My favourite Cat in the Hat book is.....

To be dead honest, I have never read any of the Cat in the Hat books. Dr Seuss is a wise and creative author but the Cat in the Hat series really doesn’t interest me.  I cannot tell you why, perhaps it is because I have busied myself in reading Harry Potter, Wilbur Smith, Stephenie Meyer, Ayn Rand, Dan Brown and Anne Rice. I enjoy juicy stories, not frivolous ones.   I have watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who, but I cannot tell you that I would give them top ratings.

There are a few quotes from Dr. Seuss that appeal to me however:

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

Wise words...all of them.

Taken from danielleford.com

Why I have conversations?

Taken from businessesgrow.com

I am so lucky to not be an introvert. I love socialising and communicating with people and I would say that is the reason why I chose Public Relations as a field of study. I have conversations for many reasons. My top 6 reasons are:

1.      To learn about others and build relationships.

2.      To find out and to provide valuable information that others should know.

3.      To get what I need or want.

4.      To have fun and laugh.

5.      To increase my knowledge on current events.

6.      To talk about problems and sort them out.

I love conversing. It is something we all have to do on a daily basis. That is why I am so grateful to be self-confident, open, interesting and to have been professionally trained in communication.

My bucket list: 100 things to do before I die!

Taken from miamarlowe.com

I have always wanted to sit down and write a bucket list. Writing down a list of things to do before you die and then ticking it off as you go is a foolproof plan of living life to the fullest. Here are the 100 things that I want to do before I die:

1.      Shark cage dive (I did that last month so that can be ticked off).

2.      Ride an elephant (I’ve ridden an Asian elephant in the Thailand rainforest but I still have to ride an African elephant).

