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The journey of resilience often reveals itself in unexpected ways.

🔹I hope you found your rhythm.
🔹I hope you marched your 20 miles with determination.
🔹I hope you remembered to find joy, give thanks and laugh loudly.
🔹I hope you encountered sincere friendships and I hope you found the courage to pursue your dreams.

2023 was an invitation of introspection and mentorship aimed at not only fortifying my own endurance but also guiding others to harness their resilience potential. The focus was meant to be on young minds and so I hope that as parents / caregivers, you have found the calendar / journal activities to be useful and helpful – even for yourselves 💙

Whilst we were not able to repeat our product range or possibly expand for 2024, you can repeat the activities and continue the flow of each months theme into 2024 and beyond.

Remember that the resilience muscle beats within us, resiliently pulsating with the rhythm of life itself. Each setback is a lesson etched in the narrative of perseverance; a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block.

I’m not sure yet on how I will be running this account going forward, but I do hope you continue your personal journey of self-discovery because the most profound expansions occur within ourselves.

It starts with an intention 💭
All the best 💙💙💙

Dear Rascals / Rascal Caregivers…

We’re a week away from 2024. I hope that your journey of self-discovery was transformative; weaving an enriching tale of character development.
🔹I hope you’ve added layers of intentionality and divinity to your being.
🔹That you found joy and magic in the little things.
🔹That you remembered to laugh deeply and pray fervently through the challenges, especially in the unshakeable chaos of the last 3 months.
🔹That you found appreciation for your precious self and immersed yourself in activities that amplify self-awareness.

Life is not without confrontation or without heartache nor is it without uncertainty, and so to keep the heart soft, to build resilience and to keep moving forward, we must delve past the surface and find comfort in faith for ‘faith is the bird that feels the light and sings, while the dawn is still dark’

My dad always bragged about the many books he read as a kid (Marvel comics, James Hadley Chase, Famous 5, Trompie, Westerns & Hardy Boys amongst others). As a child, my favourite reads were postman pat & his black & white cat, the adventures of Peter Rabbit and later – a collection of fairytales (gifted to me by my aunt @_fowzia_s), the adventures of Roald Dhal, Nancy Drew & Enid Blyton that became my most prized possessions. In high school I read all the Harry Potter books @jkrowling_official -I’ve been a potterhead since. The library was one of my favourite places to visit and on my recent trip to the UK, I found myself sitting in the @britishlibrary – without any real purpose or reason – wondering if all the knowledge between its walls would magically be absorbed into my brain if I stayed long enough. It was such a treat. I love the smell of books.

🔹Reading engages multiple brain functions simultaneously. It allows your mind to process events that are happening through the words and separates the sound of the word into pieces for comprehension.
🔹Reading allows you to immerse yourself in the character’s experience and feel what they are feeling -this is called grounded cognition. It increases empathy and relaxes the brain.
🔹Reading improves fluency which is more than just pronouncing the word but rather the speed, accuracy, emotion and meaning of what you are reading.
🔹Reading gives you the ability to understand that each individual is unique in their values, belief systems, dreams & desires, and their intentions as described by the author.
🔹Reading fosters connection and inspires educational and imaginative conversations with your child.

🔊 Moms & Dads, please also keep in mind that infants and toddlers listen to what is being said around them – using the brain to store the sound of the words and build a vocabulary, even if they don’t know how to use it yet. By the time they start to read most children will recognise the words and the sound of the words and will know what it means.

📖 P.S the benefits of reading a physical book far outweigh reading on a screen, especially if you are reading before bedtime.

Creativity helps to focus the mind and studies have proven that it has a calming effect on the brain and body. I didn’t know this in 2008 when – in my first job interview – I was asked how I handled stress. I answered apprehensively by saying “I colour, I love colouring, it calms me. Sometimes I colour my nephews homework for him.”
I thought it might sound strange (adult colouring books were not yet a thing) but it was something I genuinely found comfort in.

When we are creative, we acitvate the state of flow by completely absorbing ourselves in the creative activity; we’re working toward a completed result and on completion of this activity our brain releases dopamine. The positive feeling achieved from the dopamine release stimulates behavioural patterns that reinforce rhythm.

You can train your brain to be creative & @pinterest is a paradise for DIY options.

Creativity helps with
🔹Processing trauma or experiences that are difficult to verbalise
🔹Improved brain function & intelligence
🔹Increased happiness (dopamine release)
🔹Decision making
🔹Boosts immune system & improves physical health
🔹Reinforces rhythm

These are some of my favorite ways to be creative, what are yours.
🖌️Colouring
🖌️Musical instruments
🖌️Art / doodling / drawing / painting
🖌️Sewing / knitting / crocheting
🖌️baking

There are various definitions of appreciation.
Thankful recognition / Gratitude;
Attaching value to people, experiences, art; anything that provokes positive emotions within. Emotions that create a feeling of calm and safety.
For me appreciation comes from nature, a kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and sounds. From strangers who become family. From people who continue their lives silently but show up to support you when you move across the world (literally). From opportunities that knock just when you think all hope is lost. From bursts of laughter that leave you gasping for air. From all the little things that remind you that you’re seen, heard and acknowledged. That you have a place in the world even though it mostly feels like you go by unnoticed.

