Keep moving, keep paddling they said. But how??

Now that I’ve introduced myself, I might as well open up a little bit. I’m sure we all have times where we just feel like we might be stuck in a rut. Right? This I must say was the hardest part, still is the hardest part of my journey to self-discovery and flourishing into the woman of my dreams.

When you think you have it all figured out then BOOM you actually feel like you are moving in circles or not moving at all. I strongly believe that my being an immigrant placed me on the other side of disadvantages and I’ve found myself drowning in potholes of missed opportunities simply because I’m a foreigner. Not to wallow in self- pity but this is reality- my reality; anyway, one has to keep paddling, to keep moving because that’s just life.

11 years later I have settled in my new home, South Africa Johannesburg, I feel like I belong sometimes. I’ve embraced the culture and way of living so much that my original home feels very foreign at times.

My biggest hurdle was the language barrier, I remember walking through the big gates of Waverley Girls High School in my blue tunic and black oversized school shoes not understanding a single word of what the other pupils were saying. I mumbled an almost silent goodbye to my mother , eyes flooded with tears because I really felt out of place. I felt like running back home, but that was the first time I whispered these words to myself ‘ Vhenekai keep moving, don’t look back.’ My own little life lesson number 1 that gave me a bit of strength and still does strengthen me to this day.

So how do you just keep moving when you seem to be stuck in the mud? You think of how far you’ve come, why you started, why you chose to embark on that journey. It may be a business venture, completing your studies, changing jobs or like me, moving to an entirely different country to start a new life.

Don’t ever let the fighting spirit in you die. Re-kindle that flame! And that’s how you keep moving, keep paddling. Albert Einstein’s words of encouragement keep echoing in my heart ‘Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.’ Let them keep echoing in yours too.