3.      Ride an ostrich.

4.      Go sky-diving.

5.      Go bungi-jumping at Bloukraans Bridge.

6.      Go paragliding over the ocean.

7.      Swim with dolphins.

8.      Get my diving certificate and dive in the Great Barrier Reef.

9.      See the Pyramids and Sphinx.

10.   Visit the Cairo Museum.

11.   Visit the leaning Tower of Pizza.

12.   Visit Paris and kiss under the Eiffel Tower.

13.   Go on a boat cruise around the Caribbean.

14.   Get a tattoo.

15.   Visit the Tiger Temple in Thailand.

16.   Get married to my soul mate.

17.   Have a child.

18.   Surf in California.

19.   Visit the Acropolis in Greece.

20.   Visit the Coliseum in Rome.

21.   Watch the sunrise over the Himalayas.

22.   Get stoned in Amsterdam.

23.   Spend St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland.

24.   Party at the German Beer Fest.

25.   Party even harder at Mardi Gras in Brazil and then New Orleans.

26.   Learn to speak French.

27.   Spend R10 000 on a shopping spree for myself.

28.   Develop my psychic and spiritual abilities.

29.   Talk to a Buddhist monk about life.

30.   Help out a charity in a big way.

31.   Own a tea cup pig.

32.   Own an iguana.

33.   Own a Chihuahua.

34.   Visit the Amazon Rainforest.

35.   Climb a mountain.

36.   Surf at night.

37.   Go to Kirstenbosch Gardens (can’t believe I haven’t gone yet).

38.   Learn how to ballroom dance.

39.   Start my own business.

40.   Float in the Dead Sea.

41.   Lie down in a field of flowers.

42.   Fly in a small aeroplane and maybe fly it myself.

43.   Go to the Tommorrowland Festival in Europe.

44.   Look at the stars from out at sea on a yacht.

45.   Eat pizza and pasta in Italy.

46.   Be in the newspaper for doing something good.

47.   Be on TV.

48.   See a Snow Leopard.

49.   Tan in Cancun.

50.   Go on a proper African Safari somewhere in Kenya.

51.   Behold the sight of Mount Kilimanjaro.

52.   Drink legit absinth.

53.   Own a convertible.

54.   Go on a surfing road trip along the coast of South Africa.

55.   Take a photo on the top of the Empire State Building.

56.   Hillbilly it up in Texas.

57.   Spend the day at Disney land.

58.   Visit Universal Studios.

59.   Eat proper MacDonald’s in America.

60.    Sell one of my paintings.

61.   Celebrate my birthday in Vegas.

62.   Make friends with someone very famous.

63.   Fight for a cause and win.

64.   Go snowboarding.

65.   Ride a camel in the desert.

66.   Go on a boat trip down the Nile.

67.   Write a book.

68.   Learn to play a musical instrument properly.

69.   Meet and keep a best friend for life.

70.   Pay my parents back for all they have done for me.

71.   Have a white Christmas.

72.   Learn how to make sushi.

73.   Go tree-hopping in the Tsitsikama Forest.

74.   Teach English in Thailand.

75.   Work in the entertainment production industry.

76.   Hold a baby tiger (Oh wait I did that already).

77.   Hold a baby lion

78.   Pet a cheetah (Wait I can scratch that one off too).

79.   Get an outrageous hairstyle in a different colour.

80.   Go on a submarine.

81.   Fly in an army helicopter.

82.   Learn how to handle a gun and get my gun licence.

83.   Master a form of martial arts or self defence.

84.   Learn how to read tarot cards.

85.   Visit a chocolate factory in Switzerland.

86.   Grow my hair as long as I can.

87.   Win a prestigious award.

88.   Walk around in a graveyard at night.

89.   Own a Jacuzzi.

90.   See the Mona Lisa in real life.

91.   Walk along the Great Wall of China.

92.   Attend a Hindu wedding.

93.   Go on an ice-breaker ship into Antarctica.

94.   See an orca whale in real life.

95.   Spend a week on a deserted beach with my soul mate.

96.   Do something politically orientated.

97.   Go to Hawaii and learn to Hula.

98.   Go to the carnival on the pier at Jersey Shore.

99.   Catch a train through Russia.

100.                    Become spiritually enlightened.

My big fat BIG dream

Taken from robinsharma.com

We all have our dreams, some realistic, others so way out of reach that we hide them away from the world for fear of being laughed at. Well, I have learned that it is a wonderful thing to dream and no one should ever be ashamed of their deepest desires. We have one life and we should give it all we’ve got. Dreams help keep us motivated and help lesson life’s seriousness.

My dream is to travel the world. I want to see every place on this planet. I want to learn about life on life’s doorstep. If I could give up the idea of a career and just travel from place to place until I settle down with children in my calmer years, then that is what I would do. I would experience everything the world has to offer. After I have travelled, met hoards of worldly people and have learnt all I can about the world and myself, I dream of owning a beautiful home somewhere on a beach, away from the hustle and bustle of life. My house must be built on a huge property, somewhere I can create my own forest. In that forest, I will sit and meditate on my life, have picnics with my soul mate and laugh at our children as they play. That is what my hope for my future is.

My big fat BIG dream, which will probably never come true, is for the world to give up its greed and negativity and for everyone to live in harmony. Imagine a planet that isn’t in the wretches of global warming and is thriving with all its inhabitants living in peace and love. What a beautiful world it would be. But alas, human greed and their attraction to negativity is endless.

Dreams may be dreams but they are worth every second that you dream them, because without that inspiration our lives would be empty and dull. So dream your dreams and remember anything is possible if you believe enough.

Conventional is a good fallback position isn’t it?

I am a person who revels in others’ uniqueness and their willingness to step out of societal indoctrination and proudly say, “This is who I am and if you don’t like it, I don’t give a f#*@!” This is the type of person I try and be every day. I love anything that is unconventional. I hate it when people care so much about what others think of them. Nothing can suffocate a person’s inner being more than this. If you want to dance when there is no music, then do it. If you want to be as outrageous as people like Marilyn Manson or Lady Gaga, then why not?

Society dictates its norms and sets the conventional standards and sadly most people comply, as it is easier to be a sheep than to be a leader. Do not let others dictate who you are because the soul is something beautiful and free. Each and every person’s soul wants to do and be whatever will make it happy. After all, we all come to this planet to find joy. Letting other people rent a space in your head can seriously damage your chances at happiness.

Last year I made the decision to not care what people think of me and the things I do and I have never been happier. It is your life and no one else has a right to tell you how to live it. No one matters but you! Be proud to be who you are, even if it is against the norm. All the better! So conventional is a good fallback position is it? I say HELL NO!




Taken from
 http://www.facebook.com/danielle.rall.52?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?

You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time

There is always that one or two week period in each term where we are all stockpiled with work and we run around like headless chickens trying to meet our numerous deadlines. Such is life for  university students. Lord knows how many nights I stay up trying to finish my work. It can all get a bit much, especially if you are taking on more than one task at a time.

The old Native American saying, “You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time” is true if you are incapable of multi-tasking, which is not possible if you are a fourth year PR student. We have to multi-task to keep up with our various subjects and often we have more than one big deadline to meet on the same day. No doubt this is what the PR world is all about.

I believe multi-tasking is a good skill to learn as it will be helpful in many scenarios, both in the workplace and at home. Unfortunately, men may have to work harder to master this skill.... All jokes aside, the problem with multi-tasking is the danger of losing focus, which undoubtedly affects end results. As impossible as it is to catch two rabbits at the same time, it is just as impossible to achieve the best possible outcomes if you take on two many tasks at the same time. So remember to prioritise and focus on one task at a time. If you do this, you will be able to achieve the best possible outcomes in all scenarios. But by all means, if you feel you are a capable multi-tasker... go right ahead!

Taken from blackberry.org.ng

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea”(Alain)

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea”(Alain)

I do not believe this statement to be entirely true.  Yeah sure, one idea may not always be enough but I say if you even have just one idea then you are on your way. Other ideas spring from an initial idea ,so in saying this, does Alain mean that all initial ideas are dangerous? I think not. Somehow the idea I had to go on a holiday wasn’t so dangerous to me or those around me.

I do believe however that those that fail to plan, plan to fail and I believe Alain was trying to get to this point. If you have an idea, it is nothing until the planning process is complete because only then can successful implementation take place. Planning helps eliminate risks and possible dangers, so perhaps Alain should rather have quoted, “ Nothing is more dangerous than an idea that has not been thought through before implementing it.”

Taken from idea-sandbox.com