August also showcased the trailblazing women who create space and safety for each other through empowered leadership, camaraderie, excellence, unity and sportsmanship.

🔹 What are your appreciation reflections.

09-08-2023
I watched the Barbie movie recently – out of curiosity and against my better judgement – half expecting a quintessential romance between Barbie and Ken; instead I got a feeble demonstration of women empowerment.

I think it’s absolutely necessary to honour the trailblazing women who have paved the way for future generations; to credit their contributions and declare their sacrifices; to recognise their ambition for equity and equality and to provide platforms that support these dreams but I don’t buy into a battle of the sexes.
Personally, I think both men and women, have a specific role to play in, and make a significant contribution to society; different AND equal in their own right. Women have just as much an obligation to seek out knowledge, to empower, educate and uplift themselves. Faith not only tells us, but also shows us, just how meaningful a women’s contribution is.

So today on womens day, let’s honour the reason we celebrate. Let’s pay homeage to the bravery of the 20 000 South African women who came from all corners of the country to stand up against an oppressive system. Women before us, women after us and the present day change makers who continue to drive healthy transformation.

We are NOT competing, we ARE contributing.

Happy Women’s Day South Africa 💙

Julys themes are about laughter and the gift of giving. While these concepts seem unrelated, they are actually interconnected.

Both, laughter and charitable acts, activate the reward centres in our brain that release the same feel-good chemicals needed for overall wellbeing (dopamine, serotonin, endorphins).

Charitable acts foster social connections, translate experiences into meaningful stories, dissolve cognitive dissonance and elevate our need for authenticity because our values are aligned with our actions.

July also happens to be Mandela Month. Politics aside, his resilience, hope and determination for Ubuntu will always leave me inspired.

JUNE 💙 A collection of moments that remind me to pause – amidst the chaos – and appreciate the invaluable seconds that make my soul feel treasured.

We’re into the second half of the year. I hope you’re having fun building the resilience muscle through concious commitment.

🔹Have you made any new discoveries about yourself?
🔹Have you tried new hobbies and practiced new skills?
🔹Have you noticed any changes in your energy, breathing and in your gut?

16-06-2023

There was a dream. A purpose. A mission and then there was bloodshed, loss and devastation.

Why? Power! Control! Territory!

Earlier this year, we did a roadshow across schools in Gauteng to share the Resilient Minds toolkit with young learners. The ask was for educators to experiment with cultivating positive brain health and building resilience using our products.

What I found instead was a much harsher reality. A glaring picture of the wreckage caused by greed and corruption. All I could think was: Will this initiative even be enough? These people are already resilient! On a scale between success and failure, where would post apartheid South Africa tip?

My aunt and I chatted about the 1976 Soweto uprising briefly on our way back home after unpacking her eldest sisters’ house. The already sombre mood grew heavier. What started as a demonstration for access to fair and equitable education turned into bloodshed and almost 50 years later, it’s faded into an ordinary public holiday that most of us use leisurely.

Anyone can write a fancy speach and put forward a convincing strategy, Mr President, but we can’t be fooled any longer.
I (we) see the failing infrastructure. I (we) see the rising costs. The poverty. The violence. I see the consequences of a failing economy in the job market, how those who have the privilege of education are taking their knowledge and skill with them as they exit the country, leaving our beautiful land because YOU and YOUR ‘comrades’ have failed the people of SOUTH AFRICA. Where’s the equity in that?

Mindfulness is also acknowledging that we will not go through life unscathed, it is embracing the forces of life that press against us, and it is knowing that the inner self is our only adversary BUT you have to know your inner self first and to do this requires a combination of reflection, introspection, hope and faith.

Reflection and introspection help us to examine the world around us, to learn about our emotions and own our contribution to personal pain and suffering while hope and faith gives us the courage and the safety to explore what we’re actually capable of.

In being mindful, we also become aware of the limitations we place on ourselves, we explore the depths of our own being and develop the ability to relate to other’s with empathy.
We begin to choose differently because we know the darkness of where we’ve been and we know just how strong we are.

🔹Teach your children about the possibilities life has to offer without placing limitations on their hopes and dreams.
🔹Encourage them to sit in stillness and listen to their inner voice, is it a kind voice?
🔹Give them a set of values and demonstrated behaviours that guide how they think, act and interact with themselves and others.