is more complex and that there are elements of both.
This article aims to demonstrate that, in certain instances, the alignment between business incentives and genuine health outcomes is robust. In many other cases, it is weak or even inverted.
The Next Decade
Humans are naturally curious about the future. To varying degrees, most of us would like to know what the future holds, particularly during times of perceived uncertainty or instability.
However, as author Nassim Taleb notes, traditional prediction methods are dangerous, especially for "Black Swan" events. He argues that they create a false sense of security and lead to fragility by encouraging over-reliance on flawed models like Gaussian distributions.
Instead of precise forecasts, he advocates for preparedness, robustness, and antifragility, focusing on the potential consequences of events rather than their probabilities to build systems that can withstand and even thrive on uncertainty.
So, how do we sensibly gauge what the next decade may have in store for us?
Oxygen
If you’re a leader, understand this: Recognition isn’t a perk. It’s oxygen. Without it, people suffocate.
If you have seen a capable person slowly disengage at work, you may know how quietly suffocation happens. They start showing up a little later, speaking less, and volunteering less often. It's nothing dramatic; just the creeping absence of air.
The uncomfortable truth for leaders is that recognition is not a perk for good times; it is the oxygen people breathe at work. When it is present, you barely notice it. When it is absent, everything begins to fail.
This article unpacks why recognition matters, how to do it well, what to avoid, and which real-world examples show the idea in action.
Our Tendency to Misjudge
Humans pride themselves on being rational creatures, capable of weighing evidence and making sound decisions. Yet, as history and experience keep reminding us, we are prone to repeated errors of judgment.
No one explained this better than Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and long-time business partner of Warren Buffett.
Munger argued that most mistakes in judgment come not from ignorance of facts but from psychological tendencies that subtly distort how we interpret the world.
He identified 25 psychological biases and tendencies, compiled in his book "Poor Charlie's Almanack," to understand and avoid common patterns of human misjudgment.
In his famous talk, “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment”, he explains several of these “misjudgments.”
By understanding them, we can become more aware of our blind spots, improve our decisions, and avoid traps that have cost individuals and organisations dearly.
When Giants Stumble
Have you ever wondered why even seemingly invincible brands sometimes stumble and fail?
This article will examine key reasons, including ten case studies, to crystallise the lessons.
The thread that runs through all of them is not a single villain like “technology” or “the economy,” but a cluster of reinforcing mistakes: strategic inertia, business-model lock-in, heavy debt, warped incentives, a culture that slows honest learning, and late or timid responses to platform shifts.
When those errors compound, even icons fall.
This Is Me (Pty) Ltd
There is a simple equation for individual success. Build something genuinely good, then make sure the right people know it exists.
For professionals, the “product” is their capability and character. The “marketing” is their personal brand, the way others understand what they do, the results they deliver, and the values they stand for.
Tom Peters captured this many years ago with a rallying cry that still rings true: “You are the chief marketer for the brand called You”.
A strong personal brand is not a vanity project. It is a practical system for earning trust, creating opportunity, and compounding the value of your work over time.
You’re Not Just Light … You’re Shadows Too
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been told to “focus on the positive,” “be the light,” or “choose kindness.”
And while those sentiments carry value, they can sometimes paint an incomplete picture of what it means to be fully human.
The truth is, you are not just light. You are shadows, too.
Embracing both sides, the light and the dark, is necessary for self-understanding and authentic connection with others.
So, let’s explore some practical examples, dig deeper into this idea, and use the lens of personality (in this case, the somewhat simplistic but well-known Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) to appreciate the full spectrum of who we are as humans.
The Subtle Art of Quiet Quitting
In today’s workplace, you may have heard the buzzword “Quiet Quitting.”
It’s been circulating in conversations about work culture, employee satisfaction, and mental health, but what does it mean?
“Quiet Quitting” isn’t about physically quitting your job; it’s about mentally and emotionally disengaging from it while still being present.
It’s a subtle form of protest where employees, feeling undervalued, overwhelmed, or unmotivated, decide to do the bare minimum required to stay employed.
This phenomenon raises an important question: Why are so many employees adopting this mindset? Is it a reflection of laziness, a cry for help, or an indictment of today’s work culture?
Twenty Brutal Truths
Tough love is one of life’s paradoxes. It’s often hard to hear but even harder to ignore when you realise it’s what you need to grow.
Sometimes, the truth hurts, but it can cut through the fog of self-deception and push us toward change.
In this article, we’ll explore 20 brutally honest quotes that embody the spirit of tough love.
Each is followed by a practical explanation and, where possible, an example.
From Apprentice To Master
If you’re in the early stretch of your career, the path ahead can feel like a foggy highway at night.
Robert Greene’s book Mastery offers a clear map of how people actually become world-class at something: pick the right game, apprentice with intent, stack experiences, and then create original work that looks obvious only in hindsight.
Greene defines mastery as the point where knowledge, skill, and intuition fuse.
At this stage, you do not just execute; you see patterns that others miss and respond almost automatically with sound judgment.
This article will take a practical, conversational walkthrough of that path, tailored to the realities of a first or second job.
