If presented with the opportunity to get a message to a large group of people, what would your message be? Is it possible to lie without saying a word?

If I was given the opportunity to get a message out to a large group of people, my message would be directed to individuals within a country such as South Africa, who are affected by unemployment.

The reason our unemployment rate (currently at over 25%) is so high is because we are over-populated.  There is no question about it.  The rate of reproduction is so advanced that there are simply not enough jobs out there for everyone.

It often makes me angry when I see women who are homeless or unemployed with no form of income, who are pregnant.  What type of life will that child of yours have?  I understand that having a child is a blessing and is a gift from God, as many women struggle to have children.  That child could even be given to a family that desperately wants a child to love and take care of.  But our foster homes and orphanages are also extremely over-populated because people do not take proper precautions to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

If you can barely support yourself and do not even have a home or form of income, your child's life may be no better.  They will also not have a home and will not have access to proper education, thereby contributing to the unemployment rate once again as they will struggle to get a job without having received an education.

My message would be just to think about the consequences of your actions.  If you are in no position to raise a child and give him/her everything that he/she deserves, you should be extra cautious and should endeavour to not allow your child to have the same upbringing as you did.

I firmly believe that the solution to our problem of unemployment in South Africa is to curb the rate of reproduction and especially unplanned or unwanted pregnancies.  This would be the message that I would communicate to South Africans.

I do, however, think it is possible to lie without saying a word.  We often forget about what we DO instead of what we SAY, which may in fact have more drastic consequences.  Just remember, actions often speak louder than words.

Leaving on a jet plane!

So for the first time in my life on Saturday, October 27, 2012 I flew on an aeroplane!  Quite a significant moment in my life, I think, considering that I am 21 years old and had never stepped foot on an aeroplane before.

I found out the Thursday prior to my flight that I had to go to Johannesburg alone - considering that I had never been there before either - but, I mean, where have I been, like living under a rock or something?  The trip was for work as I had to manage and co-ordinate all the media that were attending the Hansa Pilsener Special Ingredient Search gala dinner.

Working for Corporate Image, one of the main clients that I work on is SA Breweries (SAB) and Hansa Pilsener, specifically.  My manager had the utmost faith in me and suggested that I travel to Johannesburg on behalf of Corporate Image to manage our side of the event.

I was extremely nervous before the time, but managed to keep my cool.  The take-off was by far the best part, and luckily I checked in early enough to get a window seat.

We had clear, sunny skies in Cape Town, but as we descended into Johannesburg, I was greeted by grey clouds, rain and even lightning.  I had to go straight to the event in Newtown from OR Thambo International Airport.  Thank goodness I had a driver because I would have been totally lost if I had to drive there myself!

After a long evening, I finally checked into my hotel room (the Rosebank Courtyard Hotel) which was absolutely beautiful!  Luxurious and spacious and very serene with a large en-suite bathroom, kitchenette, flat-screen TV and a balcony.  After getting some much needed rest, I had breakfast the next morning and even took the Gautrain for the first time back to the airport.

The flight back to Cape Town was a bit more boring than before, as the thrill of the "first time" was over.  I flew SAA both ways (thank goodness it wasn't 1Time) and the airline was wonderfully accommodating and efficient.

That weekend was definitely a lot of "first" experiences for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed!  Hopefully there are many more of them to come my way!

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

If I didn't know how old I was, I think I would be 26 years old.  Currently I am 21 years old, turning 22 in December this year.  I know this may seem like a random number to choose, but I have always seen myself as a mature person.  That having been said, I still think that I am someone who still has child-like qualities and still likes to be spontaneous and have a bit of fun.

Sometimes I think that other people who are the same age as me do not act the way I do.  Then again, maybe they are the more mature ones and my age should actually be 17!

It is not always a good thing to be mature before your time, but neither is it a good thing to be more immature than the age you actually are.  Remember, act your age, not your shoe size!

Whatever the case may be, we are all only a certain age once in our lives, and whatever that age may be, we should embrace it and enjoy it.  We should not wish our lives away or wish to be older.  We should enjoy our youth and the time that we have left, and just live in the moment, regardless of your age.  Age ain't nothing but a number, right?

What makes you smile?

What makes me smile is:

• My amazing friends
• My dog, Sasha
• My three-legged cat, Poop (yes, that really is her name, and yes, she really only has three legs!)
• Thinking back to great moments where awesome memories were made
• The boat cruise I took with my friends in January 2012
• Making plans for our Thailand 2014 trip

• Receiving a compliment
• Achieving good results in university work
• Doing well at work
• Receiving positive feedback for something I have done
• Knowing that someone has faith in me
• Receiving flowers
• Receiving well wishes for something I am about to do
• Going shopping with my mother
• Getting paid after I'm very broke
• Getting gifts from people
• Knowing that I have an off day coming up (sounds kind of lame, but when you work two jobs and study, it really is something that will make you smile)
• Knowing that in a week's time I will no longer be a student
• Looking towards the future and the great things that are in store for me :)

Of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most…

Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most BRAVE.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most BOLD.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most DARING.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most AUDACIOUS.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most HEROIC.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most ADMIRABLE.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most COURAGEOUS.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most INTREPID.
Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most VALIANT.

Of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the BEST!  Nothing shows as much courage, or infuriates the other person as much as you brushing it aside and just laughing about it.

The last stretch...

The last stretch is here!  The end is in sight!  The moment I have been waiting four years to arrive has finally begun to creep its head around the corner!

As my last week of being a student begins to descend upon me, I have begun to look back at all the moments and memories that I have formed over these last few years.  On my first day in 2009, this moment in time seemed destined to never arrive.  People always say "your life passes you by," and "before you know it, it will be over."  We always think this is not true, but it is!

It feels like just the other day I began my student life journey.  Along the way I have learnt so much and have formed wonderful relationships with my peers and soon-to-be fellow-graduates.

I will always cherish the moments I had at University and a big part of me will definitely miss it too.  On the other hand, I am excited to begin my (hopefully) very successful career and to make new memories on my new path.  Although I am not 100% sure where I will be next year or what I will be doing, but I do know that these past four years have laid the foundation for my

The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood trauma

We all suffer traumatic experiences at some or other stage in our lives.  Some are subjected to these experiences as a young child, while others are only exposed to it at a later stage in life.

When you suffer traumatic experiences at a young age, I do not think that they go away.  Something that bad will stay with you for a very long time, the rest of your life even.

Although, reading this blog, you are no longer a child, the trauma that was once present in your life during your childhood has severe implications on your future, and can impact your life more than you can imagine.

Even though the statute of limitations of that trauma from our childhood has expired, the memories remain and shape who we become one day.