The Now Moment

You may be stuck, you may have even given up completely. 
Like myself, you may have started to wonder what the point of everything is, the point of the struggle, the point of more uphill climbs than downhill freewheels. Fact is, it starts with our thoughts. Our thoughts become our reality and so we manifest more of the same. 

We get sucked into this negative thinking and somehow, climbing out of the black pit of negativity is very hard - even for the eternal optimists such as myself! Until I was reminded that I was the creator of my immediate circumstances and quality of life, everyone else was to blame. 
How do we get out of this blame game? Gratitude for what we have and then, gratitude for all the things that we don't have - in advance and in appreciation that things could always be so much worse. 

If you're battling to accept that you're here - now, keep reading. I recently discovered a kindred spirit named Jocelyn Daher. She is a writer for Spirit Science and can be found on www.jocelyndaher.com. In a recent vlog post, (yes, that's Vlog with a V for video) she quoted Lao Tzu, a quote I've heard many times before. 

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. 

If you are anxious you are living in the future. 

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

Three things have become apparent for me. 

1. We spend too much time in our minds - conjuring up thoughts and feelings about negative possibilities that don't even exist (yet). We think about worse case scenario's because we're trying to control our fears through the re-runs in our minds. By playing out these resentments as a visual thought, we actually invite more of the same into our lives through manifesting our fears. Live your hope, let gratitude for what you have open your heart to more. 

2. Nothing is as certain as the very moment we're in right now. There is no guarantee of tomorrow and there is no way of erasing the past. By accepting, fully, that we're here - now and cannot be in two places at one time, we are in the fullest form of peace we can be in. Live your peace by accepting that nothing is forever and change is constant. It may be a bad day, but it's not a bad life. 

3. You cannot manifest your dreams if you're unable to be in the now moment. By focusing on the 'what if's', you're not able to fully manifest the joy you seek. 

Live your joy by following it like a curious child, follow what fills your heart instead of ignoring those things that ignite your soul. 

So how do we fully receive the power of the now moment? 

Wherever you are right now, wherever you're reading this, take a breath. Look around you and allow each sense to be fully aware of your surroundings. What do you hear? What do you see, in detail. Each waking moment offers you the opportunity to be 'asleep' and on autopilot or to be fully present. It is in these "now" moments of full awareness that we receive the gems that the universe is trying to share with us. Be open to these gifts and you'll find that life is full of blessings and opportunities. 

Be here now. 

Beautiful Sabie

It's been a bucket list destination of mine for a long time. The thought of going through Mpumalanga, South Africa and enjoying the exploration of Pilgrim's Rest and God's Window have always pulled at my heart strings.

Unexpected trips are the best!

So there we were, contemplating what to do over New Years eve. We mulled over the thought of the ever so popular (and overdone KZN/beach trip) and then flitted between a two night stay in Clarens, Parys, Drakensberg - gosh anywhere but home! Looking at the map of Gauteng and surrounds, I found myself drawn to Mpumalanga. I browsed through accommodation and all enquiries turned up as dead ends as holiday makers filled up rooms across the country. We had left it too late. 

Blessings in disguise and the case of the missing passport

Chatting to my mom about her impending trip to Botswana, I learned that her plans had been foiled when her partner had lost and later found his (expired) passport, so their trip was called off and she began to tell me about her back up plan and camping adventures that awaited with my brother. 

I listened casually to her plans and packing lists, and her enthusiastic camping dreams fell onto my deaf ears. She had lost me at self catering and portable potty - gosh when did I become such a snob!

As her sentence ended I jokingly asked if there was space for a "Plus 2" so that Neil and I could join in. Suddenly before I was aware of my request an opportunity presented itself in the form of a last minute camping trip to, wait for it, Sabie, Mpumalanga!

Things I didn't know about Sabie (and camping) until I got there

1. We stayed at a place called Merry Pebbles, a pristine and immaculately well kept camping and Caravaning facility in Sabie. Highly recommended for the price you pay, onsite restaurant, hot and cold pools, water tubing and so much more! Excellent for kids and first time campers as well as those wanting to enjoy a chalet option. 

2. Sabie is damp - very damp. By day 5 I was over my first (and probably last) camping trip when the rain came down for two straight days. There are so many tree's and you're literally sleeping on the forest floor. Be sure to visit the Sabie Forestry Museum to learn more about paper, forestry and conservation. 

3. Sabie has it's own brewery, Sabie Brewing Co. - and you have to, have to try the Cherry cider!

4. Graskop is not "just down the road", it's about 40kms from Sabie and is pretty much where you'll find a strip of road where all the magic happens, including Harries Pancakes and tons of Macadamia nut vendors. 

5. Pilgrims Rest is a good 45 minute drive from Sabie. 

6. You'll see many, many, many waterfalls. And they will eventually all start looking the same. 

7. Don't go over peak season if you can help it, because everyone and their cousin is sitting in the waterfalls with a glass of whiskey. Not my idea of enjoying nature.

8. Mosquitoes are real, especially when hiking. Be prepared!

9. Pilgrims Rest is about 800 meters long, if you're into SA Gold mining history, it's a must, but if you're expecting a buzzing town you'll be disappointed.

10. It's just 4 hours from Joburg and the fresh air will clear your skin, sinuses and your lungs, just in time for your return to the pollution of Jozi Town!


We'll definitely be back and next time we'll take the boys. 
It's been 3 weeks and the tent is still scrunched in a pile in a bucket, at the back of our shed (perhaps we should look into that). 

Huge commendations to Merry Pebbles for their outstanding housekeeping and cleanliness. Do book yourself into a chalet if you're not into camping and enjoy the benefits of being in the forest without sleeping on the damp floor. 

Take your camera, a board game and some binoculars for the many eagles you'll spot daily along the Sabie - Pilgrim's Rest drive. 

Merry Pebbles 

Our first tent

The Sabie Forestry Museum

One of the many waterfalls in and around Sabie (Lisbon Falls)

Bourkes Luck Potholes 

One of the many views and mountain ranges

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The Pinnacle