Protect Your Peace
If you’ve ever snapped at a stranger in traffic, hit “send” on an email you later regretted, or lain awake replaying a heated exchange, you’ve felt the cost of unprotected peace.
“Protecting your Peace” is essential and requires a practical strategy for staying clear-headed, healthy, and effective in a noisy world where anger and anxiety are always looking for a foothold.
In this article, we’ll examine what protecting your peace means, how emotions like anger shape your brain and body, and what to do when your peace is on the line.
Maximise Yor Impact
There’s a simple reason some leaders seem to move mountains while others are forever stuck rearranging pebbles.
The best leaders consistently do the right work at the right level. It remains one of the most powerful leadership lessons I have learnt.
Originally published in November 2000, Stephen Drotter co-authored The Leadership Pipeline, which HR Professionals quickly embraced as a means of approaching leadership development.
However, whilst working with Stephen Drotter for a short while during the implementation of the Leadership Pipeline at the organisation I was working for, I soon discovered that it was a robust framework for understanding how to structure work in a business to optimise results.
Why Teenagers Rebel
We’ve all either lived through it, witnessed it, or felt baffled by it—the infamous teenage rebellion.
It’s the eye rolls at dinner, the dramatic door slams, the dyed hair, the midnight escapades, the loud music with incomprehensible lyrics, or the blunt “you just don’t understand me.”
Teenage rebellion is one of human development's most familiar and misunderstood chapters.
But what if we stopped seeing rebellion as defiance and started viewing it as part of a necessary, even healthy, transformation?
This blog article explores the root causes of teenage rebellion, how it manifests, and how families, educators, and society can compassionately and constructively engage with it.
Underneath the eye-rolling and resistance lies something more meaningful: a young person discovering who they are.
Navigating Office Politics
“In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you replace “politics” with “office politics” in the above quote by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the words still ring true.
Whether we like it or not, office politics are everywhere.
They creep into meetings, linger in the hallways and the coffee station, and influence decisions behind closed doors.
Many associate the term with manipulation, favouritism, or backstabbing, but that’s a narrow, often cynical, view.
Office politics are fundamentally about human behaviour, power dynamics, and influence.
They’re about surviving your job and learning how to thrive.
This article, therefore, explores what it means to be politically savvy, why it’s an essential skill in modern workplaces, and how to develop it without compromising your integrity.
Beat the Odds in a World of Failing Projects
In a world where ambition often outpaces excellent execution, large-scale projects such as bridges, airports, rail systems, or digital platforms can be challenging to get right.
In “How Big Things Get Done”, Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg and journalist Dan Gardner dive into why so many megaprojects fail and what separates the rare successes from the overwhelming number of failures.
The numbers are sobering: 92% of megaprojects are over budget, late, or both.
Even more alarming, a mere 0.5% are delivered on time, on budget, and with the promised benefits.
But Flyvbjerg and Gardner aren’t just critical voices. They offer clear, research-backed strategies for doing things differently and more effectively.
Foundations of Success
I have spent over thirty-five years working in human resources and witnessed many careers tank or skyrocket.
In recent years, I have noticed an increasing trend of impatience among younger people who expect to occupy a senior role in an organisation soon after achieving an academic qualification, despite spending little to no time in the proverbial trenches.
However, the brutal truth is that success is not tied solely to academic qualifications or inherent talent. While these attributes may open doors, they are the first step in a much larger journey.
What ultimately defines success is the life skills individuals develop and master along the way, skills that help them navigate challenges, build relationships, and continuously grow.
And these life skills take time to develop.
It is said that the road to failure is often paved with good intent, but those who cultivate a foundation of essential life skills have a better chance of achieving lasting success.
Qualifications may get you a seat at the table, but life skills ensure you will stay there and thrive.
So, let's examine some essential life skills and ask ourselves how long it takes to become exceptional in these areas.
Can all of these be acquired without experience?
Global Debt and Trade Wars
Debt used to be something most people only worried about when it came time to pay off their mortgage or student loans.
But is global debt emerging as a global crisis in our modern world?
Governments, companies, and households worldwide are swimming in red ink, and the water is rising. From Washington to Beijing to Brussels, the world’s biggest economies are shouldering record-breaking debt loads.
Add a revived tariff war sparked by Donald Trump’s return to the political scene, and you’ve got a world economy teetering between resilience and recklessness.
In this article, we’ll unpack the state of global debt today. We’ll dig into the specifics of the U.S., China, and Europe (the three heavyweight economies) and explore what their rising obligations mean for your wallet, the markets, and the future of global cooperation.
I’m Well, Thanks … And Neither Are You
If someone were to ask how you’re doing right now, odds are your default reply would be: “I’m well, thanks. And you?”
It’s automatic. Polite. Expected.
But let’s pause for a moment and think about that phrase. Are you truly well? Or have you, like many people, accepted a version of wellness that barely scratches the surface?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: many of us think we’re well because we’re not in crisis. But wellness isn’t the absence of disease or drama.
It’s balance, meaning, connection, energy, and peace.
And if you’re feeling vaguely restless, exhausted, stuck, or constantly “on the edge” despite being “fine,” you’re not alone.
The dissonance is real, and it’s growing.