“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ―Winston S. Churchill
They both receive water from the rain but one is thriving with life while the other is toxic. The rainwater the river receives, it shares and conveys it downstream hence it stays fresh. The dam however, always feels entitled to receive and keep. Because it doesn’t share, whatever it receives and keep becomes salty and toxic. Thank you and gratitude are not part of the dam’s vocabulary. It always feels entitled to receive but not obligated to share.
When you have adopted a river’s mentality, you are free, you are fresh and you thrive with life. You don’t waste your time worrying so much about the future happenings, your faith keeps you going. You don’t get possessed by your possessions.
When you have adopted the dam’s mindset, you are driven by entitlement. You always want to receive and keep to show the world how much you’ve got. Unfortunately, what you keep becomes stale and toxic as it is not meant to be kept but shared. A person with this mindset is never happy and grateful about anything hence saying thank you and I’m sorry don’t exist in their vocabulary because it’s about them. This is a sad way to live.
I’m often asked where do I get all the time, energy and these ideas I write about, most people don’t get it. I always have them flowing through me hence I share them any time and any day. Some ask me why I don’t wait until I put them in a book? I think this is a difference between me and many others, I was born to inspire and empower people to save themselves from self-sabotage and therefore waiting until I write a book will not achieve this. I have written and published three books and for me, I am happy. My belief is that we were blessed to bless others. We truly make a living by what we receive and make a life by what we give. Appreciate life and be grateful for your blessings, however small they may seem.
Veli Ndaba is a leadership and Insightful Speaker, Life-Coach and Neuro- Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Author of three books (You Are Born to Win, Your Dream is Calling You and SWITCH ON!), Newspaper Columnist and Entrepreneur. To book him to help you and your team unleash your greatness, contact him on veli@velindaba.com, www.velindaba.com and 083 304 9773